Article: 93 of sgi.talk.ratical From: (dave "who can do? ratmandu!" ratcliffe) Subject: Arizona's Havasupai and uranium mining in the Grand Canyon Keywords: treaties w/indigenous peoples are fine until its time for development Organization: Silicon Graphics, Inc. Date: Thu, 6 Jun 1991 14:46:50 GMT Lines: 204 from NativeNet: From: NativeNet@gnosys.svle.ma.us Subject: Havasupai and uranium mining From: lpdc@cdp.UUCP Date: 22 Apr 91 13:38 PDT Path: gnosys!cdp!lpdc Lines: 109 RELIGIOUS FREEDOM THE ENVIRONMENT AND URANIUM In northern Arizona the Havasupai Tribe continues to struggle against uranium mining at the Grand Canyon. Six years ago the small nation, whose home is in the bottom of the Grand Canyon, discovered that one of their most sacred areas was threatened by a planned uranium mine. The Canyon uranium mine superstructure has been built. Underground uranium mining operations have not yet begun, primarily because of a freedom of religion lawsuit brought by the Havasupai, which is now in the appeals process in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. Additional deposits of the most concentrated uranium in the United States have been discovered on both rims of the Grand Canyon. A glut of uranium on the world market has caused prices to fall below $9, which means that U.S. uranium cannot be mined at a profit. In the fall of 1990 China and the Soviet Union sold some of their uranium stockpiles at a loss, which flooded the world market. Until or unless the U.S. government subsidizes the uranium industry, a projected boom in uranium mining at the Canyon is not likely to happen. In the meantime, the Havasupai struggle against the Canyon mine continues in the courts and in the prayers of the people. The Kaibab National Forest approved a Plan of Operations for Energy Fuels Nuclear (EFN), a privately owned Colorado Corporation, to mine uranium from the Havasupai sacred and religious site, Mat Taav Tiivjundva. This sacred site is a natural meadow approximately three miles north of the sacred Wii'i gdwiisa, Red Butte, and twelve miles south of the rim of the Grand Canyon. Mat Taav Tiivjunmdva and Wii'i gdwiisa are the center of the Havasupai aboriginal lands. The danger the mine poses to our religion is, for Havasupai, a matter of life and death. Mat Taav Tiivjundva is the abdomen of the Mother who gave birth to us and renews our world and us each year. Wii'i gdwiisa is the navel of the Mother. We believe mines at either of these sites will destroy us and our world. Congress has already specifically recognized in the Grand Canyon Enlargement Act (P.L. 93-620, 16 U.S.C. S 228i) the importance of protecting Havasupai religious sites, practices, and beliefs. Prior to enactment of the Act, the Tribe possessed aboriginal title to the Forest Service land on which our sites are located. Congress extinguished certain aboriginal rights and provided that the Act preserved for Havasupai a right to go to the land for religious purposes and gathering. EFN built a fence around Mat Taav Tiivjundva and we can no longer go there because it is littered with buildings and mining equipment. Surely the Forest Service, by granting EFN a permit to develop a mine and destroy the religious values of the site, violates the express Congressional intent of the Act. If our sacred site is destroyed, it will destroy our Mother. Our right to practice a vital part of our religion and gather paints and medicines for ceremonial use could be rendered meaningless if our Mother is killed. On June 22, 1988 seven Havasupai began a seven-day prayer vigil at the Mat Taav Tiivjundva site, but they cut short their religious observances because of the unlawful harassment by Law enforcement officers. They were armed and came in a helicopter. Our people had only a prayer feather tied to a stick. The Forest Service takes the position that it is prohibited by the 1872 Mining Law from turning down any requests for mining permits on religious or environmental grounds, no matter how devastating the consequences may be. The Federal District Court in Phoenix on June 17, 1988 entered an order continuing the stay issued by the Forest Service prohibiting actual mining and removal of ore. They stay will be continued through a hearing on the merits and expiration of time for appeal of any ruling thereon. The Havsupai Tribe and some environmental groups have long opposed uranium mining and milling near the South Rim of the Grand Canyon because of the risk of radioactive contamination of water supplies. Mining uranium at our sacred site may add radioactive contamination of water supplies. Mining uranium at our sacred site may add radioactive pollutants to the Havasu Creek, which is the Havasupai's sole water supply. Our fears are heightened by a recent report by the Geological Survey that shows concentrations of radioactive contamination of the Little Colorado River, which is a tributary of the Colorado, caused by uranium mining and milling in New Mexico. The USGS hydrologist interviewed by the Arizona Republic says that radioactive material undoubtedly is now embedded in the Colorado River. It is likely "heavy concentrations" of radioactive material were flushed into the Colorado and may be lodged in sediments behind Hoover Dam at Lake Mead. We do not drink water from the Colorado River, but millions do. Colorado River water is delivered to Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix and other Southwestern cities and towns by means of canals and aqueducts. By 1991, Colorado River water will also be delivered to Tucson by the Central Arizona Project. From: NativeNet@gnosys.svle.ma.us Date: Fri, 31 May 91 00:11:55 -0700 >From: anchor.esd.sgi.com!dearborn (Lyn Dearborn) Subject: Re: Havasupai and uranium mining Clearing this is an issue that WE, THE PEOPLE, still have time to act upon. Who would be the MOST EFFECTIVE people to BOMBARD with letters or petitions. There are clearly several issues here. 1. Violation/threat to native religious practices. 2. Desecration of an important religious "monument" 3. Desecration of National Park Land (loosely) 4. Hazardous waste in public water systems 5. Hazardous waste to general public visiting a national park. So, what wise, legally versed person(s) out there can recommend the best people to send our sanitaty pleas to ..... particularly ones that won't just throw up their arms saying "its those darned Indians and their religious freedom crap" again.... No, of course, I don't feel that way, but that has been the "public cry" about the proposed road through "religious land" in No. California, known as the "NO-GO road project". It is obvious that JUST yelling violation of religious freedom isn't going to stop the US GOVERNMENT from the possibility of raping the earth for nuclear power. Unfortunately, it is also clear that yelling about 3-mile Island, Chernoble, and other such things, alone, won't do it. Hazardous waste in the water that would affect the GENERAL PUBLIC seems like a good focal point, particularly since HUNDREDS of GENERAL anglo PUBLIC, et al., go on expensive raft trips down the Colorado every year ... INCLUDING LAW MAKERS. They swim in this river on those trips, and no doubt ingest some of the water. DITTO the tourists who spend big bucks in the bottom of the canyon at the Havasupai's Guest Ranch. I SUSPECT that the best way to get results is to scare the lawmakers into believing they to might be affected (or their relatives, loved ones, etc). I fully acknowledge that I could be wrong .... Feedback, names, addresses, etc., sought! .. obviously, the sooner the better. Lyn Dearborn >From: rhenley@cdp.UUCP Date: 09 Apr 91 22:25 PDT From: NativeNet@gnosys.svle.ma.us Subject: Re: Uranium mining on sacred lands. Original-Sender: rhenley@cdp.UUCP for an indepth article on this issue see the current issue of the Workbook v 16 no 1 spring 1991. 'Uranium Mining at the Grand Canyon: What Costs to Water, Air and Indigenous People ?' by Cate Gilles, with Lena Bravo and Don Watahomigie. The Workbook is available from: Southwest Research & Information Center P.O. Box 4524 Albuquerque, NM 87106 single copy price is $3.50, A years subscription is $12 -- daveus rattus yer friendly neighborhood ratman KOYAANISQATSI ko.yan.nis.qatsi (from the Hopi Language) n. 1. crazy life. 2. life in turmoil. 3. life out of balance. 4. life disintegrating. 5. a state of life that calls for another way of living.