Native People Take Part in Hoover Dam Bridge Dedication

This story was filed on October 18, 2012
Yesterday’s dedication ceremony of the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, the centerpiece of the Hoover Dam Bypass, not only included federal and state officials, but Native Americans also took part in the celebration.
Leroy Spotted Eagle, a spiritual leader from the Southern Paiute Tribe, offered a blessing, according to several media reports, and members of other tribes in Nevada and Arizona participated in traditional dancing on the new bridge.
The bridge spans 1,900 feet across the Colorado River, with the bridge deck and sidewalk rising about 900 feet above the river. It is located approximately 1,500 feet south of the dam itself.
The $240 million, four-lane bypass will reroute traffic for 3.5 miles from the two-lane bottleneck on U.S. 93 across the Hoover Dam.

Jodi Rave Spotted Bear (Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation)

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Jodi Rave Spotted Bear

Location: Twin Buttes, North Dakota

Spoken Languages: English

Topic Expertise: Federal trust relationship with American Indians; Indigenous issues ranging from spirituality and environment to education and land rights

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