Heller misguided on Gold Butte

By Barbara Hartzell, Henderson

Friday, May 6, 2016 | 2 a.m.

“I want to take this opportunity to underscore that while nearly everyone agrees Gold Butte is a natural treasure, there are strong differences of opinion among Nevadans on the conservation policies best suited to ensure future generations can camp, hike, hunt, and enjoy the cultural resources in the region.” — Sen. Dean Heller

Is Sen. Heller stating that the future generations of the tribes here in Nevada are not best suited to decide if the petroglyphs should be preserved so that others may continue to enjoy the cultural resources of Gold Butte?

As a Native American enrolled in the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe and a direct descendant of the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe, I find this statement insulting and degrading. While Sen. Heller personally may see no reason to protect the petroglyphs of Gold Butte, I, as a child of mass genocide, forced removal to reservations, boarding schools and assimilation, just to name a few, find the need to preserve what little we have left of the Native American culture that survived to be of the utmost importance.

Seeing bullet holes and phalluses drawn onto these beautiful drawings etched into stone by the indigenous people of the area is disgraceful. These art pieces cannot be preserved in a museum, and once they are destroyed they will be nonexistent forever, and that is unacceptable.

The difference of opinion here is that the voices of Nevadans are not important to the very senator who represents us and our state.