Poster from the 'Keep America Beautiful' campaign (1971)

Okay, so I’m mixing my Indians (Malaysian/Sri Lankan Tamils, actually) with that title, but you get the point.

The Wampanoag tribe of Nantucket Sound in Massachusetts have applied for their land’s status as a Traditional Cultural Property on the National Register of Historic Places in a last ditch bid to stop a wind farm being built on it. They claim, among other things, that it would obstruct their view of the sun during rituals and obstruct access to ancestral burial grounds. Don’t these developers know anything?! The late Teddy Kennedy, who’s family “compound” overlooks the site, was also opposed to the development.

The only opposition from non-industry environmental groups mentioned in the article sounds pretty weak

Barbara Hill of Clean Power Now, an advocacy group that supports Cape Wind, said the entire offshore wind industry would suffer if Simon decides more review of the tribal claim is needed.

“If there is going to be an allowance to this type of viewshed issue, as far as the eyes can see, what are we going to build?” she said.

Maybe no-one wants to be seen as oppressing the Indians?

AP ‘Tribe: Wind farm would harm sacred rituals‘, msnbc.com (2/11/09)