Panel Gets Uranium Clean Up Date - Native Response To Columbus Day, Oct. 13th!
Navajo Officials Head To Washington
Gallup Independent
By Kathy Helms
Dine Bureau
WINDOW ROCK - A delegation from the Navajo Nation and officials from five federal agencies went before U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman’s committee Thursday in Washington to follow up on actions taken so far under a five-year plan to clean up Cold War uranium contamination on the Navajo Nation.
“Everybody’s asking the question regarding the current credit and financial crisis: Why is it the federal government can come up with $700 billion to bail out these entities on Wall Street, but when it comes to other issues on the domestic front, like education and the environment, they�re always saying that there’s no money?” Stephen B. Etsitty, executive director of Navajo Environmental Protection Agency, said Wednesday from Washington.
“It’ll be interesting to be on the Hill and see what the tone is up there, because everybody is pretty stressed out.”
Though Navajo EPA has been able to get additional money from the tribe, it’s primarily for their existing grants. All the new work that has resulted from last October’s hearing before Waxman’s Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, in Etsitty’s opinion, is largely unfunded.
“We keep raising the issues in front of the committee that there needs to be more done to identify resources, and as far as the plans go on the agency side, they need us in order to be successful in completing their actions. If we don�t get additional resources, it’s going to take much longer for them to complete their tasks.”
The Navajo delegation includes Department of Justice attorney David Taylor, Navajo Superfund representatives, and Lillie Lane, point person for community involvement in dealing with the cleanup issues. Members of the Hopi Tribe also are expected to attend.
“We’ll be looking toward the future, we’ll hopefully be raising issues regarding the overall transition of what’s going to be happening here in D.C., with the transition to a new administration, changes to a new Congress, and what those type of changes might bring for the agencies,” Etsitty said.
“The current administration really has put a lot of restrictions on the federal agencies and their ability to make commitments all the way out to 2012, so when the Bush Administration leaves in January of next year and the next administration takes charge, I think there’s going to be opportunity for the agencies to basically rewrite their plans.”
He’s also hopeful a new Congress will be more willing to work with Navajo on what it has requested in the five-year plan, such as more resources for the agencies to do a faster and more comprehensive cleanup, and provision of health services.
Representatives of the Navajo Nation Washington Office, U.S. Reps. Tom Udall of New Mexico, Rick Renzi of Arizona and Jim Matheson of Utah also are expected to attend. Sam Simon of Udall’s office said, “From our perspective, we want to be able to hold the agencies� feet to the fire and make sure they’re coming through on this kind of stuff. We’re going to keep having these meetings and making sure the plan is what needs to happen.”
Navajo Resources Committee Chairman George Arthur, who also is attending, said, “As I am aware, there has been very little action as far as the initial directives that Waxman and his committee gave to the federal agencies that were present in these initial hearings. We still have the same questions that we put out in the last meeting that was conducted in Gallup.”
Jeff Spitz, co-producer with Bennie Klain of “The Return of Navajo Boy,” hopes to take advantage of the timing by offering screenings of the documentary that triggered an investigation of uranium-contaminated houses on the Navajo Nation. One screening was scheduled Wednesday on Capitol Hill and another is planned for Thursday evening at Georgetown Law.
He said the idea is to reach out to the staffers involved in the five-year plan and in the Waxman hearings by taking the film to their office building.
“We are mainly trying to reach the people in charge of this cleanup business and do it in a high-profile venue right where they live. We want the EPA to come, and part of the reason is that after all that we’ve learned and all that we’ve been through, they have a five-year plan and they need to be held accountable to it. A plan’s only a plan,” Spitz said.
ANNUAL SUNRISE GATHERING ON ALCATRAZ ISLAND
MONDAY OCTOBER 13th, 2008
THE NATIVE RESPONSE TO COLUMBUS DAY!
International Indian Treaty Council and American Indian Contemporary Arts present:
International Day of Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples 2008
Celebrating our Survival and Challenging the Myth of Columbus and “Doctrine of Discovery”
Everyone is invited to attend the annual Sun-Rise Gathering at Alcatraz Island on Monday, October 13th, 2008 (State Holiday) on Alcatraz Island, San Francisco Bay, to commemorate 516 years (1492-2008) of Indigenous Peoples Resistance to Colonization in the Americas!
Support Indigenous Peoples’ struggles for Self-Determination, Land and Treaty Rights, Protection of Sacred Sites, Cultures and Ways of Life. Say “No” to War and Racism, “Yes” to a Culture of Peace, Human Rights, and Respect for Mother Earth!
Honor those who sacrificed their lives for us to be here, and who stood up for our Peoples. Tobacco and prayers will be offered to the fire for the Earth and coming generations.
Meeting Place: Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier # 31 in San Francisco
Tickets: $ 11.00 (children under 5 free)
Time: Ticket booths open at 5 AM, last boat departs at 6:00 am, and all return by 9 AM.
Featuring: The All Nations Drum, Traditional Aztec and Pomo Dancers, and updates and solidarity with special guest speakers. MC: Lenny Foster, Dineh, Alcatraz Veteran and member of IITC’s Board of Directors. Special Honoring for Participants of the Long Walks 1 & 2, Alcatraz and Wounded Knee Veterans.
Wheel chair accessible, minimal parking, wear something warm.
For More information call IITC at 415-641-4482
or email AICA: janeenantoine@mac.com.
Websites: http://www.treatycouncil.org/ and
http://groups.msn.com-bayareaindiancalandar/.
Purchase advance tickets at http://www.alcatrazcruises.com/, or call 415-981-7625.
TO SUBMIT an ARTICLE, OPINION PIECE, COMMENTS to the Native Unity Digest, e-mail bobbieo@digitaldune.net.
NATIVE UNITY - A place for Native American Peoples to solidify their tribes to make a positive impact on the cultural, social, economic and political fabric of American society and a place for non-Natives to better understand the ways of the American Indian.
ATT: NEW - News Blog - American Indian Report - AIR BLOG
http://falmouth-air.blogspot.com
'Foxwoods Must Bargain With Union, Labor Board Rules'
NATIVE ISSUES BLOG
Professor Robert J. Miller
http://lawlib.lclark.edu/blog/native_america/
AIROS NATIVE NETWORK plays music, news and other great programs from Indian Country - www.airos.org
FOR ANNIE'S NATIVE CELEBRITY NEWS - go to www.nativecelebs.com
CATCH COLORADAN PETER JONES AT:
http://indigenousissuestoday.blogspot.com
SUPPORTING NATIVE AMERICAN/FIRST PEOPLE - ARTISTS, FILM MAKERS, ENTERTAINERS, ETC. http://www.krystynmedia.blogspot.com.
Gallup Independent
By Kathy Helms
Dine Bureau
WINDOW ROCK - A delegation from the Navajo Nation and officials from five federal agencies went before U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman’s committee Thursday in Washington to follow up on actions taken so far under a five-year plan to clean up Cold War uranium contamination on the Navajo Nation.
“Everybody’s asking the question regarding the current credit and financial crisis: Why is it the federal government can come up with $700 billion to bail out these entities on Wall Street, but when it comes to other issues on the domestic front, like education and the environment, they�re always saying that there’s no money?” Stephen B. Etsitty, executive director of Navajo Environmental Protection Agency, said Wednesday from Washington.
“It’ll be interesting to be on the Hill and see what the tone is up there, because everybody is pretty stressed out.”
Though Navajo EPA has been able to get additional money from the tribe, it’s primarily for their existing grants. All the new work that has resulted from last October’s hearing before Waxman’s Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, in Etsitty’s opinion, is largely unfunded.
“We keep raising the issues in front of the committee that there needs to be more done to identify resources, and as far as the plans go on the agency side, they need us in order to be successful in completing their actions. If we don�t get additional resources, it’s going to take much longer for them to complete their tasks.”
The Navajo delegation includes Department of Justice attorney David Taylor, Navajo Superfund representatives, and Lillie Lane, point person for community involvement in dealing with the cleanup issues. Members of the Hopi Tribe also are expected to attend.
“We’ll be looking toward the future, we’ll hopefully be raising issues regarding the overall transition of what’s going to be happening here in D.C., with the transition to a new administration, changes to a new Congress, and what those type of changes might bring for the agencies,” Etsitty said.
“The current administration really has put a lot of restrictions on the federal agencies and their ability to make commitments all the way out to 2012, so when the Bush Administration leaves in January of next year and the next administration takes charge, I think there’s going to be opportunity for the agencies to basically rewrite their plans.”
He’s also hopeful a new Congress will be more willing to work with Navajo on what it has requested in the five-year plan, such as more resources for the agencies to do a faster and more comprehensive cleanup, and provision of health services.
Representatives of the Navajo Nation Washington Office, U.S. Reps. Tom Udall of New Mexico, Rick Renzi of Arizona and Jim Matheson of Utah also are expected to attend. Sam Simon of Udall’s office said, “From our perspective, we want to be able to hold the agencies� feet to the fire and make sure they’re coming through on this kind of stuff. We’re going to keep having these meetings and making sure the plan is what needs to happen.”
Navajo Resources Committee Chairman George Arthur, who also is attending, said, “As I am aware, there has been very little action as far as the initial directives that Waxman and his committee gave to the federal agencies that were present in these initial hearings. We still have the same questions that we put out in the last meeting that was conducted in Gallup.”
Jeff Spitz, co-producer with Bennie Klain of “The Return of Navajo Boy,” hopes to take advantage of the timing by offering screenings of the documentary that triggered an investigation of uranium-contaminated houses on the Navajo Nation. One screening was scheduled Wednesday on Capitol Hill and another is planned for Thursday evening at Georgetown Law.
He said the idea is to reach out to the staffers involved in the five-year plan and in the Waxman hearings by taking the film to their office building.
“We are mainly trying to reach the people in charge of this cleanup business and do it in a high-profile venue right where they live. We want the EPA to come, and part of the reason is that after all that we’ve learned and all that we’ve been through, they have a five-year plan and they need to be held accountable to it. A plan’s only a plan,” Spitz said.
ANNUAL SUNRISE GATHERING ON ALCATRAZ ISLAND
MONDAY OCTOBER 13th, 2008
THE NATIVE RESPONSE TO COLUMBUS DAY!
International Indian Treaty Council and American Indian Contemporary Arts present:
International Day of Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples 2008
Celebrating our Survival and Challenging the Myth of Columbus and “Doctrine of Discovery”
Everyone is invited to attend the annual Sun-Rise Gathering at Alcatraz Island on Monday, October 13th, 2008 (State Holiday) on Alcatraz Island, San Francisco Bay, to commemorate 516 years (1492-2008) of Indigenous Peoples Resistance to Colonization in the Americas!
Support Indigenous Peoples’ struggles for Self-Determination, Land and Treaty Rights, Protection of Sacred Sites, Cultures and Ways of Life. Say “No” to War and Racism, “Yes” to a Culture of Peace, Human Rights, and Respect for Mother Earth!
Honor those who sacrificed their lives for us to be here, and who stood up for our Peoples. Tobacco and prayers will be offered to the fire for the Earth and coming generations.
Meeting Place: Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier # 31 in San Francisco
Tickets: $ 11.00 (children under 5 free)
Time: Ticket booths open at 5 AM, last boat departs at 6:00 am, and all return by 9 AM.
Featuring: The All Nations Drum, Traditional Aztec and Pomo Dancers, and updates and solidarity with special guest speakers. MC: Lenny Foster, Dineh, Alcatraz Veteran and member of IITC’s Board of Directors. Special Honoring for Participants of the Long Walks 1 & 2, Alcatraz and Wounded Knee Veterans.
Wheel chair accessible, minimal parking, wear something warm.
For More information call IITC at 415-641-4482
or email AICA: janeenantoine@mac.com.
Websites: http://www.treatycouncil.org/ and
http://groups.msn.com-bayareaindiancalandar/.
Purchase advance tickets at http://www.alcatrazcruises.com/, or call 415-981-7625.
TO SUBMIT an ARTICLE, OPINION PIECE, COMMENTS to the Native Unity Digest, e-mail bobbieo@digitaldune.net.
NATIVE UNITY - A place for Native American Peoples to solidify their tribes to make a positive impact on the cultural, social, economic and political fabric of American society and a place for non-Natives to better understand the ways of the American Indian.
ATT: NEW - News Blog - American Indian Report - AIR BLOG
http://falmouth-air.blogspot.com
'Foxwoods Must Bargain With Union, Labor Board Rules'
NATIVE ISSUES BLOG
Professor Robert J. Miller
http://lawlib.lclark.edu/blog/native_america/
AIROS NATIVE NETWORK plays music, news and other great programs from Indian Country - www.airos.org
FOR ANNIE'S NATIVE CELEBRITY NEWS - go to www.nativecelebs.com
CATCH COLORADAN PETER JONES AT:
http://indigenousissuestoday.blogspot.com
SUPPORTING NATIVE AMERICAN/FIRST PEOPLE - ARTISTS, FILM MAKERS, ENTERTAINERS, ETC. http://www.krystynmedia.blogspot.com.
posted by BobbieoAZ @ 8:12 PM
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