The United States continues to steal from Indians
A settlement will pay back $3.4 billion of $137 billion owed. And that's just what was documented.
By BILL MEANS
With all due respect to Elouise Cobell, lead plaintiff in a recently settled lawsuit over American Indian trust funds ("U.S. to pay Indians $3.4B," Dec. 9), I think the United States is continuing a policy of "Indians are not humans."
During the course of this long-running, class-action litigation, it has been documented that the United States owes Indian people more than $137 billion for mismanagement of trust accounts. That was established just by the documents that were presented.
The original federal judge on this case was Royce Lamberth, who held at least three secretaries of the Interior in contempt for not producing thousands of additional documents. Also, during the course of this case, hundreds of relevant documents were found in the trash by Interior Department employees, who reported this to the court and to Interior Department officials.
Those of us who own Indian land, heirs and the American public do not know the total amount owed to Indian people, because the government has refused to turn over all the documents ordered by the federal court. Lamberth was removed from the case; officials in the Bush administration argued that he was biased in favor of Indians.
This has rarely happened in the history of U.S. jurisprudence. Lamberth was appointed by former President Ronald Reagan and is a Texas Republican.
So basically, now, the U.S. government is saying that it has identified the thief of Indian royalties and resources as itself. It has allowed the thief to determine the value of the settlement and mostly has allowed the thief to keep what has been stolen.
Only in America if you steal something and hold onto it long enough does it becomes yours.
December 15, 2009
Climate Protesters Scale Canadian Embassy and Deface Flag
Press contact on the balcony: Jake Colman- 07771850963
Photo and video opportunity from 8am: The Canadian High Commission, 1 Grosvenor Square
CLIMATE PROTESTERS SCALE CANADIAN EMBASSY AND DEFACE FLAG
At 8am this morning three climate activists scaled the entrance to the Canadian High Commission in Grosvenor Square, cutting loose the Canadian flag. They will then dunk the flag into crude oil while unfurling a banner reading “Shut Down the Tar Sands”. The activists have secured themselves upon the building’s front balcony with one protester super-glued to the window such that it cannot be opened. This is the second action in London on Tar Sands in two day, and is part of a growing international campaign [1].
This action is a response to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper obstructing the progress of the summit in Copenhagen in order to protect Canada’s Tar Sands Industry [2]. Tar Sands are the dirtiest fuel known to man, both in terms of their impact on the climate and the devastation inflicted on the local communities [3]
There is an enormous open cast mine, covering the total size of England in the Alberta Tar Sands region of Canada. This is the largest industrial development in the world and is devastating for the indigenous communities that live there, not only destroying the land itself but increasing levels of cancer, poisoning much of their traditional food sources and leaving the water unsafe to drink. [4] This violates the indigenous treaty rights legally bound to this region.
The three activists who scaled the Canadian High Commission this morning have just completed their 10th night in occupation of Trafalgar square with the Camp for Climate Action [5]
Jake Colman, one of the climbers and a ‘Climate Camper’ justifies his actions:
“We are here to expose the greed driven agenda of Prime Minister Harper and the corporate lobbyists of Shell and BP who have tainted Canada with dirty oil and risk global catastrophe to selfishly profit from environmental and human destruction. We in the UK play a large role in funding these murderous ventures with the likes of RBS –now 84% publicly owned having already invested billions, and BP currently preparing to move in to Tar Sands”
Clayton Thomas-Muller, an Indigenous activist with the Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN), speaks during the Copenhagen summit:
“The Canadian government continues to ignore its own laws, which state they must consult with Indigenous Peoples who have been trying to convey concerns about Tar Sands development. Tar Sands are killing our communities and trampling over our rights. Furthermore, the environmental destruction wreaked by the Tar Sands is directly threatening thousands of lives now and is driving our climate into chaos. The world has woken up to the fact that Canada is now Public Climate Enemy Number One. It's time Canada did its global duty and shut down the Tar Sands,”
NOTES TO EDITORS:
[1] Monday 14th saw the road outside Canada House blockaded in anger of Harper and Tar Sands:
http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/12/443459.html
[2] Currently in Copenhagen, Canada is proposing an inadequate target for reducing greenhouse emissions by only 3% by 2020 ignoring world scientists’ recommendations to commit to over 40% reductions below 1990 levels in order to avoid dangerous runaway climate change. Canada has already completely failed to meet its commitments to the Kyoto Treaty and refuses to sign the UN’s Declaration of Rights for Indigenous Peoples whilst continuing development of Tar Sands oil extraction.
[3] Tar Sands fuel is a way of extracting oil who’s energy intensive process has not only completely destroyed areas of the Boreal forests the size of England, burns enough natural gas to power 6 hundred thousand homes a year, produces lakes of toxic waste 66km wide -which filters into all local life and drinking water- but would itself be enough to push our climate into chaos.
http://tarsandsinfocus.wordpress.com/about/
[4] http://tarsandsinfocus.wordpress.com/about/
[5] http://climatecamp.org.uk/
[6] This is the start of a fast growing UK campaign against Tar Sands. Although we do not receive oil directly from Canadian Tar Sands, Corporations such as RBS which is now 84% owned by the British Tax Payer invests billions and British Petroleum have plans to move in to the ‘Sun Rise’ site in the coming months. Action on these issues and these corporations are soon to become a focus of UK activism as we begin to stand up to International injustices such as Tar Sands in Canada.
Photo and video opportunity from 8am: The Canadian High Commission, 1 Grosvenor Square
CLIMATE PROTESTERS SCALE CANADIAN EMBASSY AND DEFACE FLAG
At 8am this morning three climate activists scaled the entrance to the Canadian High Commission in Grosvenor Square, cutting loose the Canadian flag. They will then dunk the flag into crude oil while unfurling a banner reading “Shut Down the Tar Sands”. The activists have secured themselves upon the building’s front balcony with one protester super-glued to the window such that it cannot be opened. This is the second action in London on Tar Sands in two day, and is part of a growing international campaign [1].
This action is a response to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper obstructing the progress of the summit in Copenhagen in order to protect Canada’s Tar Sands Industry [2]. Tar Sands are the dirtiest fuel known to man, both in terms of their impact on the climate and the devastation inflicted on the local communities [3]
There is an enormous open cast mine, covering the total size of England in the Alberta Tar Sands region of Canada. This is the largest industrial development in the world and is devastating for the indigenous communities that live there, not only destroying the land itself but increasing levels of cancer, poisoning much of their traditional food sources and leaving the water unsafe to drink. [4] This violates the indigenous treaty rights legally bound to this region.
The three activists who scaled the Canadian High Commission this morning have just completed their 10th night in occupation of Trafalgar square with the Camp for Climate Action [5]
Jake Colman, one of the climbers and a ‘Climate Camper’ justifies his actions:
“We are here to expose the greed driven agenda of Prime Minister Harper and the corporate lobbyists of Shell and BP who have tainted Canada with dirty oil and risk global catastrophe to selfishly profit from environmental and human destruction. We in the UK play a large role in funding these murderous ventures with the likes of RBS –now 84% publicly owned having already invested billions, and BP currently preparing to move in to Tar Sands”
Clayton Thomas-Muller, an Indigenous activist with the Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN), speaks during the Copenhagen summit:
“The Canadian government continues to ignore its own laws, which state they must consult with Indigenous Peoples who have been trying to convey concerns about Tar Sands development. Tar Sands are killing our communities and trampling over our rights. Furthermore, the environmental destruction wreaked by the Tar Sands is directly threatening thousands of lives now and is driving our climate into chaos. The world has woken up to the fact that Canada is now Public Climate Enemy Number One. It's time Canada did its global duty and shut down the Tar Sands,”
NOTES TO EDITORS:
[1] Monday 14th saw the road outside Canada House blockaded in anger of Harper and Tar Sands:
http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/12/443459.html
[2] Currently in Copenhagen, Canada is proposing an inadequate target for reducing greenhouse emissions by only 3% by 2020 ignoring world scientists’ recommendations to commit to over 40% reductions below 1990 levels in order to avoid dangerous runaway climate change. Canada has already completely failed to meet its commitments to the Kyoto Treaty and refuses to sign the UN’s Declaration of Rights for Indigenous Peoples whilst continuing development of Tar Sands oil extraction.
[3] Tar Sands fuel is a way of extracting oil who’s energy intensive process has not only completely destroyed areas of the Boreal forests the size of England, burns enough natural gas to power 6 hundred thousand homes a year, produces lakes of toxic waste 66km wide -which filters into all local life and drinking water- but would itself be enough to push our climate into chaos.
http://tarsandsinfocus.wordpress.com/about/
[4] http://tarsandsinfocus.wordpress.com/about/
[5] http://climatecamp.org.uk/
[6] This is the start of a fast growing UK campaign against Tar Sands. Although we do not receive oil directly from Canadian Tar Sands, Corporations such as RBS which is now 84% owned by the British Tax Payer invests billions and British Petroleum have plans to move in to the ‘Sun Rise’ site in the coming months. Action on these issues and these corporations are soon to become a focus of UK activism as we begin to stand up to International injustices such as Tar Sands in Canada.
December 13, 2009
LIVE From Crow Creek
Eric Klein Founder, http://www.can-do.org/ reports LIVE from Crow Creek Sioux, where the IRS has seized Crow Creek Sioux land. More reports form the field over the next week to come- Dec 13th 2009
Earl Tulley, Navajo: Notes from Copenhagen
From Earl Tulley, Navajo, at 4:45 am Monday, Denmark time 
Yaah (only Swedee word I know)
Doing well here in this part of the world, wonderful people and location is great. I have passes with the help of our Arctic relatives (Arctic Athabaskan Council of Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada.) Yesterday heard church bells ring out in the community of Copenhagen am certain it is on CNN. There are protests, but we are keeping our noses clean of this activity, both have heavy fines and jail time which are not within my budget and respect to our host -- Athabaskan's, but the police are nice. The buildings and food are beyond words, everyone is on a bike -- they have more bikes than a Navajo has dogs, in front of stores -- Burger King, 7 to11, McD's are here as well. Need two forms of currency, as we work in Sweden and sleep in Demark. Have a great day, I plan to.
Yaah (only Swedee word I know)
Doing well here in this part of the world, wonderful people and location is great. I have passes with the help of our Arctic relatives (Arctic Athabaskan Council of Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada.) Yesterday heard church bells ring out in the community of Copenhagen am certain it is on CNN. There are protests, but we are keeping our noses clean of this activity, both have heavy fines and jail time which are not within my budget and respect to our host -- Athabaskan's, but the police are nice. The buildings and food are beyond words, everyone is on a bike -- they have more bikes than a Navajo has dogs, in front of stores -- Burger King, 7 to11, McD's are here as well. Need two forms of currency, as we work in Sweden and sleep in Demark. Have a great day, I plan to.
Ruling out the Nuclear Option -- Not Clean or Green
Ruling out the Nuclear Option – Not Clean or Green
The Legacy of Nuclear Energy, Nuclear and Chemical Weapons Upon
US Indigenous & Communities of Color
We are communities that, in partnership with the Peace Development Fund, form the Building Action for Sustainable Environments Initiative (BASE). We are citizens who represent some of the communities in the US who bear the legacy of 50 years of nuclear energy and weapons production. We are indigenous nations, we are Latino citizens and farm-workers, and we are African American communities living near nuclear power and weapon production sites. Reducing and eliminating the wasteful and dangerous means of producing nuclear energy and bringing renewable green energy production and jobs to our communities are the goals in which our communities have a major stake.
Our communities suffer from diseases and illnesses that we contend are related to our exposure to the highly toxic processes of mining and milling uranium, the unsafe storage of radioactive materials and the lack of clean-up of sites and facilities, the transportation of highly radioactive waste through our communities, and the lack of safe disposal methods for highly deadly nuclear waste. Cancer, neurological damage, genetic damage, lung disease, respiratory disorders, lupus, and heart problems are among some of the illnesses that affect our communities.
Read statement:
http://censored-news.blogspot.com/2009/12/ruling-out-nuclear-option-not-clean-or.html
The Legacy of Nuclear Energy, Nuclear and Chemical Weapons Upon
US Indigenous & Communities of Color
We are communities that, in partnership with the Peace Development Fund, form the Building Action for Sustainable Environments Initiative (BASE). We are citizens who represent some of the communities in the US who bear the legacy of 50 years of nuclear energy and weapons production. We are indigenous nations, we are Latino citizens and farm-workers, and we are African American communities living near nuclear power and weapon production sites. Reducing and eliminating the wasteful and dangerous means of producing nuclear energy and bringing renewable green energy production and jobs to our communities are the goals in which our communities have a major stake.
Our communities suffer from diseases and illnesses that we contend are related to our exposure to the highly toxic processes of mining and milling uranium, the unsafe storage of radioactive materials and the lack of clean-up of sites and facilities, the transportation of highly radioactive waste through our communities, and the lack of safe disposal methods for highly deadly nuclear waste. Cancer, neurological damage, genetic damage, lung disease, respiratory disorders, lupus, and heart problems are among some of the illnesses that affect our communities.
Read statement:
http://censored-news.blogspot.com/2009/12/ruling-out-nuclear-option-not-clean-or.html
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