Hidden in the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act is an amendment that has nothing to do with defense, Section 2867 Ensuring Public Access to the Summit of Rattlesnake Mountain. Rattlesnake Mountain, called Laliik by the Yakama Nation, is currently off-limits to the general public. This highly restricted ceremonial site has been federally designated as a Traditional Cultural Property under the National Historic Preservation Act. If approved by the Senate and signed by President Obama, Section 2867 of the NDAA would allow for paved roads to be built to the summit of Laliik and for general public access (bus tours, etc.) to a place that has great religious and cultural significance for the Confederated Tribes and Bands of Yakama Nation. This site should remain off-limits to the public.
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