Navajo Forced Relocation
URGENT!!!!
The Navajo Need Your Help Now! Please Read The Information In This Alert. Then Pass This On To Everyone In Your Address Book, Every Yahoo and MSN Group You Belong To.
It's no harder than typing your name and a copy & paste job.
What Will You Do To Help!
http://blackmesais.org/McCain_bill0805.htm
(Links below to audio and video on finishing the dirty job of Navajo Forced Relocation). Navajo Resist John McCain's SB 1003 Click on the link to listen to the full story; by Christina Aanestad 06.26.06
Arizona Senator John McCain's senate bill SB1003 would end the relocation process of the remaining Navajo from land on the Black Mesa Hopi/Navajo Reservation. The bill passed the Senate unanimously last month and is under consideration in the House Resources Committee. The Navajo faced with relocation oppose the bill and say relocation would strip them of their indigenous way of life. Since 1974 Over 15,000 Navajo and 100 Hopi have been displaced from their ancestral homes in Arizona. Opponents say that the Navajo are being moved off their land so coal companies can mine it. The Bureau of Indian Affairs estimates that less than a few hundred Navajo remain on Black Mesa and John McCain's Senate Bill 1003 would require their imminent removal by 2008. But the remaining Navajo REFUSE TO BE MOVED.
wav file 22.2 mebibytes: http://www.indybay.org/uploads/2006/06/26/aanestadonnavajohopi6-26.wav http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2006/06/26/18282967.php
http://www.indybay.org/race
Watch the video of the proceedings: This session shows a good overview of the governmental players involved in relocation, some brief history, current controversies and intentions. Click here (there is a 7 minute delay on the Senate Committee On Indian Affairs video): hrg072105.ram or visit the web site of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs 109th Congress - 1st Session Hearing List and click on '7/21/05 Hearing, on S.1003, Navajo-Hopi Land Settlement Amendments of 2005.' (give about 7 minutes for it to start). http:// indian.senate.gov/mainpage.htm
See the link at the top for more links to printed transcripts of the Senate Indian Affairs hearing on S1003.
We are asking for an attack on two fronts. First send your snailmail letters and phone calls to:
Committee on Indian Affairs, United States Senate
838 Hart Office Building Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-2251
Below is the letter I sent to the Senator's from my state as well as to: senator@dorgan.senate.gov , senator_mccain@mccain.senate.gov, senator@mccain.senate.gov, senator_dorgan@dorgan.senate.gov
Please feel free to replace my name with your own then copy and paste it to your represntative at: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Dear Representative,
8/18/06
Again I am writing in support of traditional Navajo (known in their language as Dineh) who will be forcibly evicted and dispossessed of their homes under the Senate Bill 1003 "The Navajo Hopi Land Settlement Act Amendments of 2005." This bill has been passed by the Senate by unanimous consent, despite public outcry opposing the bill. I find this to be an outrage since many Dineh families will be devastatingly affected and have not even been consulted with. I support the right of these families, who are among the few remaining American Indians who still speak their traditional language and practice their traditional culture, to remain on their lands and strongly oppose Senate Bill 1003.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) "estimates that enacting S. 1003 would have no significant effect on direct spending or revenues." In fact, the original Navajo Hopi Land Settlement Act of 1974 forced 1000s of hardworking self-sustaining families into welfare dependency, despair and early death. After its passage key senators noted that this bill was a mistake yet nothing was done. This ill-conceived bill may actual force hardworking independent people into welfare dependency on the federal government and increase the cost to US taxpayers. The cost overruns and inadequate financing of the relocation program are not the fault of the Navajo affected and are entirely due to major miscalculations on the number of affected people and federal governmental incompetence. Adding insult to injury, the lands designated for relocation are the victim of the largest release (by volume) of low-level radioactive waste in U.S. history when in 1979 the Church Rock Uranium Mill’s dam broke and 94 million gallons of slurry waters entered the Puerco River.
The Navajo tell us that it is no coincidence that the land from which the Navajo are being removed contains over $20 billion worth of coal. This bill comes at a time while Peabody Energy is in the process of acquiring a life-of-mine lease in the Black Mesa area even though the Black Mesa Mine is temporarily shut down. Peabody Energy along with Southern California Edison, the Navajo Nation, and the Hopi Tribal Council have been in secret negotiations so as to reopen the mine. It is also interesting to note that there is language in these negotiations that absolves both Peabody Energy and Southern California Edison of any responsibilities for destruction to the environment or to the people who live there.
Therefore, I support the Navajo families in opposing Senate Bill 1003 and respectfully request
* That the House of Representatives remove Senate Bill 1003 from consideration
* That the Congress act responsibly and pass a resolution opposing forced relocation of Native Americans
* That Congress help the communities already relocated rather than closing any federal offices that may be able to help them
* That Congress work directly with affected families and communities to resolve any land issues and listen to them, not just Jack Abramoff or other high paid lobbyists.
Respectfully,
Thomas Greywolf Atkins
Chickahominy/Mattaponi/U.S.Citizen
This message brought to you by The American Indian Injustice Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/American_Indian_Injustice/
What Will You Do For Native Peoples Today? We here at A.I.I. Fight the Injustices Perpetrated Against Our North American Indigenous Peoples Everyday. Leonard Peltier Should Be a Free American Indian, Instead of A Political Prisoner Of The BIA & FBI! Please Find & Support Your Local AIM Chapter. Join and See What We Can Do To Make A Positive Change For Our Native!
Informant: Scott Munson
http://omega.twoday.net/topics/Indian+Tribes+/
The Navajo Need Your Help Now! Please Read The Information In This Alert. Then Pass This On To Everyone In Your Address Book, Every Yahoo and MSN Group You Belong To.
It's no harder than typing your name and a copy & paste job.
What Will You Do To Help!
http://blackmesais.org/McCain_bill0805.htm
(Links below to audio and video on finishing the dirty job of Navajo Forced Relocation). Navajo Resist John McCain's SB 1003 Click on the link to listen to the full story; by Christina Aanestad 06.26.06
Arizona Senator John McCain's senate bill SB1003 would end the relocation process of the remaining Navajo from land on the Black Mesa Hopi/Navajo Reservation. The bill passed the Senate unanimously last month and is under consideration in the House Resources Committee. The Navajo faced with relocation oppose the bill and say relocation would strip them of their indigenous way of life. Since 1974 Over 15,000 Navajo and 100 Hopi have been displaced from their ancestral homes in Arizona. Opponents say that the Navajo are being moved off their land so coal companies can mine it. The Bureau of Indian Affairs estimates that less than a few hundred Navajo remain on Black Mesa and John McCain's Senate Bill 1003 would require their imminent removal by 2008. But the remaining Navajo REFUSE TO BE MOVED.
wav file 22.2 mebibytes: http://www.indybay.org/uploads/2006/06/26/aanestadonnavajohopi6-26.wav http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2006/06/26/18282967.php
http://www.indybay.org/race
Watch the video of the proceedings: This session shows a good overview of the governmental players involved in relocation, some brief history, current controversies and intentions. Click here (there is a 7 minute delay on the Senate Committee On Indian Affairs video): hrg072105.ram or visit the web site of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs 109th Congress - 1st Session Hearing List and click on '7/21/05 Hearing, on S.1003, Navajo-Hopi Land Settlement Amendments of 2005.' (give about 7 minutes for it to start). http:// indian.senate.gov/mainpage.htm
See the link at the top for more links to printed transcripts of the Senate Indian Affairs hearing on S1003.
We are asking for an attack on two fronts. First send your snailmail letters and phone calls to:
Committee on Indian Affairs, United States Senate
838 Hart Office Building Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-2251
Below is the letter I sent to the Senator's from my state as well as to: senator@dorgan.senate.gov , senator_mccain@mccain.senate.gov, senator@mccain.senate.gov, senator_dorgan@dorgan.senate.gov
Please feel free to replace my name with your own then copy and paste it to your represntative at: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Dear Representative,
8/18/06
Again I am writing in support of traditional Navajo (known in their language as Dineh) who will be forcibly evicted and dispossessed of their homes under the Senate Bill 1003 "The Navajo Hopi Land Settlement Act Amendments of 2005." This bill has been passed by the Senate by unanimous consent, despite public outcry opposing the bill. I find this to be an outrage since many Dineh families will be devastatingly affected and have not even been consulted with. I support the right of these families, who are among the few remaining American Indians who still speak their traditional language and practice their traditional culture, to remain on their lands and strongly oppose Senate Bill 1003.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) "estimates that enacting S. 1003 would have no significant effect on direct spending or revenues." In fact, the original Navajo Hopi Land Settlement Act of 1974 forced 1000s of hardworking self-sustaining families into welfare dependency, despair and early death. After its passage key senators noted that this bill was a mistake yet nothing was done. This ill-conceived bill may actual force hardworking independent people into welfare dependency on the federal government and increase the cost to US taxpayers. The cost overruns and inadequate financing of the relocation program are not the fault of the Navajo affected and are entirely due to major miscalculations on the number of affected people and federal governmental incompetence. Adding insult to injury, the lands designated for relocation are the victim of the largest release (by volume) of low-level radioactive waste in U.S. history when in 1979 the Church Rock Uranium Mill’s dam broke and 94 million gallons of slurry waters entered the Puerco River.
The Navajo tell us that it is no coincidence that the land from which the Navajo are being removed contains over $20 billion worth of coal. This bill comes at a time while Peabody Energy is in the process of acquiring a life-of-mine lease in the Black Mesa area even though the Black Mesa Mine is temporarily shut down. Peabody Energy along with Southern California Edison, the Navajo Nation, and the Hopi Tribal Council have been in secret negotiations so as to reopen the mine. It is also interesting to note that there is language in these negotiations that absolves both Peabody Energy and Southern California Edison of any responsibilities for destruction to the environment or to the people who live there.
Therefore, I support the Navajo families in opposing Senate Bill 1003 and respectfully request
* That the House of Representatives remove Senate Bill 1003 from consideration
* That the Congress act responsibly and pass a resolution opposing forced relocation of Native Americans
* That Congress help the communities already relocated rather than closing any federal offices that may be able to help them
* That Congress work directly with affected families and communities to resolve any land issues and listen to them, not just Jack Abramoff or other high paid lobbyists.
Respectfully,
Thomas Greywolf Atkins
Chickahominy/Mattaponi/U.S.Citizen
This message brought to you by The American Indian Injustice Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/American_Indian_Injustice/
What Will You Do For Native Peoples Today? We here at A.I.I. Fight the Injustices Perpetrated Against Our North American Indigenous Peoples Everyday. Leonard Peltier Should Be a Free American Indian, Instead of A Political Prisoner Of The BIA & FBI! Please Find & Support Your Local AIM Chapter. Join and See What We Can Do To Make A Positive Change For Our Native!
Informant: Scott Munson
http://omega.twoday.net/topics/Indian+Tribes+/
Starmail - 21. Aug, 22:30
