UNPLUG AMERICA
GIVE MOTHER EARTH A REST DAY
OCTOBER 13
The "Unplug America - Give Mother Earth a Rest Day" campaign was
introduced in 1992 by Indigenous Peoples to invite all people to
show our love and respect for our Mother Earth and all the sacred
Life Circles by challenging unhealthy patterns of consumption and
the continued production of poisons that destroy our environment.
October 13 is a day to "UNPLUG," turn off the TV and radio, shut
off the taps, take a walk and leave the fossil-fuel burning
vehicle at home. It's only one day but it's the first step towards
restoring our land and resources - to reflect on how much we
actually consume - individually, nationally and globally - a
starting to act for future generations.
It is an exciting opportunity to explore other choices, ways of
life that are healthy and sustainable - a Celebration of Life
honoring the interdependency of all species.
What's the big deal about consumption?
Everything we consume has an impact on the environment. Where does
your power come from? Your paper? Your gas? Where does your
garbage go?
No one is saying to go freeze in the dark. It has to do with
taking only what you need and being a responsible human being. We
need to take action and save our resources. Our future depends on
it.
Consumption and Indian Lands
Uranium, natural gas, oil, timber, water and other minerals are
found on Indigenous Lands. These valuable "natural resources" have
been taken by corporations that are not concerned with the effects
this will have on the cultures, ways of life, health and well-
being of the land and the native people on the land. The
destruction of our land is the destruction of our People.
The wealth the corporations make are at the expense of our
Peoples. This has been the pattern since initial contact and
numerous Native Lands are targeted for future "development."
One example of this irresponsible and dangerous method of "natural
resource development" is the 1000 abandoned uranium mines on the
Navajo Reservation - totally unreclaimed and highly contaminated.
This has caused widespread radioactive contamination of the land
and water which also seeps into rivers and streams that flow into
major water sources throughout the Southwest.
Unsafe and unhealthy practices are being conducted throughout the
world - Indigenous Peoples of the Pacific, South and Central
America and others are feeding the American/Canadian energy
habits. There are other choices of sustainable and healthy energy
production - solar power - wind power.
Native People are doing something about it.
The Cree People (Canada) succeeded in securing a moratorium from
Hydro Quebec on a mega-dam project called James Bay II.
The Gros Ventre & Assiniboine People (Montana) are fighting North
America's largest open pit heapleach gold mine in the sacred
Little Rocky Mountains.
"Lomasumi-nangwtk-wsiwmani' (The Hopi Foundation - Arizona) has
placed photovoltaic solar panels atop 50 houses on the
reservation.
California Indian Basket Weavers are opposing herbicide and
pesticide spraying on their plant resources.
Gwitchin People (Alaska) are the front line of protest in
opposition to oil development within the Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge - to protect their way of life and the Porcupine Caribou.
The Apache People struggle for Religious Freedom in their efforts
to prevent the Catholic Church and the University of Arizona from
building an observatory their sacred Mount Graham.
White Earth Land Recovery Project (Minnesota) is reclaiming stolen
and endangered lands.
The Anishinabe, Potawatomi, Oneida, Menominee and
Stockridge-Munsee Tribes (Wisconsin) are battling Exxon/Rio Algom
from developing a metallic-sulfide mine that would poison their
land, water and culture.
Dine People (Navajo) have defeated toxic waste incinerators, waste
dumps and have stopped clear cutting timber.
Indigenous Peoples in Oklahoma are working to defend their lands
from contamination by oil and gas development and underground well
injection of toxic waste.
Over 16 Native Nations have said "NO" to nuclear waste dumps on
their lands.
NOW IS THE TIME
All of us, together, must make a change - from a society based on
consumption to one based on survival. Sustainable practices are
one key to accomplish the needed changes for generations to come.
We invite you to join UNPLUG America - Give Mother Earth a Rest
Day.
For additional information, please contact:
Nilak Butler Winona LaDuke
Greenpeace Indigenous Women's Network (IWN)
568 Howard, 3rd Floor 7th Generation Fund
San Francisco CA 94105 Rte.1 Box 308
415-512-9025 Ponsford MN 56575
218-573-3049
Tom Goldtooth Christopher Peters
Indigenous Environmental 7th Generation Fund
Network (IEN) PO Box 4569
PO Box 485 Arcata CA 95521
Bemidji MN 56601 707-825-7640
218-751-4769
ien@igc.apc.org
Lea Foushee
IWN
PO Box 174
Lake Elmo MN 55042
612-777-3629
--
What does it mean, for example, that the US courts have decided that it
is now legally permissible for individuals and corporations to patent DNA
sequences obtained from other human beings? Do we no longer own our sacred
bodies? Are we no longer the owners and stewards of our very genetic makeup?
What does it mean, practically, ethically, and legally, for an indigenous
person to consent to give DNA samples to the Human Genome Diversity Project?
Does this consent open the doors for others to patent sequences of his or
her DNA? How would one know if part of one's DNA sequence has been patented
at some point in the future? What recourse would one have nationally and
internationally, if one discovered that part of his or her DNA was
subsequently patented? . . .
What are the implications of the case of John Moore versus the
University of California over the ownership of cell lines taken from John
Moore during a routine medical examination, and subsequently patented and
used commercially by others, for profit?
-- `World Bank, October 3, 1995, Ethics and Spiritual Values and the
Promotion of Environmentally Sustainable Development, "50 Years of the
World Bank, Over 50 Tribes Devastated"', by Oren Lyons
http://www.ratical.com/ratville/OrenLyons.html#PATENT