Tennessee Commission of Indian Affairs
submitted by Commissioner John Anderson, Chattanooga
adopted unanimously 4 December 2004, Memphis


Resolution of Support to Save Little Cedar Mountain
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  1. Whereas: The Little Cedar Mountain area, currently held in trust for the United States' people by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), is historically significant to Native American people, given its long history of habitation and specific significance to the Chickamauga Cherokee; and

  2. Whereas: After several Native American protests, TVA promised in March 1999 that "TVA will no longer pursue the development of the Little Cedar Mountain project on Nickajack Lake" and that "we [TVA] believe it is important for TVA to continue to maintain these public lands for use by everyone"; and

  3. Whereas: TVA has not met its legal responsibility to protect and preserve cultural resources by initiating a phase-one archaeological survey of the area that would accurately account for all of the presumptive archaeological sites in the area; and

  4. Whereas: TVA has not satisfactorily studied the impact of increased river traffic on the underwater village sites and human burials that were flooded by the creation of Nickajack Lake; and

  5. Whereas: TVA has not entered into any dialogues mandated by the Native American Grave Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) with the culturally affiliated tribes of record regarding the disposition of the large quantity of human remains that TVA continues to hold; and

  6. Whereas: TVA has not initiated any discussion of the Native American Graves Protection Act (NAGPRA), sacred sites, traditional cultural properties and the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) with the culturally affiliated tribes with the end goal of drafting a Programmatic Agreement for Section 106 of NHPA and the drafting of an agreement for Section 3 of NAGPRA, Inadvertent Discoveries; and

  7. Whereas: The Little Cedar Mountain area, currently held in trust for the United States' people by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), is environmentally significant as a wild area to maintaining the health of the Tennessee River watershed and is one of the last remaining free and accessible public spaces on the Tennessee River;

Therefore Be It Resolved That the Tennessee Commission of Indian Affairs go on record supporting TVA's 1999 decision to "to maintain these public lands for use by everyone" and not to "pursue the development of the Little Cedar Mountain project on Nickajack Lake".

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Tennessee Commission of Indian Affairs
4 december 2004, Memphis