John Trudell: We are power

Why the Fukushima radioactive leak is worse than we thought

Why the Fukushima radioactive leak is worse than we thought

CENSORED NEWS: Lakotas throw out TransCanada reps selling tarsand...

CENSORED NEWS: Lakotas throw out TransCanada reps selling tarsand...: Lakota Winyan on Cheyenne River Territory  Throw Out the Transcanadians Selling TarSands Snake Oil http://www.youtu...

Press Release from The Keepers of the Athabasca

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 12, 2013

PUBLIC KEPT IN THE DARK ABOUT 1-BILLION-LITRE SPILL OF COAL MINE WASTERWATER.

Keepers of the Athabasca is concerned about the potential environmental effects of a massive release of coal mine wastewater into two creeks that flow into the Athabasca River, and calls on the Alberta government to immediately release the results of the water tests it has conducted. It further calls on the government to indicate publicly how it is going to mitigate this spill, especially given that freeze-up of the creeks and river has already begun. We also call on the company involved, Sherritt International, to inform the public of the chemicals it uses in its mining process and the contaminants contained in its coal mine wastewater ponds. 

On November 1, 2013 the Government of Alberta announced what is likely the largest spill in Canadian history of wastewater from a coal mine containment pond, located on the Obed Mountain Coal Mine site, near Hinton, Alberta. The announcement and its two updates (November 2 and 4) contain almost no information about the amount of wastewater spilled, its contents, or their likely effects on the environment and human health. 

Following a pattern of downplaying the potential damage from spills and blowouts associated with the energy industry and providing the least amount of information possible to Albertans, these announcements stress that the spill contained sediments such as “clay, mud, shale and coal particles,” and that “water sample tests do not indicate any health risks.” They do not alert the public to potential damage to sediments, invertebrates and fish from wastewater contaminants such as flocculants, selenium, heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, some of which are cancer-causing. Furthermore, results of the water sample tests have not been released to the public, despite promises to do so. “With so little information to go on,” said Harvey Scott, Keepers of the Athabasca Director, “it is hard to know what the effects of the spill will be on such things as winter dissolved oxygen levels , the spring spawn or the long term aquatic health of the riverine ecosystem.”

Information is coming out slowly in media reports, thanks to the efforts of investigative reporters and others. Media reports of interviews with ministry officials indicate that Fisheries and Oceans Canada is investigating to determine whether there are any violations of federal fisheries laws; Alberta Environment now acknowledges that damage has been done to fisheries habitat; the company involved, Sherritt International, declines to list publicly the chemicals it uses in its mining process; an official with the company does report that it uses flocculants, thickening agents that can cause harm to fish if released to waterways. 

Keepers of the Athabasca is concerned about the lack of transparency and accountability on the part of the Alberta Government and the company, and is pursuing the release of crucial information about the spill not only because of the failure of one containment pond, but also because there are two similar ponds on the Obed Mountain site and many more on the sites of current and proposed coal mines in the area. This raises broader questions about containment pond design and inspection schedules that also need to be answered. The Alberta public deserves no less. 

For More Information Contact: 
Jesse Cardinal, Coordinator, Keepers of the Athabasca 
780-404-5315 keeperathabasca@gmail.com 

Harvey Scott, Director, Keepers of the Athabasca
780-675-4158 haecosse@hotmail.com

Jule Asterisk, Director, Keepers of the Athabasca
780-805-1709 asterisk@telusplanet.net

Indigenous Peoples Issues and Resources (repost by RL)

Indigenous Peoples Issues and Resources

On This Day: In 1532 Francisco Pizarro, Fernando de Soto, and friar Vincent de Valverde delivered the Requerimiento, demanding Inca Emperor Atahualpa to yield to the Spanish. When Atahualpa refused, Pizarro declared the Inca an enemy of the Church and Spain. The Requerimiento (Spanish) "requirement" as in "demand") of 1513 was a written declaration of sovereignty and war, read by Spanish military forces to assert their sovereignty (a dominating control ) over the Americas. Written by Council of Castile jurist Juan López de Palacios Rubios in 1513, it was used to justify the assertion that God, through historical Saint Peter and appointed Papal successors, held authority as ruler over the entire Earth; and that the Inter Caetera Papal Bull, of 4 May 1493 by Pope Alexander VI, conferred title over all the Americas to the Spanish monarchs. Two days later, the Spanish launched an attack on Atahualpa and Cajamarca, known as the Battle of Cajamarca. The "battle" involved the massacre of thousands of Atahualpa's unarmed entourage of nobles and attendants, in the great plaza of Cajamarca. The seizure of Atahualpa marked the opening stage of the conquest of the pre-Columbian Inca civilisation of Peru.

Indigenous Truth

When the Elders speak, we must listen, for they shall speak the truth, and if we are to survive
we must hear their words, for sometimes they only speak once.

Indigenous Elders and Medicine Peoples Council Statement on Fukushima

by admin • October 31, 2013 • 43 Comments

View the original statement with signatures here (PDF): COUNCIL_FUKUSHIMA_STATEMENT_OCT_2013.

Council Statement

This statement reflects the wisdom of the Spiritual People of the Earth, 

of North and South America, working in unity to restore peace, harmony and balance for our collective future and for all living beings. This statement is written in black and white with a foreign language that is not our own and does not convey the full depth of our concerns.

The Creator created the People of the Earth into the Land at the beginning of
Creation and gave us a way of life. This way of life has been passed down
generation-to-generation since the beginning. We have not honored this way of
life through our own actions and we must live these original instructions in order
to restore universal balance and harmony. We are a part of Creation;
thus, if we break the Laws of Creation, we destroy ourselves.
We, the Original Caretakers of Mother Earth, have no choice but to follow and uphold
the Original Instructions, which sustains the continuity of Life. We recognize our
umbilical connection to Mother Earth and understand that she is the source of life, not a
resource to be exploited. We speak on behalf of all Creation today, to communicate an
urgent message that man has gone too far, placing us in the state of survival. We warned
that one day you would not be able to control what you have created. That day is here.
Not heeding warnings from both Nature and the People of the Earth keeps us on the path
of self destruction. This self destructive path has led to the Fukushima nuclear crisis, Gulf
oil spill, tar sands devastation, pipeline failures, impacts of carbon dioxide emissions and
the destruction of ground water through hydraulic fracking, just to name a few. In
addition, these activities and development continue to cause the deterioration and
destruction of sacred places and sacred waters that are vital for Life.
Powerful technologies are out of control and are threatening the future of all life
The Fukushima nuclear crisis alone is a threat to the future of humanity. Yet, our concern
goes far beyond this single threat. Our concern is with the cumulative and
compounding devastation that is being wrought by the actions of human beings around
the world. It is the combination of resource extraction, genetically modified organisms,
moral failures, pollution, introduction of invasive species and much much more that are
threatening the future of life on Earth. The compounding of bad decisions and their
corresponding actions are extremely short-sighted. They do not consider the future
generations and they do not respect or honor the Creator’s Natural Law. We strongly
urge for the governmental authorities to respond with an open invitation to work and
consult with us to solve the world’s problems, without war. We must stop waging war
against Mother Earth, and ourselves.
We acknowledge that all of these devastating actions originated in human beings who are
living without regard for the Earth as the source of life. They have strayed from the
Original Instructions by casting aside the Creator’s Natural Law. It is now critical for
humanity to acknowledge that we have created a path to self destruction. We must restore
the Original Instructions in our lives to halt this devastation.
The sanctity of the Original Instructions has been violated. As a result, the Spiritual
People of the Earth were called ceremonially to come together at the home of the Sacred
White Buffalo Calf Pipe Bundle. These Spiritual Leaders and those that carry great
responsibility for their people from both North and South America came together with the
sacred fire for four days at the end of September 2013 to fulfill their sacred
responsibilities. During this time it was revealed that the spirit of destruction gained its’
strength by our spiritually disconnected actions. We are all responsible in varying
degrees for calling forth this spirit of destruction, thus we are all bound to begin
restoring what we have damaged by helping one another recover our sacred
responsibility to the Earth. We, the Original Caretakers of Mother Earth, offer our
spiritual insight, wisdom and vision to the global community to help guide the actions
needed to overcome the current threats to all life.
We only have to look at our own bodies to recognize the sacred purpose
of water on Mother Earth. We respect and honor our spiritual relationship
with the lifeblood of Mother Earth. One does not sell or contaminate their
mother’s blood. These capitalistic actions must stop and we must recover
our sacred relationship with the Spirit of Water
The People of the Earth understand that the Fukushima nuclear crisis continues to
threaten the future of all life. We understand the full implications of this crisis even with
the suppression of information and the filtering of truth by the corporate owned media
and Nation States. We strongly urge the media, corporations and Nation States to
acknowledge and convey the true facts that threaten us, so that the international
community may work together to resolve this crisis, based on the foundation of Truth.
We urge the international community, government of Japan and TEPCO to unify efforts
to stabilize and re-mediate the nuclear threat posed at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear
power plant. To ensure that the Japanese government and TEPCO are supported with
qualified personnel and information, we urge the inclusion of today’s nuclear experts
from around the world to collaborate, advise and provide technical assistance to prevent
further radioactive contamination or worse, a nuclear explosion that may have
apocalyptic consequences.
The foundation for peace will be strengthened by restoring the Original Instructions in ourselves
Prophecies have been shared and sacred instructions were given. We, the People of the
Earth, were instructed that the original wisdom must be shared again when imbalance
and disharmony are upon Mother Earth. In 1994 the sacred white buffalo, the giver of
the sacred pipe, returned to the Lakota, Dakota and Nakota people bringing forth the
sacred message that the winds of change are here. Since that time many more
messengers in the form of white animals have come, telling us to wake up my children. It
is time. So listen for the sacred instruction.

All Life is sacred. We come into Life as sacred beings. When we abuse the
sacredness of Life we affect all Creation
We urge all Nations and human beings around the world to work with us, the Original
Caretakers of Mother Earth, to restore the Original Instructions and uphold the
Creator’s Natural Law as a foundation for all decision making, from this point forward.
Our collective future as human beings is in our hands, we must address the Fukushima
nuclear crisis and all actions that may violate the Creator’s Natural Law. We have
reached the crossroads of life and the end of our existence. We will avert this potentially
catastrophic nuclear disaster by coming together with good minds and prayer as a global
community of all faiths.
We are the People of the Earth united under the Creator’s Law with a sacred covenant to
protect and a responsibility to extend Life for all future generations. We are expressing
deep concern for our shared future and urge everyone to awaken spiritually. We must
work in unity to help Mother Earth heal so that she can bring back balance and harmony
for all her children.
Representatives of the Council

Chief Arvol Looking Horse

19th Generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe
Spiritual Leader
The Great Sioux Nation

Bobby C. Billie
Clan Leader and Spiritual Leader
Council of the Original Miccosukee
Simanolee Nation Aboriginal Peoples

Faith Spotted Eagle, Tunkan Inajin Win
Brave Heart Society Grandmother/Headswoman & Ihanktonwan Treaty Council
Ihanktonwan Dakota from the Oceti Sakowin

7 Council Fires
- ADDITIONAL SIGNATURES TO FOLLOW -

(Post reproduced from Indigenous Action Media)

"We come from the stars..." Russell Means