Tuscarora Youth Says North Carolina Violated His Hunting Rights, Charged Him

Tuscarora Youth Says North Carolina Violated his Hunting Rights, Charged Him With Two Violations

By Brenda Norrell

Censored News

Marcus Bullard, 18, Wolf Clan and an enrolled member of the Tuscarora Nation of the North Carolina Territory, is an active citizen of the Prospect Long House. Marcus was exercising his rights as an Indigenous grassroots member of the Tuscarora Nation, when he was charged for hunting without a license on October 4, 2017.

"I was charged with two charges of doing water fowl hunting with no license and hunting on trespassing land -- but it is Indian land," Marcus told Censored News.

"As an Indigenous Native we are entitled to hunt and fish without having to have a license to do so."

"This is another example of how the State of North Carolina genocides against the Tuscaroras by not respecting our Indigenous rights."

"As Indigenous people the State has no jurisdiction over our rights. Tuscarora are a State amongst themselves for we are sovereign. This is a matter for a Federal court to decide since we are of a Sovereign Nation."

"The wildlife officer was white and asked me if I have a hunting licence. I said, "No I am Native American. I am Tuscarora of North Carolina."

"I told him I don't have to buy a fishing and hunting license. He said he never heard of it. So I showed him my tribal card. He said it was only good on Indian land. He wrote me a ticket and told me since I showed him full respect, and did not lie about anything, he said if I went and purchased a hunting license, and went and got permission to hunt the land, that he would make sure it was thrown out of court."

"This has happen to many people in my tribe, but I am the youngest. This has happen to me and many others are taking it as harassment," Marcus said.
Marcus' court day will be Nov. 28, 2017 at Robeson County Courthouse, 500 North Elm St, Rm 101, Lumberton, NC 28359.

A support statement for Marcus states, "We feel that Marcus’s rights as a Free Sovereign Individual has been violated.  If you would like to stand with Marcus or would like to contribute towards his legal defense it would be deeply appreciated.  He needs all the prayers and support by people as much as possible."

"Marcus Bullard is exercising his inherent sovereign right to hunt and fish on Indian lands. The Tuscarora Nation holds firmly that this issue is not under the jurisdiction of the local court system, rather the federal court system."

The United States Constitution mentions Native American Tribes three times: 

Article 1, Section 2, clause 3

Article 1, Section 8 

The Fourteenth Amendment, Section 2 

As sovereign nations the federal government has a “duty to protect” the tribes, suggesting the essential legislative and executive authorities to effect that duty. 

The Marshall Trilogy, 1823-1832

Menominee Tribe v. United States, 391 U.S. 404 (1968) 

Please extend your support to Marcus as he stands for his rights.

Marcus Bullard on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/marcus.bullard.9849

Enbridge Line 3 Pipeline Lock Down Wisconsin

Photo by Rob Wilson

Photo by Rob Wilson

Photo by Rob Wilson

Makwa Initiative - Line 3 Frontline Resistance
Today, Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2017

Water Protectors Lock Together Inside Pipeline, Shut Down Last Stretch of Wisconsin Line 3 Construction

Early this morning, a group of water protectors from the Makwa Initiative halted the last piece of construction for the Wisconsin section of Enbridge’s proposed Line 3 replacement project.

Two water protectors locked together inside a segment of steel pipe in defense of Mother Earth. Sleeping pads and blankets protected their skin from exposure in the below freezing temperatures.

Upon arrival, police officers tackled a young female water protector without providing notice or reason for arrest. A male police officer physically searched the woman while a female police officer looked on, ignoring her cries for a female patdown.

The water protector was later released when police dropped all charges. After several hours, the two locked water protectors left the pipe and also stopped active construction further into the worksite and are still being detained.

The project is estimated to carry almost one million barrels of tar sands oil from Alberta, Canada to Superior, Wisconsin; Enbridge has received approval in Wisconsin, but has not received approval in Minnesota, which would be the largest segment of the proposed project.

The non-violent direct action came after a week of evidentiary hearings in Minnesota, where Enbridge revealed that it had already paid for 100% of the pipe for the project, and has built several pipe storage yards across the state.

A water protector stated, “We have attended public hearings, marches, and rallies. At this point we feel like the only way we can make are voices heard is by locking our bodies to the equipment.

The state has recorded our comments, catalogued them, and say they factor them into their decision on whether or not to permit the project. We want them to stop expanding tar sands infrastructure. We need to be thinking about our children’s futures.”

Photos by Rob Wilson Photography

'Join O'odham, Oppose Spy Towers on O'odham Land' by Ophelia Rivas

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Israel's Elbit Systems Integrated Fixed Towers was granted the U.S. border contract

Contact Ophelia Rivas

4oodhamrights@gmail.com

Ophelia Rivas is founder of O'odham Voice against the Wall

http://www.solidarity-project.org/

Flagstaff City Council Passes Resolution Opposing Uranium Mining and Transport

Photo by Rick Johnson, Haul No!

City of Flagstaff Passes Resolution Opposing Uranium Mining and Transport Commits to State, Federal, and Municipal Legislative Action

Article by Klee Benally

Photos by Caleb Eckert
stopcanyonmine@gmail.com
www.haulno.org

Tuesday, November 7, 2017
FLAGSTAFF, Arizona — The Flagstaff City Council has passed a resolution opposing uranium mining and transport from the Canyon Mine, located just six miles from the Grand Canyon’s South Rim.
The vote was 6 in favor and one, councilmember Scott Overton, opposed.

Leilani Clark, a volunteer with Haul No! stated to the council, “Pass the resolution, pass an ordinance, do everything you can, because we the people, by any means necessary, will do whatever it takes to prevent trucks carrying poison to pass through our communities.”
After the vote, Clark stated, “Tonight’s action by Flagstaff City Council is one of many steps to address the historical trauma and suffering Indigenous Peoples have faced at the hands of the nuclear industry. We will do everything we can to ensure that our communities, sacred places, precious water, and the Grand Canyon are safe from toxic uranium mining.”

More than 100 people packed the council chambers with overwhelming support for action to go beyond a symbolic resolution. Those in attendance expressed concerns with the possibility of up to 12 trucks a day carrying 30 tons each of high grade radioactive uranium ore from the Canyon Mine. The uranium ore would be hauled a total of 300 miles, through Flagstaff and reservation communities, to EFI’s controversial “White Mesa Mill” near Blanding, Utah, which is located on ancestral Ute Mountain Ute lands.

Regional Indigenous community members, including six representatives of the Havasupai Tribal Council along with representation from the Diné (Navajo), Hopi, Apache and Pueblo nations, were present to witness the passing of this historic resolution. State-wide solidarity was felt throughout the evening as Arizona residents from as far away as Phoenix and Tucson came to show their support for the Council to pass the resolution, and to push for a future ordinance.      

Ophelia Watahomigie-Corliss, Havasupai Tribal council member spoke on behalf of the entire Tribal council in support of the resolution and an ordinance, “For longer than 40 years the Havasupai Tribe has consistently used whatever means we have to oppose uranium mining on the Colorado Plateau. We see the mining of uranium and heavy metal in our areas as a threat to our water, our land, our sacred sites, and our very survival as a people.”
Watahomigie-Corliss stated that she was aware of concerns from the Flagstaff council regarding possible conflicts with Federal jurisdiction if an ordinance was passed, “there is also power in trying to create precedence for the people for positive movement that will last lifetimes after your term.” Watahomigie-Corliss also address concerns with the Trump administration's recent announcement that they are considering lifting a 2012 moratorium on new uranium mines around the Grand Canyon. “This makes our cooperation all the more urgent. We all call this land home and need to join together in the effort to protect our citizens and environment from the adverse affects of mining uranium.”

Canyon Mine is located near Red Butte, a sacred mountain and Traditional Cultural Property for the Havasupai Nation. The Havasupai Nation has legally challenged the US Forest Service due to failure of completing meaningful consultation regarding Canyon Mine in their 1986 Environmental Impact Statement. A decision from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals could come any day.

Milton Tso, President of Cameron Chapter on the Diné Nation brought the threat of uranium mining into perspective as his community has more than 100 abandoned uranium mines. While he spoke before the Flagstaff council, his son held photos of signs warning of the dangers of radioactive exposure, “This is our reality in Cameron. These signs exist near homes, next to kids. If this goes through Flagstaff, it will go through my town. We are not just against uranium mining, but any type of mining that destroys our water and for many, we take uranium personally. I have a grandfather who is dying slowly, he was a mine worker and they were not educated on the dangers of uranium. So this personally affects me, as well as my little sister here who’s going to have a baby. They live right below this sign. The danger is not the question of if an accident is going to happen, but when. In my town we are ill prepared for something like that. We’re not trained to clean up big spills. We’re still dealing with open pits around my town. I’ve lost a lot of relatives to cancer, a lot of my people around Cameron have got cancer from the mines. It’s there and we’re being ignored. Please take a stand and fight that.” stated Tso.

Wenona Benally, a member of Arizona House of Representatives, Dist. 7, attended the meeting and committed to support the Flagstaff Council's push to address uranium mining and transport on the state and federal level.
Benally, stated, “Tonight, State Senator Jamescita Peshlakai, State Representative Eric Descheenie and I issued a written statement to the Flagstaff City Council, supporting the adoption of Resolution No. 2017-38, opposing the transportation of uranium ore through the City of Flagstaff and Indigenous lands. Our district is notoriously known for its toxic legacy of uranium mining. We thank the City of Flagstaff for adopting this resolution and agreeing to join us in the fight to stop the cycle of poisoning that has taken the lives of our people and destroyed our communities.”

Right before the resolution went to vote, Flagstaff Mayor Coral Evans shared, “I want to talk about the constitutionality and legality part of it. In his ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail,’ Dr. King writes about something he calls just and unjust laws. I would say that in this country, historically we have seen several laws over the course of time be changed or overturned because we, the people, have determined that they were unjust.”
Mayor Evans challenged all council members to pass the resolution with a 7-0 vote.
“The legacy of uranium mining in Northern Arizona is unjust. I believe that it has been clearly shown through the routes that this ore takes... [and] clearly shown through the level of cancer and cancer related death experienced by the Indigenous People in our region.
We have Indigenous neighbors that have been fighting and asking for relief on this issue for decades, for generations. And they are asking us, as the largest city in Northern Arizona, to help them.”

Councilmember Celia Barotz motioned to vote and was seconded by Councilmember Eva Putzova.
Barotz stated, “Before we vote on the resolution I just want to remind everyone that this is just the beginning and that were going to need all of you to help us through the various processes at the state and federal level if we're going to make meaningful changes over the next several years. The city council certainly cannot do it alone so I just invite all of you to stay engaged, this is the beginning.”

Putzova issued a statement after the vote saying, "With this resolution, the Council is rallying behind the Native American communities in their fight for social and environmental justice. I'm looking forward to working with our congressional representative and state representatives on legislation that bans uranium mining and the transport of uranium ore for good."

After the vote in favor of the resolution the crowd erupted in cheers.

Haul No! has been successful in gaining resolutions opposing ore transport from Diné communities such as Cameron, Coal Mine, Oljaito, Monument Valley, Kayenta, Western Navajo Agency, and from the Hualapai and Havasupai Tribes.

Flagstaff is the first off-reservation community to pass a resolution and could be the first community to pass an ordinance challenging Federal authority regarding transport of uranium from Canyon Mine.

More information and action: www.haulno.org
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