Indian group wants TVA to postpone land auction
By Angie Herrington Staff Writer

The resolution was signed earlier this month in Durant, Okla., by the Inter-tribal Council of the Five Recognized Tribes. It claims the federally mandated consultations done so far with the Tennessee Valley Authority have been inadequate.

TVA is planning to auction 578 acres of land near Little Cedar Mountain later this year. A Chattanooga developer has plans to buy the land and develop a $450 million luxury residential resort.

"I haven't heard from TVA," said Terry Cole, tribal historic preservation officer for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. "I'm hoping they will from here out start consultation with the tribal governments who have interests there."

TVA officials said they followed all the correct procedures regarding the consultations and complied with the requirements of the National Historic Preservation Act.

Buff Crosby, TVA senior manager of watershed operations, said 11 federally recognized tribes were contacted, and seven of those responded to written correspondence.

Four of the seven were present at the consultations in June, and another tribe participated via telephone, she said. Ms. Crosby said TVA is reviewing the council's resolution and trying to determine how to respond.

American Indians have opposed the development of the land, because they claim it is rich in archaeological sites.

Becky Gregory, a member of the Shawnee Nation from Ringgold, Ga., said she attended the consultations so she could gather information for a representative of the Seminole Nation who was not present. The representative was not informed of the meetings early enough to make travel arrangements, she said.

Mrs. Gregory said some of the American Indian representatives in attendance told her TVA did not tell them beforehand that the meetings were going to be classified as formal consultations.

"There are procedures for this and guidelines, and they were not followed," she said. "It shouldn't have come to a resolution."

E-mail Angie Herrington at aherrington@timesfreepress.com

WHAT'S NEXT Tennessee Valley Authority officials said they are reviewing the resolution from the Intertribal Council of the Five Recognized Tribes about the sale of Little Cedar Mountain, and they are determining how to respond.

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