Idaho Wilderness Hearings

Statement:

Mr. Feathers. Good afternoon, Honorable Senator James McClure and Honorable Senator Steve Symms. We're delighted you are with us here in Lewiston. I don't have a prepared talk. I didn't even know about registration for this except a little scanty material I got out of the Lewiston Tribune. Also, I'd like to recognize Alan Slickpoo of the Nez Perce Nation, a friend of mine, and part representative of the Nez Perce Tribe. And he was remarking that he represented a different government. Probably American creed 750 which says we're made up of sovereign nations and many sovereign States should also include many sovereign Indian nations which we have. I think, Senator McClure, the last time we were together we did attend a long house religious ceremony in the Nez Perce Reservation which we try to follow the best we could. Since that time, I've attended several more of those. And I know a little bit more about it. When you come next time, I'll give you some more instructions. My name is Joseph Feathers. I do live on the Moon Rising Ranch which is on the Nez Perce Reservation. I guess I'm a guest of the tribe. I've been there 15 years. And before that I lived in Beaverhead County, southwest Montana. So I think I know this area quite well. As I said, I didn't know anything about this meeting until I read it in the paper. I greatly admire the Hunt Papa Sioux medicine man, Sitting Bull who once said: 'A great man is a person who does the best he can with what he has.' And I don't have much to do with today so I'll be as great as I can. The Tribune did boil down the problem here today. And you people have certainly identified the two areas. The questions boil down to two sides; saving roadless areas for future—for the future because of the values they possess and developing roadless areas for timber and logging and grazing. And I think you people have taken those two sides. My point of view would be that of the Wilderness Society and Sierra Club and such groups like that in Idaho. Any myself—I'd like a wilderness that is untouched and undisturbed. But I think maybe we ought to put the fires out burning the wilderness. Here's a place as a young lady just over here awhile ago in the black dress I thought expressed wonderfully. It's a place to rely on one's personal renewal of one's self. And I think we got to—all done? I have a whole