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Voices from the Earth: Current Issue
SRIC Friends
Table of
Contents
Buy Local, Think Local, Be Local!
Keep It Querque!
Buy Local Initiatives: La Montanita Co-op
Right Relationship
Women in Land-Based Cultures
North American
Indigenous Mining Summit
WIPP is Not Meeting Its Shipment and Disposal Goals
Extracting Environmental Justice — The Navajo Nation Defends Its Uranium Mining Ban
Book Reviews
SRIC Extras
There are monetary reasons to buy locally of course, and the numbers and financial impact are important, but there are social and cultural reasons as well. When you shop locally you support your neighbors and your friends. You nurture your community. They might know your name at a chain store, but at a small local business, they know your name, and the name of your kid's little league team, and they'll support them. — Elissa Breitbard, President
Albuquerque Independent Business Alliance
Crosswinds Weekly, 2005
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Indigenous
Peoples Unite to Oppose Destructive Mining Practices across North
America
In the wake of the U.S.
Congress’ passage of the Bush Administration’s highly
controversial energy bill on Thursday [July 29], Indigenous Peoples
from across the United States and Canada completed the first North
American Indigenous Peoples Mining Summit in the traditional territory
of the Cree Nation (Edmonton, Alberta CA). The summit was organized
for Indigenous representatives and organizations from across Great
Turtle Island (what is now referred to as the United States and
Canada) to share information, strengthen networks, and develop strategies
to combat destructive mining operations in their territories.
“As Indigenous
Peoples, we have a responsibility to speak up on the issues that
impact those things that are sacred – the air, the land, the
water and all life. Governments and industries, are placing money
above life – that is totally crazy. This madness is not just
affecting us here – but it affects all peoples and all life
around the world,” stated Carrie Dann, Western Shoshone grandmother.
Wrapping up their three-day
summit, conference attendees passed a resolution vowing to work
together to support each other’s efforts to stop destructive
mining operations harming their symbiotic relationship with the
earth, including the air, water and homelands connected to their
cultures and spirituality.
The Summit also concluded
by agreeing to begin strategic planning to address immediate situations,
including:
· The proposed Northern Dynasty Mining corporation Pebble Mine in
Bristol Bay, Alaska affecting the Southwestern Alaska Indigenous
Peoples,
· The Placer Dome/Kennecott Cortez mining activities at Mount Tenabo/Horse
Canyon in Nevada affecting the Western Shoshone people,
· The Northgate Minerals Kemess North Mine Project in British Columbia
affecting the Carrier, Sekani, Gitxsan, and Dunne-za peoples,
· The Redfern proposed Tulsequah Chief Mine in Taku River in British
Columbia affecting the Tlingit peoples,
· The Peabody Coal Company Black Mesa operation affecting the Navajo
and Hopi peoples, and
· The continuing legacy of the nuclear fuel cycle adversely impacting
indigenous nations.
“The
passage of the U.S. Energy Bill represents a massive escalation
of the ecological genocide for Indigenous Peoples across Turtle
Island. It is critically important that Indigenous Peoples share
information about the environmental and cultural impacts that these
mines and other industries have on our communities and on the natural
world that we all live and share,” said Robert Shimek, the
Indigenous Environmental Network Mining Coordinator and one of the
conference coordinators. “We know these mines have devastated
our communities. We need to know what the impacts are and what options
we have to stop them.”
Contact:
Robert Shimek, Indigenous Environmental Network
(218) 760-0284 |
North
American Indigenous Mining Summit
Mining companies
continue to target the remaining lands of indigenous people all
over the world including the lands of the First Nations and Native
Americans. Concern about the consequences of the expansion of those
efforts as metal and energy mineral prices rise provided the impetus
for a North American Indigenous Mining Summit held in Edmonton,
Alberta, Canada July 27 – 30. Convened by the Indigenous Environmental
Network (www.ienearth.org) in collaboration with the Western Mining
Action Network (www.wman-info.org), the Summit provided an opportunity
to conduct training and educational workshops, networking activities,
and collaborative development of action plans to address coal, hardrock
and uranium mining activities in the homelands of the participants.
Convened to
expand communication and cooperation among native activists and
leaders, the Summit provided an effective forum for the participants
to share their experiences, discuss problems facing their communities,
and establish working groups among participants to address common
concerns.
The Summit
began with an opening prayer and welcoming statement from a representative
of a Cree First Nation community in Alberta followed by powerful
statements from leaders of the International Indian Treaty Council
(IITC). IITC’s Director Andrea Carmen (Yaqui) and Board President
Francisco Cali (Mayan) described their efforts to raise worldwide
indigenous land and human rights concerns before the United Nations
Commission on Human Rights. These presentations highlighted current
IITC activities seeking protection for Mayan land and people in
Guatemala who are threatened by a gold mine under development by
the Canadian firm Glamis Mining Company.
Plenary sessions
followed that addressed current environmental, social and economic
issues associated with mining activities in the tribal communities
represented at the Summit. Science and environmental impacts of
hardrock, uranium, and coal mining were addressed by Center for
Science in Public Participation’s Dave Chambers, Southwest
Research and Information Center’s Paul Robinson and Indigenous
Environmental Network’s Enei Begaye. Social and economic impacts
were addressed by Acoma Pueblo’s Manuel Pino, Florence Catholique
from the Lutselk’e Dine First Nation in the Northwest Territories
of Canada, and Laura Calmwind of MiningWatch Canada. A later plenary
session focused on indigenous community success stories. Lydia Olympic,
President of the Igiugig Tribal Village Council in Alaska, discussed
Turning the Tide with Investors. Bernice Lalo from the Western Shoshone
Nation in Nevada success story was on the Kitty Litter Mine. Gerald
Brown, from the Navajo community of Church Rock, New Mexico discussed
the Church Rock Uranium Monitoring Project, while Christine Smith,
Navajo, discussed the Navajo Uranium Mining Moratorium. And Sandra
Jack, from the Taku River Tlingit First Nation in British Columbia,
discussed their success with the Tulsequah Chief Mine.
Following the opening plenary sessions, participants attended a
series of small workshops over the next two days. These workshops
were on themes such as: “Before the Mine Opens: Three Profiles
in Resistance,” mine closure and cleanup, coal mine operations,
uranium mine operations, reclamation and bonding, tribal consultation,
fundraising, mining law, and corporate engagement.
A highlight
of the Summit was the establishment of breakout groups on the three
main mining themes: Hard Rock, Coal, and Uranium. At the end of
the Summit, the breakout groups reported back to the full group
with identified goals, proposed actions, and priority needs. Each
of these groups stressed the need for funding for the groups, as
well as the need to develop media campaigns to spread their vision
of land use and protection.
The Summit
closed on a positive note with the drafting of a Resolution and
Press Release communicating the spirit and findings of the Summit.
The communication established at the North American Indigenous Mining
Summit will continue through activities of both the working groups,
and the participants involved in the Indigenous Environmental Network
and the Western Mining Action Network. Many of the participants
reconvene at the Western Mining Action Network’s biennial
conference scheduled for September 30 – October 3 on land
of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe in Idaho.
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RESOLUTION:
Indigenous Peoples Caucus Western Mining Action Network
Cree Territory (Edmonton, Alberta Canada) – July 30, 2005
Whereas, the Indigenous
Peoples Caucus of the Western Mining Action Network was formed to
strengthen our alliances and inherent responsibilities to protect
Mother Earth from the destructive impacts of irresponsible mining,
in particular uranium, hard rock and coal mining. The caucus is
composed of representatives from across the northern region of Turtle
Island (Canada and the United States). Together, our voices are
united as one to advocate for the health, safety and welfare of
our communities to the decision makers in governments and industry.
Whereas, the North American
Indigenous Peoples Mining Summit was convened in the traditional
territory of the Cree Nation (Edmonton, Alberta CA) July 27 –
July 30, 2005 to bring Indigenous Peoples together to share our
traditional knowledge and understanding of western science as its
relates to our individual community and collective concerns on mining
practices, and;
Whereas, these Indigenous
representatives from across Turtle Island registered numerous concerns
on the hazardous impacts of irresponsible mining on the health,
welfare and safety of our peoples, our communities, our lands and
spiritual and cultural resources, and;
Whereas, there have been
numerous violations of our inherent and human rights as Indigenous
Peoples as given to us by the Creator both by the mining industry
and governmental sectors, and;
Whereas, in order to
protect these rights of all Indigenous Peoples and to safeguard
against any future harms that threaten our physical and spiritual
survival through the protection of Mother Earth and our natural
world;
Therefore, be it resolved,
we, as Indigenous representatives and organizations, hereby unite
to discuss spiritual, cultural, social and environmental concerns
that will not only directly impact Indigenous Peoples but impact
the sustainability of all life and all peoples, globally and
Be it further resolved
that, we as Indigenous representatives and organizations hereby
unite to develop strategies and initiate immediate changes to educate
and inform communities, the corporate world and government officials
of the Indigenous worldview and that those harms caused by irresponsible
mining affect the water, the air, the land and the overall sustainability
of our earth and all life and these harms must be addressed and
corrected immediately.
SIGNED BY:
Mining Impact Coalition of Wisconsin
Steve Brady – Vice Chairman Wells Band (Western Shoshone)
Lillian Shirt (Cree) (Cold Lake/Saddle Lake Band)
Linda Willie – Indigenous Permaculture Center, Dine Nation, Arizona
Justin Willie – Indigenous Permaculture Center, Dine Nation, Arizona
Isadore Day – Serpent River First Nation
Gerald R. Brown – Church Rock Uranium Monitoring Project |
Becky
Begay – Navajo Nation
Earl Hatley – Grand Riverkeeper, LEAD Agency, Inc., Oklahoma
Theodore Roundface – Crow Nation
Annine M. Smith – Western Shoshone Defense Project
Manuel Pino – Laguna Acoma Coalition for a Safe Environment, Indigenous
Environmental Network
Sherri Norris – International Indian Treaty Council |
Tansey
Smith – Shoshone Paiute
Sandra Jack – Taku River Tlingit First Nation
Bernice Lalo – Western Shoshone
Melton Martinez – Eastern Navajo Uranium Workers
Wahleah Johns – Black Mesa Water Coalition
Julie Ann Fishel – Western Shoshone Defense Project |
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SRIC is a non-profit organization. All donations are tax-deductible. Thank you.
Southwest Research and Information Center
105 Stanford SE
PO Box 4524
Albuquerque, NM 87196
505/262-1862
fax: 505/262-1864
For further information contact Info@sric.org.
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