From the Earth First! Newswire

This short video above was created following an Earth First! protest in Salt Lake City, February 20, 2012, at SITLA offices. Check out this post from earlier in the week for more background on the tar sands plans and the growing resistance in Utah.

Below is another film, from last summer when Earth First! raised some hell in Helena, Montana, opposing new tar sands infrastructure in the US.

Durango Earth First!er Nathan Coe with some recommended reading: "Igniting A Revolution: Voices In Defense of the Earth"

An interview with Durango Earth First!er Nathan Coe

By Ryan King, special to Mongabay.com

Many ideals, actions, and movements considered as fringe or radical by the standards of mainstream culture have gained prominence as global biodiversity withers and the biogeochemical cycles of the entire Earth System are upset by human activities. As endangered species and ecosystems are increasingly threatened, direct confrontation between activists and the entities that drive environmental damage seems also to be increasing. At the same time, concern that present global governance and distribution systems are unable to provide security, clean water, affordable food and a stable future to most of society, is spurring some to move toward new models, including sustainable, autonomous communities and decentralized production.

Mongabay recently had the opportunity to discuss some of these issues with activist and writer Nathan Coe.

A life-long resident of Southwest Colorado and a lover of all things wild and free, Nathan has been involved in the formation of a local chapter of Earth First!, taking direct action to protect local and regional wilderness, as well as initiating a Transition movement in his community in preparation for life after gridcrash. Nathan is also part of the organizers’ collective for Wild Roots Feral Futures, an annual rewinding & eco-defense gathering in Southwest Colorado.

Click here to read the interview…

Yesterday, February 20, the Earth First! 2012 Organizers Conference & Winter Rendezvous culminated in a rowdy demonstration outside the School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA) offices in downtown Salt Lake City. Earth First! activists staged their protest with local organizers from Utah Tar Sands Resistance and Canyon Country Rising Tide. The offices were closed for Presidents’ Day, but a clear (and messy) message was left at the doorstep—a mock oil spill accompanied by a mural reading “Hey SITLA: Tar Sands Outta Utah!”

The project would lease school trust lands for tar sands extraction in the Book Cliffs area, directly impacting PR Springs, a site which is also utilized for camping and recreation.

“Destruction of education trust lands through tar sands mining is contrary to the mandate of this agency, which requires them to maintain the land for the long term,” said Mark Purdy of Utah Tar Sands Resistance.

An article in the Desert News stated: “The proposed mining operation would occupy a 213-acre site in the East Tavaputts Plateau straddling the borders of Uintah and Grand counties.  An ore processing facility would accommodate up to 3,500 tons of ore per day in the production of bitumen. The extraction process would require 1.5 barrels to 2 barrels of water per barrel of bitumen produced… The company will have to post a reclamation bond of nearly $1.7 million before any work is allowed to begin at the site.

Another company, MCW Energy, is proposing a pilot project to test its proprietary solvent in the extraction of bitumen on 1,000 stockpiled tons of tar sands 3 miles west of Vernal in Uintah County.

Opponents have appealed permits issued related to the PR Springs project, with hearings set for next month.”

"oil spill" at SITLA's doorstep (non-toxic, maybe even edibe...)

Utah was chosen specifically as the site of the annual Earth First! winter gathering to highlight resistance to these tar sands proposal, as well as lend support to the courageous actions of people like Tim DeChristopher who was sentenced to a two-years in prison for his effective sabotage of an oil and gas auction on Utah’s public lands.

Along with DeChristopher, two other ecological and animal liberation activists from Utah, Jordan Halliday and Walter Bond, are also currently facing time behind bars for their involvement with direct action efforts. Contacts for these and other eco-prisoners can be found at the Earth First! Journal’s prisoner support page.

In related news, an anonymous communique was also received the previous night, apparently sent back from the future: “The Book Cliffs, where Spotted Owls screech and Elk reign, were under attack… Eco-Warriors worked under the rising sun. We have Molotoved their mining equipment. We have Monkey-Wrenched their machines. We have sawed their bulldozers to pieces. There are no longer any functional drilling tools in the Book Cliffs.

A major blow has been dealt to the oil extraction infrastructure. The PR Springs Mine Project is at its knees. Take Warning. Oil will never be piped through the West. Utah will never be mined. The mines of Alberta will cease.

Image from the futuristic communique distributed at the protest

No longer will our wild places fuel this militarized culture. Your machines are bound to rust. Tar Sand Extraction Profiteers, SITLA, CEO’s Glen D. Snar, and, Mr. Cuthbert; We are coming for you. This is just the beginning…”

The mining equipment is not actually present on-site yet, just in case that was unclear.

02/01/2012 – Rangers employed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs rode in on horse back and four wheelers, armed with portable corals and livestock trailers, to take horses and calves from Dineh tribal elders living on Black Mesa, last week. Residents of the traditionally tribal land say the livestock seizure is the latest push in a relocation effort elders have fought for more than three decades.

They’re violating universal human rights,” said Bahe Katenay, one of the Dineh people who lives in the Big Mountain Community of Black Mesa. Katenay grew up on Black Mesa and helps tribal elders maintain their traditions. “These people still have a right to food, to their culture, to safety, to health.”

Rangers with the Hopi Tribal Government told Black Mesa residents that the roughly eight cattle and 25 horses were taken because they were not properly registered, said Derek Minno Bloom, who volunteers with the Black Mesa Indigenous Support collective. The collective is made up of people who do not live in the Black Mesa area and are largely non-native, but have responded to elders’ requests for outside help in order to stay on their land.

Some of the animals have been returned, Katenay said, although he did not have an official tally. Black Mesa Indigenous Support is raising money to help elders get their animals back, Minno Bloom said.

Louella Nahsonhoya, who works for the Hopi Tribal Government, said she would send members of the press a written statement about the livestock by the end of the week. Before then, she will be unable to answer any questions about why the horses and cattle were taken.

“This is part of forced relocation,” Katenay said, noting that the official U.S. policy is to relocate only those Dineh people who willingly leave their land. Approximately 40 tribal elders remain on Black Mesa, many of whom are at least 80 years old, Katenay said. None of them is willing to relocate.

They are trying to maintain their culture, their heritage,” Katenay said.

The back story is convoluted, but the conflict stems from the U.S. government’s collusion with Peabody Coal Company Since the 1970s, the company has steered efforts to remove Dineh and Hopi people from their ancestral homes on Black Mesa, in order to mine coal there. The Bureau of Indian Affairs-approved Hopi tribal government is not so much a traditional authority. Rather they are deputies of the U.S. Federal Government, Katenay said.

Efforts to remove remaining elders from the land have made life there more difficult. Although people depend on animals for their livelihood, livestock roundups happen as often as twice a year. Officials have capped off water wells and destroyed pumps, although water is hard to collect on the arid mesa, Katenay said.

Still, relocating is not a viable or easy solution for the elders. Many do not speak or read English. They have a deep wealth of knowledge, but it largely pertains to traditional life: herding, weaving, histories and rituals.

Those who are relocated are put in modern homes, with less land and fewer animals. The amenities are unfamiliar: Someone who grew up without electricity and running water might not know which foods go in the refrigerator and which go in the cupboard, Katenay said. Younger people often are surrounded by modern distractions, leaving their elders in solitude.

They’re not going to force these people out,” Katenay said of the remaining elders. “These people have been resisting for more than 30 years.”

Elders have seen, first hand, that coal mining leads to pollution, the depletion of clean water and other problems, Katenay said. In a sense, they resist relocation to help everyone. He tells the story of one woman who speaks no English, but has come to understand there is war and upheaval in the world outside Black Mesa.

She is doing it for all the people in the world,” Katenay said. “They’re not only doing it for themselves. They’re doing it for all of humanity. If we allow this coal company to do what they want to do, we’re all in danger.”

Leslie Wilber is a journalist who has covered police misconduct, courts, high school sports and other disasterous things. She lives in Denver and is an editor at The Precarious, a media project with a mission to use in-depth journalism, storytelling and cultural analysis to re-frame the revolutionary as regular. They investigate oppression and celebrate liberation with relentless curiosity, critical minds, style and humor. They’re not here to merely convey information, and they hope their readers aren’t content to idly consume media.

Read the court decision at Censored News

BOYCOTT ARIZONA SNOWBOWL. Skiers, please honor the sacred land of Native Americans on San Francisco Peaks in northern Arizona: Tell Arizona Snowbowl you won’t ski there because they do not honor the land and ceremonies of Native Americans.

It was an especially beautiful morning on June 16, when at least 15 people participated in a direct action on the San Francisco Peaks that temporarily halted construction of a pipeline on the mountain. Six mainly indigenous youth were arrested during the coordinated action and another was cited for trespassing.

On December 1, 2010, Federal Judge Mary Murguia ruled in favor of Arizona Snowbowl Limited Partnership, approving the construction of a 14.8-mile reclaimed wastewater pipeline from Flagstaff to the ski resort, among other developments. The water is to be used at Snowbowl to make artificial snow. While many ski resorts around the world use a percentage of reclaimed wastewater to make snow, the resort would be the only one in the world that would use a 100% mixture of wastewater in this way. Prompted by concerns from the scientific community and others who assert the likelihood of health risks associated with the use of reclaimed wastewater, the Environmental Protection Agency is currently conducting a national multi-year study of the water to be completed in 2013.

The case itself, brought on by the Save the Peaks Coalition and nine concerned citizens, is currently under appeal in the Ninth Circuit. The Hopi Tribe has filed their own separate lawsuit citing a first amendment violation of their religious freedoms in association with further development.

The San Francisco Peaks are held sacred to at least 13 regional Native American tribes and the impact of construction has been emotional. A prayer gathering was held at the base of the San Francisco Peaks a few days after construction began, where Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly addressed the crowd declaring, “We have got to stop the construction.” Kelvin Long, director of ECHOES (Educating Communities while Healing and Offering Environmental Support) stated, “We’re going to protect our mountain, we’re not going to allow snowmaking to happen.” Steve Darden of the Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission and former Flagstaff City Council member added a specific message to youth. “In our Hogans and sweat lodges we are offering our prayers, we’re relying on you young ones to step up.”

And so they did.

On the morning of the action, as the full moon faded and the sun rose, two demonstrators chained themselves to the wheel well of a large excavator while two pairs of women sat back-to-back deep inside the six-foot-trench, bound to each other by the neck with U-locks. The action occurred a few miles up Snowbowl Road where construction had been in progress since May 25, 2011.

The first to respond on the scene was Snowbowl. The security vehicle, a blue Mercedes, screamed up and down Snowbowl Road apparently trying to locate those involved in the action. By 6 AM more than 15 armed agents arrived on the scene, as well as the Coconino County Sheriff’s Department, City of Flagstaff Police, and the FBI.

At the same time a group of at least eight demonstrators gathered at the bottom of Snowbowl road, blocking access. Five demonstrators wore white hazmat suites in a symbolic “quarantine” of the resort, stretching banners across the road that read, “Protect Sacred Sites” and “Danger! Health Hazard—Snowbowl.” Caution tape was stretched across the width of the road along with other objects, forming a makeshift blockade.

The demonstrators engaged in a multi-varied approach to what is very much considered a multi-layered issue. The complexity of the controversy was illustrated in the diversity of demonstrator’s chants, echoing from the base of the mountain, from those locked to construction equipment, and from voices deep from within the trenches. “Protect Sacred Sites, Defend Human Rights!” “No desecration for recreation!” “Stop the cultural genocide! Protect the Peaks!” “Human health over corporate wealth!” “Dook’o’osliid [the traditional Diné name of the San Francisco Peaks], we’ve got your back!”

Fire Department began aggressively cutting demonstrators from their various lockdown devices. Evan Hawbaker and Kristopher Barney were chained to the same excavator. “The police’s use of excessive force was in complete disregard for my safety. They pulled at my arms and forced my body and head further into the machine, all the while using heavy duty power saws within inches of my hand,” said Hawbaker.

Rather than negotiate, as the demonstrators were cut, it was clear that the police and firemen preferred to use scare tactics. “We don’t want to cut your arm off,” repeated one of the firemen several times to which Hawbaker finally responded, “I don’t want you to cut my arm off either.” Hawbaker said the fireman looked dead serious, “well, we will if we have to.”

The firefighters used a Sawzall to cut the PVC pipe lengthwise. When the blade hit the metal rod, it rattled the chain violently. Hawbaker depicts, “Those who cut us out endangered our well being ignoring the screams to stop. They treated our bodies the way they’re treating this holy mountain.”

One of the women in the trench described an action taken in which one police officer would attempt to stand them up while another officer moved the other demonstrator another way. Because U-locks bound the women by the neck, they were choked. “Nobody even bothered to ask what it would take to get us out voluntarily. Finally they just started hurting us,” said Ms. Del Callejo. “I’m here to protect the mountain, I said, and you’re hurting me. You’re choking me.” The police responded in a way that did not sugar coat their lack of experience in dealing with nonviolent demonstrators. “That’s your own fault.”

“Our safety was prioritized second to Snowbowl’s demands. I was not aggressive. My lock was sawed through, inches away from both of our heads, secured solely and recklessly by the hands of a deputy. The police’s response was hasty, taking about ten minutes in total—it was dehumanizing,” said Hailey Sherwood, one of the last demonstrators cut out.

One at a time, as demonstrators were removed from their locking devices, they were treated by paramedics, and arrested for trespassing. Those two demonstrators that were bound to minors were also charged with “contributing to the delinquency of a minor,” and another charged for “endangerment.”

On the Monday after the lockdown, the Arizona Daily Sun published an editorial reaction entitled, “Monkey-wrenchers Marginalize Cause of Native America.” Besides the fact that the term, “monkeywrenching,” is entirely misrepresented in the editorial, as it is well documented that demonstrators took great care not to damage any machinery, the editorial itself reads more like an attempt by the paper to, in fact, marginalize the history of social and environmental movements.

The editorial explained that demonstrators’ comparison of their actions to Rosa Parks is a false analogy on the grounds that when Ms. Parks refused to move to the back of the bus, segregation was illegal. Said the editorial, “civil rights activists were seeking to uphold the law.” Here it sounds like the writers of the editorial would not have found the actions of Ms. Parks to be meaningful, courageous, or ethically sound if she had acted before segregation laws were abolished. It would be a curious task for the writers to name one social movement in the history of the world that did not result in illegal actions and arrests.

“Throughout history, acts of resistance and civil disobedience have been taken by young and old against injustices such as this. This action is not isolated but part of a continued resistance to human rights violations, to colonialism, to corporate greed, and destruction of Mother Earth,” added Del Callejo.

The editorial goes on, “The Snowbowl protesters are focusing on a religious dispute and don’t have the law on their side.” If the last 40 years of lawsuits have revealed anything, it should be clear that confronting a Eurocentric court system that is structurally incapable of making connections between environmental and human rights concerns has been a challenge for native people from the get-go. If the Daily Sun thinks the only issue here is “a religious dispute” that has nothing to do with the environmental integrity of the mountain and is not connected to the cultural survival of our native neighbors, they have truly exposed how out of touch they are on this issue. “The Holy San Francisco Peaks is home, tradition, culture, and a sanctuary… and all this is being desecrated by the Arizona Snowbowl Ski Resort,” said one of the demonstrators.

In the city council meetings related to choosing a water source for Snowbowl last summer, at least three-fouths of those hundreds of people in attendance submitted pubic comments in opposition to development, most of which urged the council to cancel the water contract with Snowbowl all together.

Furthermore, early in the morning of the demonstrations, word got out on [public radio] KNAU about what was happening, folks from all over Flagstaff came by and offered their support. A demonstrator remarked, “One woman came by with her daughter. She gave us all a bunch of Gatorade and offered to cook us all meals if it went on throughout the day. Many other folks grabbed signs and joined in the rally at the bottom of the mountain.” Furthermore, activists began to call from all over the country, as far away as Hawaii. A group from New Mexico said they were on their way to Flagstaff.

“How can we be trespassers on our Holy Site?” questioned Barney. “I do not agree with these and the other charges; we will continue our resistance.”

[There have now been over 23 arrested for resisting construction of the pipeline which began along Snowbowl Road in late May of 2011]

Updated Information: RED ALERT! Black Mesa/Big Mountain livestock impoundments happening now!

Alert! Take Action Now!

From Black Mesa Indigenous Support:

In the last two days, livestock impoundment crews have confiscated calves and stolen and immediately sold horses belonging to several Dineh people of Big Mountain/Black Mesa, Arizona. These livestock impoundments constitute human rights violations against traditional Dineh (Navajo); they take away one of their major food sources and one of the main sources of their livelihood. This is a tactical move to further genocidal relocation policies.

Even though it is Saturday, call now and throughout the week and flood their lines and answering machines.  Say that the elders need their animals to survive, these confiscations are WRONG, that we are watching, and that we see this ongoing harassment as part of cultural genocide.  Also, make sure to ask that they stop driving quads illegally through sensitive environments.

Please Call The Hopi tribal chairman’s office @ 928-734-3102. Ask for the chair, LeRoy Shingoitewa who made the direct order for the impoundments and stolen horses.

We’re collecting funds to pay for livestock reclamation. We know it will be at least $500. The amount increases daily.  You can go here to donate now: http://blackmesais.org/donate/

Many Thanks for Your Support. Stay in touch!

The BMIS Collective

UPDATE! Black Mesa: Navajo horses impounded being sold:

Impoundments are currently happening on the HPL

In a phone call, Hopi ranger Ronald Honyumptewa confirmed that animals were impounded from range units 257 and 259 of the HPL from Monday through Wednesday. He stated that all unbranded horses have already been sold, that a buyer was identified so they went out with quads to round them up, then sold them. He also said the order came down directly from the Hopi Chairman. They were all sold to Sun Valley. Ranger Honyumptewa said they have the legal right to confiscate them under ordinance 43 in the Accommodation Agreement and are not obligated to hold impounded illegal animals for the residents to claim. He also said they will be rounding up from the rest of the HPL range units.

Letter of Concern to Hopi Tribal Council regarding the recent impoundments on Black Mesa and Call Out for Human Rights Observers:

Note: Below is the letter of concern we sent to the Hopi Tribal Chairman this morning, January 31, 2012. In light of the impoundments that took place last week and those that could happen this week and beyond, we are putting out a call of support to all persons interested in doing Human Rights Observation and support for the elders on Black Mesa during the harsh winter months. As in the past, cameras, video cameras, voice recorders, and journalism skills are needed to help monitor and document the activities of the Hopi Rangers on the “Hopi Partitioned Lands” of Black Mesa. Please contact us at blackmesais@gmail.com if you are interested in participating.

We also ask for people to call the Hopi Tribal Chairman’s office letting them know that you are in support of the letter we sent and that you want the impoundments to stop. Ask for Chairman Shingoitewa (928) 734-3102

Thank you for all your support! May the indigenous communities of Black Mesa be remembered and supported, now and always!

Hopi Tribal Council
P.O. Box 123, Kykotsmovi, AZ  86039

Dear Honorable Chairman Shingoitewa,

It is with great concern that we write to you today, January 31 year 2012.

The undersigned are members of a group called Black Mesa Indigenous Support
(BMIS) that exists to promote respect and support for the elders of
Black Mesa/Big Mountain, specifically those living traditionally on the
Hopi Partitioned Land (HPL). We write with support and encouragement
from that community.  As you know, many of these individuals are related
to those of you directly.  BMIS has worked with you at Hopi in the past
on many issues, and have recently been honored to support your work and
the work of others in protecting the sacred San Fransisco Peaks by
stopping Snowbowl.  

It has been brought to our attention that on January 25 and 27, Hopi
rangers impounded animals belonging to Dineh families who live on HPL.
These animals were rounded up by Hopi rangers using quads, on grazing
districts 257 and 259.

According to acting chief Hopi ranger, Ronald Honyumptewa, the order to carry out
these impoundments came directly from the Hopi tribal council chairman.

Mr. Honyumptewa stated that they have the right to confiscate these animals
under ordinance 43 in the Accommodation Agreement (Public Law 104-301),
and said further that the Hopi authorities are not obligated to hold on to
impounded animals for owners to claim.

We are also very concerned to learn that a buyer of some of the animals
was already identified directly before the impoundments had taken place,
and that the animals were transported to Sun Valley for the purchase.

We understand that PL 104-301 authorizes such impoundments by Hopi
rangers, however we are troubled at the manner in which they were
carried out.  

As we have understood it, the owners of these now impounded animals, were
never given personal notice to sell or arrange for said unbranded
animals, nor told in advance that these impoundments were going to take
place. We have learned now, after the incidents, that notices were put
up in the Rocky Ridge store and some local Chapter Houses five days
before the impoundments took place.  The residents report that being
notified in such a manner is insufficient, considering that many of the
elders cannot read English and/or speak English and do not frequent the
Rocky Ridge store and Chapter Houses due to lack of transportation and
funds. In the future, we, on behalf of the elders, urge you to employ
direct, respectful, and personal communication with an aim to reach
mutual understanding and solve livestock problems.

Again, our purpose in writing this letter is to encourage mutual respect,
kindness, and moral responses to the issues that arise on the Hopi
Partitioned Land.  We received reports of Hopi rangers whipping
livestock and speeding on all-terrain vehicles in sensitive environments
in front of Dineh elders while rounding up livestock, and then laughing
at the elders who expressed dismay at the abuse of their land and
animals.  As you well know, life on the Hopi Partition Land has its
myriad difficulties, and we believe, as we know you do, that all people
deserve respect and have the right to live their lives in dignity.  We
value your commitment to stewardship of the earth and respect your
efforts at stewardship in various venues; it is our heartfelt hope that
that commitment extends to the HPL.  

The aforementioned act of selling the impounded livestock without due
process that would allow for the retrieval of said livestock is viewed
as disrespectful by the affected community and can be considered a
violation of Human Rights and a specific violation of the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples as articulated by the UN Declaration for Indigenous
Peoples’ Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

As you know, in that Declaration, which was adopted by the UN General
Assembly on September 13th 2007, it is stated that:

Article 20
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain and develop their political,
economic and social systems or institutions, to be secure in the enjoyment of their
own means of subsistence and development, and to engage freely in all their
traditional and other economic activities.
2. Indigenous peoples deprived of their means of subsistence and
development are entitled to just and fair redress

Article 22
1. Particular attention shall be paid to the rights and special needs of
indigenous elders, women, youth, children and persons with disabilities in the
implementation of this Declaration.
2. States shall take measures, in conjunction with indigenous peoples, to
ensure that indigenous women and children enjoy the full protection and
guarantees against all forms of violence and discrimination

Article 24
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to their traditional medicines and to
maintain their health practices, including the conservation of their vital medicinal
plants, animals and minerals. Indigenous individuals also have the right to access,
without any discrimination, to all social and health services.
2. Indigenous individuals have an equal right to the enjoyment of the
highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. States shall take the
necessary steps with a view to achieving progressively the full realization of this
right.

Article 25
Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain and strengthen their distinctive
spiritual relationship with their traditionally owned or otherwise occupied and used
lands, territories, waters and coastal seas and other resources and to uphold their
responsibilities to future generations in this regard.

Article 8
1. Indigenous peoples and individuals have the right not to be subjected to
forced assimilation or destruction of their culture.

Article 10
Indigenous peoples shall not be forcibly removed from their lands or
territories. No relocation shall take place without the free, prior and informed
consent of the indigenous peoples concerned and after agreement on just and fair
compensation and, where possible, with the option of return.

Article 12
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to manifest, practice, develop and
teach their spiritual and religious traditions, customs and ceremonies; the right to
maintain, protect, and have access in privacy to their religious and cultural sites; the
right to the use and control of their ceremonial objects; and the right to the repatriation
of  their human remains.

In light of the information above, we the undersigned, urge you, the Hopi Tribal Council to consider:

1. An immediate return of the livestock confiscated on the aforementioned dates to the appropriate families.

2.As per all articles of the UN Declaration on Indigenous Peoples’ Rights
and Fundamental Freedoms cited above, an immediate revocation of Public
Laws 93-531 and 104-301, and an immediate end to the forced relocation and harassment
of residents of the Hopi Partitioned Land.  

3. That all future impoundments are preceded by notices in Dineh and
English and are delivered in a personal manner at least three weeks
prior to the beginning of the impoundments to the affected parties with
clear proof that said parties understand and consent.  

4. As per articles 20 (1, 2); 22 (1); and 24 (1) specifically of the UN
Declaration on Indigenous Peoples’ Rights and Fundamental Freedoms cited
above, an immediate end to limitation of livestock herd sizes for
residents of the Hopi Partitioned Land.  

5. An immediate end of the use of all-terrain vehicles for livestock
roundups on the environmentally sensitive Hopi Partitioned Land.
6. An immediate assessment by the Hopi Tribal Council of the Hopi Rangers’
capacity for dealing with the problem of wild horse herds on the Hopi
Partitioned Land before any further impoudments of livestock belonging to
individuals are considered.

We thank you for your time and consideration and look forward to hearing a
response within the next two weeks.  Please contact us at blackmesais@gmail.com

Respectfully,
The Black Mesa Indigenous Support Collective: Derek Minno Bloom, Liza Minno
Bloom, Hallie Boas, Berkley Carnine, Theresa Gigante, and Owen Johnson

Save the Peaks Awaits Court Decision

While she’s not sure how the federal judges of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals will rule after hearing arguments in the Arizona Snowbowl case Monday, musician and environmental activist Jeneda Benally said she was encouraged by what was going on outside the courtroom.

A caravan of indigenous youth from Arizona and New Mexico opposed to using reclaimed wastewater to make snow on Dook’o’oosláád was joined by local activists outside the James R. Browning U.S. Courthouse in San Francisco, calling for more investigation into the health effects of close contact with treated sewage.

Read more…

Native Americans optimistic after Peaks appeal in federal court:

SAN FRANCISCO – Five plaintiffs and representatives of The Save The Peaks Coalition, with their attorney and supporters, optimistically exited the James R. Browning United States Courthouse today following oral arguments in the Ninth Circuit appeal of The Save the Peaks Coalition, et al. v. U.S. Forest Service.

The San Francisco Peaks is in imminent danger of becoming a toxic recreation area, exposing people to dangerous contaminants as the US Forest Service allows treated sewer water at the ski resort and proposed snow play area. The Save the Peaks Coalition v. US Forest Service is a crucial legal battle to protect the public and the environment from hazardous pharmaceuticals and endocrine disrupting compounds that can negatively impact public health. The case asserted that under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Administrative Procedure Act, the Forest Service failed to adequately consider the impacts associated with ingestion of snow made from reclaimed sewer water in its federally mandated environmental review process.

Read more…

The OC will kickoff with the Night to Howl featuring Earth First!’s own Warrior Poets. The Organizers Conference, Thursday thru Saturday afternoon, is a meeting of earth warriors to strategize on how we most effectively create a world where the Earth comes First! Then Saturday night, after three days of meetings, it’s time to stretch and play at the Winter Rondy. It kicks off Saturday with fire and music (yes, that means you should bring your inspiration and instruments!) with Sunday and Monday filled with workshops, action planning, and … well, you know what comes after action planning.

A few notes on the site: Mystic Hot Springs is welcoming Earth First! with minimal compensation that includes work trade. For those of you who want to do something besides sit in meetings and go to workshops there will be a need for folks to care for the place we gather. If you are interested in being part of the work trade crew contact Stan at permipreacher@gmail.com or volunteer on site. Also, everyone should bring a little extra cash to further support our host in his efforts to care for this magical site.

Monroe, UT is a small, fairly conservative community that we should be mindful of. Please treat those you encounter with respect. Always remember, regardless of what you may think of their politics or beliefs, we are guests in their home. It will be in the low 20′s to 30′s at night and 40’s-60’s during the day. Dress appropriately and bring good bedding. A pad and/or ground cloth is essential. For those in need there are a few rustic indoor sleeping places. Please contact us if you would like one of these and, if possible, be prepared to give a little extra for indoor digs.

Website for the OC will be up soon

Website up! efoc2012.webstarts.com

The website for the place hosting the OC is: www.mystichotsprings.com

For questions and other communication email: skillstour@gmail.com

And if you are not email/computer friendly (aka luddite) and need information call: (406) 721-8427.

Forest Service risks safety of children’s health by allowing sewage effluent snow on San Francisco Peaks !

Human health impacts of wastewater snowmaking to be heard at 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, CA

From: Jeneda Benally

What: COURT DATE, CARAVAN, PRESS CONFERENCE, RALLY

When: Saturday, January 7^th, 2012 Caravan launches from Flagstaff.

Monday, January 9, 2012 – Court Hearing (see schedule of events below)

Where: Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal
95 Seventh Street, San Francisco, CA

Who:   The Save The Peaks Coalition

Why:   The San Francisco Peaks, a holy mountain near Flagstaff AZ, are in danger of  being used as a toxic recreation area exposing citizens to hazardous contaminants!

Citizens are fighting the United States Forest Service in a legal battle to protect children from hazardous endocrine disruptors and to protect this sacred site from desecration. On January 9th, 2012 The Save the Peaks Coalition et al vs. the United States Forest Service will be heard by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, CA. The case argues that under the National Environmental Policy Act and the Administrative Procedure Act, the Forest Service failed to adequately consider the impacts associated with ingestion of snow made from reclaimed sewer water in its Environmental Impact Statement.

The Forest Service approved reclaimed sewer water for the use of snowmaking at a local Northern Arizona ski resort in 2004. The reclaimed sewer water in question is from Flagstaff’s Rio de Flag Sewage Plant. Since May, the owners of Arizona Snowbowl, with the support of the  U.S. Forest Service and the Flagstaff City Council, have already laid 7 miles of a 14.8 mile wastewater pipeline and have clear-cut over 50 acres of rare alpine forest.

According to Howard Shanker, attorney for the Save the Peaks Coalition and the other plaintiffs, “The Forest Service failed to adequately consider the impacts of potential human ingestion of snow made from reclaimed sewer water as required by applicable law. Our government should not be approving such projects without some sort of understanding of the anticipated impacts. By approving treated sewage effluent for snow making without adequate analysis, the government essentially turns the ski area into a test facility with our children as the laboratory rats. That is unconscionable.” Mr. Shanker, a former congressional candidate in Arizona Congressional District 1, represented a number of tribes and environmental organizations in prior litigation over Snowbowl’s proposed expansion and threatened use of treated sewage effluent.

“It is deplorable that the United States Forest Service would allow known endocrine disruptors to come in to contact with our most vulnerable citizens, our children”, states Berta Benally, a plaintiff in the case. “At one point DDT, BPA and asbestos were all considered safe. Years later, after many people have suffered, we now sadly know that they are hazardous!”

The Save the Peaks Coalition is planning a caravan to the San Francisco Court of Appeals on January 9th. Anyone interested in participating can email savethepeakscaravan@yahoo.com.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

January 9th

7:00  AM,  Sunrise Gathering/Ceremony *Photo Opportunity*

To Be Determined, San Francisco

8:00 AM,  March to Courthouse *Photo Opportunity*

95 Seventh Street, San Francisco

9:00 AM,  Prayer Vigil at Courthouse *Photo Opportunity*

95 Seventh Street, San Francisco

More info: TrueSnow.org

(Also on Facebook)