Statement by Bernadette Dementieff, Executive Director, Gwich’in Steering Committee:
“For us, protecting this place is a matter of physical, spiritual and cultural survival. It is our basic human right to continue to feed our families and practice our traditional way of life. Oil exploration in the Arctic Refuge’s coastal plain would be a human rights violation. Our identity is not negotiable.
For decades, the Gwich’in Nation has defeated harmful proposals in Congress that would threaten the Coastal Plain; the birthplace to the Porcupine caribou herd and 190 other species, including migratory birds. This area is known to us as ‘Iizhik Gwats’an Gwandaii Goodlit’ – the sacred place where life begins.
The very existence and identity of the Gwich’in is under threat. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a sacred place. We want to continue to live our cultural and traditional life with the Porcupine Caribou Herd.”
BREAKING NEWS: Interior Action on Arctic Refuge is a Human Rights Violation – Native News Online
NOTE: Many years ago when I worked at the Pequot Times, the Pequot’s DC offices contacted me about this and said they would educate the Senators and Congress on the devastation to tribes and the environment if drilling occurred in the Arctic. I sent them everything I had on the potential disaster this would cause. Apparently all bets are off with this breaking news. LT
Zinke National Monuments Memo to President (Finally) |
There seems to be no end to these incursions into the natural world. History will judge these follies.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Agreed – we are the witness, Pete.
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It feels crazy to even have to say this stuff out loud, doesn’t it?
How are you my lovely?
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I am good! So glad to see you were in Venice!
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Again, the oil industry! Need we say more?
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Yup Alan. It’s Big Oil again. World rulers.
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If we are going electric, self-driving lazy-people cars, WHY are we tearing up the earth to get the last drop of oil? This bugs me. It really does. It’s like we can’t stop ourselves — like that old mill horse retired to the fields but which still treads a worn path around a tree as a substitute for meaningful action…because it doesn’t know what else to do with itself.
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I just heard that China and other countries will no longer produce fossil-fuel cars. Why is America so far behind? It’s obvious. Big Oil wants more money.
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Sigh!
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I second that “sigh” KC
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“For us, protecting this place is a matter of physical, spiritual and cultural survival. It is our basic human right to continue to feed our families and practice our traditional way of life. Oil exploration in the Arctic Refuge’s coastal plain would be a human rights violation. Our identity is not negotiable.”
Entièrement en accord avec ceci, ces terres sont un bien précieux que l’industrie ne saurait souiller, il faut que cela soit vu et lu.
Je reblogue.
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Reblogged this on Shift2Drive.
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