[House Hearing, 107 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
H.R. 1161 AND H.R. 1384
=======================================================================
LEGISLATIVE HEARING
before the
SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL PARKS, RECREATION, AND PUBLIC LANDS
of the
COMMITTEE ON RESOURCES
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
May 8, 2001
__________
Serial No. 107-25
__________
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COMMITTEE ON RESOURCES
JAMES V. HANSEN, Utah, Chairman
NICK J. RAHALL II, West Virginia, Ranking Democrat Member
Don Young, Alaska, George Miller, California
Vice Chairman Edward J. Markey, Massachusetts
W.J. "Billy" Tauzin, Louisiana Dale E. Kildee, Michigan
Jim Saxton, New Jersey Peter A. DeFazio, Oregon
Elton Gallegly, California Eni F.H. Faleomavaega, American
John J. Duncan, Jr., Tennessee Samoa
Joel Hefley, Colorado Neil Abercrombie, Hawaii
Wayne T. Gilchrest, Maryland Solomon P. Ortiz, Texas
Ken Calvert, California Frank Pallone, Jr., New Jersey
Scott McInnis, Colorado Calvin M. Dooley, California
Richard W. Pombo, California Robert A. Underwood, Guam
Barbara Cubin, Wyoming Adam Smith, Washington
George Radanovich, California Donna M. Christensen, Virgin
Walter B. Jones, Jr., North Islands
Carolina Ron Kind, Wisconsin
Mac Thornberry, Texas Jay Inslee, Washington
Chris Cannon, Utah Grace F. Napolitano, California
John E. Peterson, Pennsylvania Tom Udall, New Mexico
Bob Schaffer, Colorado Mark Udall, Colorado
Jim Gibbons, Nevada Rush D. Holt, New Jersey
Mark E. Souder, Indiana James P. McGovern, Massachusetts
Greg Walden, Oregon Anibal Acevedo-Vila, Puerto Rico
Michael K. Simpson, Idaho Hilda L. Solis, California
Thomas G. Tancredo, Colorado Brad Carson, Oklahoma
J.D. Hayworth, Arizona Betty McCollum, Minnesota
C.L. "Butch" Otter, Idaho
Tom Osborne, Nebraska
Jeff Flake, Arizona
Dennis R. Rehberg, Montana
Allen D. Freemyer, Chief of Staff
Lisa Pittman, Chief Counsel
Michael S. Twinchek, Chief Clerk
James H. Zoia, Democrat Staff Director
Jeff Petrich, Democrat Chief Counsel
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SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL PARKS, RECREATION, AND PUBLIC LANDS
JOEL HEFLEY, Colorado, Chairman
DONNA M. CHRISTENSEN, Virgin Islands Ranking Democrat Member
Elton Gallegly, California Dale E. Kildee, Michigan
John J. Duncan, Jr., Tennessee Eni F.H. Faleomavaega, American
Wayne T. Gilchrest, Maryland Samoa
George Radanovich, California Frank Pallone, Jr., New Jersey
Walter B. Jones, Jr., North Tom Udall, New Mexico
Carolina, Mark Udall, Colorado
Vice Chairman Rush D. Holt, New Jersey
Mac Thornberry, Texas James P. McGovern, Massachusetts
Chris Cannon, Utah Anibal Acevedo-Vila, Puerto Rico
Bob Schaffer, Colorado Hilda L. Solis, California
Jim Gibbons, Nevada Betty McCollum, Minnesota
Mark E. Souder, Indiana
Michael K. Simpson, Idaho
Thomas G. Tancredo, Colorado
C O N T E N T S
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Page
Hearing held on May 8, 2001...................................... 1
Statement of Members:
Christensen, Hon. Donna M., a Delegate to Congress from the
Virgin Islands............................................. 8
Gilman, Hon. Benjamin, a Representative in Congress from the
State of New York.......................................... 11
Prepared statement on H.R. 1161.......................... 11
Hefley, Hon. Joel, a Representative in Congress from the
State of Colorado.......................................... 1
Prepared statement on H.R. 1161 and H.R. 1384............ 2
Pictures and map submitted for the record................ 3
Udall, Hon. Tom, a Representative in Congress from the State
of New Mexico.............................................. 8
Prepared statement of.................................... 10
Statement of Witnesses:
Cerny, Milton, President, American Friends of the Czech
Republic, Washington, DC................................... 23
Prepared statement on H.R. 1161.......................... 25
Letter from His Excellency Vaclav Havel, President of the
Czech Republic, dated May 4, 2001 submitted for the
record................................................. 27
Letter from His Excellency Alexandr Vondra, Ambassador,
The Czech Republic, dated May 4, 2001 submitted for the
record................................................. 28
Novak, Michael, George Frederick Jewett Chair in Religion and
Public Policy, American Enterprise Institute, Washington,
DC......................................................... 29
Prepared statement on H.R.1161........................... 30
Parsons, John G., Associate Regional Director for Lands,
Resources and Planning, National Capital Region, National
Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington,
DC......................................................... 13
Prepared statement on H.R. 1161.......................... 16
Prepared statement on H.R. 1384.......................... 17
Letter from the Department of the Interior dated May 4,
2001 submitted for the record.......................... 19
Trujillo, Arvin, Director, Division of Natural Resources,
Navajo Nation, Window Rock, AZ............................. 34
Prepared statement on H.R. 1384.......................... 35
H.R. 1161, TO AUTHORIZE THE AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC TO
ESTABLISH A MEMORIAL TO HONOR TOMAS G. MASARYK IN THE DISTRICT OF
COLUMBIA; AND H.R. 1384, TO AMEND THE NATIONAL TRAILS SYSTEM ACT TO
DESIGNATE THE NAVAJO LONG WALK TO BOSQUE REDONDO AS A NATIONAL HISTORIC
TRAIL.
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Tuesday, May 8, 2001
U.S. House of Representatives
Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands
Committee on Resources
Washington, DC
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The Subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 10:06 a.m., in
Room 1334, Longworth House Office Building, Hon. Joel Hefley
[Chairman of the Subcommittee] presiding.
STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE JOEL HEFLEY, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF COLORADO
Mr. Hefley. The Committee will come to order. Welcome to
the hearing today. This morning the Subcommittee on National
Parks, Recreation and Public Lands will hear testimony on two
bills, H.R. 1161 and H.R. 1384.
Mr. Hefley. The first bill, H.R. 1161 was introduced by
Congressman Gilman of New York. This bill would authorize the
American Friends of the Czech Republic to establish a memorial
to honor Tomas Garrigue Masaryk, the first President of
Czechoslovakia, on Federal land in the District of Columbia.
This bill identifies a specific spot near the World Bank where
the memorial would be located. This site is near the hotel
where Mr. Masaryk resided while he lived in Washington. The
bill also specifies that the memorial would be in compliance
with the Commemorative Works Act.
The second bill, H.R. 1384, was introduced by Congressman
Tom Udall of New Mexico. This bill would amend the National
Trails System Act to designate the Navajo Long Walk to Bosque
Redondo as a national historic trail. The trail traces the
route that thousands of Navajo Indians followed on their forced
march known as the Long Walk from northern Arizona to southern
New Mexico.
I am aware that the administration has a few concerns with
both of these bills, and I would like to work with the
Minority, the Park Service and both Mr. Udall and Mr. Gilman in
order to resolve these concerns.
With that, I would like to thank all of our witnesses for
being here today, including Congressman Udall, and we assume
Congressman Gilman will be here shortly to testify on these
bills, and now I would turn the time over to our Ranking Member
Mrs. Christensen.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Hefley follows:]
Statement of The Honorable Joel Hefley, Chairman, Subcommittee on
National Parks, Recreation and Public Lands
Good morning and welcome to the hearing today. This morning, the
Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation and Public Lands will hear
testimony on two bills, H.R. 1161 and H.R. 1384.
The first bill, H.R. 1161, was introduced by Congressman Ben Gilman
of New York. This bill would authorize the American Friends of the
Czech Republic to establish a memorial to honor Tomas Garrigue Masaryk,
the first president of Czechoslovakia, on Federal land in the District
of Columbia. This bill identifies a specific spot near the World Bank
where the memorial would be located. This site is near the hotel where
Mr. Masaryk formerly resided while he lived in Washington. The bill
also specifies that the memorial would be in compliance with the
Commemorative Works Act.
The second bill, H.R. 1384, was introduced by Congressman Tom Udall
of New Mexico. This bill would amend the National Trails System Act to
designate the Navajo Long Walk to Bosque Redondo as a national historic
trail. The trail traces the route that thousands of Navajo Indians
followed on their forced march, known as the ``Long Walk'', from
northern Arizona to southern New Mexico.
I am aware that the Administration has a few concerns with both of
these bills and I would like to work with the Minority, the Park
Service, and both Mr. Udall and Mr. Gilman in order to resolve those
concerns.
With that, I'd like to thank all of our witnesses for being here
today, including Congressmen Udall and Gilman, to testify on these
bills and now turn the time over to the Ranking Member, Ms.
Christensen.
______
[Pictures and a map submitted for the record follow:]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] T2230.006
Tomas G. Masaryk
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] T2230.007
Memorial Statue of Tomas G. Masaryk
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] T2230.008
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] T2230.009
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] T2230.010
STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE DONNA M. CHRISTENSEN, A DELEGATE TO
CONGRESS FROM THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
Mrs. Christensen. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
As you said, Mr. Chairman, we are going to receive
testimony on two bills. I would like to welcome those who will
testify with us this morning. The first measure authorizes
American Friends of the Czech Republic to establish a memorial
to Tomas G. Masaryk on a specific parcel of land at 19th and
Pennsylvania Avenue here in Washington, D.C. The legislation
states that the memorial is to be established in accordance
with the Commemorative Works Act and that it shall be funded
privately.
Mr. Masaryk was a professor of philosophy who became the
first President of Czechoslovakia and served in that capacity
until ill health forced his retirement in 1935. Based on his
public service and writings, which include the Czechoslovakian
Declaration of Independence, many have referred to Masaryk as
the Father of Democratic Czechoslovakia.
Clearly, Mr. Masaryk is an important and compelling figure
not only in Czech history, but in the history of democracy.
However, in order for the legislation to achieve its own stated
goal of complying with the Commemorative Works Act, several
changes may need to be made to the bill. We look forward to
learning more about the potential improvements of the bill and
this fascinating individual as well.
The second bill, H.R. 1384, which is introduced by my
friend and our colleague on the Subcommittee, Representative
Tom Udall, would establish the Navajo Long Walk National
Historic Trail. The proposed trail would commemorate and
interpret the forced march of members of the Navajo Nation from
their ancestral homelands, a site in eastern New Mexico in the
early 1860's. I understand that a study of this proposed trail
may be necessary and that the witnesses are prepared to discuss
that issue today.
So, Mr. Chairman, thank you. I appreciate the attendance of
our witnesses here this morning, and I look forward to working
with you and the sponsors to work out the details of these
bills.
Mr. Hefley. Thank you, Mrs. Christensen.
Mr. Hefley. And Mr. Gilman was to be on the first panel. I
understand he is on his way, but Mr. Udall, would you like to
say a few words about your bill to start things off?
STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE TOM UDALL, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO
Mr. Udall of New Mexico. I would love to, Chairman Hefley.
Mr. Chairman, thank you very much for holding this hearing,
and I know you noted that the Park Service has some issues with
the bill I have introduced, and I look forward to working with
you on those issues to make sure that we can move this
legislation forward.
The Congressional District that I represent is one of the
more majestic ones in this country. It is a scenic land with a
unique civilization that is part Indian, part Spanish and part
Anglo American. As such, the history of the region speaks to
some of the most proud as well as tragic events in our Nation's
history. Among the most tragic is the Long Walk of the Navajo
people. In 1863, the Navajo were forced by gunpoint from their
ancestral lands to walk roughly 350 miles from northeastern
Arizona and northwest New Mexico to the Bosque Redondo in
eastern New Mexico.
More than 150 years ago, the United States engaged in a
military campaign against the Navajo people. The campaign was
an extension of the U.S. policy to remove the Navajo from their
homeland in the hopes of quashing their rebellion against what
was an unwelcome encroachment from the U.S. Government. Colonel
Kit Carson then engaged his men in an aggressive campaign to
round up and remove the Navajo from their native area. The
campaign was not a humane one, and the Navajo were forced to
surrender themselves to Carson's forces in 1863.
The U.S. then chose Bosque Redondo, a very remote and
desolate site near Fort Sumner, New Mexico, as the place where
the Navajo would be confined and forced to live. More than
8,000 Navajo were forced to trek over 350 miles under military
escort from portions of Canyon de Chelley, Arizona;
Albuquerque, Canyon Blanco, Anton Chico and Canyon Piedra
Pintado, New Mexico, to Bosque Redondo.
Upon being imprisoned at Fort Sumner, the Navajo faced
starvation, malnutrition due to inadequate and poor quality
food rations, disease caused by unclean water, and exposure to
inadequate provisions of clothing and shelter unsuitable to
meet the extreme weather conditions of the area. Thousands
perished under these deplorable conditions.
After roughly four years of imprisonment, President Ulysses
S. Grant issued an Executive Order terminating the military's
role and entered into treaty negotiations with the Navajo. When
an agreement was made, the Navajo were then allowed to return
home in the same way as they had arrived, on foot. Thus the
Navajo had spent nearly four years as prisoners from their own
land.
Mr. Chairman, this period in our Nation's history is a
tragic one. Our relationship with the tribes have come a long
way since that time, but there is still more that can be done
to strengthen their relationship. For this reason, I am hopeful
the National Park Service, in conducting this feasibility
study, will engage in a proper amount of collaboration and
consultation with the Navajo Nation. I am grateful to the
Committee for hearing testimony on this bill and hope that once
the study is conducted, we can enter into the next step of
designating the Long Walk as a national historic trail.
The Long Walk remains one of the more tragic events in our
Nation's history, yet today very few Americans realize the
atrocities that were committed against our Native peoples. By
taking these necessary steps to declare this area a national
historic trail, we will commemorate the people who made the
treacherous Long Walk and were interned at Bosque Redondo. The
over 8,000 Navajo made the Long Walk, and among those, 3,000
who perished should be remembered. I am hopeful that
designating the Long Walk as an historic trail will prove to be
a significant step in commemorating their memories.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for recognizing the importance of
this issue. I look forward to hearing the testimony from Mr.
Arvin Trujillo, who will testify for the Navajo Nation. Mr.
Trujillo is the Director of the Division of Natural Resources
for the Navajo Nation, and thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
And I see Mr. Gilman is here.
Mr. Hefley. Thank you, Mr. Udall.
[The prepared statemnt of Mr. Udall follows:]
Statement of The Honorable Tom Udall, a Representative in Congress from
the State of New Mexico
Mr. Chairman, fellow members of the Subcommittee on National parks.
The Congressional District that I represent is one of the most
majestic regions in this country. It is a scenic land with a unique
civilization that is part Indian, part Spanish and part Anglo-American.
As such, the history of the region speaks to some of the most proud as
well as tragic events in our Nations history. Amongst the most tragic
is the Long Walk of the Navajo people. In 1863 the Navajo were forced
by gunpoint from their ancestral lands, to walk roughly 350 miles from
Northeastern Arizona and northwest New Mexico, to the Bosque Redondo in
eastern New Mexico.
More than 150 years ago, the United States engaged in a military
campaign against the Navajo people. The campaign was an extension of
U.S. policy to remove the Navajo from their homeland in hopes of
quashing their rebellion against what was an unwelcome encroachment
from the U.S. government. Col. Kit Carson then engaged his men in an
aggressive campaign to ``round up'' and remove the Navajo from their
native area. The campaign was not a humane one, and the Navajo were
forced to surrender themselves to Carson's forces in 1863.
The U.S. then chose Bosque Redondo a very remote and desolate site
near Ft. Sumner, New Mexico, as the place where the Navajo would be
confined and forced to live. More than 8,000 Navajo were then forced to
trek over 350 miles under military escort from portions of Canyon de
Chelley (SHAY), AZ., Albuquerque, Canyon Blanco, Anton Chico, and
Canyon Piedra Pintado, NM, to Bosque Redondo, NM. Upon being imprisoned
at Ft. Sumner, the Navajo faced starvation, malnutrition due to
inadequate and poor quality food rations, disease caused by unclean
water, and exposure due to inadequate provisions of clothing and
shelter unsuitable to meet the extreme weather conditions of the area.
Thousands perished under these deplorable conditions.
After roughly four years of imprisonment President Ulysses S. Grant
issued an executive order terminating the military's role and entered
into treaty negotiations with the Navajo. When an agreement was made,
the Navajo were then allowed to return home in the same way as they had
arrived, on foot. Thus, the Navajo had spent nearly four years as
prisoners from their own land.
Mr. Chairman, this period in our nations history is a tragic one.
Our relationship with the tribes have come a long way since that time,
but there is still more that can be done to strengthen the
relationship. For this reason I am hopeful that the National Park
Service in conducting this feasability study, will engage in a proper
amount of collaboration and consultation with the Navajo Nation.
I am grateful to the committee for hearing testimony on this bill
and hope that once the feasibility study is conducted, we can enter
into the next step of designating the Long Walk as a national historic
trail. The Long Walk remains one of the most tragic events in our
Nations history, yet today very few Americans realize the atrocities
that were committed against our native peoples. By taking these
necessary steps to declare this area a national historic trail, we will
commemorate the people who made the treacherous Long Walk and were
interned at Bosque Redondo. The over eight thousand Navajo who made the
Long Walk, and among those the three thousand who perished, should be
remembered. I am hopeful that designating the Long Walk as a historic
trail, will prove to be a significant step in commemorating their
memories.
Thank you Mr. Chairman, for recognizing the importance of this
issue. I look forward to hearing the testimony from Mr. Arvin Trujillo
who will testify for the Navajo Nation. Mr. Trujillo is Director of the
division of Natural resources for the Navajo Nation. Thank you Mr.
Chairman.
______
Mr. Hefley. Mr. Gilman, we are delighted to have you here
today, and--as our first panel, and we will turn the time over
to you to talk about your memorial.
STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE BENJAMIN GILMAN, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NEW YORK
Mr. Gilman. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I want to
thank our distinguished members of the Committee for taking the
time to consider this legislation regarding H.R. 1161. That
measure authorizes the American Friends of the Czech Republic
to establish a memorial to honor Tomas Garrigue Masaryk, the
first President of Czechoslovakia.
I am pleased to be able to sponsor that measure which seeks
to honor one of the foremost advocates of democracy, of freedom
and humanity of our time. Tomas Masaryk is renowned throughout
the world for his advocacy of democracy.
Having visited the Czech Republic on a number of occasions,
I have been able to observe firsthand the democratic plan
initially laid out by President Masaryk nearly 100 years ago
being reinstated into a society which has suffered so long
under Communist rule, and I am proud to champion that effort.
We are joined in the audience today by officials of the
Embassy of the Czech Republic, and I am certain these
distinguished officials can attest to the success of the
resurgence of democracy in their homeland, which was initiated
by Mr. Masaryk.
The memorial statue to Tomas Masaryk will immortalize a
good friend of our Nation and a pioneer for democracy
throughout the world. A steadfast disciple of Jefferson, of
Lincoln and Wilson, Masaryk was a student of the American
foundations of freedom and equality and principles of a
democratic society.
I understand from my discussions with representatives of
the American Friends of the Czech Republic, who have so nobly
undertaken this effort on behalf of the Czech Republic, that
before this legislation can be marked up, certainly refinements
will be necessary for the bill to conform with the
Commemorative Works Act. I completely support those changes,
which will be brought to your attention shortly, and urge the
Subcommittee to continue with their consideration of this bill
by providing an opportunity for it to be marked up in the near
future.
Once again, I want to thank you, Mr. Chairman and members
of the Committee, for holding this hearing, and I urge the
Subcommittee to approve the bill and report it favorably to the
full Committee.
Mr. Hefley. Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Gilman follows:]
Statement of The Honorable Benjamin Gilman, a Representative in
Congress from the State of New York
Chairman Hefley, Ranking Member Christensen:
Thank you for the opportunity to participate in this hearing this
morning regarding H.R. 1161 which authorizes the American Friends of
the Czech Republic to establish a memorial to honor Tomas Garrigue
Masaryk, the first President of Czechlovokia.
As you know, I am the sponsor of H.R. 1161, which seeks to honor
one of the foremost promoters of democracy, freedom, and humanity of
our time, Tomas Garrigue Masaryk.
Having visited the Czech Republic and seen first hand the
democratic plan originally laid out by Tomas Masaryk nearly 100 years
ago being reinstated into a society which had suffered so long under
communist rule, I am proud to champion this effort. We are joined in
the audience today by officials of the Embassy of the Czech Republic. I
am certain that these distinguished officials can attest to the success
of this resurgence of democracy in their homeland which originated with
Mr. Masaryk.
The memorial statue to Tomas Masaryk will immortalize a good friend
of the United States and a pioneer for world democracy. A steadfast
disciple of Jefferson, Lincoln, and Wilson, Masaryk was a student of
the American foundations of freedom and equality and principles of a
democratic society.
I understand from my discussions with representatives of the
American Friends of the Czech Republic, who have so nobly undertaken
this effort on behalf of the Czech Republic, that before this
legislation can be marked-up, certain refinements will be necessary for
the bill to conform with Commemorative Works Act. I completely support
the changes which will be brought to your attention shortly and urge
the subcommittee to continue with their consideration of this bill by
providing an opportunity for it to be marked up in the very near
future.
Once again, I want to thank the subcommittee for holding this
hearing. I urge the subcommittee to approve H.R. 1161 and report it
favorably to the full committee.
______
Mr. Hefley. Ben, can you help me? What is our history of
having memorials to other nations' leaders in the National
Capital area here? I am sure there is some history of that. In
fact, we have a painting on the wall of the House of
Representatives of a foreign leader. But what kind of history
do we have of putting up memorials in the Capital for that?
Mr. Gilman. Just this weekend at West Point, at our U.S.
military academy, I attended a commemorative ceremony to
General Thaddeus Kosciusko, and that is on Federal lands. There
are some memorials--and I have just been handed a list. Jose
Artigas, there is a monument for him at 18th Street and
Constitution Avenue. He led Uruguay in independence in 1811.
And that was presented by the Republic of Uruguay. Simon
Bolivar has a monument also at 18th Street and Virginia Avenue,
and of course we all know him as a liberator of South America,
and that was a gift from the Venezuelan Government.
Then there is a statue--a monument for Mahatma Gandhi at
Massachusetts Avenue at Q Street and 21st Street. And, of
course, he was the Indian leader for independence, and that was
presented by the Government of India. There is a statue to
Benito Pablo Juarez at Virginia Avenue and New Hampshire
Avenue. He is known as the Mexican George Washington, and we
just celebrated mayo cinco in the Capitol, and that was erected
by the Mexican Government. And then the last one is General
Jose de San Martin, founder of Argentine independence, at
Virginia Avenue and 20th Street, and that was a gift from the
citizens of Argentina.
Mr. Hefley. So your proposal would not be breaking new
ground. There is self-precedence for it?
Mr. Gilman. By no means. There are some great men who have
been immortalized by these monuments, and I hope we could add
Mr. Masaryk's statue to that list of wonderful people.
Mr. Hefley. Mrs. Christensen?
Mrs. Christensen. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I just wanted to welcome Chairman Gilman to the
Subcommittee. I remember doing the memorial or the monument to
Mr. Gandhi of India, and I think as long as it complies with
the Commemorative Works Act, and it is a gift of the country
and will be maintained privately, I think those are the
requirements.
We look forward to working with you on this bill, and thank
you again, Chairman Gilman, for coming.
Mr. Gilman. And the same will apply, Mr. Chairman. This
will be a gift of the Czech Republic, Friends of Czech
Republic, and they will work out a maintenance program as well.
Mr. Hefley. Well, I think we are happy to do it if the
Czech Republic will do a statue of you over there. Can you
assure us of that?
Mr. Gilman. I would hope not. I think we have got enough
statues of wonderful people over there.
Mr. Hefley. Any other questions of members of the
Committee?
Well, then, Ben, thank you very much.
Mr. Gilman. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and I thank
the Committee members for your indulgence.
Mr. Hefley. Our second panel will be Mr. John Parsons,
Associate Regional Director of Lands, Planning and Resources,
with the National Capital Region, the National Park Service. If
you would join us.
Mr. Parsons, if you can, keep your testimony to about 5
minutes so we have time for questions. That would be helpful.
STATEMENT OF JOHN J. PARSONS, ASSOCIATE REGIONAL DIRECTOR,
LANDS, PLANNING, AND RESOURCES, NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION,
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
Mr. Parsons. All right, Mr. Chairman. I would be happy to
do that.
Welcome, and thank you for this opportunity to present the
Department of Interior's testimony on H.R. 1161 to authorize
the establishment of a memorial to Tomas Masaryk in the
District of Columbia.
The Department supports the establishment of a memorial to
Tomas G. Masaryk on Federal lands in the District of Columbia
or its environs, but only if H.R. 1161 is amended to bring this
proposal into conformance with the Commemorative Works Act.
On April 26th, 2001, representatives of the Czech Republic
met with the National Capital Memorial Commission to share the
intent of that government to make a gift of this memorial to
the people of the United States. The American Friends of the
Czech Republic is one of the several groups based in the United
States who have joined to participate in this effort. Enactment
of an amendment to H.R. 1161, as Mr. Gilman mentioned just
previously, would provide the mechanism by which the acceptance
of this gift could occur.
Tomas Masaryk, the first President of Czechoslovakia,
stands in history as the best embodiment of the close ties
between the United States and Czechoslovakia. He knew America
from his own experience over four decades of repeated trips as
a philosopher, scholar and teacher. He married a young woman
from Brooklyn, New York, Charlotte Garrigue, and carried her
name as his own. Masaryk's relationship with America is
illustrated by his writings, speeches and articles contained in
the Library of Congress.
His personal relationships with President Woodrow Wilson
and the Secretary of State Robert Lansing led to the
recognition by the United States of a free Czechoslovakia in
1918. Inspired by the writings of Jefferson and the values of
Lincoln, Masaryk wrote the Czechoslovakian Declaration of
Independence from Austria that was signed in Philadelphia and
issued in Washington on October 18th, 1918, where he was
declared President of Czechoslovakia. His view of government
served as a blueprint for the creation of new nation-states
after the First World War, and he stands as a symbol of the
politics of morality, a world leader and a steadfast friend of
the United States.
The National Capital Memorial Commission met to review this
proposal, and the Commission unanimously endorsed it as a
memorial gift, with the requirement that legislation conform
with the Commemorative Works Act, as I mentioned earlier.
Section 1(b) of the bill directs the placement of this memorial
on a designated site in the Nation's Capital. We believe this
language should be deleted, because it precludes public
participation in site evaluation and approval required by the
Commemorative Works Act and the various commissions in the
city. The provision would also prohibit memorial sponsors from
consideration of any alternative site, absent additional future
legislation.
We also recommend language be added to reflect that this
memorial is a gift of the Government and the people of the
Czech Republic. The people of the United States have enjoyed
strong ties and good will with the peoples of foreign nations
around the globe, and many symbols of this mutual esteem have
taken the form of commemorative works here in the Nation's
Capital. A commemorative gift of this nature is not considered
a traditional commemorative work as defined under section 2(c)
of the Commemorative Works Act, and this distinction should be
reflected in the text of the bill.
We believe language which recognizes the international
significance of the sincere and gracious intent of the
Government and people of the Czech Republic would be highly
appropriate.
In addition language to clarify that the United States
Government shall not pay any expenses related to the
maintenance of the memorial should be added to section 1(d).
Our support for H.R. 1161 is conditioned on the memorial not
contributing to the National Parks Service's deferred
maintenance backlog. We would be glad to work with the
Committee and Mr. Gilman on drafting appropriate language.
Mr. Chairman, that concludes my statement, I will be
pleased to answer any questions that you or other members of
the Committee may have. I have testimony on the second bill,
but we might want to take them in sequence. It is up to you,
Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Hefley. Why don't you go ahead with your testimony, and
then we will ask questions on both of them.
Mr. Parsons. All right, sir.
Mr. Chairman, and members of the Subcommittee, I thank you
for the opportunity to appear before you today to present the
Department's views on H.R. 1384, a bill to amend the National
Trails System Act to designate the Navajo Long Walk to Bosque
Redondo as a national historic trail.
The Department cannot support this legislation as currently
written. The National Trails System Act requires that a
suitability and feasibility study be conducted and submitted to
Congress before the trail can be established, and a study has
not been completed on this trail. We are pleased, of course, to
learn from Representative Udall here this morning that he is
willing to amend H.R. 1384 to reflect that, and I would be
happy to work with him and the Subcommittee to develop
alternative language in that regard.
Although the Department could support H.R. 1384 in concept
if it were amended to authorize a suitability and feasibility
study, we will not consider requesting funding for the study in
this or next fiscal year. Furthermore, in order to better plan
for the future of our national parks, we believe that such
study should carefully examine the full life cycle operation
and maintenance costs that would result from each alternative
that we consider. We caution that our support of H.R. 1384, if
amended to authorize a study, does not mean that the Department
in the future will support designations that may be recommended
by the study.
H.R. 1384 would amend the National Trails System Act and
designate the Navajo Long Walk National Historic Trail. The
proposed trail would cover a series of routes approximately 350
to 400 miles long over which members of the Navajo Nation were
marched by the U.S. Army beginning in 1863, after they were
forced to leave their traditional homes in northeastern Arizona
and northwestern New Mexico.
The story of the Navajo Long Walk came at a time in the
U.S. history when the military was called upon to solve a
problem of a clash between cultures. In the 1850's and 1860's,
more and more Americans were moving west into New Mexico, the
Navajos' home. Repeated clashes resulted in the decision to
move the Navajo people away from their ancient homeland to a
reservation and teach them farming and self-sufficiency. The
Army destroyed their crops and orchards, starving them into
submission.
There were several successive marches of the Navajo through
the cold winter to the heat of the summer. The aged and infirm
often died along the way, even though their wagons were
sometimes provided. Broken and dispirited after their defeat in
their homeland, the Long Walk was particularly grueling and
hard on all of the Navajo people, even those who survived. The
destination of the Long Walk was a reservation at Fort Sumner,
New Mexico, called Bosque Redondo, which was shared with
Mescalero Apache people. More than 7,000 to 8,000 Navajo people
were eventually placed on the reservation. Although seeds were
provided, and the Navajo planted them immediately, there was
never any success in growing crops. Due to a lack of timber for
both shelter and firewood, living conditions were poor.
Additionally, the Navajo and Mescalero Apache did not get
along, and by 1866, the Apache had deserted the reservation.
By 1868, conditions were so bad, that a government
commission was appointed to investigate the conditions of
Bosque Redondo. General W.T. Sherman, commanding the Military
Division of Missouri, ordered the Navajo back to their
homelands in June of 1868 after a treaty granting them their
homelands had been signed.
The Long Walk Trail is located within a corridor that
includes the National Park System units of Canyon de Chelly
National Monument in Arizona and Fort Union National Monument
in New Mexico and the Bureau of Land Management-managed lands
in New Mexico, including El Malapais National Conservation Area
and Kasha-Katuwe Tents Rocks National Monument. The route the
Army followed went from Canyon de Chelly, Arizona, to the south
of Albuquerque, New Mexico. From there several routes continued
directly and indirectly to the Bosque Redondo at Fort Sumner on
the Pecos River.
The story of the Long Walk is being told in a number of
ways through the effort of the State of New Mexico and the
Navajo Nation. For a number of years, the Navajo people have
made pilgrimages to the Bosque Redondo. Plans are currently
under way for a memorial and visitors center at Fort Sumner
State Monument. Legislation that was passed in the 106th
Congress authorizes funding from the Defense Department to
match State funds for the establishment and development of the
memorial and visitors center. The legislation also authorizes
the National Park Service to work with the Navajo Nation and
the Mescalero tribe to develop a symposium on the Long Walk and
a curriculum for New Mexico schools.
Any further Federal involvement should consider more than
whether or not the Long Walk has sufficient resources and
integrity to meet the standards set for establishing national
historic trails. The study should identify other options that
best tell a story as well as identify the critical resources of
that story. But most importantly, any work has to consider the
concerns, values and wishes of the Native Americans affected by
these tragic events. Therefore, while a study to determine the
suitability of national historic trail designation may be an
important part of preserving the story and sites, any
authorized study should include sufficient latitude to
determine if that is indeed the best way to accomplish the
task. To that end, we are ready to work with Mr. Udall, the
Secretary of the State of New Mexico, and the Navajo and
Mescalero people to determine the most appropriate action.
That completes my testimony. I will be happy to answer any
questions you or the Subcommittee members may have, Mr.
Chairman.
Mr. Hefley. Thank you very much, Mr. Parsons.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Parsons on H.R. 1161
follows:]
Statement of John G. Parsons, Associate Regional Director for Lands,
Resources and Planning, National Capital Region, National Park Service,
Department of the Interior
Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to present the
Department of the Interior's views on H.R. 1161, to authorize the
establishment of a memorial to Tomas G. Mazaryk in the District of
Columbia.
The Department supports the establishment of a memorial to Tomas G.
Masaryk on Federal lands in the District of Columbia or its environs,
but only if H.R. 1161 is amended to bring this proposal into
conformance with the Commemorative Works Act of 1986. On April 26,
2001, representatives of the Czech Republic met with the National
Capital Memorial Commission to share the intent of that government to
make a gift of this memorial to the people of the United States. The
American Friends of the Czech Republic is one of several groups based
in the United States who have joined to participate in this effort.
Enactment of an amended H.R. 1161 would provide the mechanism by which
the acceptance of this gift could occur.
Tomas Masaryk, the first president of Czechoslovakia, stands in
history as the best embodiment of the close ties between the United
States and Czechoslovakia. He knew America from his own experience over
four decades of repeated trips as a philosopher, scholar, and teacher.
He married a young woman from Brooklyn, New York, Charlotte Garrigue,
and carried her name as his own. Masaryk's relationship with America is
illustrated by his writings, speeches, and articles contained in the
Library of Congress. His personal relationships with President Woodrow
Wilson and Secretary of State Robert Lansing led to the recognition by
the United States of a free Czechoslovakia in 1918.
Inspired by the writings of Jefferson and the values of Lincoln,
Masaryk wrote the Czechoslovakian Declaration of Independence from
Austria that was signed in Philadelphia and issued in Washington on
October 18, 1918, where he was declared President of Czechoslovakia.
His view of government served as a blueprint for the creation of new
nation states after the First World War and he stands as a symbol of
the politics of morality, a world leader, and a steadfast friend of the
United States.
The National Capital Memorial Commission met to review H.R. 1161 in
order to advise the Secretary of the Interior and the Congress on this
matter as is required by the Commemorative Works Act of 1986. The
commission unanimously endorsed this proposed memorial gift, with the
requirement that legislation conforms with the Commemorative Works Act.
Section 1(b) of H.R. 1161 directs the placement of this memorial in
a designated site in the nation's capital. We believe this language
should be deleted because it precludes the public participation in site
evaluation and approval required by the Commemorative Works Act. This
provision would also prohibit memorial sponsors from the consideration
of any alternative site absent additional future legislation.
We also recommend language be added to reflect that this memorial
is a gift of the government and the people of the Czech Republic. The
people of the United States have enjoyed strong ties and goodwill with
the peoples of foreign nations around the globe, and many symbols of
this mutual esteem have taken the form of commemorative works. A
commemorative gift of this nature is not considered a traditional
commemorative work as defined under Section 2(c) of the Commemorative
Works Act, and this distinction should be reflected in the text of H.R.
1161. We believe language, which recognizes the international
significance of the sincere and gracious intent of the government and
the people of the Czech Republic, would be highly appropriate.
Finally, language clarifying that the United States Government
shall not pay any expenses related to the maintenance of the memorial
should be added to Section 1(d) of the bill. Our support for H.R. 1161
is conditioned on the memorial not contributing to the National Park
Service's deferred maintenance backlog. We would be glad to work with
the committee on drafting appropriate language.
Mr. Chairman, that concludes my statement. I would be pleased to
answer any questions you or other members of the Subcommittee may have.
______
[The prepared statement of Mr. Parsons on H.R. 1384
follows:]
Statement of John G. Parsons, Associate Regional Director for Lands,
Resources, and Planning, National Capital Region, National Park
Service, Department of the Interior
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, thank you for the
opportunity to appear before you today to present the Department's
views on H.R. 1384, a bill to amend the National Trails System Act to
designate the Navajo Long Walk to Bosque Redondo as a national historic
trail.
The Department cannot support this legislation as currently
written. The National Trails System Act, P.L. 90-543, requires that a
suitability and feasibility study be conducted and submitted to
Congress before a trail can be established and a study has not been
completed on the Navajo Long Walk Trail. It is our understanding from
discussions with staff that language is being developed to amend H.R.
1384 in order to authorize a suitability and feasibility study. We
would be happy to work with Representative Udall and the subcommittee
on alternate language to study the proposed trail, but more importantly
to determine the best manner in which to preserve and tell this
important story.
While the Department could support H.R. 1384 in concept, if it were
amended to authorize a suitability and feasibility study, we will not
consider requesting funding for the study in this or the next fiscal
year. Furthermore, in order to better plan for the future of our
National Parks, we believe that such studies should carefully examine
the full life cycle operation and maintenance costs that would result
from each alternative considered. We caution that our support of H.R.
1384, if amended to authorize a study, does not mean that the
Department, in the future, will support designations that may be
recommended by the study.
H.R. 1384 would amend the National Trails System Act and designate
the Navajo Long Walk National Historic Trail. The proposed trail would
cover a series of routes approximately 350 to 400 miles long over which
members of the Navajo Nation were marched by the U.S. Army beginning in
1863 after they were forced to leave their traditional homes in
northeastern Arizona and northwestern New Mexico.
The story of the Navajo Long Walk came at a time in U.S. history
when the military was called upon to solve a problem of a clash between
cultures. In the 1850's and 60's more and more Americans were moving
west into New Mexico, the Navajo's home. Repeated clashes resulted in
the decision to move the Navajo away from their ancient homeland to a
reservation and teach them farming and self-sufficiency. The army
destroyed crops and orchards, starving them into submission. There were
several successive marches of the Navajo through the cold of winter to
the heat of summer. The aged and infirm often died along the way even
though wagons were sometimes provided. Broken and dispirited after
their defeat in their homeland, the Long Walk was particularly grueling
and hard on all of the Navajo people, even those who survived.
The destination of the Long Walk was a reservation at Fort Sumner,
New Mexico, called Bosque Redondo (Round Grove), which was shared with
Mescalero Apache people. More than 7,000-8,000 Navajo people were
eventually placed on the reservation. Although seeds were provided and
the Navajo planted them immediately, there was never any success in
growing crops. Due to a lack of timber for both shelter and firewood,
living conditions were poor. Additionally, the Navajo and Mescalero
Apache did not get along and by 1866 the Apache had deserted the
reservation. By 1868 conditions were so bad that a government
commission was appointed to investigate the conditions at Bosque
Redondo. General W. T. Sherman, commanding the Military Division of the
Missouri, ordered the Navajo back to their homelands in June of 1868,
after a treaty granting them their old homelands had been signed.
The Long Walk Trail is located within a corridor that includes
National Park System units at Canyon de Chelly National Monument in
Arizona and Fort Union National Monument in New Mexico and Bureau of
Land Management (BLM) managed lands in New Mexico including El Malapais
National Conservation Area and Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National
Monument. The route the army followed went from Canyon de Chelly,
Arizona, to south of Albuquerque, New Mexico. From there several routes
continued directly and indirectly to the Bosque Redondo at Fort Sumner
on the Pecos River.
The story of the Long Walk is being told in a number of ways
through the efforts of the State of New Mexico and the Navajo Nation.
For a number of years, the Navajo people have made pilgrimages to the
Bosque Redondo. Plans are currently underway for a memorial and visitor
center at Fort Sumner State Monument. Legislation that passed in the
106th Congress (Title II of P.L. 106-511) authorizes funding from the
Defense Department to match state funds for the establishment and
development of the memorial and visitor center. The legislation also
authorizes the National Park Service to work with the Navajo Nation and
the Mescalero Tribe to develop a symposium on the Long Walk and a
curriculum for New Mexico schools.
Any further Federal involvement should consider more than whether
or not the Long Walk has sufficient resources and integrity to meet the
standards set for establishing National Historic Trails. A study should
identify other options that best tell the story as well as identify the
critical resources to that story. But most importantly, any work has to
consider the concerns, values and wishes of the Native Americans
affected by these tragic events.
Therefore, while a study to determine the suitability of national
historic trail designation may be an important part of preserving this
story and sites, any authorized study should include sufficient
latitude to determine if that is indeed the best way to accomplish the
task.
To that end, we are ready to work with Representative Udall, the
State of New Mexico and the Navajo and Mescalero to determine the most
appropriate action.
That completes my testimony. I would be happy to answer any
questions that you or any of the members of the subcommittee may have.
______
[A letter from the Department of the Interior dated May 4,
2001 submitted for the record follows:]
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[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] T2230.003
Mr. Hefley. Back to 1161, in your testimony, you pointed
out two problems with this bill, which, in your view, violate
the CWA in two respects. Do the administration and the
Commission support the idea of erecting a statue to Mr. Masaryk
on Federal land in downtown Washington, D.C.?
Mr. Parsons. Absolutely, without equivocation.
Mr. Hefley. Do the administration and the Commission
support the idea of erecting the statue on the site proposed by
Mr. Gilman in this bill?
Mr. Parsons. We would prefer to use the provisions of the
Commemorative Works Act, which requires the study of various
alternatives, and then an approval process. In the past, some
of the legislation for memorials has been site-specific, and we
have found it troubling that after the act is passed, we find
what some deem to be a better site, and we have to come back
here to get an amendment. So we would prefer that it not be
site-specific.
Mr. Hefley. It is our understanding the site proposed for
the statue in the bill is currently maintained by the World
Bank rather than the National Park Service under a voluntary
maintenance agreement. Doesn't that mean that the World Bank
has assumed primary responsibility for the maintenance of the
park for a 5-year period?
Mr. Parsons. Yes. I am glad you emphasized a 5-year period.
We have a number of adopt-a-parks in the city that are on
temporary agreements that we hope will last in perpetuity, but
we are never sure of that.
Mr. Hefley. So the World Bank is responsible for installing
and maintaining pavement, benches, trash receptacles, plants,
all of those things?
Mr. Parsons. Yes, they are, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Hefley. Okay. Mrs. Christensen?
Mrs. Christensen. I think you have asked all my questions,
Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Hefley. Mr. Tancredo?
Mr. Tancredo. Mr. Chairman, I have a quick question.
Actually it was prompted today not by your testimony or that of
Mr. Gilman's, but something I heard on the radio on the way
over here in which a group of citizens participating in some
sort of commission or other were talking about the over 110
sites they had identified in the area that are being identified
for redevelopment around Anacostia, and specifically for--sites
for Federal national monuments. And I wondered, to what extent
the--to what extent you would give any credence to that kind of
input. Do you work with them for that purpose of defining other
potential sites for monuments? Certainly the Mall is getting
concerned, and they are concerned, and me, too. And I just
wondered how that process goes along. Is there a communication
there? Do you think about that alternative over there, the--.
Mr. Parsons. Very much so. I will try to make this simple.
This is a very complicated city to build anything in. Congress
made it that way, and I think it works, but it is very
complicated. There are three commissions which Congress has
established to deal with memorials. The three commissions have
bound together in a joint task force and have developed the
memorials master plan, which has 100 to 104 sites in it, that
has been out for public comment. The reason for that is to
designate sites that nobody will be surprised about in the
future; that will reach out into the communities, the
neighborhoods of this city. It will define specific sites in
and around the Mall that can and can't be used, and I should
point out that the site mentioned in this bill is one of those
sites. We think it will be a very valuable tool for locating
memorials in the future.
We build about one memorial a year. Congress authorizes one
or two, and it takes about 10 years to get the more complicated
ones to fruition. But I guess we have done enough for a
century, then, at 100 sites.
Mr. Tancredo. Thank you.
Mr. Hefley. Mr. Udall?
Mr. Udall of New Mexico. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Mr.
Parsons. Thank you for your testimony.
Do you support the intent of H.R. 1384 as long as we follow
the procedures under Public Law 90-543, and that is the
National Trails System Act, requiring a feasibility study?
Mr. Parsons. Absolutely.
Mr. Udall of New Mexico. And the normal thing you would do,
Mr. Parsons, in a study is where you have a tribe like the
Navajo Nation involved, you would consult with them very
closely in order to find out the best way to tell their story?
Mr. Parsons. That is exactly right. It is their story.
Mr. Udall of New Mexico. Thank you.
I don't have any further questions, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Hefley. Ms. McCollum?
Ms. McCollum. No, thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Hefley. Thank you very much, Mr. Parsons, for your
testimony.
Mr. Parsons. Thank you.
Mr. Hefley. And our next panel will be Mr. Milton Cerny,
President, American Friends of the Czech Republic; Mr. Michael
Novak, Director of Social and Political Studies, American
Enterprise Institute; and Mr. Arvin Trujillo, Director,
Division of Natural Resources for the Navajo Nation. Mr. Cerny,
why don't we start with you.
STATEMENT OF MILTON CERNY, PRESIDENT, AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE
CZECH REPUBLIC, WASHINGTON, D.C.
Mr. Cerny. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is a great pleasure
for me to be here today to talk about the legislation, and I am
proud to be here with Michael Novak.
My parents and grandparents, forebears, came from what was
then the Bohemian lands, or the former Czechoslovakia. Mr.
Novak's parents came from Slovakia, and we have come together
here today to talk about this memorial to a man who we knew as
children from our studies in school, even though we were born
here in America. His reputation was profound in our community,
mine in Chicago and his in Pittsburgh. So I thank you again and
the Committee for hearing us on this matter.
The American Friends of the Czech Republic is a national
nonprofit organization that is dedicated to the advancement of
civil, legal, democratic societies and a free-market economy in
the Czech Republic. It is a 501(c)(3) public charity. It is an
educational organization. We were involved in educating the
Congress about different aspects of the Czech Republic,
primarily with regard to NATO expansion, trade, commerce,
education, other issues as this country was emerging from
communism.
Foremost on our current agenda today is the passage of this
legislation, which we believe will honor a champion of liberty,
promotor of human rights and defender of the democratic
principles of the United States, Tomas Garrigue Masaryk. This
effort has received the enthusiastic support of the leaders in
the Czech Republic, and I believe you all have copies of a
letter that we received just the other day from President Havel
supporting this project, indicating that he will put all his
power behind this project, and placement of the statue of
President Masaryk in Washington. You also have a letter from
Ambassador Vondra, who is the official representative of the
Czech Republic here in Washington, supportive of this gift from
the Czech people to the United States.
Mr. Novak will talk about Masaryk. So I will address the
remainder of my comments to the points that were raised with
regard to the legislation.
Mr. Chairman, as you are aware, and as Mr. Parsons has
indicated, that in accordance with the Commemorative Works Act,
H.R. 1161 provides for congressional authorization for the
placement of the memorial. I wanted to thank Mr. Parsons and
his staff for an excellent discussion that we had with them
following the time that the legislation was introduced, and in
which Mr. Parsons discussed with us certain difficulties they
had with regard to the legislation as currently drafted.
We believe that Masaryk had a specific and a profound
impact on the United States, but we also realize that under
this act, the judgment is not ours where this statue is to be
placed. It really belongs to the Park Service and the
commissions that have to make that determination. And I would
like to address two points with regard to this.
First, we suggested in the legislation that we thought an
appropriate place for the statue for consideration was in a
park on 18th and Pennsylvania Avenue, right across from the
World Bank. Why do we select that particular site? As
indicated, we looked at the master plan of potential sites that
might be available, and we thought this was an ideal site
because of the fact that Masaryk had lived in what was then the
Powhatan Hotel on the corner of 18th and Pennsylvania Avenue,
where he would walk on several occasions to meet with President
Wilson with Secretary Lansing, with Colonel House and others in
the drafting of this Declaration of Independence. It has
historic significance to us, and, I think, to the people who
would visit that statue, because it stands in front of a
building today that is reaching out to young nations and to
groups to show that there is a future.
As far as the gift, I think that is explained in the two
letters that you have from the Czech Republic.
I would like to add one last comment. I returned from the
Czech Republic last week, where I met with the mayor of Plzen.
Plzen is a community where U.S. troops stopped at the Second
World War, after defeating the German army, and then were not
permitted to go any further. The Russians took over the country
basically, when a Communist Government was instituted, and for
50 years this country languished in communism.
We now have a situation, that we can honor the man who
brought democracy, liberty and freedom to a people who deserve
much more and much better. The Czechs are fully supportive, as
is the city of Prague and, as we can see, the President and the
Ambassador. So I think the gift will be accomplished, and we
will receive support from people in the Czech Republic and the
United States.
Mr. Hefley. Thank you very much.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Cerny follows:]
Statement of Milton Cerny, President, American Friends of the Czech
Republic
Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to appear before your
Subcommittee today in support of H.R. 1161, Rep. Benjamin Gilman's (R-
NY) legislation which would authorize the establishment of a memorial
to Tomas Garrigue Masaryk in the District of Columbia.
The American Friends of the Czech Republic is the national non-
profit organization that advances a civil, legal, democratic society
and a free-market economy in the Czech Republic while strengthening the
education, cultural, commercial and security partnerships between the
United States and the Czech Republic. It is a 501(c)(3) public charity
that has educated our leaders and opinion makers in such areas as NATO
expansion, trade, culture and Czech heritage.
Foremost on our current agenda is supporting the passage of
legislation, which we believe will honor a champion of liberty,
promoter of human rights, and defender of the democratic principles of
the United States, Tomas Garrigue Masaryk. This effort has received the
enthusiastic support of the leaders in the Czech Republic, most
notably, President Vaclav Havel and the Ambassador to the United
States, Alexandr Vondra and government and community leaders throughout
the United States.
Tomas Garrigue Masaryk, the first President of Czechoslovakia,
stands in history as the best embodiment of the close ties between the
United States and Czechoslovakia. A philosopher, scholar and teacher,
Tomas Garrigue Masaryk accomplished a great deal in the United States.
During repeated trips he taught in the United States, married a young
woman from Brooklyn, NY, and developed personal relationships with some
of the most illustrious American political figures of the time.
However, all of this pales in comparison to his most notable
achievement. For six months Masaryk traveled throughout the United
States writing the Czechoslovak Deceleration of Independence from
Austria that was signed in Philadelphia and issued here in Washington,
D.C. on October 18, 1918, where he was declared the President of
Czechoslovakia.
I am joined today by Michael Novak of the American Enterprise
Institute and recent recipient of the Tomas Garrigue Masaryk Medal. Mr.
Novak will speak in more detail as to Tomas Garrigue Masaryk's
connection with the United States and his prominent place in history.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to focus the remainder of my testimony on
the legislation, which has led to this hearing.
Although the American Friends of the Czech Republic has served as
the catalyst for this effort to honor President Masaryk with a Memorial
in Washington, D.C., we are supported in this endeavor by the Czech
Republic and by dozens of Czech and Slovak organizations throughout the
United States. Rep. Benjamin Gilman has championed our cause through
the introduction of this legislation. I would also like to make the
subcommittee aware of a counterpart to this legislation, S. 621,
sponsored by another friend of the Czech community, Sen. Chuck Hagel
(R-NE) and his cosponsors Senators Richard Lugar (R-IN), Joseph
Lieberman (D-CT) and Jeff Bingaman (D-NM).
Mr. Chairman, as you are aware, in accordance with the
Commemorative Works Act, H.R. 1161 provides congressional authorization
for the placement of a Memorial to honor Tomas Garrigue Masaryk in
Washington, D.C. However, at this time we would like to address two
issues contained in the legislation. Prior to this hearing,
representing the American Friends, I met with John Parsons and his
staff at the National Park Service to discuss the bill, reviewing
Masaryk's significance in history, and outlining our desire to gain the
support of the National Capital Memorial Commission during this
undertaking. I would like to thank Mr. Parsons for his willingness to
work with us on this legislation and his helpful words and advice. On
April 26, the Commission unanimously voted to support the concept of a
proposed memorial and we express our appreciation to the Commission for
this important endorsement.
A potential site is described in the bill, a park located in front
of the World Bank on Pennsylvania Avenue. It was our suggestion that
the site holds a strong connection to President Masaryk's time spent in
Washington, D.C. and his philosophy of political change. This
particular park sits only a short walk away from a site that once
housed the Powhantan Hotel, which served as Masaryk's residence while
in Washington. We believe that having the World Bank as a backdrop to
this tribute would also be fitting as this organization seeks to
support the growth of free and democratic states, including the Czech
Republic. We also understand that the decision on placement must be
made by the Park Service in accordance with the Commemorative Works
Act. We want to assure the Committee of our intention to work with the
Congress and the Park Service in selecting an appropriate site under
the Commemorative Works Act. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, if the Committee
moves forward on consideration of this legislation, at that time we
will work with you, Rep. Gilman, and staff to present a new version of
this legislation which does not contain the site specifications.
Additionally, another aspect of HR 1161 which needs further
clarification is our intention that the statue be a gift from the Czech
Republic to the United States. As stated in the present legislation,
the American Friends of the Czech Republic would be authorized to
establish this memorial. It has always been our intent to have the
statue presented as a gift of the Czech Republic to the United States
and we would remain financially responsible for its placement and
maintenance. If authorized by Congress, the sculpture will be presented
as a gift to the American people by the Czech Republic.
Mr. Chairman, I am very pleased to support these changes. I
recently returned from the Czech Republic, visiting the cities of
Pilsen and Prague and received strong support from the mayors of these
cities for the memorial. We have also received strong support from
President Vaclav Havel and from communities throughout the Czech
Republic. Funding will be raised to pay for the sculpture so that the
people of the Czech Republic can take part in honoring their most
revered leader. As this process proceeds, Ambassador Vondra and his
Embassy staff will work with us on coordinating this aspect. In the
United States, Czech and Slovak community organizations are raising
funds for a permanent endowment to care for the sculpture and to
provide an educational fund to teach young Czech students the ideals of
democracy and free enterprise that were so important to President
Masaryk and his place in American history. Having the Czech Republic
present the sculpture will bestow a worthy honor for our ally in world
affairs. It is our hope that the unveiling of the Masaryk sculpture
will coincide with a state visit in the spring of 2002 by President
Vaclav Havel to the United States to meet with President Bush at which
time a joint unveiling of the sculpture can take place.
The Czech Republic together with the American Friends of the Czech
Republic are honored to present this sculpture to the people of the
United States and the city of Washington and to support the future
upkeep and maintenance of the memorial so that it does not become a
burden to U.S. tax payers. As indicated, we also intend to establish a
living memorial with excess funds raised in support of the Masaryk
Memorial to educate Czech and American students in the principles for
which Masaryk stood that form the bedrock foundation for the close ties
between the United States and the Czech Republic.
In conclusion Mr. Chairman, honoring Tomas Garrigue Masaryk with a
memorial in Washington, D.C. would provide a point of focus in the
understanding of the role that he played in the spread of freedom and
democracy to other parts of the world. More importantly, it will also
serve as a reminder to visitors of our nation's capital that the
foundation and principles that the Untied States is based upon
transcend language, time, and ethnicity. That the American ideals of
freedom and democracy ingrained in just one individual can impact
millions throughout history.
I would like to thank you for providing this opportunity to appear
today before your subcommittee and speak in support of H.R. 1611 and I
am prepared to answer any questions you may have.
______
[Letters submitted for the record by His Excellency Vaclav Havel,
President of the Czech Republic, and His Excellency Alexandr Vondra,
Ambassador, The Czech Republic, follow:]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] T2230.004
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] T2230.005
Mr. Hefley. Mr. Novak?
STATEMENT OF MICHAEL NOVAK, GEORGE FREDERICK JEWETT CHAIR IN
RELIGION AND PUBLIC POLICY, AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE,
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Mr. Novak. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I was born in 1933 in Pennsylvania. My grandparents came
from little villages in Slovakia, then part of the Austro-
Hungarian Empire and now the Republic of Slovakia. Through
professional work as a scholar and writer, and also part-time
Ambassador of the United States to the Human Rights Commission
and to the Committee on Security and Cooperation in Europe, and
also on the Board of Radio for Europe Radio Liberty, the Board
which argued for successfully the moving of radios from Munich
to Prague, I have had a lot to do with the Eastern European
countries, particularly the Czech and Slovak Republics.
Since I was very young, having grown up near Pittsburgh, I
have always had in mind the image of Tomas Masaryk as a great
symbol of liberty in the American style. He was a bridge
between our two cultures. George Washington once suggested that
one day all the other nations of the world would repair to the
American model and Masaryk is one of the best evidences of
that. The men whose names were recited earlier, the set of
heroes from Latin America and India, whose statues grace
Washington, were moved by the American example. But from a very
early age, so was Masaryk, and he became a symbol of the fact
that American ideas, the truths that Thomas Jefferson wrote
about, are not just American ideas. They belong to all human
beings by nature.
Masaryk spent his early years as a philosopher trying to
sow the roots of liberty and the ideas of limited government
and consent of the governed in Czech culture, in Czech
language, in Czech heroes, preparing the way, he thought, for
the liberation of the Czech peoples from the Austro-Hungarian
Empire, where they lived in a certain second-rate status and
sometimes in subjection. It later came about that both the
Czechs and the Slovaks, through their contributions to the
Allied effort in World War I, were joined together in one
independent nation.
The Declaration of Independence of Czechoslovakia was
formulated by Masaryk with help from others based on American
precedents. He had, by this time, already married a young
American woman from Brooklyn (I suspect in Brooklyn her name
might have been pronounced Gar-ri-GUE, and maybe by those who
knew, Gar-rigue, but anyway, even today it is pronounced
several different ways.) He maintained her name as his middle
name professionally and personally throughout his life.
Afterwards, Masaryk served three successive terms as
President, appointed first and then elected. He helped to
formulate the new Constitution, again on the American model. He
produced almost a book a year, even as President, in the last
years of his life. He charted a path for democracy through the
extremes of ideological turmoil in Europe raging about him at
that time, both against the left and against the right. He
charted a humane, moderate, level-headed course.
When I was a graduate student at Harvard, David Riesman,
then, I think, the most famous professor, certainly the most
loved by the students on campus, recommended to me that I must
read the works of Masaryk. It is the best guide to an
understanding of communism available in any language, he said.
He added that Masaryk was a marvelous articulator of the
American idea, in terms that were not specifically American but
drawn from other cultures. Masaryk, better than other
statesman, showed an ability to articulate difficult ideas, Mr.
Riesman told me.
In any case, Masaryk remained a figure emphasizing the
power of the truth. That was one of his fundamental ideas.
Politics is based on the idea of truth. We don't always see
what the truth is, but we certainly have the ability to point
out falsehoods, and we can find our way if we remain drawn by
that compass. This idea became extremely important for Vaclav
Havel and for those who led the Velvet Revolution some 50 years
after Masaryk's death, and to this day Havel looks back to
Masaryk as the one who laid the foundation of the Czech and the
Slovak idea of democracy, and its dependence on the idea of
truth--which is exactly where Jefferson and Adams placed the
American idea originally: ``We hold these truths...''
This is not just an American idea, I want to repeat. It
belongs to the whole human race. And they saw that, and they
became a light, Masaryk and now Havel and others, a light
looking eastward, the spreading of this idea. And that is why
we Americans only understand ourselves fully when we see the
power of this idea spreading to others, and see the vindication
of the claim that all men are created equal. It is not just
Americans, but all who are created for liberty.
These ideas have resonance everywhere, and that is why I
think in the future Masaryk will be even more important than
today and will be a model for our youngsters to study.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Hefley. Thank you very much.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Novak follows:]
Statement by Michael Novak, George Frederick Jewett Chair in Religion
and Public Policy, American Enterprise Institute
Mr. Chairman,
My name is Michael Novak. My grandparents were immigrants from the
Slovak Republic, which until recently was one of the two states in the
Federal Republic of Czechoslovakia, whose first president was Tomas
Garrigue Masaryk (1850-1937). In 1981 and 1982, I served as the United
States Ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Commission in
Geneva; in 1986 I served as U.S. Ambassador to the Commission on
Security and Cooperation in Europe; and from 1983 to 1993 I served as a
member of the Board of International Broadcasting, one of those
responsible for moving the headquarters of Radio Free Europe/Radio
Liberty from Munich to Prague. Through all these activities and through
my writings, I have remained quite close to the peoples of Eastern
Europe. Each summer for the last ten years I have been teaching a
Summer Institute for students from that region and American students in
Krakow, Poland, and this summer I will open the first week-long Summer
Institute on the free society in Bratislava, Slovakia.
Four years ago, the Slovak government awarded me the highest honor
they can give to a foreign citizen, and last year President Havel
conferred upon me the Tomas Garrigue Masaryk Award, the highest award
the Czech government can bestow on a foreign citizen. Since I was born
in 1933, just four years before the death of Tomas Garrigue Masaryk, I
can say that my whole life has been lived in the wake of the love for
liberty he helped to generate in the land from which my family hails.
Indeed, when I was at Harvard during the early 1960s, one of the most
highly esteemed professors on campus, David Riesman, the sociologist,
told me that I should read deeply in the writings of Masaryk, who had
written more wisely about Communism, he said, than any other man and
whose writings on democracy were among the most profound in any
language. Professor Riesman told me that Masaryk was a political leader
with the keenest philosophical mind he had ever encountered among
political leaders.
There is one more accident of time and place that tied my
imagination to the life of Masaryk. When Mr. Masaryk came to the United
States in the early spring of 1918, there was no such nation as
Czechoslovakia. However, at that time there were more Czechs living in
Chicago than in any city in the Czech Republic except Prague, and more
Slovaks living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, than in any city in
Slovakia. But by the time Masaryk left for Europe in November of that
year, he had drafted the first joint Declaration of Independence of
Czechoslovakia from the Austrian empire, presided over the writing of
its initial Constitution, and become its first President. These
achievements in America took place mainly in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
not far from my birthplace in Johnstown; and they were duly impressed
upon my memory from an early age. From his youth, Masaryk had been a
champion of American ideas of limited government under a democratic
republic, with the protection of individual rights and the right of
association, and of the pluralism and humanistic moral commitments of
the West. With similar great spirits in Poland and Hungary, he was a
broadcaster of the ideas of liberty and human rights eastward, to all
the peoples of Eastern Europe. Among Western leaders, not only in
France and Britain, but especially in America, he was very highly
esteemed, not least by President Woodrow Wilson, who from a very early
period pledged to support the independence of Czechoslovakia.
While still in his twenties, Masaryk traveled for the first time in
the United States, and it was here that he married his wife, Charlotte
Garrigue, from Brooklyn, New York, in 1878. For the rest of his life,
he carried her name as his own. From early years, his scholarship and
writings were widely recognized in the United States, and he was
invited many times to lecture in our major universities, and to visit
many of our institutions. Long before there was any physical image of
him in our public squares, he was a fixture in the American imagination
and spirit of inquiry.
Masaryk was born in Moravia in 1850, and at the age of 14 was
apprentice to a blacksmith. In his twenties he studied at the
University of Vienna, writing his thesis in philosophy on the nature of
the soul. He first met his American wife while he was working as a
private tutor in Leipzig, and journeyed to America to marry her here
the next year.
In 1887, Masaryk made his first journey to Russia for discussions
with the great novelist Leo Tolstoy, with whom he continued to meet
over the next twenty years. In 1891 he was elected to the Parliament in
Vienna as a member of the Young Czech Party. However, more and more,
his mind turned to thinking and writing about the nature and destiny of
Czech culture, and its place in the history of liberty, and so during
the last five years of the nineteenth century, he published nearly a
book a year on the moral and religious foundations of the politics of
his people.
In the year 1899, a famous trial of a Jewish man accused of
murdering two Christian girls led to several anti-Semitic
demonstrations, and prompted Masaryk into public campaigns against
racial prejudice and especially to fight against flagrant superstitions
about Jews. On this and other occasions, he came several times to the
public defense of Jews in central Europe.
In 1900, Masaryk established what later became the Progressive
Party in the Czech lands. Just before World War I, he was again elected
to Parliament for two consecutive periods, but with the outbreak of
World War I, fled to America. He was condemned in absentia as a traitor
for leaving in the teeth of the War. Masaryk's earlier writings on
freedom, the consent of the governed, self-determination, and respect
for rights made it unavoidable, however, for him to join the Allied
powers in the fight against Austro-Hungary and Germany.
In 1917 began one of Masaryk's greatest adventures. He traveled
extensively through Russia, consolidating the scattered remnants of the
Czechoslovak army in the months after the Bolshevik Revolution, and
leading it across nearly the whole country on a legendary march.
Masaryk had a chance to see what the imposition of Bolshevik power
meant in the outermost regions of the countryside. Frequently, he
observed, it meant that the more thuggish elements of society practiced
violence upon others. Even after Masaryk left for America in 1918, the
Czechoslovak Legion remained behind in Siberia, controlling the entire
Siberian Railway until 1920.
Late in 1918, the revolutionary National Assembly in Prague elected
Masaryk the first President of the new Federal Republic of
Czechoslovakia. In nearly the same month, Masaryk's new book, The New
Europe, offered an outline of what a new free and democratic Europe
would look like.
In 1920, Masaryk was again elected President according to the new
Constitution, and then re-elected again in 1927 and 1934. He was
obliged to resign from the Presidency for reasons of health in 1935,
and died not quite two years later in 1937 in central Bohemia. Even
during his Presidency, he continued to publish books that were widely
read around the world including, in 1925, The Worldwide Revolution
(Svetova Revoluce).
It is hard to think of a figure in all of Europe who wrote so
broadly of the vivid ideological struggles of the twentieth century,
and charted his way through them with a clearer vision of liberty,
limited government, and the democratic republic. The depths of his
thought and his resistance to extremes, combined with a warm and
universal sense of humanity, help today to explain the power and the
beauty of the ``velvet revolution'' of 1989, the career of President V
clav Havel, and so many other of the great and humanistic Czech and
Slovak leaders of the last ten years. The passion for truth that
continued under Soviet domination, and the love of liberty, owes many
of its intellectual roots to Masaryk.
Not only because of his marriage to an American woman, but even
more because of the marriage he made between the most humanistic of
European traditions and the American discoveries about limited
government and democratic rights, Masaryk is a figure likely to live in
the 21st century, and even to become better known. Moreover, his light
still extends eastward to the other Slav lands and the lands of Asia.
Meanwhile, the equilibrium he kept and the depth of his commitments
offer a model to Western Europe and even to our own fellow citizens. He
refused to be blown too far either to the left or to the right,
steering his compass by what is true, just, and most profound about the
human soul--the subject of his philosophic thesis at the University.
Even before his death in 1935, he had warned Europe about the fate that
might befall it under the Nazis who came to power only in 1933. He read
the danger quickly and accurately, but was spared from living through
it. He was 87 when he died.
The statue of such a man would fit very well with the other statues
of this great city, so many of which represent heroes and liberators
from many nations. (It should be added that a bronze statue of Masaryk
had been created for a prominent place in the city of Prague, but was
removed under the occupation first of the Nazis and then of the
Communists, and was kept in this country for safe keeping down through
the decades, first in California, later in Iowa.) Not only would a
statue of Masaryk be at home here in the United States; the original
one, intended for Prague, has been here for almost fifty years.
President Washington observed that one day the nations of the world
would repair to America as a model for what human nature promised their
own citizens. Tomas Garrigue Masaryk was one of the many, like Don
Luigi Sturzo of Italy, Konrad Adenauer of Germany, Jean Monnet of
France, and many others who implanted the ideas of this nation in the
hearts of other nations. By the power of his own philosophical mind,
Masaryk deepened some of the ideas he learned from this nation.
Americans have much to learn from him. This is a man our children
should be encouraged to study.
What happened in his country in 1989, as the Berlin Wall came down,
was one of the great, dramatic events of all history. 1989 is a date
school children will have to memorize in the future. One of the great
forerunners of that event, whose history they should know of, is Tomas
Garrigue Masaryk, and this statue in downtown Washington will issue
that invitation to many young minds for generations to come.
Respectfully submitted,
Michael Novak
George Frederick Jewett Chair in Religion and Public Policy,
Author of Taking Glastnost Seriously (1988) and The Spirit of
Democratic Capitalism (1991)
______
Mr. Hefley. I think we will go ahead and have questions of
this panel, and then, Mr. Trujillo, we will get to you.
It is clear to me that if we could have one person to be
honored in Washington, D.C., from the Czech Republic, that this
would be the person that you would want honored.
Mr. Cerny. I would think so. Some people might say Havel
runs a second, but I think Masaryk generally is so respected
that he would be the number one person.
Mr. Hefley. You have some historic reason for this
particular spot that is in the bill for the memorial, but you
don't particularly care exactly where it is. Is that true?
Mr. Cerny. Well, we believe that under the legislation, it
is really not our final decision to make. We respect the Act
and we would like very much to work with the committees that
will have to make that decision. We only suggested this site
because we thought it might be an appropriate site because of
its historic significance.
Mr. Hefley. In front of me here I have a picture of the
proposed memorial.
Mr. Cerny. Yes.
Mr. Hefley. Who approved that sculpture?
Mr. Cerny. This sculpture is still being discussed and
considered. It is not final, because we don't know exactly
where it will be placed and what needs to be done. So we have
had some initial discussions with different sculptors,
different types of models, and it ultimately will be a decision
beyond us. We can only come forward with suggestions.
Mr. Hefley. Is that going to be a competitive thing among
sculptors with several people giving you a model, and you
choose, or--
Mr. Cerny. The way we have set it up at this point is that
we have talked to some of the leading sculptors in the Czech
Republic about what would be appropriate, what type of models
have come about with regard to Masaryk that have been displayed
not only there, but all over the world, and we have this one
example. There are other statues of Masaryk, different periods
of statuary art, and I think that we will consider a number of
these before a final decision is made.
Mr. Hefley. Thank you.
Mrs. Christensen?
Mrs. Christensen. I don't have any questions, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Hefley. Mr. Tancredo? Mr. Tancredo, a Czech name from
northern--.
Mr. Tancredo. Not the last time I checked. Sorry about
that. You asked for it.
Good question, Mr. Chairman, except just a comment to Mr.
Novak there. It must take--and it certainly has come to me in
this discussion--it has come to my thinking that your
contributions to the advancement of the power of ideas and the
ideas that you are so beautifully articulated not just here
today, of course, but over the many times I have heard you
speak and had the opportunity to have you come into Colorado at
the Independence Institute, those ideas and your ability and
your persuasive ability, I think, stand you in good line for
the possibility of eventually having another memorial
somewhere. I don't know where, I don't know in what fashion,
but I should tell you, Mr. Novak, that you are to be commended,
and I just want to express to you my sincere appreciation for
your being here today, but also for the many wonderful things
that you have done for this country and for the advancement of
human freedom throughout the world.
Mr. Novak. Thank you very much.
Mr. Hefley. Mr. Udall?
Mr. Udall of New Mexico. No questions, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Hefley. Ms. McCollum?
Ms. McCollum. No thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Hefley. Thank you very much.
Mr. Trujillo.
STATEMENT OF ARVIN TRUJILLO, DIRECTOR, DIVISION OF NATURAL
RESOURCES, NAVAJO NATION, WINDOW ROCK, ARIZONA
Mr. Trujillo. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, members of the
Subcommittee. Again, my name is Arvin Trujillo, and I am the
Executive Director for the Division of Natural Resources for
the Navajo Nation. Again, I would like to thank the
Subcommittee.
I would like to thank Congressman Udall for the amendment
that is--or the proposal that is before you now, H.R. 1384, the
Navajo Long Walk National Historic Trails Act. Again, as was
noted by Congressman Udall, the Navajo people during our
history were forced from the area that we call the area of the
four sacred mountains, and during this march down to the
southern portion of New Mexico, the Navajo people that went and
experienced this experienced a tremendous amount of hardship,
experienced a tremendous amount of despair as they made that
walk, as they moved away from what they considered to be an
area that their Creator designated for them, and what was told
in their stories and what was reiterated to their young people
who became my grandparents and my ancestors.
What I would like to come to you this morning and ask is
that you support this effort. This event was a significant
event in the history of the Navajo people. This event itself,
though we suffered despair, though we suffered hardship, was
one of those events that begin to mold and develop us as Navajo
people. It began to shape our fortitude. It began to shape our
belief in persevering, knowing that 1 day we would again
return.
The Navajo people have a rich and a proud history. These
accounts that have been presented to you in a study that was
done are accounts that in some cases were very difficult for
our older people to talk about.
Mr. Trujillo. Because, again, these were times that people
had to experience a tremendous amount of hardship. But it is
something again that helped molded us, helped develop us into
who we are today. And it is a way that we as young people, a
way that even my generations can begin to appreciate who we are
as Navajo people. In essence, this trailing shouldn't totally
be viewed as a walk of death and despair, but it should be a
test amount of a people's will to survive and persevere, and
again, to grow into a great Nation.
So I would urge the Committee and Mr. Chairman that first
of all, until the initial research completed by Dr. Ackerly,
there are four primary cites noted. I would urge the Committee
that Congress defer to the Navajo Nation the ability to
determine which route should be designated as the historical
trail. And this, in working with the National Park Service, we
would also like to ask that, again, we stress that the National
Park Service should consult with the Navajo Nation as we move
forward in the development of this historic trail. And that any
interpretive material, such as brochure trail markers, scenic
off ramps, again, that they consult with us and that we develop
a picture of our history that not only the Navajo people, but
the U.S. government can be proud of.
And I would also urge that the--or the Navajo Nation urges
Congress to add appropriations authorization language to the
bill so that the Navajo Nation and the National Park Service be
able to conduct necessary research, consultation, as well as
address issues concerning maintenance for such a trail.
Again, in conclusion, this has been a time and a period
that many of our people have difficulty still relating to. But
again, it is a test of Navajo fortitude that remains in the
shadows of American history and we do not want that to be
forgotten. It ensures who we are and as we talk about this
place, Hweeldi, as we call it in Navajo, it is important to our
people. And it serves as a reminder of the importance of
cultural preservation and perseverance. And again, we support
this effort, and we respectfully request your positive approval
in this, in ratifying this amendment and in helping the Navajo
people continue with our long and historic history with the
U.S.
[The prepared statement of Arvin Trujillo follows:]
Statement of Arvin Trujillo, Director, Division of Natural Resources,
Navajo Nation, Window Rock, Arizona
There is really a lot to this story, but I'll tell you just a
portion of it. The Journey to Fort Sumner began because a terrible war.
That was what my grandmother told my mother, and she passed the story
on to me. My mother was probably a young child at that time of the Long
Walk. There is a place called Dleesh Bii To (White Clay Spring), a
little way southeast of here. From there on up this way there used to
be farms. One day as some of the Dine were roasting corn from a pit,
all of a sudden a loud noise was heard from the director of a place
called Atch inaa ahi (Points Come Together). The noise resembled
thunder crashing. Our people were always on the alert, as it was a
fearful time. Other people sleeping on the hill also heard the noise.
Then someone yelled from the top of a hill, as men did in those days.
As the man was yelling, horses hoofs were heard. The Utes were
approaching fast. They attacked the people who had been sleeping and
killed a lot of them. Some Dine fled up the hill where, on the very
top, stood a man named Ats aali (Branch of the Wash) who saw the
shooting and killing taking place down below. He saw a lot of our
people killed....
Yesbah Silversmith who at age 90 still herds sheep near her home in
Lukachukai, AZ. Her story of escape was handed down by a grandmother.
INTRODUCTION
The Navajo Nation and its people have a rich and proud history. Our
history recounts the journeys of our ancestors through several
underworlds, into the present. The Navajo are known as the Ni'hookaa'
diyin dine'e bila' ashdla'ii-- ``Five Finger Earth Surface Holy
People,'' the name given to the Navajos by the Holy People at the time
of their emergence into this world. From time immemorial the lands
between the four cardinal mountains of Sisnaajin--Blanca Peak, Alamosa,
Colorado; Tsoodzi --Mount Taylor, Grants, New Mexico; Dok'o'oosliid--
San Francisco Peaks, Flagstaff, Arizona; and Dibe Ntsaa--Hesperus
Mountains, Durango, Colorado, have been the sacred homeland of the
Navajo. It is in this world, Ni'hodis's--the Glittering World - that a
fairly recent historical event challenged the Navajo people's very
existence within the boundaries of the sacred mountains of Navajoland.
The Spanish and later Mexican governments, forced themselves into
the aboriginal lands of the native populations of the Southwest. By the
mid-1800s, the Navajo people, after approximately three centuries of
unwelcome encroachment by Europeans and later Americans, were reacting
to a situation that was tearing away their culture and land base. This
era is bitterly remembered as a dark page in Navajo history, when the
United States set out to obliterate Navajo culture, at a place known as
Hweeldi--Bosque Redondo, or Fort Sumner, NM.
THE LONG WALK
In the mid-1800s, well after the Civil War, enslavement and slave
trade of Navajo women and children was still actively practiced in the
Southwest. The slave raids lead by Mexican and American settlers of
recipical raids retaliation by Navajos against the communities that
surrounded the Navajo lands.
From 1849 through 1860 several failed peace negotiations with the
United States Government lead to a military campaign to subdue the
Navajos. The Army would not tolerate any humane treatment of Navajo
people who would not surrender. The United States realized that the
Navajos in their own land could not be subjugated, and viewed removal
as the only alternative.
Beginning early in 1860, the Military posts in Navajo land under
the leadership of Brigadier General James H. Carleton, set the stage
for the campaign against the Navajo people. Colonel Christopher Carson,
known as ``Kit Carson,'' commanded the Army troops that ravished
through Navajo country ``rounding up'' the Navajos to be removed to a
foreign land. Almost every Navajo family today has family history
describing the terrifying destruction and annihilation of the
determined Army campaign against the Navajos.
Hweeldi, more than 350 miles from Navajo land was the desolate site
chosen to confine the Navajo people and force them to live according to
the foreign laws of the United States Government. Thousands of Navajos
walked the entire distance to Fort Sumner under the watchful eyes of
the U.S. Military. Thousands of Navajos endured the trek with severe
starvation, hunger and attacks from other tribes to vile flat land and
appalling living conditions which was devastatingly traumatic to the
Navajo people.
The Navajos were held as ``prisoners of war'' for four years at
Fort Sumner. Poor planning, drought conditions, severe winters, and
continued slave raids took their toll on the already suffering captive
Navajos. Finally, in the spring of 1868, the worn leaders begged to
return to the land within the Sacred Mountains. The drive to return to
their homeland kept the people alive, despite the vast distance to
where the Navajos were removed. On June 1, 1868, a treaty was drawn up
that ended this nightmare and allowed the Navajos to walk 350 miles
back home.
RECOMMENDATIONS
LThe Navajo Nation urges Congress to defer to the Navajo
Nation in determining which route will be designated. There were four
primary routes that were used United States Military during the Navajo
removal.
LThe Navajo Nation also recommends that Congress mandate
that the National Park Service consult with the Navajo Nation in the
interpretative material such as brochures, trail markers, scenic off-
ramps and the like.
LThe Navajo Nation urges Congress to add appropriations
authorization language to the bill so that the Navajo Nation and the
National Park Service are able to conduct the necessary research,
consultation, and maintenance of the Long Walk Trail.
CONCLUSION
The horrible accounts of this period in Navajo history are not
openly discussed or willingly shared by Navajo people. This test of
Navajo fortitude remains in the shadows of American history left to be
forgotten. The proposed H.R. Bill 1384 ``To amend the National Trails
System Act to designate the Navajo Long Walk to Bosque Redondo as a
national historic trail,'' will insure that this page of Navajo and
American history will be remembered and the Navajos who endured the
Long Walk and incarceration at Hweeldi are properly honored.
The Navajo people have a culture unique to the United States
Southwest. It has sustained the Navajos for countless generations. The
symbolism imbued in the landscape has created unbreakable ties between
the land and the people. It is the devotion to the sacred land and the
enduring culture that has fostered a viable sovereign nation that
continues to survive and prosper. The strength of Navajo culture and
its ties to the land have been challenged throughout time and continue
to be challenged.
It is the strong culture and sacred landscape that the Navajos
cherish, and these fundamental values will keep the Navajo Nation and
its people living between the four cardinal mountains in their sacred
homeland. The Long Walk serves to remind society of the importance of
cultural perseverance, and as a national historic trail; Navajo history
will never be forgotten. Hence, the Navajo Nation and its people
support H.R. Bill 1384 ``To amend the National Trails System Act to
designate the Navajo Long Walk to Bosque Redondo as a national historic
trail,'' and respectfully request immediate legislative action to
ratify this important page in American history.
______
Mr. Hefley. Thank you. I am going to defer, first of all,
to Mr. Udall, if you would comment.
Mr. Udall of New Mexico. Thank you very much, Chairman
Hefley. First of all let me welcome from traveling here and he
is also accompanied by Shawn D. Pensoneau and Darryl Begay, who
are with the Navajo Nation, Washington office. I believe the
Navajo Nation is one of the few tribes which maintains a very
effective Washington office, and both of those gentleman are
also with us here today. Let me also say about Mr. Trujillo, by
way of introduction and comment, that the Navajo Nation is the
Nation's largest tribe. And as such, it has developed a very
sophisticated governmental structure. And if you, for example,
look at their supreme court and the rulings out of their
supreme court and their justice system, it is a real marvel of
a court system adapted to the Navajo ways.
And so they have done that in the judicial area, and Mr.
Trujillo has done that in the natural resources area. The
Navajo Nation has developed a very sophisticated division of
natural resources, Mr. Trujillo has been a leader on the
natural resources issue, and we are very fortunate to have him
here today. Mr. Trujillo, let me first of all, by way of
consultation, the term that you have used that you want to
consult with the Park Service on this issue, say that where
there is more than one route frequently, what is done in the
designation of these trails is in, and that is what will be
done in this feasibility study, is work closely with you and
the different routes can be designated. You don't necessarily
have to pick one over the other.
Many times several routes where they diverge are allowed to
be recognized. So I am going to, as you have suggested, urge
the Park Service when we end up getting this done and in place,
to consult with you on a very intensive basis to make sure that
is done. At the beginning--and then let me just make a comment
too, you did not have the opportunity to read all of your
testimony, but at the beginning of your testimony is the story
of a 90-year-old Navajo woman who lives in Lukachukai, Arizona.
Her name is Yesbah Silversmith and she has a tale that she
has passed down, which was passed down through the generations
about the Long Walk and that experience. And maybe you could
talk just amongst bit about that oral tradition. Is it
something that probably most Navajo's today, although they are
150 years away from this incident, have heard from their
grandparents and parents about what the experience was and
maybe you could share some of that with us.
Mr. Trujillo. Thank you, Congressman. Yes, we have a very
strong oral tradition. I have been a part of that as I grew up.
The way the Navajo begin to relate their stories is they have a
tradition, especially during the winter months, you know, we
see the four seasons in the Colorado plato area. Within the
winter months, we go in and we can develop fires in our hogans
or wherever we are living. We have different games that help
entertain us in the evening. But then the elders or the older
people will come in and then tell stories, and those stories
will relate not only to what has happened historically to the
people, but also they are stories about character; they are
stories that help develop the young people.
But in terms of the Long Walk, there are many families and
we have different clan systems, and there are clans, and each
clan is a family unit unto itself. And each of them relate
their stories differently. But all of them come back to central
themes as to what happened during that period, what happened
not only during the walk, but during the incarceration down in
Fort Sumner.
And most importantly are the stories when they came back,
when they saw the mountains. The song that they sang coming
back, those are just as important as the despair they felt when
they were leaving the sacred areas.
So yes, the oral tradition is very strong. And there is
also a packet in there that talks about the research that was
done by Dr. Ackerly. He relates different aspects, some of
those stories, by different people that were given.
Mr. Udall of New Mexico. Mr. Trujillo. Thank you very much
for your testimony today and Mr. Chairman, I would also like to
recognize my original co-sponsor on this legislation, Chris
Cannon from southern Utah. Representative Cannon has a portion
of the Navajo Nation in his district. As we all know, the
Navajo Nation is in Arizona, New Mexico and a part of southern
Utah, and so Chris Cannon, who is unable to be with us here
today but is a supporter of this legislation, and I know will
be helping us out with this.
So with that, thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Hefley. Thank you. Mr. Trujillo, we are talking here in
this bill about designating the trail. But also the Park
Service talked about wanting to talk with the Navajo Nation
regarding what is the best way to commemorate this experience.
They have no objection to commemorating the experience. Are you
convinced that the trail designation is the best way, or would
some kind of a memorial be the best way, or in the study if we
do a study of this, would you be open to considering, or would
you encourage considering a variety of ways of commemorating
this, or are you absolutely convinced that a trail designation
is the best way.
Mr. Trujillo. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. With that, what I am
looking basically is we would go through the feasibility study
with the Park Service and receive what would be the best way.
But from what I have looked at and what we are trying to
develop, along with the memorial and the visitors center, and
what we are trying to do down in the Fort Sumner area, we are
also focused on the trail itself, because it is something that
the people can begin to see and begin to visualize where our
ancestors actually walked, where they traveled, what they had
to experience as they had to make this trek, not only down to
the Fort Sumner area, but back home again.
So again, that is why we feel it important that we have a
series of markers that would designate those areas that our
people had to travel through during this period in our history.
Mr. Hefley. Okay. Thank you.
Mrs. Christensen.
Mrs. Christensen. I don't have any questions. I am very
interested in working with your representative in making sure
that this is developed in the way we would like to see it
developed.
Mr. Trujillo. Thank you.
Mr. Hefley. Ms. McCollum.
Ms. McCollum. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I also would like
very much to see the study take place and to preserve this part
of our total American history. And the best form of history
even though this has a bias, is the primary source. And the
Navajo people's primary source was the tradition of song. So I
feel very comfortable in using them as a source in the Park
Service and the other studies that have been done to use that
for documentation and I thank you for coming.
Mr. Trujillo. Thank you.
Mr. Hefley. Mr. Udall, I appreciate you bringing this to
our attention. I have done quite a considerable study on the
Indians of the southwest, particularly the Apache tribes and
somewhat the Navajo, and yet I was not real familiar with this
particular march. I appreciate you bringing this to our
attention. Fort Sumner to me was the Lincoln County war and
Billy the Kid, and so I think if I am ignorant about a very
significant piece of our Nation's history, and the Navajo
nation's history, then maybe others are too.
And so we appreciate you bringing this to our attention.
And if it is successful and is designated, then it would bring
it to the attention of the American people who are fascinated
by the place you live anyway. And this would be in addition to
that. Thank you Mr. Trujillo. We appreciate you coming all the
way from Arizona to be with us on this.
Mr. Trujillo. Thank you. And, Mr. Chairman, if you would
like, we could also provide you with some oral history some
oral stories that we do have available concerning the Long Walk
and other studies that the Navajo have done, too, for your
collection and for your pleasure.
Mr. Hefley. We would appreciate that. You know, this is not
a pretty part of our Nation's history in many respects. The
American government did some things they should not do. The
Indian nations did some things they should not have done. There
were atrocities committed on both sides. It is not something
that a lot of us are real proud of, but it is something that we
should remember. So this might be a way to commemorate at least
one portion of it.
Thank you very much.
Mr. Trujillo. Thank you.
Mr. Hefley. Thank you, Mr. Udall. If there are no other
questions or discussion, the Committee stands adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 11:14 a.m., the Subcommittee was adjourned.]
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