Indigenous Peoples and Human Rights

April 3, 2023

'The Land You Know Has Been Given to You," film documents Quechan battling gold and lithium mining

'The Land You Know Has Been Given To You' Watch the film below.

Gold is the 'snake's blood; and the creatures in the desert will die because of the greed of corporations, including the Canadian gold company now targeting Quechan's sacred land

Article by Brenda Norrell

Censored News

This land was given to the people and creatures long before the Europeans came here. Now, gold, lithium, and geothermal miners are destroying it. They are not from here, it doesn't matter to them, and it is the public that is letting them do it, said Preston Arrow-Weed, Quechan elder. "They have no right to go and destroy it for the gold," says Arrow-weed in a new film, "The Land You Know has been Given to You," just released.

"The gold is the snake's blood," he said, adding that the big corporations come in, and leave all that destruction behind.

"This land was given to us."

"My knowledge of history comes from songs," Arrow-weed said, sharing the history of the Quechan here.


In the Cargo Muchacho Mountains, northwest of Winterhaven, in southern California, is the Quechan homeland, the Oro Cruz project mineral exploration is on about 20 acres of public lands and consist of up to 65 drill sites within seven drill areas. The overall area for the plan’s boundary is about 626 acres. The project is by the SMP Gold Corp., of British Columbia, Canada, in the existing Oro Cruz Mine Area, where multiple drilling and large-scale open pit operations had previously existed before ceasing operations in 1996 because of declining gold prices, the SMP Gold website stated. -- Calexico Chronicle

Arrow-weed said they are destroying the mountain, simply to get gold to line their pockets. They're digging for gold everywhere they can and creatures are dying. They are mining for lithium and geothermal digging near the San Andres fault.

"It's the public that lets them do it."

"The people with the money are running the government."

Filmmaker Robert Lundahl said, "Honored to participate with Preston J. Arrow-weed and Faron Owl, along with Bradley Angel and Greenaction in the creation of this video, "The Land You Know Has Been Given To You." Ceremony and discussion about lithium and gold mining in California."



Bradley Angel and Robert Lundahl, Producers Directed by Robert Lundahl ©Copyright 2023, Agence RLA, LLC, Greenaction, 14 minutes

No comments: