Dooda Desert Rock: Fighting the good fight

July 31, 2008
Contact: Elouise Brown,
Dooda’ Desert Rock Committee President505-947-6159
thebrownmachine@hotmail.com

(Photo: Polar bears are the victims of the Navajo Nation and other US power plants which emit black carbons, resulting in the melting Arctic ice and destruction of homelands for polar bears, walrus and seals.)

THE FEDERAL PERMIT IS ONLY ONE PHASE OF THE DEBATE
Yesterday’s AP article and a recent Daily Times piece assume that today is the deadline for an EPA decision. That is not what the June 11, 2008 notice in the Federal Register says. The paragraph that starts at the bottom of the left column on the second page makes it clear that the Agency will not make a decision on whether or not to withdraw consent to the consent decree until notice is published, comments are received from the public, and the EPA or the Justice Department made a decision on whether the public comments show that “consent is inappropriate, improper, inadequate, or inconsistent with the requirements of the [Clean Air] Act.”
We hear that the EPA did issue the permit, so if that decision is “final” the debate will likely shift to federal judicial review under the Administrative Procedure Act, with one more issue on whether the decision to ignore public comment and our points was an “abuse of discretion.”
It is interesting that the Dine Power Authority justified its request for $1 million in a “supplemental” appropriation for ongoing operations near the end of the fiscal year because of threatened litigation by environmental groups. When Dooda made its opposition to the request public, the head of the Authority specifically mentioned its threatened litigation. Frank Maisano did the same (mentioning “environmentalists”) in the AP piece. What point are they trying to make? How much money are the developers throwing at the Maisano law firm for propaganda?
This is our observation: We met with Merv Tano of the International Institute for Indigenous Management in workshops at an Indian environmental conference in Billings, Montana at the end of June. We discussed our views of how EPA environmental justice policies apply to the debate. While Merv (who is a Native Hawaiian attorney) said he does not support or oppose the plant, he pointed out that quibbling about scientific issues — such as air quality — does not help indigenous peoples. The environmental justice discussion should be about their values, traditions and their decisions about how they are going to handle their own resources. The federal environmental justice policy makes it clear that the “they” is the people on the ground and not a central bureaucracy. That kind of discussion is something that the Desert Rock debate has avoided thus far. What do the people think about coal development and power plants? What do the people think about wind power? What do the chapters think about being excluded when Window Rock starts some new “economic development” project? Is “economic development” for the benefit of the bureaucracy or for the people? The only thing we’ve heard about “shoes for the kiddies” is that it’s about a trickle-down from Window Rock.
We should have the opportunity to talk about real environmental justice. The developers still have to go to the Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency for an air permit. We are studying the scope of authority of the Navajo Nation EPA at this stage, and other provisions of Navajo Nation environmental law to see what options we have and what kinds of permits the Nation’s EPA handles.
Navajo Nation statutes and regulations require public notice and a hearing for permits, and Navajo Nation law allows extensive public participation. The Navajo Nation EPA recognizes that The Fundamental Laws of the Dine apply to its operations and the Natural Law provisions apply here.
We are not talking about litigation — yet. We are talking about an opportunity for a genuine public debate. The environmental impact statement talks were dog-and-pony shows that were controlled by the developers. We want to see adequate notice to the Navajo Nation public, debates that are not controlled by developers or an industry-friendly federal agency, and meaningful discussion of Navajo values. A lot of them will be and should be in Navajo. We intend to talk about Navajo Natural Law and Navajo environmental justice.
We look for an opportunity for meaningful discussion — following the Navajo tradition of talking things out.
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Mohawk Nation News: Canada under Mohawk Microscope

CANADA FIRST DEFENCE STRATEGY UNDER MOHAWK MICROSCOPE

by Iako’ha’kowa and MNN Staff
Mohawk Nation News
July 16, 2008. Canada’s military build-up is meant to try to attack “people of color” world wide, steal our resources and eliminate our population. There is a big recruitment campaign for Indigenous youth going on. They want 20% of the armed forces to be native. That way it will look like we approve their actions. No money to heal or educate or pay the debt to Indigenous people. But plenty of money to kill!The U.S. inspired "Canada First Defence Strategy" (CFDS) is basically a capitalist economic plan. No thought has been given to sustainable development. The "Strategy" is an aggressive profit-driven scheme designed to benefit career soldiers and industry.
It was posted online on June 19 2008 with color photos of “Generalissimo" Stephen Harper and Peter “Fancies-himself-to-be-Idi Amin” MacKay. US military sites like “DefenseIndustryDaily” expresses skepticism about Canada's stability and its ability to follow through.
"A Military in Partnership with Canadian Industry". Harper says the military will be "Supported by predictable, long-term funding...” [i.e. tax and resource exploitation] so there will be unprecedented opportunities for international industry. It will be a bigger ”cash cow” than World War II. They are trying to impress their foreign investors and the subsidized corporations who will build war hardware instead of what we really need, housing, schools, hospitals and environmental detoxification programs.Pete lists the 3 roles of the military, “.. at home... in the defence of North America, and to project leadership abroad", which means "attack anyone anywhere if they get in the way”.
Their six core missions are: 1."Conduct daily domestic and continental operations, especially the Arctic? [are we under attack from endangered species like the polar bears and beluga whales?]; 2.Support the 2010 Olympics; 3.Respond to a major terrorist attack; 4.Support civilian authorities in Canada; 5.Lead international operations; and 6.respond to crises".
The “whole-of-government approach” is to meet domestic and international security requirements. This could mean totalitarianism.
Resources will be extracted without interference from the Indigenous owners. Since commodity manufacturing is saturated and the capitalists have created scarcity, plenty of money will be made in war materials and reconstruction by the military and industrial sectors using cheap labor.
CANADA IS BUDGETING $490 BILLION ON DEFENSE FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS. That’s a rise of 2 percent starting in 2011, from approximately $18 billion in 2008 to over $30 billion in 2027.
The Government plans to "Increase the number of military personnel to 70,000 Regular Forces and 30,000 Reserve Forces". Programs like “Bold Eagle” are targeting Native youth, especially in the North to exploit the Indigenous knowledge of the land and destroy Indigenous sovereignty at the same time.
Canada is concerned about controlling sovereignty in the Indigenous owned Arctic. “Changing weather patterns are destroying the environment making sea traffic through the Northwest Passage accessible to shipping, tourism and resource exploration”. They aren't too worried about the extinction of the polar bears or the displacement of the Indigenous people.
Their domestic security is based on “fear” of “foreign encroachments” on “Canada’s” [Indigenous] natural resources."The Forces must assist other government departments in addressing such security concerns as over-fishing, organized crime, drug- and people-smuggling and environmental degradation." This sounds like militarized policing that is targeting ordinary people and particularly Indigenous.The military will be at the 2010 Olympics where Indigenous are opposed to development which is raping and contaminating our land in British Columbia.Trenton near the Mohawk community of Tyendinaga is Canada’s largest air force base where a NATO Forward Operating Base FOB is planned. Globemasters will be able to fly soldiers and equipment to war zones anywhere in the world.
Canada wants credibility with the U.S. Pentagon by working under them. Canada will go to war alongside "like minded" allies with or without UN approval, just like the US went to war on Iraq. Canada and the US have worked together since 1958 when they formed NORAD, not long after the St. Lawrence Seaway blasted away our riverside for the benefit of industries that polluted the environment. Wild animals are now registered as toxic waste. Since then they work together on “Canada Command” and the “US Northern Command”."Contributing to International Peace and Security and “stability abroad" means free, unfettered access to other people's territory and resources.The compliant media tell us that Canadian soldiers are building schools and hospitals in Afghanistan. In fact they are guarding the hundreds of mining developments like Aynak Copper Mine just a few kilometres from Kabul. This mine was bought by the Chinese Metallurgical Corporation MCC for more than $3 billion U.S. Afghanistan has gold, iron, uranium, and copper, hydrocarbons like coal and the rare element, tantalum. Kahensatake has a huge deposit of niobium, often found with tantalum.
Where will the “increased, predictable” "New Long-Term Funding” come from? Presumably, it will be the loot from Afghanistan and elsewhere.”Failed and failing states, civil wars and global terrorism" are being created so the military planners can describe the world as “volatile and unpredictable”."Nuclear-capable adversarial states headed by unpredictable regimes are particularly worrisome" [especially the U.S.] "The pernicious influence of Islamist militants in key regions" is the scapegoat for their military buildup and to give Israelis an excuse to go into Iran."Full range of challenges" sounds like putting down possible Indigenous and grassroots resistance to their insanity. Taxpayers contribute 10% of their income tax to the military. The Canada Pension Plan CPP and Ontario Secondary School Teachers Pension are invested in the military industry through the Carlyle Group, which just bought Bell.
With this money the government is buying four C-17 Globemaster strategic lift aircraft,17 new C-130J Hercules tactical lift aircraft, 16 CH-47F Chinook helicopters, three replenishment ships, 2,300 trucks, up to 100 Leopard 2 tanks and 6–8 Arctic/offshore patrol ships." The US has dozens of the Globemasters to carry all their war people and equipment to the war zone. They can be stuffed with piles of bombs. 12% or $60 billion will buy other big toys like 65 new Fighter planes, search & rescue planes, UAV's, weapons, bombs, communications equipment, radar and satellites.'Advantage Canada', will establish an elite military society based in the northern part of Turtle Island. $250 billion will go to 100,000 personnel by 2028. They want highly skilled needy individuals like the laid off factory workers from the car plants and those coming in from induced famines. They want to fast track immigration too."National Defence is the largest property holder in the federal government which is all on unsurrendered Indigenous territory. 21,000 buildings over 50 years old and crumbling, 13,500 works including 5,500 kilometres of roads, jetties, training areas, etc. and 800 parcels of land covering 2.25 million hectares will be replaced or replenished over the next 10 to 20 years.
housing. $140 billion for "readiness" training. That's $7 billion per year! This does NOT include any costs for a new major war. That requires NEW spending.
The "Strategic Investment Plan" will coordinate all the military spending. Military industries like Boeing, Northrop Grumman and GM are lined up at DRDC for big research and development checks to spruce up Canada’s "global excellence". [See CADSI web site].
The Canadian war makers are bringing corporate giants into the War Department to help them impose their plans. They will get big tax breaks and corporate welfare. Universities can grab funding too to work on military projects. Might is not right! Land and resource ownership is Indigenous and will always be. Canada is turning into a war economy when there’s no war. Are they making one on Indigenous nations to continue stealing our possessions?
Iakoha'ko:waSharbot Lake, Haudenosaunee Territory<kittoh@storm.ca> Your donation to the legal defence fund for Kahentinetha and Katenies would be greatly appreciated. Donate through PayPal at www.mohawknationnews.com, or to: “MNN Mohawk Nation News”, Box 991, Kahnawake [Quebec, Canada] J0L 1B0. Nia:wen/thank you.
Notes and Sources
http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/focus/first/defstra_e.asphttp://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/Canada-Lays-Out-Future-Defense-Plans-04894/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080619.wdefence0619/BNStory/National/homeDRDC (Defence Research and Development Canada) http://www.drdc-rddc.gc.ca/MERCHANTS OF DEATH AT CADSIhttps://www.defenceandsecurity.ca/public/index.asp?action=profilesRECRUITING NATIVE YOUTHhttp://www.army.gc.ca/lfwa/feature_boldEagle2006.htmhttp://www.army.gc.ca/boldeagle/contents.htmttp://www.forces.ca/v3/engraph/resources/subsidizededucation_en.aspx?bhcp=1#36http://www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/4wing/news/releases_e.asp?cat=92&id=6504NEW SEARCH TERMS Policy on Investment Planning, Advantage Canada, Strategic Investment Plan
See Category: “ CANADA “