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Article: MINING THE SACRED MOUNTAINS.(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- E Magazine
- Article date:
- January 1, 2000
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2000 Earth Action Network, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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To the Navajo, the extinct volcano marking the western pillar of their sprawling reservation is called Diichiti, the Mountain of Strength. It is sacred ground to the Navajo, Havasupi and Hopi tribes.
But these San Francisco Peaks are also home to the White Vulcan Pumice Mine, a U.S. Forest Service-permitted extraction operation located outside of Flagstaff, Arizona. In recent years the mine has been given a new lease on life, thanks to the international popularity of stone-washed jeans, which are processed with white pumice stone extracted there.
The mine owners have notified the U.S. Forest Service that they intend to expand by 30 acres to meet demand ...