History
Beginning with Columbus, Native Americans hav suffered the
brutal and systematic destruction of their peoples, culture, faith,
lands and livelihoods at the hands of European settlers and their
descendants.
This attack has taken many forms: massacres, distribution of
diseased blankets, winter marches of hundreds of miles with too
little food or clothing, routine abrogation of treaties, secret
sterilization of women, starvation and neglect on barren
reservations.
It continues: whatever the index (health, infant mortality,
education, employment, teen-age suicide, etc.) native people are
worse off than other Americans. Corporations and local citizens
join governments in violating treaty rights. Since 1978, the court
has ruled against all nine charges of violation of the First
Amendment right of freedom to practice religion. Chippewa
spear-fishermen in Wisconsin face rock-throwing mobs and billboards
urging: "Save a Wall-eye. Shoot a pregnant Squaw!"
Americans have opposed such policies toward Viet Nam and Central
America, yet paid little attention to their escalation against
Native Americans. Many Indian nations are struggling for survival,
but the media give their struggle scant notice and often distort
the nature of their resistance.
Americans concerned about human rights and self-determination
need to look inward. We cannot undo the past. We can refuse to be
silent partners in it's continuation today.
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Big Mountain Spirit & Resistance
Big Mountain on Black Mesa in northeastern Arizona is part of a
large area sacred to Navajo and Hopi people. For hundreds of years
they have jointly used this land, many families developing trading
partnerships, close friendships and intermarriage. Occasional friction
has been families and settled by them.
Yet, in 1974 Arizona congressmen convinced Congress that a "land
dispute" would become a bloody "range war." With little debate,
Congress passed the Navajo-Hopi Land Settlement Act (PL93-531)
dividing the Joint Use Area and requiring the relocation of all
those on the "wrong" side of the fence.
Why would Congress pass a law just to settle a "land dispute?"
Pressure from energy consortiums and the ease of leasing Indian
land are partly responsible. Large deposits of oil, uranium and
coal underlie Black Mesa. Peabody Coal Co. has mined the mesa for
25 years and is negotiating with energy interests in Japan for the
export of coal well into the next century. Traditional Hopi and
Navajo know that fragile desert eco-systems cannot be reclaimed
after strip-mining. The falling water table already threatens
Navajo and Hopi village springs.
PL93-531 Affects about 100 Hopi who live on ranches away from
the villages. Family, religious and social life center in the
villages which are not affected by the law. 12,000 Navajo have been
profoundly affected . Each person's tie to the land of his families
"customary use" is very strong and spiritually based. Mother Earth
and all her living things are to be honored, - through daily acts
seeking harmony and balance.
To force the Navajo to choose "voluntary" relocation, the law
required the reduction of all livestock by 90%. Traditional Navajo
economy is based on sheep and self-sustaining people become welfare
recipients overnight. To build a new house or to repair an
existing one is illegal. Young families, having no place to live,
moved away making cultural continuity impossible.
Other harassments include the fencing off of water supplies;
helicopter surveillance; impoundment of livestock with heavy fines;
bulldozers tearing up burial grounds, medicinal plants, etc.
Yet 300 families refuse to leave the land where the Creator has
placed them, to give up the responsibility to exercise their
religious belief and practice.
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Big Mountain Support Groups and Veterans Peace Action Teams are
collecting food staples to take to the Big Mountain area on the
Thanksgiving weekend. You can contact the Veterans Peace Action
Team in your area for collection sites. You can also contact the
VPAT headquarters in San Francisco, CA. Ph:(415) 753-2130.
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Michele Lord * Walk in Peace with
(milo@scicom.alphacdc.com) * our Mother Earth
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