{"article":{"id":147463,"heading":"URGENT- ACT NOW 4 BIG MOUNTAIN INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES","author":"Black Mesa Indigenous Support","created":"2006-02-17 03:59:47","modified":"2006-02-17 15:50:04","last_modified":"Fri, 17 Feb 2006 22:50:04","article":"

URGENT- \r\n ACT NOW 4 BIG MOUNTAIN INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES<\/strong>
\r\n by Black Mesa Indigenous Support \r\n
blackmesais@riseup.net \r\n<\/p>

STOP FORCED RELOCATION ON BIG \r\n MOUNTAIN, BLACK MESA, AZ. TARGETED NAVAJO COMMUNITIES SAY THAT NOW IS THE TIME \r\n TO TAKE ACTION! <\/strong><\/p>\r\n

Please take a \r\n moment to read and FAX<\/strong> this letter today.<\/p>\r\n


\r\n Dear Friends of the Indigenous Peoples of Big Mountain, Black Mesa, AZ, <\/p>\r\n

Something critical \r\n is about to happen concerning the traditional communities on Big
\r\n Mountain and surrounding areas on Black Mesa. Today, more than 30 years after \r\n the
\r\n passage of Public Law 93 - 531, the original Navajo-Hopi Relocation bill, a \r\n new bill
\r\n is before Congress that sets a new timetable for the forced relocation of a \r\n number
\r\n of Navajo families on Black Mesa. Senate bill S. 1003 \"The Navajo Hopi \r\n Land
\r\n Settlement Act Amendments of 2005\" is now on the Senate Calendar and may \r\n be passed
\r\n at anytime without debate or serious consideration unless the public acts now. \r\n The
\r\n last major relocation bill was approved by the Senate within a month after being
\r\n placed on the Senate Calendar and stayed in the House of Representatives less \r\n than a
\r\n week before becoming law. It's difficult to convey the serious nature of these \r\n new
\r\n developments. The passage of this bill would effectively devastate these traditional
\r\n communities of Navajo, or Dineh, stripping them of their identity and way of \r\n life
\r\n which is tied into the land itself.<\/p>\r\n

Native \r\n people's lives and livelihoods are on the line!<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

This bill will \r\n permanently displace the indigenous families of Big Mountain and
\r\n surrounding communities on Black Mesa from their ancestral lands and will relieve
\r\n the federal government of any further responsibility for the relocated people. \r\n S.
\r\n 1003, sponsored by Senator John McCain (R-AZ), comes as Peabody Coal, the world's
\r\n largest coal company, is planning to expand its strip mining of American Indian
\r\n lands, drawing down a high-quality residential aquifer in the process. Only \r\n one
\r\n thing stands in Peabody's way: indigenous people live on the land below which \r\n lies
\r\n billions of tons of low-sulfur coal. As with their ancestors, the land is the \r\n basis
\r\n for the Black Mesa people's traditions, spirituality, and livelihoods.<\/p>\r\n

There \r\n is still time to act!<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

S 1003 may pass \r\n the Senate and the House of Representatives within the next few
\r\n weeks. Senate Bill 1003 may become law anytime now once again starting the machine
\r\n of forced relocation. But fortunately, a small window of opportunity exists \r\n to stop
\r\n it. It must first pass the Senate so the Senate Indian Affairs Committee and \r\n your
\r\n Senator must hear your voices today. The indigenous families from the Big Mountain
\r\n and Black Mesa communities have not been represented in this process.<\/p>\r\n

It's up to us \r\n the public and the international community to demand that Congress
\r\n educate themselves before they vote. After passing the earlier relocation act, \r\n PL
\r\n 93-531, in 1974, several Senators expressed misgivings about the law, but it \r\n was too
\r\n late. We cannot allow this to happen again. The people of Big Mountain are asking \r\n us
\r\n to jump in and shake up the political landscape. Our outcry may be their only \r\n hope.
\r\n We must tell those who would once again sell out the people and the land that \r\n there
\r\n will be a political price to pay. It's easy to make decisions from afar if you \r\n never
\r\n risk meeting the people who will be affected. Demand that Congress listen to \r\n the
\r\n people. Maybe it is possible to reach their hearts.<\/p>\r\n

In an era of transnational \r\n corporate dominance, the methods of separating indigenous
\r\n peoples from their land and natural resources have outstripped the ability of \r\n any
\r\n agency or nongovernmental organization to monitor or regulate. The importance \r\n of
\r\n building alliances cannot be stressed enough. The elders of Big Mountain such \r\n as
\r\n Roberta Blackgoat have shown us the way to the survival of our planet and the \r\n danger
\r\n to us all if sacred lands are destroyed, warning us of what is now happening \r\n long
\r\n before global warming and gaia became common words. The people of Big Mountain \r\n can
\r\n not win this fight alone and need the support of all people who love justice, \r\n human
\r\n rights, and the earth.<\/p>\r\n

Please join us, \r\n and ask your friends and family to do the same. Click on the
\r\n following link:
\r\n http:\/\/www.democracyinaction.org\/dia\/organizationsORG\/blackmesais\/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=2552<\/p>\r\n

Thank you and \r\n Peace,<\/p>\r\n

Black Mesa Indigenous \r\n Support
\r\n www.blackmesais.org <\/p>\r\n

  <\/p>\n","contact":"blackmesais@riseup.net","link":"http:\/\/blackmesais.org\/urgent_action02.06.htm","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/html","summary":"Stop S. 1003, "The Navajo Hopi Land Settlement Act Amendments of 2005"","numcomment":1,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/","filesize":null,"article_url":"\/news\/2006\/02\/147463.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[{"id":147484,"heading":"Link","article":"go here to take action!\r\n\r\nhttp:\/\/www.democracyinaction.org\/dia\/organizationsORG\/blackmesais\/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=2552","author":"test","parent_id":147463,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2006-02-17 06:57:56","modified":"2006-02-17 06:57:56","fileurl":""}]}