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*BIG MOUNTAIN
CANNOT BE EXCLUDED FROM THE LEGACY OF THE FOUR CORNERS
ENERGY WARS:
Since the
beginning of the Big Mountain resistance elders would
say: "We are resisting relocation and the coal mining
not only for ourselves but for the whole world. Black
Mesa must not be desecrated because of its sacredness
--it provides life to all living things including all
the human races." Elder resisters of Big Mountain
have referred to the coal as the Mother Earth's liver. |
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Greetings Friends, We thank everyone for your dedication in your continued support of Black Mesa families in their struggle to remain on their ancestral homelands. This web-site is now mainly an archived site but will be updated in times of urgent situations or breaking news. The sheepherder/support program will remain, as requested by the families on the land.
~Black Mesa Indigenous Support Summer 2007
CALLS FOR SUPPORT AT BLACK MESA, ARIZONA.
The recent warnings of exclusion & detainment of non-native supporters staying as guests of elders and families living in remote areas throughout Black Mesa draws the concern of local and international support & human rights organizations. Read our statement. Black Mesa Indigenous Support
NEXT STEPS FOR STOPPING THE BLACK MESA PROJECT - PEABODY COAL'S MASSIVE COAL-MINING PLANS THAT CALL FOR MORE RELOCATION,
WATER AQUIFER DEPLETION, DESTRUCTION OF SACRED ANCESTRAL HOME LANDS, & GLOBAL WARMING:
1. Office Of Surface Mining (OSM) will review the comments and continue with the preparation of the final Environmental Impact Statement.
2. OSM will issue a Final Environmental Impact Statement with a
"Record of Decision" on the project. No new studies will be made.
OSM states: “EIS’s are based on available data and information. After
conducting a preliminary review of the comments received, we do not anticipate we will conduct additional studies.” OSM presently estimates that the timeline for the decision on the final EIS will be out late June‘07.
3. After the Record of Decision is made, there is a 45-day appeal
process. If the decision is made in favor of the Black Mesa Project, this is when appeals can be made. Lawsuits could be filed to block the decision.
***Awareness is still needed! Please visit www.blackmesawatercoalition.org for further info about The Black Mesa Project, the Just Transition campaign, & Black Mesa.
IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY, PLEASE SEND A LETTER
TO STOP PEABODY COAL'S BLACK MESA PROJECT!
"Office of Surface Mining
has extended the closing date for public comments to February
6, 2007. OSM will not
be extending the comment period beyond February 6, 2007.
To the extent practicable during preparation of the Final
EIS, OSM will consider comments on the Draft EIS that
are received after February 6, 2007."
- Salt
River Project ceases efforts to restart Mohave Generating
Station - Salt River Project
Press ReleaseEven though it's a victory
that Salt River Project has pulled out of
Peabody's Black Mesa Project, their press release
stated that "SRP believes Southern California
Edison intends to continue with its ongoing effort
to identify potential new buyers for Mohave."
The final draft of the EIS is
due some time this summer. 2/06/07
- SUMMARY
of Peabody's Black Mesa Project.
- Peabody's
Black Mesa Project EIS
Fact Sheet
- Black Mesa Water Coalition - 1/3/07
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Black Mesa Dineh
Elder Rena Babbit Lane's case has been post-poned until mid-April .
Rena (approx. 80 yrs old) has been in & out of a hospital recovering. She initially had a minor heart attack and other injuries after an incident of harassment from BIA Rangers. The
Lane family is in need of financial help at this time.
Rena Babbit Lane
PO Box 539
Tonalea, Az 86044
SHEEPHERDERS REQUESTED: Black Mesa families call for supporters to stay as their guests. "We welcome people to come out and support our resistance in this way."-A resister grandmother. Guests of the families are encouraged to stay for a month, as it can require a lot of work for both the family and the guest to establish a routine. It is important to have good help out there, and not create more work for the families. Guests are expected to be adequately prepared prior to staying with families on Black Mesa, which is high desert and very remote. Read the Cultural
Sensitivity & Preparedness Booklet and fill out the supporter application form prior to making arrangements for your stay. Supporters are expected to pay for gas and expenses when families provide their ride out to the land.
NEWS & ARTICLES:
Reprinted under the fair
use doctrine of international copyright law.
***RELOCATION LEGISLATION S1003 DOES NOT MAKE IT TO RESOLUTION! Senate Bill 1003 (The Navajo Hopi Land Settlement Act of 1974 Amendments) proposed by AZ Senator & Presidential hopeful John McCain did not come to a resolution! If passed, this bill would have had dire consequences for Dine’ families who continue to live on their ancestral homeland, for the families who have moved and for the land of Black Mesa. While S1003 passed through the Senate, it never made it out of the House Resources Committee to the House floor for a vote. The congressional session ended with no action being taken.
Many thanks to all of the action taken in support of the Dineh and in
stopping this bill, and the relocation laws. Thousands of letters,
emails, and faxes were sent from throughout Indian Country and
general support network, as well as the video sent to Congress that a
Black Mesa resident and BMIS volunteer compiled of statements from residents of the 'Hopi Partitoned Lands'.
Venezuela: We denounce the forced relocation of indigenous families from their traditional lands at the hands of the Venezuelan government and the multi-national coal corporations. Paso Diablo Mine is owned impart by Peabody Coal/Peabody Energy Corporation. By Wayùu of the Perija Mountains 03/14/07 Indybay.org
- Feds:
Benefits Outweigh Harm in Black Mesa
A draft Environmental Impact Statement put
out by the U.S. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and enforcement
recommends that the Black Mesa Mine be reopened and the neighboring
Kayenta Mine be expanded. The justification OSM gives for the
environmental harm that would follow including the dislocation
of 17 Navajo families is the boost to both the tribal and overall
economy that the mines would provide. Navajo Times, 12/14/06
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Black
Mesa elders take direct action
Black Mesa Elder Rena Babbitt-Lane (approx. 80 yrs old)
is in the hospital recovering from a minor heart attack
and other injuries after an incident of harrasment by BIA/Hopi
Rangers earlier this week. Read
More. 11/9/06
- Solidarity
in Australia with the Indigenous peoples of the Black Mesa 10/16/06 Arizona Indymedia. Around 30 people descended
upon Peabody's office in Newcastle on 10/09/06 in protest against
Peabody's practices of Cultural and Eco Genocide on the homelands
of the Navajo and Hopi peoples in America and their interest in
doing the same on Australian Lands. Solidarity in Australia
with the Indigenous peoples of the Black Mesa End the Genocide!
- Arizona
utility seeks investors to reopen Mohave coal plant By
Mark Golden 10/06/06 SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- A publicly owned Arizona utility
is on the hunt for investors who will share its dream of restarting
a shuttered coal-fired power plant in the Nevada desert that was
abandoned by its other owners. Phoenix-based Salt River Project
is working to build a new ownership group to buy and upgrade the
1,580-megawatt Mohave Generating Station.....
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