Pit River Tribe affirms UN Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples

PIT RIVER TRIBE OF CALIFORNIA UNANIMOUSLY AFFIRMS THE UNITED NATIONS DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

By Pit River Nation
Censored News
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com

BURNEY, CA – On March 29th, 2012 The Pit River Tribe unanimously affirmed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Pit River Tribe is now the first tribe within the State ofCalifornia to affirm the declaration and the first since the United States affirmed its support of the declaration. Pit River Tribe is the third tribe in the United States to officially affirm the declaration after Gila River of Arizona in 2008 and Seminole Nation of Oklahoma in 2010. In preparation for Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Mr. James Anaya’s visit to examine the human rights situation of indigenous peoples in the country from 23 April to 4 May 2012.

 As noted in the resolution, The Pit River Tribe affirms its inherent right to self-determination over its tribal lands and traditional ancestral territories according to Docket 347 Adopted July 15, 1959 and the full recognition and effective implementation of the rights affirmed in the Declaration will enhance harmonious and cooperation relations between the Pit River Tribe and the United States Government.

The United Nations adopted the Declaration in 2007, with 144of 192 member nations casting affirmative votes. A handful of nations abstained from the final vote, a handful had absentee delegates, but only four voted against the Declaration: Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States.All four have now reversed their position with the United States affirming its support of the declaration on December 16th, 2010.

Morning Star Gali
Assistant Tribal Historic Preservation Officer
Pit River Tribe
36970 Park Avenue
Office: 530.335.5421 Ext. 222
Fax 530. 335. 3140
Web Site: www.pitrivertribe.org
morningstar@pitrivertribe.org

Navajos and Hopis protest Kyl and McCain water rights theft scheme

From the frontlines of the water wars: Diné and Hopi water rights at risk, protesters gather on Navajo Nation

Thursday, April 5, 2012 at 2:06pm

Photos and reporting from the scene are courtesy of Outta Your Backpack Media, a collective working for indigenous youth media empowerment. www.oybm.org




A group of Diné and Hopi people ( including traditional people and elders) upset by the latest colonial attack on indigenous peoples water rights, gathered to protest the visits of two US Senators to the Navajo Nation today. The people had gathered to say "no deal" to s2109, the bill that would allow for more water to flow into Arizona for the benefit of companies and urban growth.

Protesters chanted "water is life", "free indian water ends now", "let the water flow", "sewage water for McCain and Kyl", other chants were said in Diné.

Protesters are waiting for Navajo president Ben Shelly and US senators McCain and Kyl to exit the meeting in Tuba City, on the Navajo Nation. Earlier protesters marched in the streets of Tuba City, as Navajo Nation president Ben Shelly met with the senators to discuss the further dismantling of Navajo and Hopi water rights. Senators McCain and Kyl are in Tuba City to gain official support from the Tribal governments for their bill, Senate Bill 2109, described in a Native News Network article as:

Senate Bill 2109 45; the "Navajo-Hopi Little Colorado River Water Rights Settlement Act of 2012" was introduced by Kyl and McCain on February 14, 2012, and is on a fast track to give Arizona corporations and water interests a "100 th birthday present" that will close the door forever on Navajo and Hopi food and water sovereignty, security and self-reliance.

S.2109 asks the Navajo and Hopi peoples to waive their priority Water Rights to the surface waters of the Little Colorado River "from time immemorial and thereafter, forever" in return for the shallow promise of uncertain federal appropriations to supply minimal amounts of drinking water to a handful of reservation communities.

The Bill - and the "Settlement Agreement" it ratifies - do not quantify Navajo and Hopi water rights - the foundation of all other southwestern Indian Water Rights settlements to date - thereby denying the Tribes the economic market value of their water rights, and forcing them into perpetual dependence on uncertain federal funding for any water projects.

The fight for Diné and Hopi water rights continues as several indigenous struggles persist across Arizona to protect sacred sites, stop cultural genocide, and prevent further destruction of the earth and its people for corporate profit.



One of the officers pictured shoved down former Hopi president Vernon Masayesva









Diné elder speaking, very powerful

Watch live: Rights of Mother Earth Haskell

Speakers Robert Yazzie, Mona Polacca,
Kandi Mossett and Dan Wildcat

Update: See articles with videos on Censored News homepage:
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com






April 4 -- 6, 2012
Watch live today, the Rights of Mother Earth conference, in Haskell, Kansas.
Listen to the audio at Earthcycles: www.earthcycles.net
Indigenous Environmental Network live blog:
http://www.ienearth.org/

http://new.livestream.com/accounts/422507/events/525815
Thank you!

Rights of Mother Earth, Haskell, Kansas, Schedule:

Wednesday, April 4

9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Welcome: Dr. Daniel Wildcat, Dean of Social Natural Sciences

Introduction: Tom BK Goldtooth, Executive Director, Indigenous Environmental Network

9:30 a.m. - 9:55 a.m.
Wild Law: A Manifesto for Earth Justice - Cormac Cullinan, Environmental Attorney, S. Africa

10:00 a.m. - 10:40 a.m.
What is Wild Law and Rights of Nature: New Constructs of Self Determination - Ben Price, Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund

11:00 a.m. - 11:20 a.m.
Global Voices on Rights of Mother Earth: Marlon Santi, Sarayaku, Ecuador - MKalani Souza, Pacific Islands and Others

11:25 a.m. - 12:05 a.m.
Environmental Law, Federal Indian Law, Cultural Heritage, and Rights of Mother Earth: Dean Suagee, Native Attorney, Washington D.C.

12:05 a.m. - 12:35 p.m.
Foundations for Indigenous Thought Renee Gurneau

12:35 p.m. - 12:45 p.m.
Setting the Framework for Working Groups: Kandi Mossett, IEN Staff

4:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Report Back from Working Groups Facilitators

4:30 p.m. - 5: 30 p.m.
Open Mic: Response from Conference Participants

THURSDAY, APRIL 5

Introduction to the Day and Agenda Review: Tom BK Goldtooth
9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Spiritual Introspective

10:45 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Continuation of Spiritual Dialogue

11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Navajo Nation Policy - The Peace Keepers: Robert Yazzie, attorney and educator, Dine College

1:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Rights of Indigenous Nations, Its Peoples & Lands: Steven Newcomb, author

2:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Perspectives from Alaska, Alannah Hurley
Perspectives from the Tar Sands, Clayton Thomas-Muller, Canadian Indigenous Tar Sands Campaign

4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Open Mic: Reflection Dialogue







FRIDAY, APRIL 6
9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Opening Prayer / Song / Haskell Drum Group
It’s Time For Indigenous Solutions: Dr. Daniel Wildcat

9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Ecuadorian Process Defending Indigenous Territories With Rights of Mother Earth: Patricia Gualinga Montalvo, Spiritual Indigenous Leader, Sarayaku, Ecuador

10:45 a.m. - 11:20 a.m.
The Global Approach, Rio+20, and the United Nations

11:20 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Perspectives From Our Youth & Students

1:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.
What’s Next? Strategic Planning and Development for Rights of Mother Earth, Our Grassroots Organizations and Tribal Leadership

4:00 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.
A Call to Action: Tom BK Goldtooth

4:15 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Reflection and Analysis
Closing Prayer / Song / Drum Group

Lakota hunger strike against tarsands pipeline

Photo by Rocky Kistner

Lakotas launch hunger strike against tarsands pipelines

Rocky Kistner’s Blog
National Resources Defense Council

In the Dakotas, members of the proud Lakota Nation rose in protest this week to join a 48-hour hunger strike in opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline—and all tar sands pipelines—they say will destroy precious water resources and ancestral lands in the U.S and in Canada.
On Sunday, dozens of hunger strikers and supporters marched at a rally against tar sands oil mining operations and pipelines in Eagle Butte, SD, a impoverished community on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation, close to TransCanada’s 1,700 mile proposed Keystone XL pipeline route to refineries in the Gulf.
Lakota tribal members and their children drove to a camp in the rugged hills near the Missouri River to fast in solidarity with a hunger strike at the Bella Bella Community School in British Columbia. Children at the school are protesting a plan to ship millions of barrels of oil through a potentially dangerous “Northern Gateway” pipeline that would pipe corrosive tar sands oil from Alberta to giant super tankers navigating Canada’s treacherous Pacific coast.
Read more: http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/rkistner/in_the_dakotas_members_of.html