Santa Fe Ski Basin Proposed Expansion Ethnographic Assessment Item Type Report Authors Evans, Michael; Stoffle, Richard W.; Krause, Elizabeth Publisher Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology University of Arizona Download date 28/09/2021 13:20:12 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/271443 -OFFICE COPY - DO NOT REMOVE Santa Fe Ski Basin ProposedExpansion Ethnographic Assessment Final Draft Report Submitted by Michael J. Evans Richard W. Stoffie Elizabeth L. Krause Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology University of Arizona Tucson, Arizona Submitted to Sno- Engineering Bellevue, Washington June 1, 1993 Santa Fe Ski Basin Proposed Expansion Ethnographic Assessment Final Draft Report Submitted by Michael J. Evans Richard W. Stoffle Elizabeth L. Krause Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology University of Arizona Tucson, Arizona Submitted to Sno- Engineering Bellevue, Washington June 1, 1993 Table of Contents Chapter I: Introduction 1 Purpose of Study 1 Project Participants 1 Relevant Federal Legislation and Regulatory Policies 2 National Environmental Policy Act 3 Early Historic Preservation Legislation 3 Archaeological Resources Protection Act 3 American Indian Religious Freedom Act 4 National Historic Preservation Act 4 Methodology 6 Native American Participation 6 Site Visits 7 Chapter II: Pueblo Cultural Resources 9 Pueblo Prehistory and History in the Study Area 9 Nambe and Tesuque Pueblos 11 Pueblo Cultural Resource Use in the Study Area 11 Contemporary Pueblo Cultural Resource Concerns 13 Types of Cultural Resource Impacts 13 Religious Impacts 14 Natural Resource Impacts 15 Physical Impacts 16 Metaphysical Impacts 16 Emotional Impacts 16 Significance and Dimension of Impacts 18 Secrecy and Trust 18 Chapter III: Discussion of Expansion Alternatives 20 Alternative 1 - No Action Alternative 20 Alternative 2 - Additional Development within the Existing Area 20 Alternative 3 - Expansion of Permit Area into Lower Ravens Ridge 22 Alternative 4 - Expansion of the Permit Area to Include Lower Ravens Ridge and Backcountry Skiing in the Big Tesuque 22 Alternative 5 - Expansion of the Permit Area to Include Lower Ravens Ridge and Trail Skiing in the Big Tesuque 23 Traditional Cultural Properties 24 Section 106 Review Process 24 AIRFA 25 Mitigation 26 References Cited 27 Annotated Bibliography 34 Appendix One: Research Team Participants 48 Appendix Two 49 List of Tribal and Community Contacts 50 New Mexico Leaders for the Twenty -Two Tribes, 1993 51 Appendix Three: 1992 Amendments fo National Historic Preservation Act: Implications Implications for Section 106 Review (Advisory Council On Historic Preservation Memorandum) 53 Appendix Four: Nambe Pueblo Proposed Mitigation [ Not for Public Distribution ) 54 Chapter Introduction Purpose of Study The purpose of this research study was to conduct an ethnographic assessment for an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) of a proposed expansion plan for the Santa Fe Ski Area located in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains north of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Along with expansion into forest areas outside the existing Special Use permit boundaries, the proposed plan includes new buildings, parking lots, lifts, ski runs, and snowmaking within the existing ski area boundary. The ethnographic assessment concentrates on those cultural resources known to be in the area, as identified by Pueblo participants in the research study. As stated in the Scope of Work provided by Sno- engineering, this project had three objectives: a) what impact would the project have on the traditional uses, cultural uses, values, and belief practices of Tesuque Pueblo and other Pueblos' uses of the area; b) how would the ski area expansion affect the traditional use area of the Tesuque Pueblo and other Pueblos; and c) what specific areas of traditional cultural use, including those of Hispanic origin, would be affected by the proposed alternatives. This ethnographic assessment builds on previous project -related research (Woods, O'Brien, and Friedman 1989; Woods and O'Brien 1989; Lang 1989; Viklund 1985). This is a process called tiering and is recommended in environmental impact assessment (EIS) guidelines. Tiering permits the EIS to contain environmental impact findings produced during earlier studies of the project proposal, such as at the Environmental Assessment stage. Tiering reduces redundant research, assures that all pertinent research is included in the EIS, and permits the EIS to contain more project -specific information and conclusions. The study area for this project included the existing Santa Fe Ski Area (see Map 1), plus all the proposed expansion acreage. The Santa Fe National Forest, which encompasses the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, administers all the land included in the study area. These mountains separate the eastern plains from the Rio Grande Valley. The Santa Fe Ski Area is located on the west slope of the Sangre de Cristos approximately 20 miles to the northeast of Santa Fe. The elevation within the study area ranges from 10,000 to over 12,000 feet. Included in the study area were Aspen Basin, Aspen Peak, Lake Peak, Nambe Lake, Santa Fe Lake, and the drainages formed by the North Fork of Tesuque Creek, the Santa Fe River, and the Rio en Medio. Project Participants At the beginning of the study, the research team (see Appendix One) contacted 22 American Indian tribes including all 19 Pueblos, the Jicarilla Apache Tribe, the Mescalero Apache Tribe, and the Navajo Tribe, to see if they wanted to participate in the consultation process. A total of seven Pueblo tribes participated in this ethnographic assessment. Appendix Two contains a complete list of the governments and organizations we contacted as part of this study. To protect confidentiality, individuals are not identified in this report. - 1 - During the study we also contacted individuals from the Hispanic community in Santa Fe. Unfortunately, unlike Native American tribes and other communities in the Southwest, there are no easy, one -point contact organizations for Hispanics in the region. Even the individuals we contacted could not say they represented any Hispanic community or that all of their views would even be acceptable to other Hispanic individuals. They also could not point us to organizations, groups, or community networks that could represent Hispanic concerns. Nevertheless, we recorded their thoughts and concerns regarding the Santa Fe Ski Area expansion proposal. The participation by Pueblo people in this study occurred on three different levels. The first level of participation consists of confirming statements of support and agreement for another Pueblo's position. After initial discussions with the study team about the project, Picuris, Santa Clara, San Juan, San Ildefonso, and Taos Pueblos all added verbal confirming statements to the position taken by Tesuque Pueblo in this ethnographic assessment. The second level of participation in this project was the reiteration of previous statements of position or concern. Tesuque Pueblo participated in the previous work of Dames & Moore in 1988 (Woods, O'Brien, and Friedman 1989, Woods and O'Brien 1989). At a meeting with the Governor of Tesuque Pueblo concerning this study, the Governor repeated the Pueblo's position as outlined in the reports for Dames & Moore. The Governor did not think it was appropriate for the Pueblo to offer up any more information than his Pueblo had already given during the Dames & Moore work. The third level of participation in this project was to offer original information and visit the study area, along with making confirmation and support statements regarding other Pueblos' positions. Nambe Pueblo was the only tribe that chose to participate at this level in this ethnographic assessment. Sixteen of the 22 American Indian groups contacted did not make any response to our tribal contact letters and telephone calls. These include 12 Pueblos, the Jicarilla Apache Tribe, the Mescalero Apache Tribe, and the Navajo Nation. The tribes sought to make clear that their participation in presentations, discussions, and site visits should not be interpreted as a sign of support for the project. Furthermore, this is neither a "clearance" document nor an endorsement of the Santa Fe Ski Basin expansion plan alternatives by the Native Americans involved in this ethnographic assessment project. Relevant Federal Legislation and Regulatory Policies Several pieces of federal legislation help provide guidelines for the impact assessment of cultural resources when development projects occur on federal land or use federal funds. These include the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), American Indian Religious Freedom Act (AIRFA) of 1978, the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA), and the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966, as amended in 1988. Each of these pieces of legislation relates in one degree or another to the ethnographic assessment of the proposed expansion of the Santa Fe Ski Area. National Environmental Policy Act The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA, PL 91- 190, 40 CFR 1500 et seq.) requires completion of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for any federal action determined to have potentially significant environmental impacts. NEPA encourages the preservation of historic resources and requires consideration of social impacts. A report of the Council of Environmental Quality specifically directs the solicitation of information and participation from affected Indian tribes at the earliest possible time in the NEPA process