Judiciary Committee members call for investigation of Arpaio

Judiciary Committee Members Call for Investigation of Sheriff Arpaio's Disregard for Rights of Hispanic Residents


For Immediate Release
February 13, 2009
Contact: Jonathan Godfrey (Conyers)
Pedro Riberio (Lofgren)
Ilan Kayatsky (Nadler)
Larry Dillard (Scott)

WASHINGTON - House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.), and Immigration Subcommittee Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), Constitution Subcommittee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), and Crime Subcommittee Chairman Bobby Scott (D-Va.) called on Attorney General Eric Holder and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to investigate allegations of misconduct by Maricopa County (Arizona) Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Sheriff Arpaio has repeatedly demonstrated disregard for the rights of Hispanics in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Under the guise of immigration enforcement, his staff has conducted raids in residential neighborhoods in a manner condemned by the community as racial profiling. On February 4, 2009, Arpaio invited the media to view the transfer of immigrant detainees to a segregated area of his "tent city" jail, subjecting the detainees to public display and "ritual humiliation." Persistent actions such as these have resulted in numerous lawsuits; while Arpaio spends time and energy on publicity and his reality television show, "Smile... You're Under Arrest!", Maricopa County has paid millions of dollars in settlements involving dead or injured inmates.

"Racial profiling and segregation are simply not acceptable." said Conyers. "Media stunts and braggadocio are no substitute for fair and effective law enforcement."

"The basic premise of our justice system is that people are innocent until proven otherwise," said Rep. Zoe Lofgren. "I'm concerned that in Maricopa County that basic premise appears to have been turned upside down and that Latino members of community are considered "undocumented" until proven otherwise. That's not how our Constitution works and it's time for the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security to take a closer look."

"We cannot tolerate vigilantes using the police power to violate the fundamental rights of anyone they can get their hands on," said Nadler. "Sheriff Arpaio has consistently abused his office in violation of federal law. It is time for the federal government to step in and uphold the rule of law in this country, even in Maricopa County." "Law enforcement is not a game or a reality show, it is a public trust," said Scott. "There is no excuse for callous indifference to the rights of the residents of Arizona, whether in their neighborhoods or as pretrial detainees."

American Indian Studies Ojibwe Language Weekend -- 'Ni'Shin!'

American Indian Studies Ojibwe Language Weekend – “Ni’Shin!”

By Brita Brookes,

Michigan Correspondent and Photographer

Censored News

http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com

Photos by Brita Brookes: Third year linguistics student Autumn Mitchell reads a story in Ojibwe as her Professor Helen Roy looks on with approval. Ribbon Town Singers provided one of the three drums for the Pow Wow and concluded the Pow Wow with the AIM song.

LANSING, Mich. -- On the rare sunny winter day while walking into the Ojibwe Language Weekend Pow Wow in Lansing, Michigan last weekend, one could hear the drums beckoning from the parking lot. Once in the building, one saw smiling faces and heard a loud and happy “Aanii!” In the Ojibwe language “Aanii” is “Hello.” At this event, there was sunshine inside as well as outside.


The Michigan State Department of Linguistics & German, Asian, Slavic, and African Languages, The American Indian Studies Program, and the North American Indigenous Student Organization sponsored and organized the weekend event “Learning and Living the Language” which created an environment where students and community members could be immersed in the Ojibwe language. As language Professor Helen Roy communicated on the event flyer, “it is our duty and our inherent nature as Anishinaabeg to preserve the language of our ancestors.”

The Pow Wow which was held at a local community center meeting room was done completely in the Ojibwe language. Third year Linguistics Student Autumn Mitchell read aloud two stories in Ojibwe while a projection screen on the wall projected artful illustrations of the storyline. Autumn has been a student of Helen Roy’s language teachings since Middle School. Autumn read two stories “When you Give a Mouse a Cookie” and my favorite “When you give a Mouse a Drumstick.” Already with extensive language training for her age, Autumn will be graduating in a year and a half and will be able to utilize her skills in continuing the legacy of promoting the language.

The loss of the Native Language can mainly be explained as a result of the oppressive and abusive nature of the Indian Boarding Schools which began in the 1870’s and continued on into the 1930’s and in some cases beyond. During the era of the Indian Boarding Schools, use of native language was forbidden and Indian students were severely punished if they spoke their language. The United States Government’s stance on the use of these harsh tactics was to create “assimilation through education.” Unfortunately, the majority of these educational facilities were latent with abuse and lack of respect for traditional culture. The wounds from the Indian Boarding Schools in the United States and Canada still remain today and explain why several generations of Native Americans do not speak their traditional language.

The Learning the Language Pow Wow is evidence that the preservation and continuation of the language is being actively worked on in Michigan and being embraced by all generations of the community. Head Veteran and respected elder George Martin lead the room in a Blanket Dance for the three Drum Groups. During the Inter-tribal dances Head Woman Dancer Julie Whitepigeon and the Head Male Dancer lead the group while teenage shawl dancers, parents, elders, little babies, and curious visitors followed into the ever moving circle of colors and beauty. As they danced, Language Professor Helen Roy MC’d the activities in the language as the crowd of onlookers watched and listened carefully to the words. Many audience members tried to read along as the words appeared on the screen.

The Pow Wow was free and open to the public. Like new spring flowers appearing in the snow, there was a large group of dancers who wore new regalia dresses and outfits which were carefully made over this long hard winter. To keep these flowers moving in time, there was presence of three drum groups including ‘Ribbon Town.’. The Pow Wow concluded with a Giveaway and a great rendition of “Splish, Splash I was Taking a Bath” on guitar and of course sung in the language by all, with some help from the experts!

The Michigan State Pow Wow of Love will be occurring the weekend of February 21, 22 in hopes of continuing the momentum from this event. It was nice to see the students and community taking aim and shooting for their dream of reigniting the use of the language. See you next weekend!

For more information on the Michigan State University Linguistics Program and the Event Student Organizations:
http://aisp.msu.edu/index.html
https://www.msu.edu/~naiso/
http://linglang.msu.edu/
For more information on the Michigan State University Pow Wow of Love:
https://www.msu.edu/~naiso/powwow/
Submitted by Brita Brookes
http://www.myspace.com/missbinthed

Congress members to Obama: Halt border fence, NAGPRA violations

Photo: Boeing constructs border fence on Tohono O'odham land in 2007. Boeing dug up the graves of O'odham ancestors to the east and west of this location, south of Sells, Arizona. At least three graves were dup up on Tohono O'odham land west of here, and at least 69 graves were dug up east of here, near Nogales. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff waived NAGPRA and all federal laws to build the wall. Photo Brenda Norrell

Letter to President Obama from eight members of Congress:

The Honorable Barack Obama
President of the United States
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500

February 10,2009


Dear President Obama:


As Members of Congress who represent border communities, we welcome your decision to evaluate border security operations before considering whether to finish construction of the border fence. However, we write to ask that you suspend, at least temporarily, construction of the border fence until your evaluation is complete.

We, along with our constituents, understand the importance of protecting our borders. Though there are places where a fence is the most feasible option, we strongly believe the Bush Administration's approach of constructing a fence along much of the Southwest Border was ill conceived as it was void of any meaningful input from the local communities or the Border Patrol Sector Chiefs who are most familiar with the challenges of securing our border. In an era of advanced technologies, the border fence is an antiquated structure that has torn our communities apart and damaged our cross border relationships.

As you may be aware, the previous administration undertook controversial measures to expedite the construction of border fencing, such as the waiver of more than thirty environmental laws. However, despite continually missing deadlines and, at times, forgoing the proper completion of land acquisition transactions, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has moved forward with much haste. In Cameron County, for example, the DHS issued a commence work order on December 30, 2008, for eight fence segments, none of which had completed the acquisition of the land required.

Furthermore, we would also like to bring to your attention the impact the Bush Administration's approach to the fence had on Indian Country. There are several tribal nations on the US-Mexico Border, during the pushing of the fence these nations were not consulted and in many instances their sovereignty was undermined. Basic protections and rights under the National Historic Preservation Act and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act were violated. One example was the destruction of 69 Tohono O'odham graves south of Tucson in 2007.

Additionally, the costs associated with construction of border fencing have rapidly escalated. In August 2008 the Government Accountability Office testified that fencing costs averaged $7.5 million per mile for pedestrian fencing and $2.8 million per mile for vehicle fencing, up from estimates in February of $4 million and $2 million, respectively. Furthermore, a Corps of Engineers study predicted the 25-year life cycle cost of maintaining border fencing would range from $16.4 million to $70 million.

Once again, we respectfully request that you suspend construction of border fencing until your Administration has had time to properly review its merits as well as consult with those on the ground most familiar with the situation. We look forward to working with you and Secretary Janet Napolitano to find a balanced and cost-effective approach to ensuring our nation's borders are secure.


Sincerely,

Raul Grijalva, Member of Congress
Solomon P. Ortiz, Member of Congress
Silvestre Reyes, Member of Congress
Ruben Hinojosa, Member of Congress
Bob Filner, Member of Congress
Henry Cuellar, Member of Congress
Susan Davis, Member of Congress
Ciro D. Rodriguez, Member of Congress

House Democrats call for halt to border fence
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&tab=wn&ned=us&q=halt+border+fence

Who's That Nuking at My Door?

Navajo vice president tours renewable, nuclear energy facilities in France

By Kathy Helms

Dine Bureau
Gallup Independent
http://www.gallupindependent.com/2009/02February/021209whosthat.html

WINDOW ROCK – Navajo Nation Vice President Ben Shelly is in Paris, France, this week to look at renewable energy and the recycling of nuclear fuel.


Sherrick Roanhorse of the Vice President's Office said Shelly is one of nine tribal leaders invited by the International Institute for Indigenous Resource Management in Denver. “The trip is purely educational. It's to educate tribal leaders about energy policy, energy technology, and it's to make the tribal leaders aware of energy projects.


“The United States currently does not recycle spent fuel rods by the United States' 104 reactors,” Roanhorse said.


According to its Web site, the Institute and Areva – the world leader in nuclear power – organized a series of site visits to Areva energy facilities in France for a tribal delegation from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Osage Nation, and Navajo Nation.


Also in the delegation are representatives of the Council of Energy Resource Tribes and Sinte Gleska University in Mission, S.D. The site visits are intended to further inform tribal leadership on the wide range of energy and sustainable development issues that already are the focus of national and international energy and climate policies and programs, the announcement states.


Areva has manufacturing facilities in 43 countries and a sales network in more than 100. The nuclear giant has a front-end division that deals with uranium ore exploration, mining, concentration, conversion and enrichment, nuclear fuel design and fabrication.


The company also designs and constructs nuclear reactors, while its back-end division specializes in the treatment and recycling of used fuel and cleanup of nuclear facilities. It also has a transmission and distribution division that provides systems and services designed to transport and distribute electricity from the power plant to the final user.


The Arizona Legislature is considering House Bill 2623, to add a renewable energy standard. Under the bill, nuclear energy would be considered renewable energy. The “Renewable Energy Policy” would include tax credits and incentives relating to the production and distribution of solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, nuclear, hydro generation, agricultural waste and landfill gas power.


“Renewables is one answer. It's not the whole answer, but it's one answer to economic development,” Roanhorse said. “What's driving our whole energy policy is just to try to develop what we have, as well as bring more jobs to our people, and we're looking at different avenues.


“But we're not building a nuclear plant. We're not discussing it, we're not thinking about it, and it's not on our agenda because the Navajo Nation Council and the Navajo Nation as a whole oppose uranium mining and milling. It's the law of the land. We follow that.”


When asked whether the Nation was looking at selling uranium to a foreign entity, Roanhorse said, “I can't answer that. There's no talks of uranium mining or anything of that nature. It's too premature to talk about uranium mining or future nuclear facilities.” He said the group is looking at biomass – the burning of wood fuels – and wind energy, and that the vice president did tour a nuclear recycling fuel site.


Due to the projected Navajo Nation budget shortfall of more than $15 million, the executive branch imposed travel restrictions for its staff on Feb. 6, according to George Hardeen, communications director for the Office of the President/Vice President.


Roanhorse said the vice president's round-trip plane ticket on United Airlines from Albuquerque to Paris cost only $646 and was paid for by the Division of Natural Resources, with the Institute footing the bill for all other costs. The initiative was spearheaded by the Division of Natural Resources, he said. “They're looking at all sorts of energy. Our primary interest is renewable energy, but we also wanted to learn more about nuclear recycling.”


Hardeen said the Navajo ban on uranium mining and processing is the law of the land and will remain so until the Navajo people decide otherwise.


“That's not to say that Navajo leaders should close their eyes when invited to learn about the latest technology, but it will be the Navajo people who will change that law, if they change that law. It's not something that the vice president can do or the president can do, or that they would choose to do.”


Resources Committee Chairman George Arthur, who was unaware of the vice president's trip or that it was being paid for out of the division's budget, said, “That's interesting, because I'm getting my education right here on Navajo with people that are party to some of these discussions and I don't have to travel very far to get good information on renewable energy like wind power and solar energy. It's just next door to us.


“As far as nuclear interest is concerned, I'm kind of puzzled that one particular leadership should be having to travel abroad to expand on the industry or to be educated in respect to nuclear development when that in itself has been very devastating to our own Navajo people. I, for one, took the initiative to put forth a legislation that I assume the Navajo Nation leadership upholds and will uphold in respect to the banning of nuclear development, either mining or processing activities.”


Budget and Finance Committee Chairman LoRenzo Bates also said that the Navajo Nation has spoken on the uranium issue “and before any possibility of that being considered, it most definitely has to be brought back to the Nation for consideration. But given the lack of any further revenue outside of the casinos, outside of Desert Rock that has yet to become a reality, a president may end up looking at some sort of involvement with uranium.


“But up until then, that president cannot be beating around the bush. A president has to come out and let the people know that this is what's being considered. This back-room tactics doesn't cut it with the Navajo people. At some point there will be a president that's going to have to deal with the matter.”

Also read: Nuclear trash heap, deadly for 250,000 years
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=nuclear-waste-lethal-trash-or-renewable-energy-source