• A barbershop in Massachusetts has been closed down after city inspectors found a Palo Mayombe altar and six chickens (one dead) in the basement of the establishment. Health officials have shut down the business due to unsanitary conditions in the basement. The owner claims he never did sacrifice in the basement of his business and that the animals were only there temporarily while he moved. There is an ABC Nightline video of the basement in question, as well as an interview with barbershop owner William Camacho. Litigation seems very likely.
• Kathryn Price NicDhàna updates us on the ongoing actions in Arizona to stop the clear-cutting and burning of forest on the San Francisco Peaks to make way for a pipeline that will pump treated wastewater up the mountain so that a ski resort can make more money. As documented here, the San Francisco Peaks are held as sacred by several indigenous peoples and Tribal Nations in the area. For ongoing coverage check out Censored News and Indigenous Action Media. A nationwide Forest Service protest is currently being organized.
• Conservative columnist Roy Exum has apologized for his article mocking Pagans, a piece he wrote in reaction to Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee adding four Pagan holidays to its calendar. Quote Exum: “I need to apologize. I have never slighted anyone for their religious views and in Wednesday’s column I did so badly. Because of my ignorance of the subject, I was under the impression Pagans and Wiccans were more of a cult and I am genuinely sorry that I offended some very kind and nice worshippers.” Exum also shares excerpts from the many letters he was sent. Selena Fox of Circle Sanctuary wrote him a thank-you note for his apology, and urges others to do the same.
• New Apostolic Reformation leader/apostle C. Peter Wagner protests against assertions that his movement wants a Christian theocracy in the United States, clarifying that the “way to achieve dominion is not to become ‘America’s Taliban,’ but rather to have kingdom-minded people in every one of the Seven Mountains: Religion, Family, Education, Government, Media, Arts & Entertainment, and Business so that they can use their influence to create an environment in which the blessings and prosperity of the Kingdom of God can permeate all areas of society.” In essence, a theocracy would be too limited a concept for what NAR wants. I’m sure you are all reassured, right?
• For those keeping track of Sacred Paths Center‘s fiscal travails, PNC-Minnesota has an update on the what’s going on. SPC has released the findings from their recent governance audit and posted a historical narrative of what, exactly, happened.
• Clothing designer Rachel Roy visited Haiti recently (alongside Martha Stewart and Macy’s CEO Terry Lundgren) to investigate business opportunities with local artisans. While there she learned something about Haitain Vodou: “Jean Baptiste – Possibly my favorite artist who beads- also Voodoo priest. Voodoo actually being a positive force. Over the years it has gotten a bad rap (‘black magic’). Well, really, it is no different than other religions that offers hope-provides clients and provides dietaries and substance – for a nation … learn something new everything minute … I love to learn.”
• The DC/Baltimore area Sacred Space Conference has announced it’s featured presenters for 2012: Lyratah Barrett, cat yronwode, Ivo Dominguez Jr., and John Michael Greer. The event takes place March 8th – 11th in Laurel, Maryland. You can register now.
• James Kirk Wall, author of “Agnosticism: The Battle Against Shameless Ignorance,” ponders who non-religious voters should back in 2012. Some of his points could just as easily apply to adherents of minority religions as well.
• The Russian Republic of Karelia has ordered a ban on Halloween celebrations at its schools, stating that it is a Pagan holiday that contradicts the “secularist character of education” and promotes “Satanism and extremism.” Isolated bit of paranoia and overreach, or is connected to the slow-moving oppression of minority faiths in Russia? As the government, in seemingly increasing collusion with the Russian Orthodox Church, use laws against extremism and “cults” to intimidate and oppress competing faiths, the future of indigenous and neopagan faiths in Russia seems endangered.
• According to the Times of India, Wicca has reached its 15th anniversary in India, and checks in with their country’s most famous Wiccan, Ipsita Roy Chakraverti.
• The American Family Association is trying to distance itself from its own Director of Issue Analysis, Bryan Fischer. Fischer has a long track-record of spouting off increasing intolerant and hateful screeds. While the AFA is usually content to keep quiet about Fischer’s near-daily rants, this time they are splitting with him on the Establishment Clause: “under American law all religions enjoy freedom from government interference.  However Joseph Story’s view continues to have proponents, including Bryan Fischer, one of American Family Radio’s talk show hosts.  However, the American Family Association (“AFA”) officially sides with Jefferson on this question.   AFA is confident that the truth of Christianity will prevail whenever it is allowed to freely compete in the marketplace of ideas.” Right Wing Watch challenges us to “name one other organization that regularly has to declare that the things said by its own spokesman should not be construed as reflecting the views of the organization itself.”

That’s it for now! Feel free to discuss any of these links in the comments, some of these I may expand into longer posts as needed.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApvVnlBOufU

“The action we took today is one part of a series of events with the intent to stop Snowbowl, the US Forest Service, and other corporations from further desecrating the Holy San Francisco Peaks,” stated Haley Coles after being released from jail. “The pipeline will not be tolerated. Spewed waste water turned into artificial snow will not be tolerated. Clear cuts, slash piles, and burning of hundred-year old trees will not be tolerated. The Holy mountain will be defended, and the desecration will be stopped; at whatever cost. We have the mountain on our side,” said Coles.

The already in-progress construction is considered sacrilegious by a coalition of local indigenous groups and Tribal Nations who see this as a desecration that would be “like putting death on the mountain.” According to Brenda Norrell at Censored News 17 people have been arrested so far, some for civil disobedience, and some for no apparent reason at legal protests.

“Six people protecting San Francisco Peaks were targeted and arrested during a peaceful march for the protection of San Francisco Peaks. San Francisco Peaks defender Klee Benally, Navajo, was among those arrested. In front of Macy’s Coffeehouse on Sunday afternoon, undercover police infiltrated the hundred person march in an attempt to squash the growing anti-Snowbowl movement. The peaceful march by Native Americans and supporters was surrounded by police from the moment the march formed, marchers said.”

While the week of planned protests has ended, protest camps still remain. For those wanting to make their voice heard on this issue, Indigenous Action Media has sidebar on its site of all the relevant contact information. I will be periodically checking in on this issue as it progresses.

• The home of traditional 19th century Irish healer Biddy Early is up for auction. Current property owner Billy Loughnane is hoping that someone with a strong interest in Early will purchase the land, restore her cottage, and preserve it as a tourist spot. Biddy Early is perhaps one of the most famous of the female cunning folk, and her legend has only grown over the years.
• In June a new group blog, Feminism & Religion, launched. The main contributors are all feminist theologians and scholars, and was founded “in the hope that feminist scholars of religion — and all who are interested in these issues — will use this forum to share their ideas, insights, and experiences, so that this community of thinkers will be nurtured as we explore diverse and new directions.” Plenty of posts of interest to Pagans, Goddess worshipers, and feminist theologians to be found.
• Slate’s legal correspondent Dahlia Lithwick, referencing a recent 4th Circuit Court of Appeals decision, explains why you can’t simply vote for sectarian prayers at government meetings: “It doesn’t matter if only 4 percent of the community is expressly excluded by references to a certain deity. It also doesn’t matter if only 1 percent of the community feels that way, or even if only two “hypersensitive” non-Christians object. The Bill of Rights is not subject to popular referendum. That’s why it’s called the Bill of Rights and not, say, American Idol.”
• Scholar danah boyd explains why “Real Names” policies on social networking sites are an abuse of power. She notes that: “people who most heavily rely on pseudonyms in online spaces are those who are most marginalized by systems of power.” Considering the large number of Pagans who operate under pseudonyms on the Internet (and in their day-to-day lives) I can see this becoming an issue for our communities. For more on this check out the “My Name is Me” advocacy site, explaining the number of reasons why individuals should be free to choose their own names on the Internet. More from boyd on “radical transparency.” I’ll be following up on this issue soon.
• Here’s your Pagan facepalm for the weekend: two inebriated Odinists in the UK climbed up the scaffolding surrounding a Christian church, claiming they were holding a protest. “A witness said he heard police telling the pair it would have been a more effective protest had they not been drunk.” The younger of the two protesters refused an offered ladder and jumped down from ten feet, hurting his leg in the process.  No one was arrested, and no damage seemed to have been done (except to the one Odinist’s leg).
• Shock Till You Drop interviews writer/director Robin Hardy about “The Wicker Tree,” the themes running through it and its spiritual predecessor “The Wicker Man,” and the upcoming third film “The Wrath of the Gods.” The last film sounds very Wagnerian, and “the gods themselves get sucked into the melee.”
• The perfect storm for sensationalist coverage: A porn star gets busted for animal cruelty by leaving animals he was planning to sacrifice in a Santeria ceremony inside a hot van. Here’s the TMZ version of the same story.
• More on the Hindu America Seva Charities (HASC)  first-ever White House conference.
• Starting yesterday, a week of actions are planned to protest the expansion of the Snowbowl ski resort on the San Francisco Peaks in Arizona, which includes the pumping of treated wastewater up the mountain to make fake snow. A coalition of local indigenous groups and Tribal Nations see this as a desecration that would be “like putting death on the mountain.” You can read my recent coverage of this issue, here.
• Here at Patheos, P. Sufenas Virius Lupus explains the dangers of one-stop shopping, especially when it comes to religion: “For polytheists, and I would suggest for Pagans more generally, there are no shortcuts. One never gets, in a metaphorical sense, to kill two birds with one stone with one’s daily activities and one’s spiritual life. And, I would argue, this is a very good thing.”
• Also at Patheos, columnist Gus diZerega responds to Christina Oakley Harrington’s talk on Pagan in Britain today, with some thoughts of his own.

That’s it for now! I may not be near a computer for much of today as I’ll be visiting one of Oregon’s sacred sites, so please forgive me if I don’t respond to comments or emails in a timely fashion. Feel free to discuss any of these links in the comments, some of these I may expand into longer posts as needed.

Bjork’s Biophilia: Way back in 2007 I covered the very Pagan inclinations of Iceland’s favorite musical export, Björk, as she released her then-new album “Volta.” Now Bjork’s back with an ambitious new interactive album project entitled “Biophilia,” and she talks to The Quietus about politics, the sacredness of nature, and why she’s against the “Christian idea” of how music should be constructed.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8AELvVUFLw

“So for me, how I hear music, is kind of more related to nature, it’s not related to some Christian idea, these German guys, Bach and Beethoven. I don’t mean that in a bad way, I totally respect Christians and Germans, it’s just monopoly is never a good idea, there should be versatility.”

You can read more about the app-based project, expansive tour plans, and the actual album, here. I’ve long been a fan of Bjork, and I’m very much looking forward to this new and ambitious project.

Why the San Francisco Peaks are Sacred: Censored News showcases a Dine’ youth film that explores why the San Francisco Peaks in Arizona are sacred to the Dine’ (Navajo) people.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4FU1Wxr0_Y

It’s a short film that’s well worth watching, and gives a clear idea of why the peaks are so important. The issue of development on the peaks in defiance of protests from 13 different indigenous groups and Tribal Nations has seen renewed interest recently, including direct nonviolent action to stop construction of a water pipeline that would pump treated wastewater snow onto the mountain. You can find out more about activist efforts, here.

Pagan Podcast News: I wanted to quickly mention some news from the world of Pagan podcasting. First, Alison (of No Unsacred Place fame) and Jeff Lilly (a contributor to Pagan+Politics) have launched Dining With Druids, a podcast that’s actually pretty self-explanatory.

Dining with Druids is your opportunity to sit in once a week and eavesdrop on the wild and rambling dinner conversation of two Druids as they discuss the news of the day and other interesting tidbits, informed by their backgrounds in political philosophy, linguistics, religious studies, history, science and modern-day spirituality.

Don’t be fooled by the name — this is no cooking show! It’s a chance for you to unwind with some friendly table talk about the intersection of religion, politics, community and spirituality in an ever-changing, multicultural world. Enjoy conversation about diverse issues with hosts who know a little bit of everything, or at least enough to be curious, confused and endlessly amused. If there’s one thing you can say about dining with Druids, it’s that they always serve up plenty of food for thought!

Sounds interesting! There are already episodes up to check out. Meanwhile, there are some new episodes up from some of my favorite podcasts that you should check out: Thorn Coyle interviews Starhawk at Elemental Castings, The CUUPS Podcast interviews Rev. Christa Landon and Phaedra Bonewits about the founding of Panthea Pagan Temple, and Ravencast interviews Jon Cyr, the founder of the Young Vikings Club. Finally, I’ll soon be on The Modern Witch Podcast, details soon.

That’s all I have for right now, have a great Saturday!

Problems With Summer Solstice at Stonehenge: Guardian art critic Jonathan Jones lashes out at Pagans and other revelers who congregate each year at Stonehenge, noting the lack of (ancient) historical grounding and implying that it is only permitted now to avoid “public violence.”

“Eighteen thousand pagans, druids and – for all I know – modern Aztecsgathered at Stonehenge to celebrate the summer solstice. There were some drugs arrests, but judging from reports, English Heritage seem pleased with the numbers. Er, why? And why is this daft festival even allowed? In the 1980s hippies fought the police for their right to revel. So that is why it is permitted: because otherwise there would be public violence on Salisbury Plain. But there is no historical tradition justifying the pagan takeover of Britain’s most celebrated ancient monument every midsummer. There is not even a theological justification, for no connection exists between Stonehenge and modern paganism.”

Jones bemoans Stonehenge becoming “a stage for feeble pseudo-religious, pseudo-communal fantasies,” calling the gatherings “abusive” and “ugly.” I’m not sure why Jones is so against Summer Solstice gatherings at Stonehenge, he doesn’t seem to be arguing from a stance of preservation, simply aesthetics. Anyone who actually studies religion or folk tradition will tell you that a solid grounding in current historical information isn’t required for a popular tradition to form. Allowing the Druids, Pagans, hippies, and tourists to gather in a managed fashion harms no one, and indeed creates important liminal moments of communal sentiment that helps bind a nation and its people together. Stonehenge is a symbol of Britain now, something the national tourism industry knows full well,  and it’s bizarre to discourage people from having celebrations around it.

Direct Action at the San Francisco Peaks: While this week saw a lot of attention on the issue of protecting and preserving Native sacred places in the United States, particularly the San Francisco Peaks in Arizona, one event seemed to get overlooked in the coverage. Last week six activists were arrested in non-violent direct action in an attempt to halt construction of water pipeline that will be used to pump treated waste-water snow on the mountain, a move many indigenous peoples and Tribal Nations see as a blasphemy.

Kristopher Barney, Dine’ (Navajo) & one of the six who locked himself to an excavator stated, “This is a continuation of years of prayers and resistance. It is our hope that all Indigenous Peoples, and all others,  throughout the North, East, South and West come together to offer support to the San Francisco Peaks and help put a stop to Snowbowl’s plan to further destroy and desecrate such a sacred, beautiful and pristine mountain!”

“What part of sacred don’t they understand? Through our actions today, we say enough! The destruction and desecration has to end!” said Marlena Teresa Garcia, 16, a young Diné woman and one of the six who chose to lock down. “The Holy San Francisco Peaks is home, tradition, culture, and a sanctuary to me, and all this is being desecrated by the Arizona Snowbowl Ski Resort.  So now I, as a young Diné woman, stand by Dook’o’osliid’s side taking action to stop cultural genocide.  I encourage all indigenous youth to stand against the desecration that is happening on the Holy San Francisco Peaks and all other sacred sites”, said Garcia after being arrested and released.

There are accusations that police used excessive force in removing the protesters. You can read a press release sent out by the activists, as well as suggestions on how you can support their efforts, here. You can read all of my coverage concerning efforts to protect the San Francisco Peaks, here. Thanks to Kathryn Price NicDhàna for bringing this to my attention.

Vodun and Vaccines in Benin: CNN features an editorial from columnist Michael Gerson on efforts to get life-saving vaccines to people who need it in the developing world. In the piece Gerson promotes a new documentary collaboration between ONE and VBS called  “Voodoo and Vaccines” about how health workers reached out to Vodun and traditional healers in Benin to overcome skepticism and misinformation.

“Voodoo and Vaccines” shows how government and health officials have reached out to religious leaders, and how many traditional healers are now carrying a pro-vaccination message. They are combining a belief in traditional medicine with an acceptance of modern medicine. And this is benefiting the people of Benin.

This is not the first time activists and health workers have reached out to Vodun healers in order to reach the people of Benin, and it is encouraging to see a politically connected conservative Christian talk about the necessity of involving Vodun practitioners without descending into the smears and triumphalism that so tainted some outreach efforts in Haiti.

That’s all I have for now, perhaps more later. Have a great day!

San Francisco Peaks Update: I have written at some length concerning the battle over a ski resort on the San Francisco Peaks in Arizona creating snow from treated wastewater, what a coalition of local indigenous groups and Tribal Nations see as a desecration that would be “like putting death on the mountain.” It seemed to me like Arizona politicians didn’t believe there could be sacred land in their state. Now Indian Country follows up on this story with the latest insult to the beliefs of Native Americans living in Arizona.

“The Forest Service has scheduled a meeting to hear Hopi Tribe objections to wastewater-enabled snowmaking for a ski resort on Arizona’s San Francisco Peaks at the same time it has approved the start of construction on the snowmaking’s infrastructure. A former Hopi Tribal chairman and the grassroots group of which he is a part of hope an upcoming meeting on the San Francisco Peaks (Nuvatuqui) will provide a voice for tribal members who oppose the use of wastewater for the snowmaking at a resort on mountains sacred to a number of area tribes. But at about the same time the Forest Service planned the May 31 “listening session” with Hopi tribal members it also authorized construction to begin on a pipeline to convey the wastewater used to make the artificial snow.”

An emergency injunction appeal to construction was denied, despite there being an active appeal on environmental grounds underway. The “listening session” with the Hopi Tribe will be the only forum at this point that includes Native voices, it looks like Coconino National Forest supervisor M. Earl Stewart won’t be much different from former supervisor Nora B. Rasure, who doesn’t see any issue with desecrating a sacred mountain for the purpose of a prolonged skiing season. As indigenous leaders tell the United Nations that respecting their beliefs will help preserve the environment, the Forest Service in Coconino has seemingly decided that money and politics trump everything else.

Pagans on Wikipedia: Over at PNC-Minnesota (and reprinted at Patheos.com) Cara Schulz writes an editorial concerning a snowballing trend of Wikipedia deleting Pagan-oriented articles. She cites the a policy of goal-post shifting regarding what sources are deemed acceptable. For instance, the Pagan Newswire Collective doesn’t meet guidelines, nor do the published writings of Pagan academics.

“PNC has staff with formal journalism degrees, experience working as a reporters, producers, and editors in mainstream media, and PNC-Minnesota follows an editorial process similar to most any other newsroom in the country.   Yet PNC-Minnesota is dismissed as  “a self-published group blog which isn’t going to meet guidelines for reliable sources.” Discounting sources is a common theme in the Paganistan deletion discussion.  A paper by Dr. Murphy Pizza, an anthropologist who spent five years studying the Paganistan community, is also considered not a reliable source because she is a Pagan. I’m assuming this same standard would then apply to The Pomegranate:  The International Journal of Pagan Studies, Chas Clifton’s book “Her Hidden Children:  The Rise of Wicca And Paganism in America,” and is probably the reason Ronald Hutton will not publicly say he is a Pagan.”

Schulz wonders if there’s a double-standard going on where papers and articles published by Christian academics are accepted as reliable sources on Christian articles or if the work of environmentalist-minded scholars pass muster on climate-related articles. I personally think that much of this problem can be solved by having a more engaged team of Pagan-friendly editors at Wikipedia who are willing to go to bat for these articles, and work to constantly improve them, not just when items are flagged for deletion. The rest of the problem will only be solved once we take our media seriously, and move collectively forward in building institutions and reputations that pass muster.

In Other News:

• Annwfn, one of oldest pieces of Pagan-owned land available for public use in the United States is having money troubles. They are trying to raise $2,300 by June 1st, all donations are tax deductible and go to a good cause. Donation information can be found, here. Please spread the word.
• Remember Michele Bachmann’s gay-bashing friend Bradlee Dean? The one I recently mentioned here? It seems he was invited to give the opening prayer at the Minnesota House and managed to offend almost everyone. Response: here. For the record Dean was invited to speak by Rep. Ernie Leidiger, R-Mayer.
• Thomas David DuBois looks at the relationship between religion and government in China. He notes that “religion in China has never been treated as a matter of personal choice. It’s hard to imagine that the current regime would suddenly start to view things differently.”
• Tropaion gives a rundown of Hellenic Polytheist groups and pages at Facebook.
• David Barton: National Hero of Faith.
• A Hippocratic oath for the Internet.

That’s all I have for now, have a great day!

“After 13 years, the attempt to secure a shooting range in Mohave Valley is drawing closer to reality. The U.S. Department of the Interior office of hearings and appeals rejected the latest appeal from two Tri-state Indian tribes. The federal Bureau of Land Management will transfer a 787-acre parcel to the Arizona Game & Fish Department, which has set aside approximately $2 million for construction. Of the total acreage, 470 acres will be used as a buffer zone. Game & Fish would own and maintain the facility, located on Boundary Cone Road, eight miles east of Highway 95. Bills have been introduced in Congress that would end further appeals by the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe and the Hualapai Tribal Nation, which maintain the land is sacred to them.”

Which Arizona politicians are introducing bills in the House and Senate to cut off any further appeals? Rep. Trent Franks, a hardline social (Christian) conservative who made headlines in 2009 for jumping on the “birther” bandwagon, and Sen. John McCain, who also pushed hard for the Snowbowl expansion.  While these Arizona politicians seem to care a great deal about expanding how many days in the year they can ski, or creating a new shooting range, they don’t seem to care all that much for the welfare of Natives living in their state. Not that this is surprising, in Arizona unemployment among Natives in rampant, and their issues all but ignored. When American politicians do listen to the concerns coming from Indian Country, they are just as likely to be attacked as praised for their efforts.

Last week, the “Director of Issues Analysis” for the Christian conservative American Family Association, Brian Fischer, wrote a blog post claiming that “President Obama wants to give the entire land mass of the United States of America back to the Indians. He wants Indian tribes to be our new overlords. Perhaps he figures that, as an adopted Crow Indian, he will be the new chief over this revived Indian empire,” Fischer wrote. “But for the other 312 million of us, I think we’ll settle for our constitutional ‘We the people’ form of government, thank you very much.”

The reason for this hyperbole and outrage? Obama’s willingness to support the (not legally binding) United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. While Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States initially rejected the declaration, all have changed course in recent years. The United States was the last hold-out country to do so.

“While not legally binding, the declaration “carries considerable moral and political force and complements the president’s ongoing efforts to address historical inequities faced by indigenous communities in the United States,” the department said in a statement.”

One can see why some groups and politicians would fear any move that would give Tribal Nations more “moral and political force” to their efforts to protect and preserve what little they have left. To politicians like McCain and Franks, American Indians are simply obstacles. Irritants to be legislated into complete irrelevance. In their minds, there’s no such thing as sacred land in Arizona. Especially if it is not sacred land they can control. As the next generation of Native leaders emerge, we can only hope that a new respect, a new paradigm for relations, can be established.