Sentencing in NPS Vandalism Case
Sentencing in NPS Vandalism Case
By Samuel White Swan-Perkins
A woman who used acrylic paints and markers to create her artwork on several rock formations in several sites across the west in 2014 has been sentenced this week.
Casey Nocket of San Diego, CA pleaded guilty to seven counts of misdemeanor destruction of US Government property in a Fresno Federal Court last week. Using the handle “Creepythings”, Nocket posted pictures of her works on social media accounts. In short time she became a bit of an Internet sensation; some seeing her as a pariah, others a worst case example of white privilege run amuck. Her drawings were often of faces, notably one which features what appears to be of an African American woman smoking a joint. In her wisdom, Nocket was sure to sign and date all of her works before posting them on her Twitter and Instagram accounts. These posts were shared with investigators who began to build a case against the 23-year-old. Casey Schreiner then penned a story shared on his blog, the modernhiker.com. Since the story broke, Nocket and her family members have been the target of threats and at least one unflattering meme.
The areas Nocket visited in California include traditional Achomawi Miwok and Death Valley Timbisha Shoshone Band of California territories. Kanyon Sayers-Roods of Indian Canyon, Calif. stated, “when I heard about Casey and her acts of deciding to vandalise state parks, I became very unnerved. As I was reading the multiple articles…. the one thing that screamed at me, the one thing that screams at me these past few months is entitled, privileged people, when it comes to witnessing New Agers and the Rainbow Warriors violating and desecrating sites without any regard of acknowledging the damage that they do. The non-accountability of their actions and just that pompous, entitled, privileged mentality of, ‘I can do this and I have the right to do this because ‘This is Me’. Its very, very frustrating. I’m witnessing so many crimes against Indigenous people, against POCs, against different levels of socioeconomic status, against different communities and societies, Two Spirit people, LGBT…and most of the occurrences and violations and crimes and intolerances are an attack by entitled privileged negligent people who only think of themselves, let alone seven generations into the future. They don’t care.”
Nocket has avoided jail time with her guilty plea to seven of at least ten counts under 36 CFR 2.31 – Trespassing, tampering and vandalism and now owes 200 hours of community service, is also banned from all lands administered by the National Park Service (NPS), US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Army Corps of Engineers during her two year probation period.
Acting US Attorney Philip Talbert stated, “The defendant’s defacement of multiple rock formations showed a lack of respect for the law and our shared national treasures. The National Park Service has worked hard to restore the rock formations to their natural state, completing clean-up efforts in five of the seven parks. They expect to complete cleanup efforts at Death Valley in the near future and at Crater Lake as weather permits.”
The areas Nocket ventured into are the traditional homelands of many California Native, Pacific Northwest, Colorado and Utah American Indians. An Investigative Bureau Special Agent who has not been named was assigned to the investigation and shared with the court that the offenses occurred in:
- Rocky Mountain National Park, September 12, 2014
- Colorado National Monument, September 13, 2014
- Canyonlands National Park, September 15, 2014
- Zion National Park, September 17, 2014
- Death Valley National Park, September 23, 2014
- Yosemite National Park, October 2, 2014
- Crater Lake National Park, October 7, 2014
According to Trailmob.com, a family member of Nocket’s stated that, “she didn’t go into hiding or run, she contacted the Park Service investigators and is fully cooperating, that she knows she did a horrible thing and is incredibly remorseful; is aware of the seriousness of her crimes and is ready to face the music; and there are now people pretending to be her online, Tumblr in particular.”
All of Nockets’ social media accounts have been deleted, and most of the damage cleaned up, yet the fact remains. It only takes one person to destroy in minutes what took nature millennia to create.
Samuel White Swan-Perkins is a freelance writer for such publications as News from Native California, Indian Country Today Media Network, powwows.com and others. Sam is the owner/admin of the blog Wagon Burners and owner of White Swan-Perkins Cultural Consulting. In his free time he enjoys spending time in and around Lassen National Park and resides in Butte County with his girlfriend and their ever increasing herd of cats and dogs.
