Protest and Press Conference on April 30, 1997 opposing:
Gold Mining Company's Threat to Western Shoshone Hot Spring
Come join us to demand that Oro Nevada respect the rights of the Dann
family and the Western Shoshone Nation on April 30, 1997.
11am - 1pm: Oro Nevada Mining Company's Reno Headquarters: 6490 South
McCarran Blvd., Please come and show your opposition to Oro Nevada at a
peaceful protest and press conference.
Directions: I-80, McCarran Blvd. Exit, Follow South, Oro Nevada office is
located at 6490 South McCarran Blvd, Building D1, Suite 34 This is a
business park.)
7pm: Jot Travis Student Union on UNR's campus, intersection of Artmsia
St. and North Virgina St. In the evening, there will be an informal
speaking event and potluck at the UNR's student union. Carrie Dann and
Raymond Yowell, Chief of the Western Shoshone National Council (tentative)
will give an update of Western Shoshone land rights and the impacts of
goldmining.
For more information concerning these events please contact Citizen Alert
at (702) 827-4200, John Hadder at (702) 324-3808 or WSDP (702) 468-0230
April 19, 1997 On March 13, 1997, Oro Nevada Mining Company, a Canadian
gold mining firm, filed a new notice of operations with the Bureau of Land
Management to conduct exploratory drilling for gold on the "Dan Claims."
These claims lie near a hot spring, approximately 1 mile south of the Dann
ranch in Crescent Valley, NV, and on the traditional lands of Western
Shoshone grandmothers, Mary and Carrie Dann. The Danns and the Western
Shoshone National Council have repeatedly informed Oro Nevada and the BLM
that this site is of cultural and spiritual significance to the Western
Shoshone and should not be disturbed. Despite this knowledge, Oro Nevada
representatives did not notify anyone at the Dann ranch until the day
before they planned to begin their drilling operations. Past exploratory
drilling has destroyed other hot springs in the area. The hot spring
adjacent to the Dann ranch is extremely vulnerable because of its low
flow. The intrusion of mining activity onto this sacred area represents
an attack on freedom of religion, a right guaranteed by the U.S.
Constitution. Public pressure must be applied to force the BLM and Oro
Nevada to respect the rights of the Western Shoshone and preserve sacred
sites.
The 1863 Treaty of Ruby Valley
The U.S. Constitution states that treaties, agreements between sovereign
nations, are the supreme law of the land. The 1863 Treaty of Ruby Valley
between the U.S. and the Western Shoshone Naiton remains in effect,
affirming the sovereign status of the Western Shoshone and recognizing the
boundaries of their territory. The destruction of cultural sites and
water sources was clearly not intended to be permitted through the Treaty
of Ruby Valley. Oro Nevada's activities fall within the boundaries of the
Western Shoshone Nation and violate the intent of the Treaty and the U.S.
Constitution.
Although the Western Shoshone granted permission for the U.S. to mine on
their lands in the Treaty of Ruby Valley, this does not mean that the
proposed exploratory drilling is permitted under the Treaty. The U.S.
Supreme Court has ruled that treaties are to be interpreted as the native
peoples would have understood them at the time of signing. The Western
Shoshone in no way agreed to the scale, intensity and form of modern open
pit heap leach goldmining. They also did not agree to the destruction of
cultural/ spiritual sites through the mining process.
Oro Nevada Mining Company's Recent Assault
In the Spring of 1996, Oro Nevada Mining Company, a Canadian gold mining
firm, began posting mining claims on most of the so-called public lands
surrounding the Dann ranch. From the outset, the Dann sisters and the
Western Shoshone National Council made it clear that claim stakes and
other mining activities are not permitted in the hot spring's area. Oro
President, Bob Jones agreed to this demand, yet continued to order his
contractors to work in the hot spring's area. In July 1996 Oro Nevada
purchased the neighboring Dean ranch, 48,276 acres of private land spread
across the Dann's traditional use area. In total, Oro Nevada controls
over 94,000 acres of land in Crescent Valley.
In August, 1996 Oro Nevada told the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) they
were planning to conduct exploratory drilling in Section 10, T28N, R49E.
Within this Section (one-square mile), is a hot spring that has been used
by the Dann family for generations. Hot springs hold a very important
place in Western Shoshone traditions. The mining company's plan to drill
near the spring creates the potential to disturb not only this fragile
water source, but also the oral history and traditional knowledge
associated with it.
In response to Oro's planned activities, the Western Shoshone Defense
Project (WSDP) mailed an "Action Alert" to our network of supporters from
around the world, calling for letters, faxes and phone calls protesting
the company's disturbance of this sacred place and their disregard for
Western Shoshone land rights. The response was immediate. Scores of
letters, statements and resolutions came from individuals, organizations
and governments, including the International Indian Treaty Council and the
Ely Shoshone Tribe. As a result of the pressure people placed on Oro
Nevada, the company retracted its initial plan to drill in Section 10
containing the hot water. But that was not the end of the matter. On
March 13, 1997 Oro Nevada once again filed a notice to drill in the
section containing the hot spring. In this last notice Oro plans to
conduct 6,000 feet of drilling for 6 holes. The drilling, scheduled to
start in early March 1997, would continue through December 31, 1997.
For more information please contact: Western Shoshone Defense Project,
P.O. Box 211106, Crescent Valley, NV 89821 ph: 702-468-0230, fax:
702-468-0237, e-mail wsdp@igc.org