WAL-MART PLANS TO BUILD ON ANCIENT MOHICAN SITE
Walmart wants to build a store on an undisturbed Mohican site called Leeds
Flats dating back 5,000 years in the Town of Leeds in New York State. They
do not want to permit a thorough archaelogical dig, which would give the
Mohicans invaluable information on their history and culture, much of which
has been lost since the coming of the Europeans. The remains of a child
have also been found at the site. Wal-Mart advertises itself as being
family-oriented, yet they want to stop Native Americans, who are typically
very family-oriented, from learning more about their families. After tribal
members visited the site and staged a protest rally garnering much press
coverage December 1995, the Mohican tribe agreed to join the Greene County
group "It's Not Easy Being Greene" in a lawsuit against the Town of Leeds,
claiming it illegally approved the environmental impact statement when it
was not complete and rezoning the historic area. It is well known that
Leeds Flats was the site of a Mohican village and also a flood plain. No
plans were submitted for dealing with the flood plain. It flooded to _3_
feet one time this winter. This historical, sacred site must be preserved.
Please join me in sending e-mail protests to the Letters to the President at
letters@wal-mart.com or write letters to the people listed below. They only
have an option to buy the property. If we apply pressure, maybe they will
pull out.
Key People at Wal-Mart:
S. Robson Walton, Chairman
Donald G. Soderquist, VC and COO
David D. Blass, President and CEO
William R. Fields, President and CEO, Wal-Mart Stores Division
Joseph S. Hardin, EVP, COO, Wal-Mart Stores Division
John B. Menzer, EVP and CFO
Nicholas J. White, EVP Supercenter Division
Headquarters Address: Bentonville, AR 72716
Phone: 501-273-4000
Fax: 501-273-8650
Debra Winchell, Melrose, NY, winchd@rpi.edu
This is solely my opinion, but I hope not for long.