By Brenda Norrell
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/
Censored News
SAN FRANCISCO -- Mike Flores, Tohono O’odham, questioned why President Obama has not taken any action to halt the militarization of the border and human rights abuses by US Border Patrol agents, or the construction of the US border wall that is violating all federal laws, including laws designed to protect the environment and Native American remains.
Flores, a former tribal councilman, said the Tohono O’odham Nation government is embedded with Homeland Security, because of federal funding. Because of this, US Border Agents are abusing O’odham on their own land and even getting away with murder.
“Our aboriginal territory is divided by this international border,” said Flores, a member of the American Indian Movement. Speaking at the Anarchist Book Fair in San Francisco on March 14, Flores said of the 25,000 Tohono O’odham, about one-third live in northern Mexico in the state of Sonora.
Since 9/11, O’odham have felt the impacts, because the people have had to deal with an influx of US military. Now, the O’odham homeland is occupied by the military violating human rights. Even in their own backyards, O'odham are abused by the US military. He said most Americans do not have to deal with the soldiers and agents in their own backyards.
In the most recent death of an O’odham by the US Border Patrol, an O’odham was suspiciously killed by a border agent on the highway in February. The family now has an investigation underway.
In most cases, the Tohono O’odham Nation government takes no action when an O’odham is murdered by the US Border Patrol.
“In our case, the tribal government is embedded with Homeland Security because of Homeland Security funds,” Flores said.
Flores said when the US Border Patrol kills one of the tribal members, it is considered collateral damage by the tribal government. "It is really frustrating when you have to go and bury your nephew because of these things that are going on there.”
Encouraging young people to come to the Tohono O’odham Nation and document the human rights abuses, Flores said the Tohono O’odham Nation government is not allowing people to take photos of the community members being violated or the border wall being constructed and violating sovereign Tohono O’odham land.
Further, in violation of federal law, Homeland Security and the border wall contractor Boeing, dug up the Tohono O’odham ancestors for the border wall.
“We’ve had to go back and rebury some of our ancestors that the contractors and Homeland Security dug up along this border.”
O’odham daily life is constantly violated. Before 9/11, O’odham children living in their homeland, within one half a mile of the international border, went to school on the United States side of the border without constant harassment. However, since 9/11, children need security clearances to go to school.
“What kind of policy is that when you have to check a fourth grader’s backpack when he crosses the international border to go to school?” O’odham children have also had to obtain additional forms of identification to attend school.
“This is our ancestral land; before 9/11 we were able to go back and forth freely.”
O'odham ceremonies are also being violated. O’odham ceremonies in Sonora, Mexico are conducted by medicine people who live on the US side of the border and go to Sonora to conduct the ceremonies. Now, the ceremonial people are being told they have to obtain passports and other forms of identification.
“We feel this is a violation of our religious freedom, but these are some of the policies that are being put upon us. It creates tensions among us as tribal members as well.”
As the largest American Indian Nation on the southern border, with 25,000 people, Flores said O'odham must deal with this oppression more than others.
“We’re the ones that are subdued because of the inability of our tribal leaders to see through what is going on.”
Flores said the general media is not reporting the truth.
“I doubt if any of you heard about the killing of one of our tribal members by a member of Homeland Security," he said of the most recent O'odham death by the US Border Patrol in February.
Meanwhile, many people cross the border to look for work. Many of these are Indigenous Peoples who have songs and ceremonies of their own. They are being forced to flee from their homelands and seek refuge somewhere else. They are being denied the right to live in accordance with their traditions, he said.
In the summertime in O’odham territory in the Sonoran Desert, located south of Phoenix, Flores said temperatures can reach 118 degrees. Mayan Indians from Guatemala, coming from the tropics into the desert, struggle to survive.
Referring to Mike Wilson, Tohono O’odham, and others, Flores said some O’odham are providing water stations in the desert to prevent the deaths of those forced to travel on foot in search of work and survival.
Because of this humanitarian action, these O’odham are now being accused of being terrorists and criminals, he said.
Tohono O’odham tribal police and other agents slash the water jugs or remove them at the water stations.
“That is allowing people to die without compassion.
“As Indigenous Peoples we believe it should not be that way.
“We need everyone’s help."
Flores said these policies are violating the communal way of living; the O’odham’s communal way of life has been disrupted by the border wall going up on their land.
Describing his efforts in Chiapas with the Zapatistas in the 1990s, Flores said he went to Chiapas with an O’odham delegation and provided humanitarian aid in the jungles with the EZLN.
“We supported them in any way we could.
“During that time, we could see the oppression of the people.
“We don’t have it as bad as our brothers and sisters in the south.”
Urging youths to mobilize and bring attention to the human rights violations and oppression, Flores said there was optimism when Obama was running for president. However, Flores said he personally took the approach of: “We’ll see what happens.”
“We heard the campaign talk about stopping construction of this border wall.”
However, Flores said there has been no action by Obama to halt the border wall, human rights abuses and desecration. Right now, there are tons and tons of iron, tons and tons of cement arriving for construction of this border wall.
Flores urged those present to e-mail Obama and press him to address this issue.
“People are dying out there that don’t need to be dying.”
Flores described finding a tiny grave in the desert on O’odham land, marked with the beads of a Mayan child.
“We’ve come across graves out there.” Describing this tiny grave, he said he was sure the parents would have wanted their child buried back in their own community, in their own homeland.
“People are dying needlessly,” he said, urging people to mobilize and effect change.
“If these practices continue on, we will be living under 100 percent military occupation.”
Flores, who lives 12 miles north of the international boundary on O’odham land, said there was once O’odham elders who came across to talk with the youths and share with them how to take care of the community and the people. But now, they are told to get documents to cross.
The militarization of the O'odham homeland is accelerating.
“Right now there’s even a proposal to send in more National Guard troops.”
Flores said the troops and border agents have interfered with and disrupted O’odham ceremonies. Each time, during one of the ceremonies, which includes the ceremonial hunting of a deer, the hunters were detained by the National Guard.
This creates a state which is outside the harmony of natural law, he said.
“To be detained for eight hours disrupts the whole ceremony.” Each time, there has to be a purification to sanctify the ceremony and begin again. This is not in the order of natural law, he said.
Stressing that the O’odham people have survived since time immemorial with their own language and dialect in tact, he said, “We can do these things if we put our minds to it.”
Urging action because of the shortness of time and global crisis, Flores asked those present to contact the Tohono O’odham Nation and Chairman Ned Norris, Jr., and ask the elected leaders what they are doing. He said people should put pressure on the Tohono O’odham Nation government so there will not be more deaths of people coming across the border, or more deaths of the O’odham people.
Flores said it is important to know the truth, as opposed as to what is being shown on CNN.
Flores, coordinator of the Indigenous Peoples Border Summits of the Americas in 2006 and 2007 on Tohono O’odham land at San Xavier, Ariz., said the summits were successful in bringing Indigenous Peoples together from Canada, Mexico and the United States to share problems and support one another. He is now working with members of the Cocopah Nation, who live near the California border, who are also experiencing similar problems.
In closing, Flores offered words of respect to the Ohlone People, the traditional Indian people of what is now called San Francisco.
“Without them, no one would be here.”
Flores was introduced by Mark Anquoe, Kiowa, of the American Indian Movement, who spoke on systems of governance in Native societies.
Listen to this talk by Mike Flores and Mark Anquoe at:
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/
Related articles:
Tohono O'odham Women on the Border: Angie Ramon's 18-year-old son was run over and killed by the US Border Patrol; Ofelia Rivas describes the abuse by Border Patrol and border wall contractors.
http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2008/12/tohono-oodham-women-on-border.html
In Cold Blood, Border Patrol agent murders migrant youth:
http://narcosphere.narconews.com/notebook/brenda-norrell/2008/10/cold-blood-us-border-patrol-agent-trial-murder
March 16, 2009
Mohawk Nation News: 'Dirty Old Lady Predators'
DOLPs – “DIRTY OLD LADY PREDATORS” – OR GERIATRIC “VULTURINES”
By Mohawk Nation News
http://www.mohawknationnews.com
March 13, 2009. Just when we thought men were the main pillagers of our people! This is about specific DOLPs, who are dirty old experienced predators. DOLPs are plain, lonely, usually barren, compulsive liars, elderly white women. They have no close family ties. They know how to sit still and wait for a long time to jump their victim. There is usually not much background history on them. They haven’t worked much, feign illnesses and are not generous though it is sometimes revealed they have lots of money. These Grimm Brothers’ depictions of these women as old, ugly, have warts, big noses and green skin come up in fairy tales to warn children. These women see Indigenous People as vulnerable and less able to protect ourselves from them or their hooks and lures.
An 18 year old Indigenous girl we’ll call “Wanda” got a scholarship to study in Paris France. On the trip over on a freighter, she was befriended by an older Dutch woman we’ll call Mrs. Mendacity, who had become a Canadian citizen. She invited the young girl to visit her in Holland during her stay. She was well treated by the family. Afterwards this older woman wrote to Wanda once in a while.
Years later, Wanda was a single mother with three young children who had to take a job in Ottawa. She moved there and found out that Mrs. Mendacity lived there too. Mrs. Mendacity never had children, lived alone and had developed a digestive ailment that she constantly complained off but lived to 93 years of age. She re-befriended Wanda and the kids with gifts, invitations to dinner and so on. Then one day Mrs. Mendacity asked Wanda to help her get around the welfare system. She did not want to declare all her money so as not to lose her subsidized housing. She offered to give Wanda a few thousand dollars to be paid back every month. She got Mrs. Mendacity to sign an agreement and then gave her monthly checks for more than the amount. After two years it was all paid back.
Years later Wanda got a big surprise. Mrs. Mendacity charged her with theft and conning money out of her. She sued for $25,000, about five times the amount. Wanda fortunately had the agreement and all the cancelled checks, which she sent to Mrs. Mendacity’s lawyer. The case was dropped.
This episode troubled Wanda. These women hustlers usually have a secret history. She decided to visit Mary, a neighbor who knew Mrs. Mendacity. Mary’s husband, a World War II vet, suggested that Mrs. Mendacity was one of those who probably had to leave Holland after the war for collaborating with the Germans. To escape punishment, she married a Canadian soldier and came to Canada. Shortly after, she divorced him. Though she never worked, she lived well.
Wanda eventually went back to her native community with her kids. She was very knowledgeable about her culture and had gotten a master’s degree in her field.
About ten years ago a non-native woman, we’ll call Mrs. Doubtfire, searched out Wanda and befriended her. Mrs. Doubtfire was in her fifties and originally from Ottawa. She rarely worked and had valuable properties. She was studying and writing on the areas of knowledge that Wanda knew well. Mrs. Doubtfire visited the native community constantly and made friends with Wanda and her family.
Mrs. Doubtfire was testing the waters. One day she arrived with a young Indigenous boy she wanted to raise. She got his family to sign him over to her and put Wanda’s name on the informal agreement without her knowledge or consent. The boy lived with the non-native woman but Wanda became responsible for him.
For six years almost every morning at 4:00 am Mrs. Doubtfire called Wanda to discuss her views on some aspects of her dissertation.
As the Indigenous youth got older, he started to show signs of being troubled. He ran away and failed school for four years in a row. Wanda became concerned and tried to find out what was going on. In her sixties, Mrs. Doubtfire finished her study and started to distance herself from the Indigenous family.
Then Mrs. Doubtfire announced she was suffering from a progressively degenerative disease. Wanda saw she had trouble walking, was exhausted, aching, anxious, acting unstable and always badly constipated. Mrs. Doubtfire whined she had to “get away” and that she had no money. She applied to teach at a mostly native university far away.
Wanda was now almost 70 years old and a respected elder of the community. The boy was insecure and needed stability. After much consideration by the native family, she suggested that the youth should be reunited with his birth family and native community. Surprisingly, Mrs. Doubtfire became enraged.
Mrs. Doubtfire showed up at Wanda’s house without notice. The green mask came off. She did not appreciate “Indians” interfering and that the boy was best in a non-native home. Mrs. Doubtfire punched Wanda. The police were called in.
It confirmed to Wanda that some of these absconders of our children will do anything to cover up the strange relationships they’ve developed with their young charges. Because of the stunted emotional development of both dirty old men and dirty old women, they feel safer with young people they can isolate, threaten and control.
None of the eight social service and police agencies that were contacted were able to help this young boy. Was it because he is indigenous and she is non-native? Authorities hesitate to investigate mistreatment or deaths of thousands of our young people. At this moment, parents of young indigenous boys and girls of British Columbia who have disappeared are demanding answers. Authorities have shut the doors in their faces.
Wanda realized she had been targeted several times in her life by members of the “Dirty Old Lady Predators” DOLPs. They start out being really nice. Then they start getting the Indigenous to do things for them. Then they get close to them and even become the “grandmothers” or “aunties” of the children of their target.
We Indigenous think everybody is nice like us. When the disguise comes off, we can see the evil behind the niceness. Then they disappear and start all over again somewhere else, oftentimes changing their names. They repeat the same m.o. until people start becoming suspicious, compare notes and find differences in their stories. Then they disappear again.
Intellectually DOLPs are smart but have a childlike emotional development. They know how to take advantage of people through years of practice. They are adept at making themselves look like victims with weaknesses or diseases to get pity and to divert us. They thrive on and get high on conning people. When pushed they can become violent and start freaking out. When they become desperate, who knows what they’ll do. How many kids have they taken? How many are now trying to find their way home? These dirty old women predators don’t stop. Even in their wheel chairs they’ll be swinging their canes looking for new victims.
MNN Staff Mohawk Nation News www.mohawknationnews.com
katenies20@yahoo.com kahentinetha2@yahoo.com Note: Your financial help is needed and appreciated. Please send your donations to PayPal at www.mohawknationnews.com, or by check or money order to “MNN Mohawk Nation News”, Box 991, Kahnawake [Quebec, Canada] J0L 1B0. Nia:wen thank you very much. Go to MNN “Colonialism” category for more stories; New MNN Books Available now! Purchase t-shirts, mugs and more at our CafePressStore http://www.cafepress.com/mohawknews; Subscribe to MNN for breaking news updates http://.mohawknationnews.com/news/subscription.php; Sign Women Title Holders petition! http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Iroquois
By Mohawk Nation News
http://www.mohawknationnews.com
March 13, 2009. Just when we thought men were the main pillagers of our people! This is about specific DOLPs, who are dirty old experienced predators. DOLPs are plain, lonely, usually barren, compulsive liars, elderly white women. They have no close family ties. They know how to sit still and wait for a long time to jump their victim. There is usually not much background history on them. They haven’t worked much, feign illnesses and are not generous though it is sometimes revealed they have lots of money. These Grimm Brothers’ depictions of these women as old, ugly, have warts, big noses and green skin come up in fairy tales to warn children. These women see Indigenous People as vulnerable and less able to protect ourselves from them or their hooks and lures.
An 18 year old Indigenous girl we’ll call “Wanda” got a scholarship to study in Paris France. On the trip over on a freighter, she was befriended by an older Dutch woman we’ll call Mrs. Mendacity, who had become a Canadian citizen. She invited the young girl to visit her in Holland during her stay. She was well treated by the family. Afterwards this older woman wrote to Wanda once in a while.
Years later, Wanda was a single mother with three young children who had to take a job in Ottawa. She moved there and found out that Mrs. Mendacity lived there too. Mrs. Mendacity never had children, lived alone and had developed a digestive ailment that she constantly complained off but lived to 93 years of age. She re-befriended Wanda and the kids with gifts, invitations to dinner and so on. Then one day Mrs. Mendacity asked Wanda to help her get around the welfare system. She did not want to declare all her money so as not to lose her subsidized housing. She offered to give Wanda a few thousand dollars to be paid back every month. She got Mrs. Mendacity to sign an agreement and then gave her monthly checks for more than the amount. After two years it was all paid back.
Years later Wanda got a big surprise. Mrs. Mendacity charged her with theft and conning money out of her. She sued for $25,000, about five times the amount. Wanda fortunately had the agreement and all the cancelled checks, which she sent to Mrs. Mendacity’s lawyer. The case was dropped.
This episode troubled Wanda. These women hustlers usually have a secret history. She decided to visit Mary, a neighbor who knew Mrs. Mendacity. Mary’s husband, a World War II vet, suggested that Mrs. Mendacity was one of those who probably had to leave Holland after the war for collaborating with the Germans. To escape punishment, she married a Canadian soldier and came to Canada. Shortly after, she divorced him. Though she never worked, she lived well.
Wanda eventually went back to her native community with her kids. She was very knowledgeable about her culture and had gotten a master’s degree in her field.
About ten years ago a non-native woman, we’ll call Mrs. Doubtfire, searched out Wanda and befriended her. Mrs. Doubtfire was in her fifties and originally from Ottawa. She rarely worked and had valuable properties. She was studying and writing on the areas of knowledge that Wanda knew well. Mrs. Doubtfire visited the native community constantly and made friends with Wanda and her family.
Mrs. Doubtfire was testing the waters. One day she arrived with a young Indigenous boy she wanted to raise. She got his family to sign him over to her and put Wanda’s name on the informal agreement without her knowledge or consent. The boy lived with the non-native woman but Wanda became responsible for him.
For six years almost every morning at 4:00 am Mrs. Doubtfire called Wanda to discuss her views on some aspects of her dissertation.
As the Indigenous youth got older, he started to show signs of being troubled. He ran away and failed school for four years in a row. Wanda became concerned and tried to find out what was going on. In her sixties, Mrs. Doubtfire finished her study and started to distance herself from the Indigenous family.
Then Mrs. Doubtfire announced she was suffering from a progressively degenerative disease. Wanda saw she had trouble walking, was exhausted, aching, anxious, acting unstable and always badly constipated. Mrs. Doubtfire whined she had to “get away” and that she had no money. She applied to teach at a mostly native university far away.
Wanda was now almost 70 years old and a respected elder of the community. The boy was insecure and needed stability. After much consideration by the native family, she suggested that the youth should be reunited with his birth family and native community. Surprisingly, Mrs. Doubtfire became enraged.
Mrs. Doubtfire showed up at Wanda’s house without notice. The green mask came off. She did not appreciate “Indians” interfering and that the boy was best in a non-native home. Mrs. Doubtfire punched Wanda. The police were called in.
It confirmed to Wanda that some of these absconders of our children will do anything to cover up the strange relationships they’ve developed with their young charges. Because of the stunted emotional development of both dirty old men and dirty old women, they feel safer with young people they can isolate, threaten and control.
None of the eight social service and police agencies that were contacted were able to help this young boy. Was it because he is indigenous and she is non-native? Authorities hesitate to investigate mistreatment or deaths of thousands of our young people. At this moment, parents of young indigenous boys and girls of British Columbia who have disappeared are demanding answers. Authorities have shut the doors in their faces.
Wanda realized she had been targeted several times in her life by members of the “Dirty Old Lady Predators” DOLPs. They start out being really nice. Then they start getting the Indigenous to do things for them. Then they get close to them and even become the “grandmothers” or “aunties” of the children of their target.
We Indigenous think everybody is nice like us. When the disguise comes off, we can see the evil behind the niceness. Then they disappear and start all over again somewhere else, oftentimes changing their names. They repeat the same m.o. until people start becoming suspicious, compare notes and find differences in their stories. Then they disappear again.
Intellectually DOLPs are smart but have a childlike emotional development. They know how to take advantage of people through years of practice. They are adept at making themselves look like victims with weaknesses or diseases to get pity and to divert us. They thrive on and get high on conning people. When pushed they can become violent and start freaking out. When they become desperate, who knows what they’ll do. How many kids have they taken? How many are now trying to find their way home? These dirty old women predators don’t stop. Even in their wheel chairs they’ll be swinging their canes looking for new victims.
MNN Staff Mohawk Nation News www.mohawknationnews.com
katenies20@yahoo.com kahentinetha2@yahoo.com Note: Your financial help is needed and appreciated. Please send your donations to PayPal at www.mohawknationnews.com, or by check or money order to “MNN Mohawk Nation News”, Box 991, Kahnawake [Quebec, Canada] J0L 1B0. Nia:wen thank you very much. Go to MNN “Colonialism” category for more stories; New MNN Books Available now! Purchase t-shirts, mugs and more at our CafePressStore http://www.cafepress.com/mohawknews; Subscribe to MNN for breaking news updates http://.mohawknationnews.com/news/subscription.php; Sign Women Title Holders petition! http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Iroquois
Uranium mining in Lakota Territory: Hearing over foreign ownership
Uranium Mine Foreign Ownership Hearing: Judges Say Issue Potentially Fatal to Cameco, Inc.
By Debra White Plume
The Atomic Licensing Board Judges Panel have scheduled a hearing for March 24, 2009
at 10 am at the Federal Courthouse in Rapid City, SD. The Foreign Owenership issue is raised by petitioners challenging the Cameco, Inc. license renewal and expansion for the Crow Butte Uranium Mine and its North Trend expansion plan near Crawford, Nebraska. The petitioners include the Oglala Sioux Tribe, The Black Hills Sioux Nation Treaty Council Oglala Band,
Owe Aku, the Western Nebraska Resource Council, American Horse Tiospaye, and several individuals from the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota and the Nebraska panhandle.
On the issue of foreign ownership of the mine and the concealment of that fact, the Judges Panel ruled, "its resolution in this proceeding is potentially fatal to Crow Butte's proposed renewal if its license. The Board is of the opinion that it is in the best interest in the management of htis proceeding that this issue be segragated from the other contentions and breifed on the merits up front."
The Atomic Energy Act and other laws prohibit the Nuclear Regulatory Commission from granting an In Situ Leach uranium mining license to a foreign company.
If the March 24 hearing decision rules against the company on the foreign ownership issue, Cameco, Inc. will either lose their license and start 20 years of full time water restoration, or they will have to sell the mine to a U.S. company.
Cameco, Inc. also owns and operates two ISL uranium mines in Wyoming, the Highland and the Smith, both near Douglas, WY which produces 2 million pounds of "yellow cake" each year. Cameco recently paid the state of Wyoming $1.4 million in fines for license violations, and was fined $100,000 by the state of Nebraska for license violations at their Crow Butte ISL mine near Crawford. The Crow Butte ISL mine annually produces 800,000 to 1 million pounds of yellow cake.
"We have been notified that the Powertech, Inc. uranium exploration company will send representatives to the hearing", said petitioner Debra White Plume, "as Powertech is also a foreign owned corporation based in Canada who has applied to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission for an ISL mining license in the Edgemont area. The EPA is sending officials to the hearing as well, because Powertech has to apply to the EPA for its Underground Injection Control permit (for permanent storage of waste water) and for its aquifer exemption of the aquifers in the Black Hills. We have also been told that Uranium One, who is planning to ISL mine for uranium in Wyoming will have company officials at the hearing. This issue can have an effect on all these uranium mining corporations as they are all foreign owned corporations based in Canada."
The March 24 hearing is open to the public.
Photo provided by the Lakota Media Project. Contact number: 605-455-2155.
Debra White Plume
Owe Aku, Bring Back the Way
lakota1@gwtc.net
www.bringbacktheway.com
By Debra White Plume
The Atomic Licensing Board Judges Panel have scheduled a hearing for March 24, 2009
at 10 am at the Federal Courthouse in Rapid City, SD. The Foreign Owenership issue is raised by petitioners challenging the Cameco, Inc. license renewal and expansion for the Crow Butte Uranium Mine and its North Trend expansion plan near Crawford, Nebraska. The petitioners include the Oglala Sioux Tribe, The Black Hills Sioux Nation Treaty Council Oglala Band,
Owe Aku, the Western Nebraska Resource Council, American Horse Tiospaye, and several individuals from the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota and the Nebraska panhandle.
On the issue of foreign ownership of the mine and the concealment of that fact, the Judges Panel ruled, "its resolution in this proceeding is potentially fatal to Crow Butte's proposed renewal if its license. The Board is of the opinion that it is in the best interest in the management of htis proceeding that this issue be segragated from the other contentions and breifed on the merits up front."
The Atomic Energy Act and other laws prohibit the Nuclear Regulatory Commission from granting an In Situ Leach uranium mining license to a foreign company.
If the March 24 hearing decision rules against the company on the foreign ownership issue, Cameco, Inc. will either lose their license and start 20 years of full time water restoration, or they will have to sell the mine to a U.S. company.
Cameco, Inc. also owns and operates two ISL uranium mines in Wyoming, the Highland and the Smith, both near Douglas, WY which produces 2 million pounds of "yellow cake" each year. Cameco recently paid the state of Wyoming $1.4 million in fines for license violations, and was fined $100,000 by the state of Nebraska for license violations at their Crow Butte ISL mine near Crawford. The Crow Butte ISL mine annually produces 800,000 to 1 million pounds of yellow cake.
"We have been notified that the Powertech, Inc. uranium exploration company will send representatives to the hearing", said petitioner Debra White Plume, "as Powertech is also a foreign owned corporation based in Canada who has applied to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission for an ISL mining license in the Edgemont area. The EPA is sending officials to the hearing as well, because Powertech has to apply to the EPA for its Underground Injection Control permit (for permanent storage of waste water) and for its aquifer exemption of the aquifers in the Black Hills. We have also been told that Uranium One, who is planning to ISL mine for uranium in Wyoming will have company officials at the hearing. This issue can have an effect on all these uranium mining corporations as they are all foreign owned corporations based in Canada."
The March 24 hearing is open to the public.
Photo provided by the Lakota Media Project. Contact number: 605-455-2155.
Debra White Plume
Owe Aku, Bring Back the Way
lakota1@gwtc.net
www.bringbacktheway.com
Carpinteria School Board to vote on racist mascot
In Carpinteria, where a 15-year-old Chumash received death threats after taking action for removal of a racist mascot, the school board votes to reinstate the mascot on Tuesday
Contact: Mark Anquoe, American Indian Movement - West, gazelbe@yahoo.com
http://www.aimwest.info
Corine Fairbanks, American Indian Movement – Santa Barbara, corine68@yahoo.com http://www.myspace.com/aimsantabarbara
By Mark Anquoe and Corine Fairbanks
CARPINTERIA, California (March 16, 2009) – On Tuesday, March 17, the school board of Carpinteria, California will meet to vote whether or not to rescind their own 2008 decision to remove all imagery that stereotypes Native American peoples from Carpinteria High School. Tuesday’s vote is the climax of a conflict that began almost a year ago when 15-year-old Chumash youth Eli Cordero petitioned the Carpinteria district school board to change the school mascot which he and the local Native community find offensive and racist.
Since the April 2008 decision, many citizens of Carpinteria have waged a campaign of intimidation against those who supported the school board’s decision, as well as the school board itself. Over the past year, the Native American community in Carpinteria has endured multiple death threats, violent harassment and the public targeting of children. The conflict in Carpinteria has attracted the attention of national media as well as the Federal Department of Justice.
A May 2008 school board meeting in Carpinteria was moved from the 40-seat city hall to the high school gymnasium, ostensibly to allow for “greater public participation”. However, the move created what the Native American community viewed to be a contrived situation designed for maximum intimidation. Board meeting participants from Carpinteria’s small Native American minority were shouted down during their attempts to speak by the overwhelming non-Native crowd. Native people also endured racial slurs and taunting and were spit upon as they entered and exited the building. This Tuesday’s school board meeting has been again moved to the high school gymnasium and local Native people fear a repeat of the threatening tactics and humiliation they endured at the May 2008 meeting.
Coalition Against Racism in Education (C.A.R.E.) will hold a prayer ceremony and rally at Carpinteria High School at 4pm on Tuesday, March 17th, shortly before the school board meeting. C.A.R.E. demands that the previous decision be upheld in accordance with official positions on Native American mascots published by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, the National Education Association, the American Psychological Association and the National Collegiate Athletic Association, among others.
Contact: Mark Anquoe, American Indian Movement - West, gazelbe@yahoo.com
http://www.aimwest.info
Corine Fairbanks, American Indian Movement – Santa Barbara, corine68@yahoo.com http://www.myspace.com/aimsantabarbara
By Mark Anquoe and Corine Fairbanks
CARPINTERIA, California (March 16, 2009) – On Tuesday, March 17, the school board of Carpinteria, California will meet to vote whether or not to rescind their own 2008 decision to remove all imagery that stereotypes Native American peoples from Carpinteria High School. Tuesday’s vote is the climax of a conflict that began almost a year ago when 15-year-old Chumash youth Eli Cordero petitioned the Carpinteria district school board to change the school mascot which he and the local Native community find offensive and racist.
Since the April 2008 decision, many citizens of Carpinteria have waged a campaign of intimidation against those who supported the school board’s decision, as well as the school board itself. Over the past year, the Native American community in Carpinteria has endured multiple death threats, violent harassment and the public targeting of children. The conflict in Carpinteria has attracted the attention of national media as well as the Federal Department of Justice.
A May 2008 school board meeting in Carpinteria was moved from the 40-seat city hall to the high school gymnasium, ostensibly to allow for “greater public participation”. However, the move created what the Native American community viewed to be a contrived situation designed for maximum intimidation. Board meeting participants from Carpinteria’s small Native American minority were shouted down during their attempts to speak by the overwhelming non-Native crowd. Native people also endured racial slurs and taunting and were spit upon as they entered and exited the building. This Tuesday’s school board meeting has been again moved to the high school gymnasium and local Native people fear a repeat of the threatening tactics and humiliation they endured at the May 2008 meeting.
Coalition Against Racism in Education (C.A.R.E.) will hold a prayer ceremony and rally at Carpinteria High School at 4pm on Tuesday, March 17th, shortly before the school board meeting. C.A.R.E. demands that the previous decision be upheld in accordance with official positions on Native American mascots published by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, the National Education Association, the American Psychological Association and the National Collegiate Athletic Association, among others.
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