Western Shoshone Payment Bill Could Be Voted On In House Today – Tens of Millions of Acres of “Public” Lands in the West Potentially Affected
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO HELP STOP
THE LARGEST INDIAN LAND THEFT IN MODERN HISTORY ?
June 1, 2004, Crescent Valley, NV., U.S.A.
The Western Shoshone Distribution Bill (S 618/HR 884), a legislative measure designed to distribute monies for alleged extinguishment of Western Shoshone land title, has been placed on today’s House Suspension calendar in its Senate version. Voting on suspension calendar items begins at 6:30 pm this evening. If passed and signed by the President, the bill will represent the largest Indian land theft in modern history. The Senate version is sponsored by Senator Harry Reid from Nevada. The land base affected is tens of millions of acres of land throughout Nevada, Idaho, Utah and California, approximately 90% of which is classified as “public” lands. The Western Shoshone Nation has maintained its assertion that its title to the land is intact according to the 1863 Treaty of Ruby Valley and filed a lawsuit against the United States last fall, Western Shoshone v. U.S., Case No. 03-CV-2009, U.S. District Court, D.C. Despite the filing of the lawsuit, formal Western Shoshone tribal council resolutions opposing the bill, and ongoing protests by Western Shoshone people, Senator Reid continues to move the bill forward – now inserting his version of the bill into the House.
Concerns regarding the impacts of this alleged payment – to Native and non-Native alike – abound. Briefly, follow the money:
· GOLD: Western Shoshone lands are the 3rd largest gold producing area in the world, behind only South Africa and Australia – One mountain alone, Mt. Tenabo, which Congressman Gibbons has slated for a privatization scheme (HR 2869) to Placer Dome (5th largest gold company in the world) has estimated revenues of $7-8 billion. In mining contributions received in the 2004 cycle, Congressman Gibbons comes in 2nd in the House with Reid as the 4th highest recipient in the Senate. Other multinationals mining in the area include Barrick, Kennecott, Newmont and Marigold.
· WATER: Western Shoshone lands have been cited as sitting atop a subterranean sea with vast quantities of drinking quality fossil waters. Example: Dewatering processes by several of the gold mines pump drinking water quality water 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at levels from 20 to 70 thousand gallons/minute. Vidler Water, a subsidiary of PECO Holding Corp., is in Nevada and initiating discussions with County and State officials regarding water privatization efforts.
· ENERGY: Western Shoshone hot springs are cited to be the next “Saudi Arabia” of geothermal energy production by Senator Harry Reid. Congressman Gibbons’ bill, HR 2772, would open up the area to massive geothermal production with preliminary subsidies for the energy industry and the option to convert energy leases into mineral claims through the “back door”.
· NUCLEAR WASTE: Western Shoshone lands contain Yucca Mountain, cited home for the nation’s nuclear waste repository. The construction contract for the waste repository was awarded to Bechtel Corporation at $1.2 billion.
· NUCLEAR WEAPONS/MILITARY: Western Shoshone lands are home to the Nevada Test Site and the Federal Counterterrorism facility, both managed through Bechtel, Wackenhut and Lockheed Martin. The management contracts amount to billions of dollars on a several year renewal basis. The Bush administration has talked of reopening nuclear testing at the site.
And the Western Shoshone ?
· The Western Shoshone people (“Newe”) have lived on this land for thousands of years – their creation stories stem from the mountains where their ancestors lay buried. The waters, the plants, the other living beings and the earth itself all hold special meaning to the Newe. The Distribution bill would pay approximately 15 cents an acre for land that was never agreed for sale, with no hearing and no public purpose.
Action Alert – June 1, 2004
UPDATE – WESTERN SHOSHONE “DISTRIBUTION” BILL
CONGRESSIONAL VOTING TO BEGIN AT 6:30 PM TONIGHT, JUNE 1, 2004
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO HELP STOP THE LARGEST INDIAN LAND THEFT IN MODERN HISTORY ?
The highly controversial Western Shoshone Distribution Bill (S 618/HR 884) is on the House Suspension calendar for today, June 1, 2004, voting begins at 6:30 p.m. Only representatives present and voting count. Where does your representative stand on the issue? Will they be present on the floor and will they vote and make a statement on the record? Western Shoshone and supporters who made calls last week heard several misrepresentations from Congressional offices:
· Falsity: The bill is noncontroversial and that is why it is on the suspension calendar.
· Truth: The bill is highly controversial and the alleged “payment” has the been the center of a decades long struggle by the Western Shoshone Nation to retain their homeland, located throughout Nevada, California, Utah and Idaho – on lands the U.S. claims to be federal lands. The issue has gone all the way to the United Nations and the Organization of American States, with a 2003 Final Report in favor of the Western Shoshone, finding the U.S. in violation of rights to property, due process and equality under the law.
· Falsity: The bill contains an “opt out” provision allowing Western Shoshone who do not want to accept the money the choice of opting out of payment.
· Truth: There is no “opt out” provision in the bill. Once one individual accepts the money, “distribution” will be complete.
Below is What to Do, a complete “Fact vs. Fiction” sheet for your reference and for distribution to your representatives, and sample communications from Western Shoshone, ELists, and a Supporter. For more information or ways you can express your concerns, please go to:
http://www.peaceforallnations.com/wsdpNOW.htm or http://www.wsdp.org .
The Western Shoshone Distribution Bill - S 618/H.R. 884
The Truth: Fiction v. Facts
FICTION: A majority of the Western Shoshone people are in favor of the bill.
FACTS:
· A majority of the tribal councils and all of the traditional Western Shoshone oppose the distribution of money until resolution of the land issues.
· There have been no government to government consultations on the bill.
· In 1980, at the formal Hearing of Record, the Western Shoshone rejected the claims money because the U.S. could not demonstrate how it had legally acquired title to the land from the Western Shoshone. Since that time, there has never been any vote of the Western Shoshone on the bill. There has been no demonstration in any form that the straw poll ballot referenced by Congressman Gibbons and Senator Reid was ever authorized or certified by any Western Shoshone government. No independent monitoring ever occurred and to this day no independent or government body has seen the alleged ballots or been allowed to review the process.
· Despite specific requests by Congressmen Tom Udall (NM) and Raul Grijalva (AZ), the Department of Interior has failed to provide any documentation of their statements that a “majority” of Western Shoshone are in favor of the bill.
· The tribal chairman, Felix Ike, who testified before the Senate and House committees in favor of the distribution has been formally removed from any tribal leadership position. An investigation is underway with regard to his actions while in office, in particular, his dealings with Congressional offices and the Department of Interior.
FICTION: The intent of this bill is simply to distribute money awarded to the Western Shoshone for damages.
FACTS:
· This bill will distribute money awarded for alleged extinguishment of title to 24 million acres of land, the vast majority of which is currently classified as “public” lands.
· This bill will open the way to large scale privatization of lands held sacred by the Western Shoshone and currently used and occupied by the native people for grazing, gathering medicinal and food plants, hunting and fishing, and ceremonial purposes.
· In a November 2003 letter sent to Secretary of Gale Norton, Congressman Grijalva (AZ) raises serious concerns about the real intent of the bill and the involvement of the federal government and mining, energy and nuclear industries in presenting a misleading picture of the issues to the public and to members of Congress. (Copy available at http://www.wsdp.org )
FICTION: Western Shoshone land title has been fully litigated in the U.S. courts.
FACTS:
· The Western Shoshone have never received a hearing on the issue of title.
· The Treaty of Ruby Valley, which recognizes the boundaries of 60 million acres of Western Shoshone land has never been litigated.
· The only issue decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in U.S. v. Dann was whether or not “payment” had been made when the money was accepted by the Department of Interior on behalf of the Western Shoshone. The Supreme Court said “yes”, Interior serves as a “trustee” to the Indians and Interior’s acceptance equals acceptance by the Western Shoshone, thereby triggering a statutory bar to litigation on the issue.
· Last year, after 10 years of briefings and hearings, an international judicial body (the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights) found that the process used by the U.S. violates Western Shoshone rights to property, to due process, and to equality under the law. Amnesty International has issued a formal report on the situation and has called upon the United States to adhere to the international ruling by engaging in good faith negotiations with the Western Shoshone.
· In September 2003, a new lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court in D.C. (Western Shoshone v. U.S., Case No. 03-CV-2009 (Judge Lamberth)). The lawsuit asserts the unconstitutional nature of the federal process and asserts Western Shoshone title to the 60 million acre land base. Preliminary filings are underway.
FICTION: The land dispute can be resolved after the distribution is made.
FACTS:
· Instead of a fair resolution, Nevada Congressmen Reid and Gibbons have already set the stage for corporate giveaways and large scale privatization of the lands. For example: H.R. 2869 would work to give away Western Shoshone lands to major mining interest such as Placer Dome; HR 2772 would encourage large scale expansion of geothermal energy production with no provision for Western Shoshone cultural beliefs or compensation for use of the hot water; Senator Reid’s office has drafted the Northern Nevada Public Lands Management Act which creates a process for large scale privatization of the same lands at issue in the distribution award.
· Department of Interior continues acts of armed surveillance and threats of impoundment against Western Shoshone. (In the past Congressional session, hundreds of cattle and horses were forcibly seized by the Department under military-type tactics.)
FICTION: The lands are not highly valuable and there is no hidden agenda by U.S. lawmakers and corporations to “clear” title.
FACTS:
· The land and its resources are worth billions of dollars to mining and energy companies.
· The land produces 2/3 the gold production in the U.S., making it the third largest gold producing area in the world, behind South Africa and Australia. Due to the enormous wealth of minerals, a 1999 USGS report sited the area as the number one investment opportunity for extraction companies.
· Energy companies are lining up for access to the vast geothermal resources with Senator Reid calling the area the next “Saudi Arabia” of geothermal energy production. Much of the energy production is presumed for use to subsidize existing and expanded mining operations.
FICTION: The Western Shoshone are being unreasonable and cannot agree amongst themselves as to a fair resolution of the issue.
FACTS:
· From the beginning, the Western Shoshone have asked for good faith negotiations with the United States. Their request is simple: to sit across the table and talk on an equal level.
· Complex negotiations occur in the corporate world everyday and if the U.S. were to commit the appropriate political will, a process could be decided upon that would satisfy all concerned.
· The cost to the taxpayer would be less than continuing the dispute and may in fact save monies which would otherwise be spent in ongoing enforcement actions against Western Shoshone and monies wasted or not realized in private sweet heart deals with private corporations and land developers.
WHAT TO DO http://www.wsdp.org/alerts.htm#051704-help
Please see
Threat of Western Shoshone Distribution Bill Looms Large http://www.wsdp.org/distribution_bill.htm
For more information:
Western Shoshone Defense Project
P.O. Box 211308
Crescent Valley, NV 89821
(775) 468-0230
Fax: (775) 468-0237
http://www.wsdp.org
Western Shoshone Defense Project http://www.wsdp.org
Please also see:
U.S. - URGENT - Western Shoshone Payoff Bill Is On The Move Again !
http://www.unobserver.com/index.php?pagina=layout4.php&id=1699&blz=1
Following is a statement by Carrie Dann regarding tonight’s possible House vote on the Western Shoshone Distribution Bill. Please Read and Distribute.
Thank you.
Statement by Carrie Dann, Western Shoshone Grandmother
June 1, 2004
Dear Congressman:
VOTE NO ON THE WESTERN SHOSHONE DISTRIBUTION BILL
If you care to hear why I say no to S 618/HR 884, the “Western Shoshone Distribution Bill”, please read on. First, this bill represents in no uncertain terms how under American Law Indigenous peoples continue to be classified as non-humans. In American law Indigenous peoples are classified into a category that would only be fit for animals. I do not believe democracy should ever consider “taken” as a way to obtain people’s land. The United States Constitution set up a procedure on how lands can be obtained by the United States. Not one of the steps was adhered to by the United States in its decision to “take” Western Shoshone lands. All the actions taken by the United States have been lawless and unconstitutional. If there is a desire to really evict the Western Shoshone people off their land, it should at least be done according to the Constitution – a law the United States claims as its foundation as a “democracy.”
This old lady has been involved in Western Shoshone life and land struggles for the past 30 years. I do believe that there is a conflict of interest by the Government and the Department of Interior – they are attempting to destroy our spiritual connection to our land and our waters and that is what is most sacred to us. This bill will pave the way for the attack on both our land and water.
Maybe as Americans you can sell land to others, but we as Indigenous people can not. The word Sogobee (or bia) means Earth Mother, the very essence of our life comes from the land (Earth Mother). I really do not believe anyone should take this bill as a true and democratic way to solve this problem. If you are truly Representatives of a democracy and believers in a Constitutional form of government, I would say to you that all this bill does is attempt to legitimize a theft of the largest amount of land in contemporary time.
The Western Shoshone were denied the right to argue title by the federal court system. The Indian Claims Commission never addressed the issue of title. After the Secretary of Interior accepted the payment as our “trustee”, we no longer had an opportunity to argue title in the court system. In essence, the Western Shoshone were paid without accepting the money! All of the deals were with the Secretary of the Interior, not the Shoshone people. Actions of this sort surely deny us our day in Court. Accordingly, the American Commission on Human Rights found that we were denied our right to due process (5th Amendment), our right to property, and our right to equality under the law.
A real short history of the Western Shoshone and United States actions against the Western Shoshone peoples:
Ø The Treaty of Ruby Valley never ceded lands to the United States nor did the Western Shoshone people cede land in 1872.
Ø The Indian Claims Commission Act of 1946 does not have the authority of a court. If it did, it is one of the most racist courts that ever existed. The ICC without documentation found the Western Shoshone land taken by “gradual enroachment” by whites, settlers and others. (The United States Constitution only mentions that the United States Government can take lands for public use.) There is no mention of the United States Government taking this land for public use.
Ø The amount of money offered is approximately $.15 per acre. This sounds more like a fraud being committed by the Department of Interior – our alleged Trustee.
This very day, there is this bill that will forever change democracy to a tyrant or dictator. A bill that will strip the birth rights of the people and leave these people homeless, beggars, and without a country. The United States through its manipulation and lies will now say they bought this land. Again, let me tell you all – MY SACRED SOGABEE IS NOT FOR SALE. It is my life and you should not bring shame and dishonor to the United States at this time. When the acts of the United States violate the human rights of its own people, those acts should not be taken.
Sincerely,
Carrie Dann
Western Shoshone Defense Project
P.O. Box 211308
Crescent Valley, NV 89821
(775) 468-0230
Fax: (775) 468-0237
http://www.wsdp.org
Please also see
Six Firms Control, Exceed U.S. Oil Leases
By DAVID PACE
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A single New Mexico family and a dozen big oil companies, including one once headed by Commerce Secretary Don Evans, now control one-quarter of all federal lands leased for oil and gas development in the continental United States despite a law intended to prevent such concentration, federal records show.
http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OIL_LEASES_1ST_LD_WRITETHRU?SITE=APWEB&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
and
with thanks to GRIST Magazine http://www.gristmagazine.com
THE LEASE YOU CAN DO
Most Oil and Gas Leases on Public Land Are Not Productive
Almost 75 percent of the 40 million acres of public land leased for oil and gas development in the U.S. are not producing any oil or gas, but the Bush administration is nonetheless pushing relentlessly to open more land for leasing. Peter Morton, a resource economist with the Wilderness Society, says it's "a land grab, pure and simple."
Companies count their public-land holdings -- sometimes leased for only $2 or $3 a year per acre, in 10-year increments -- as assets, which can attract investment and boost their bottom line. Even more troubling, say enviros, is the fact that an ever-smaller group of companies controls an ever-larger amount of that land. Since 1997, six companies have exceeded the legal limit of 246,080 acres in public-land leases, but the Bureau of Land Management has neglected to enforce the limit. Since 1999, the top 25 holders of oil and gas
leases on public land have given 86 percent of their $8.2 million in political contributions to the Republican Party.
straight to the source: MSNBC.com, Associated Press, 01 Jun 2004
http://www.gristmagazine.com/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=2534
straight to the source: The Olympian, Associated Press, David Pace,
31 May 2004 http://www.gristmagazine.com/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=2535
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO HELP STOP
THE LARGEST INDIAN LAND THEFT IN MODERN HISTORY ?
June 1, 2004, Crescent Valley, NV., U.S.A.
The Western Shoshone Distribution Bill (S 618/HR 884), a legislative measure designed to distribute monies for alleged extinguishment of Western Shoshone land title, has been placed on today’s House Suspension calendar in its Senate version. Voting on suspension calendar items begins at 6:30 pm this evening. If passed and signed by the President, the bill will represent the largest Indian land theft in modern history. The Senate version is sponsored by Senator Harry Reid from Nevada. The land base affected is tens of millions of acres of land throughout Nevada, Idaho, Utah and California, approximately 90% of which is classified as “public” lands. The Western Shoshone Nation has maintained its assertion that its title to the land is intact according to the 1863 Treaty of Ruby Valley and filed a lawsuit against the United States last fall, Western Shoshone v. U.S., Case No. 03-CV-2009, U.S. District Court, D.C. Despite the filing of the lawsuit, formal Western Shoshone tribal council resolutions opposing the bill, and ongoing protests by Western Shoshone people, Senator Reid continues to move the bill forward – now inserting his version of the bill into the House.
Concerns regarding the impacts of this alleged payment – to Native and non-Native alike – abound. Briefly, follow the money:
· GOLD: Western Shoshone lands are the 3rd largest gold producing area in the world, behind only South Africa and Australia – One mountain alone, Mt. Tenabo, which Congressman Gibbons has slated for a privatization scheme (HR 2869) to Placer Dome (5th largest gold company in the world) has estimated revenues of $7-8 billion. In mining contributions received in the 2004 cycle, Congressman Gibbons comes in 2nd in the House with Reid as the 4th highest recipient in the Senate. Other multinationals mining in the area include Barrick, Kennecott, Newmont and Marigold.
· WATER: Western Shoshone lands have been cited as sitting atop a subterranean sea with vast quantities of drinking quality fossil waters. Example: Dewatering processes by several of the gold mines pump drinking water quality water 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at levels from 20 to 70 thousand gallons/minute. Vidler Water, a subsidiary of PECO Holding Corp., is in Nevada and initiating discussions with County and State officials regarding water privatization efforts.
· ENERGY: Western Shoshone hot springs are cited to be the next “Saudi Arabia” of geothermal energy production by Senator Harry Reid. Congressman Gibbons’ bill, HR 2772, would open up the area to massive geothermal production with preliminary subsidies for the energy industry and the option to convert energy leases into mineral claims through the “back door”.
· NUCLEAR WASTE: Western Shoshone lands contain Yucca Mountain, cited home for the nation’s nuclear waste repository. The construction contract for the waste repository was awarded to Bechtel Corporation at $1.2 billion.
· NUCLEAR WEAPONS/MILITARY: Western Shoshone lands are home to the Nevada Test Site and the Federal Counterterrorism facility, both managed through Bechtel, Wackenhut and Lockheed Martin. The management contracts amount to billions of dollars on a several year renewal basis. The Bush administration has talked of reopening nuclear testing at the site.
And the Western Shoshone ?
· The Western Shoshone people (“Newe”) have lived on this land for thousands of years – their creation stories stem from the mountains where their ancestors lay buried. The waters, the plants, the other living beings and the earth itself all hold special meaning to the Newe. The Distribution bill would pay approximately 15 cents an acre for land that was never agreed for sale, with no hearing and no public purpose.
Action Alert – June 1, 2004
UPDATE – WESTERN SHOSHONE “DISTRIBUTION” BILL
CONGRESSIONAL VOTING TO BEGIN AT 6:30 PM TONIGHT, JUNE 1, 2004
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO HELP STOP THE LARGEST INDIAN LAND THEFT IN MODERN HISTORY ?
The highly controversial Western Shoshone Distribution Bill (S 618/HR 884) is on the House Suspension calendar for today, June 1, 2004, voting begins at 6:30 p.m. Only representatives present and voting count. Where does your representative stand on the issue? Will they be present on the floor and will they vote and make a statement on the record? Western Shoshone and supporters who made calls last week heard several misrepresentations from Congressional offices:
· Falsity: The bill is noncontroversial and that is why it is on the suspension calendar.
· Truth: The bill is highly controversial and the alleged “payment” has the been the center of a decades long struggle by the Western Shoshone Nation to retain their homeland, located throughout Nevada, California, Utah and Idaho – on lands the U.S. claims to be federal lands. The issue has gone all the way to the United Nations and the Organization of American States, with a 2003 Final Report in favor of the Western Shoshone, finding the U.S. in violation of rights to property, due process and equality under the law.
· Falsity: The bill contains an “opt out” provision allowing Western Shoshone who do not want to accept the money the choice of opting out of payment.
· Truth: There is no “opt out” provision in the bill. Once one individual accepts the money, “distribution” will be complete.
Below is What to Do, a complete “Fact vs. Fiction” sheet for your reference and for distribution to your representatives, and sample communications from Western Shoshone, ELists, and a Supporter. For more information or ways you can express your concerns, please go to:
http://www.peaceforallnations.com/wsdpNOW.htm or http://www.wsdp.org .
The Western Shoshone Distribution Bill - S 618/H.R. 884
The Truth: Fiction v. Facts
FICTION: A majority of the Western Shoshone people are in favor of the bill.
FACTS:
· A majority of the tribal councils and all of the traditional Western Shoshone oppose the distribution of money until resolution of the land issues.
· There have been no government to government consultations on the bill.
· In 1980, at the formal Hearing of Record, the Western Shoshone rejected the claims money because the U.S. could not demonstrate how it had legally acquired title to the land from the Western Shoshone. Since that time, there has never been any vote of the Western Shoshone on the bill. There has been no demonstration in any form that the straw poll ballot referenced by Congressman Gibbons and Senator Reid was ever authorized or certified by any Western Shoshone government. No independent monitoring ever occurred and to this day no independent or government body has seen the alleged ballots or been allowed to review the process.
· Despite specific requests by Congressmen Tom Udall (NM) and Raul Grijalva (AZ), the Department of Interior has failed to provide any documentation of their statements that a “majority” of Western Shoshone are in favor of the bill.
· The tribal chairman, Felix Ike, who testified before the Senate and House committees in favor of the distribution has been formally removed from any tribal leadership position. An investigation is underway with regard to his actions while in office, in particular, his dealings with Congressional offices and the Department of Interior.
FICTION: The intent of this bill is simply to distribute money awarded to the Western Shoshone for damages.
FACTS:
· This bill will distribute money awarded for alleged extinguishment of title to 24 million acres of land, the vast majority of which is currently classified as “public” lands.
· This bill will open the way to large scale privatization of lands held sacred by the Western Shoshone and currently used and occupied by the native people for grazing, gathering medicinal and food plants, hunting and fishing, and ceremonial purposes.
· In a November 2003 letter sent to Secretary of Gale Norton, Congressman Grijalva (AZ) raises serious concerns about the real intent of the bill and the involvement of the federal government and mining, energy and nuclear industries in presenting a misleading picture of the issues to the public and to members of Congress. (Copy available at http://www.wsdp.org )
FICTION: Western Shoshone land title has been fully litigated in the U.S. courts.
FACTS:
· The Western Shoshone have never received a hearing on the issue of title.
· The Treaty of Ruby Valley, which recognizes the boundaries of 60 million acres of Western Shoshone land has never been litigated.
· The only issue decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in U.S. v. Dann was whether or not “payment” had been made when the money was accepted by the Department of Interior on behalf of the Western Shoshone. The Supreme Court said “yes”, Interior serves as a “trustee” to the Indians and Interior’s acceptance equals acceptance by the Western Shoshone, thereby triggering a statutory bar to litigation on the issue.
· Last year, after 10 years of briefings and hearings, an international judicial body (the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights) found that the process used by the U.S. violates Western Shoshone rights to property, to due process, and to equality under the law. Amnesty International has issued a formal report on the situation and has called upon the United States to adhere to the international ruling by engaging in good faith negotiations with the Western Shoshone.
· In September 2003, a new lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court in D.C. (Western Shoshone v. U.S., Case No. 03-CV-2009 (Judge Lamberth)). The lawsuit asserts the unconstitutional nature of the federal process and asserts Western Shoshone title to the 60 million acre land base. Preliminary filings are underway.
FICTION: The land dispute can be resolved after the distribution is made.
FACTS:
· Instead of a fair resolution, Nevada Congressmen Reid and Gibbons have already set the stage for corporate giveaways and large scale privatization of the lands. For example: H.R. 2869 would work to give away Western Shoshone lands to major mining interest such as Placer Dome; HR 2772 would encourage large scale expansion of geothermal energy production with no provision for Western Shoshone cultural beliefs or compensation for use of the hot water; Senator Reid’s office has drafted the Northern Nevada Public Lands Management Act which creates a process for large scale privatization of the same lands at issue in the distribution award.
· Department of Interior continues acts of armed surveillance and threats of impoundment against Western Shoshone. (In the past Congressional session, hundreds of cattle and horses were forcibly seized by the Department under military-type tactics.)
FICTION: The lands are not highly valuable and there is no hidden agenda by U.S. lawmakers and corporations to “clear” title.
FACTS:
· The land and its resources are worth billions of dollars to mining and energy companies.
· The land produces 2/3 the gold production in the U.S., making it the third largest gold producing area in the world, behind South Africa and Australia. Due to the enormous wealth of minerals, a 1999 USGS report sited the area as the number one investment opportunity for extraction companies.
· Energy companies are lining up for access to the vast geothermal resources with Senator Reid calling the area the next “Saudi Arabia” of geothermal energy production. Much of the energy production is presumed for use to subsidize existing and expanded mining operations.
FICTION: The Western Shoshone are being unreasonable and cannot agree amongst themselves as to a fair resolution of the issue.
FACTS:
· From the beginning, the Western Shoshone have asked for good faith negotiations with the United States. Their request is simple: to sit across the table and talk on an equal level.
· Complex negotiations occur in the corporate world everyday and if the U.S. were to commit the appropriate political will, a process could be decided upon that would satisfy all concerned.
· The cost to the taxpayer would be less than continuing the dispute and may in fact save monies which would otherwise be spent in ongoing enforcement actions against Western Shoshone and monies wasted or not realized in private sweet heart deals with private corporations and land developers.
WHAT TO DO http://www.wsdp.org/alerts.htm#051704-help
Please see
Threat of Western Shoshone Distribution Bill Looms Large http://www.wsdp.org/distribution_bill.htm
For more information:
Western Shoshone Defense Project
P.O. Box 211308
Crescent Valley, NV 89821
(775) 468-0230
Fax: (775) 468-0237
http://www.wsdp.org
Western Shoshone Defense Project http://www.wsdp.org
Please also see:
U.S. - URGENT - Western Shoshone Payoff Bill Is On The Move Again !
http://www.unobserver.com/index.php?pagina=layout4.php&id=1699&blz=1
Following is a statement by Carrie Dann regarding tonight’s possible House vote on the Western Shoshone Distribution Bill. Please Read and Distribute.
Thank you.
Statement by Carrie Dann, Western Shoshone Grandmother
June 1, 2004
Dear Congressman:
VOTE NO ON THE WESTERN SHOSHONE DISTRIBUTION BILL
If you care to hear why I say no to S 618/HR 884, the “Western Shoshone Distribution Bill”, please read on. First, this bill represents in no uncertain terms how under American Law Indigenous peoples continue to be classified as non-humans. In American law Indigenous peoples are classified into a category that would only be fit for animals. I do not believe democracy should ever consider “taken” as a way to obtain people’s land. The United States Constitution set up a procedure on how lands can be obtained by the United States. Not one of the steps was adhered to by the United States in its decision to “take” Western Shoshone lands. All the actions taken by the United States have been lawless and unconstitutional. If there is a desire to really evict the Western Shoshone people off their land, it should at least be done according to the Constitution – a law the United States claims as its foundation as a “democracy.”
This old lady has been involved in Western Shoshone life and land struggles for the past 30 years. I do believe that there is a conflict of interest by the Government and the Department of Interior – they are attempting to destroy our spiritual connection to our land and our waters and that is what is most sacred to us. This bill will pave the way for the attack on both our land and water.
Maybe as Americans you can sell land to others, but we as Indigenous people can not. The word Sogobee (or bia) means Earth Mother, the very essence of our life comes from the land (Earth Mother). I really do not believe anyone should take this bill as a true and democratic way to solve this problem. If you are truly Representatives of a democracy and believers in a Constitutional form of government, I would say to you that all this bill does is attempt to legitimize a theft of the largest amount of land in contemporary time.
The Western Shoshone were denied the right to argue title by the federal court system. The Indian Claims Commission never addressed the issue of title. After the Secretary of Interior accepted the payment as our “trustee”, we no longer had an opportunity to argue title in the court system. In essence, the Western Shoshone were paid without accepting the money! All of the deals were with the Secretary of the Interior, not the Shoshone people. Actions of this sort surely deny us our day in Court. Accordingly, the American Commission on Human Rights found that we were denied our right to due process (5th Amendment), our right to property, and our right to equality under the law.
A real short history of the Western Shoshone and United States actions against the Western Shoshone peoples:
Ø The Treaty of Ruby Valley never ceded lands to the United States nor did the Western Shoshone people cede land in 1872.
Ø The Indian Claims Commission Act of 1946 does not have the authority of a court. If it did, it is one of the most racist courts that ever existed. The ICC without documentation found the Western Shoshone land taken by “gradual enroachment” by whites, settlers and others. (The United States Constitution only mentions that the United States Government can take lands for public use.) There is no mention of the United States Government taking this land for public use.
Ø The amount of money offered is approximately $.15 per acre. This sounds more like a fraud being committed by the Department of Interior – our alleged Trustee.
This very day, there is this bill that will forever change democracy to a tyrant or dictator. A bill that will strip the birth rights of the people and leave these people homeless, beggars, and without a country. The United States through its manipulation and lies will now say they bought this land. Again, let me tell you all – MY SACRED SOGABEE IS NOT FOR SALE. It is my life and you should not bring shame and dishonor to the United States at this time. When the acts of the United States violate the human rights of its own people, those acts should not be taken.
Sincerely,
Carrie Dann
Western Shoshone Defense Project
P.O. Box 211308
Crescent Valley, NV 89821
(775) 468-0230
Fax: (775) 468-0237
http://www.wsdp.org
Please also see
Six Firms Control, Exceed U.S. Oil Leases
By DAVID PACE
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A single New Mexico family and a dozen big oil companies, including one once headed by Commerce Secretary Don Evans, now control one-quarter of all federal lands leased for oil and gas development in the continental United States despite a law intended to prevent such concentration, federal records show.
http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OIL_LEASES_1ST_LD_WRITETHRU?SITE=APWEB&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
and
with thanks to GRIST Magazine http://www.gristmagazine.com
THE LEASE YOU CAN DO
Most Oil and Gas Leases on Public Land Are Not Productive
Almost 75 percent of the 40 million acres of public land leased for oil and gas development in the U.S. are not producing any oil or gas, but the Bush administration is nonetheless pushing relentlessly to open more land for leasing. Peter Morton, a resource economist with the Wilderness Society, says it's "a land grab, pure and simple."
Companies count their public-land holdings -- sometimes leased for only $2 or $3 a year per acre, in 10-year increments -- as assets, which can attract investment and boost their bottom line. Even more troubling, say enviros, is the fact that an ever-smaller group of companies controls an ever-larger amount of that land. Since 1997, six companies have exceeded the legal limit of 246,080 acres in public-land leases, but the Bureau of Land Management has neglected to enforce the limit. Since 1999, the top 25 holders of oil and gas
leases on public land have given 86 percent of their $8.2 million in political contributions to the Republican Party.
straight to the source: MSNBC.com, Associated Press, 01 Jun 2004
http://www.gristmagazine.com/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=2534
straight to the source: The Olympian, Associated Press, David Pace,
31 May 2004 http://www.gristmagazine.com/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=2535