Press Release – For Immediate Release

Western Shoshone and Allies Challenge Department of Interior Decision to Open Spiritual and Cultural Area to Further Destruction by Gold Mining

November 30, 2004, Crescent Valley, NV.   On Friday, November 26, the Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians, the Western Shoshone Defense Project, and Great Basin Mine Watch joined forces and filed a petition for review with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)’s State Director Robert Abbey. 

The Petition challenges BLM’s decision to approve an expansion of mining exploration activities by Cortez Gold Mines in and around Horse Canyon.  Horse Canyon is located at the center of Western Shoshone territory and immediately adjacent to the sacred Mt, Tenabo. BLM approved the expansion despite Western Shoshone protests and BLM recognition of the area as a site of Cultural and Religious Importance under the National Historic Preservation Act.  The area continues to be used by Western Shoshone for hunting, gathering, religious and cultural purposes. As explained in the petition, these traditional uses will be adversely affected, if not destroyed, by the approved activities.  Unfortunately, BLM failed to adequately consult Western Shoshone about its decision.  As such, the petition requests that the project be stayed and that the State Director remand the decision to the BLM for full compliance with federal law.

Horse Canyon is part of the same area where hundreds of horses belonging to Mary and Carrie Dann, Western Shoshone grandmothers, were seized last year by federal agents under the auspices of the Department of Interior.*  Now the only “horses” heading toward the canyon are metal “horses” in the form of drill rigs and bulldozers as Cortez Gold Mine, a joint venture of Placer Dome, Inc. (Canadian-owned) and Kennecott Minerals (Australian-owned) rides in on BLM’s approval.

Jody Abe, Western Shoshone and Te-Moak Tribal Council member explained, “we are outraged.  Once again, the Tribes have been left out of decision making process that affects our people and our environment.  The Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone has an interest in the preservation and protection of our homeland.  The issue of our title as recognized by the 1863 Treaty of Ruby Valley is still intact and federal court action and other actions are ongoing, the Department of Interior and the mining companies know this and must begin taking these issues seriously.”

Carrie Dann, Western Shoshone grandmother likewise explained,“I will never understand it, for years we used our best efforts to educate and stop further destruction of our people and those things that are sacred to us.  And yet, it is this federal administration who claims ’moral values’ and these companies who claim to be socially responsible that have shown nothing but disrespect for the ways of the Shoshone people.  What good are museums for Native Americans and cultural centers if our culture is destroyed?  We are not artifacts in the past -  we’re here, we’ve always been here and we will always be here.  We were placed here on this land by the Creator as caretakers – our voices must be heard in decisions affecting all that is sacred, which includes the land.”

For further information, contact Nicole Rinke of Western Mining Action Project (775) 337-2977 (WMAP is a non-profit environmental law firm specializing in mining issues).

A full copy of the Petition for Review is available upon request.

14,000 WILD HORSES TO BE SLAUGHTERED

PRESS RELEASE:
International Society for the Protection of Mustangs and Burros
CONTACT: Karen A. Sussman
605-964-6866 or 605-365-6991

Lantry, SD- Surreptitiously, over the Thanksgiving Day Holiday, a rider (#142) introduced by Senator Mark Burns of Montana in the omnibus federal Appropriation Bill literally guts the built in protections in the 1971 Wild Horse and Burro Act and will allow for thousands of wild horses to be shipped to slaughter.

Without hearings or input from concerned citizens of our country this rider appeared in the 4,000 page spending bill document and was passed unanimously by both houses. It is now waiting signing by President Bush on December 8th.

"After thirty-three years of a compassionate, conservation minded Act that protected the fast diminishing wild horse herds from slaughter, this rider spells doom to America's wild horses", according to Karen Sussman, president of ISPMB. Sussman says that ISPMB's first president, Wild Horse Annie, and the organization committed twenty-one years of fighting to protect the few remaining wild horses on public lands so that future generations could enjoy these magnificent animals that represent freedom and the American way. Sussman says, "With one swipe of the ink over paper with the President's signature, over fifty years of fighting for protection of wild horses and burros in our country will be annihilated."

Today, we have fewer wild horses and burros than in 1971 when the Wild Horse and Burro Act was passed. The constant erosion of protection has been an ongoing battle with the BLM, mandated by law to protect these animals. In 1974, there were more than 55,000 wild horses and burros roaming ten western states and 303 herd areas identified. Today, according to BLM statistics, although much disputed by preservation groups, there are 36,000 wild horses and burros and only 186 areas where wild horses and burros can be found. More herd areas are slated to be zeroed out.

There is still time to makes changes in the Appropriation Bill as Congress reconvenes on Monday to pull some riders out of the bill. If Congress would so deem, rider #142 could be pulled out on Monday. Sussman says that a groundswell of support is needed and concerned citizens must contact their Congressional representatives in their states. Already the phone lines to the president's office are ringing constantly.

If the rider cannot be pulled from the Appropriation Bill the rider becomes a permanent amendment to the Wild Horse and Burro Act, it opens the backdoor for the BLM to send thousands of wild horses to slaughter.

Tiokasin Ghosthorse
First Voices Indigenous Radio
WBAI NY 99.5 FM
10th Floor
120 Wall Street
NY, NY 10005

Thursday 10 am
http://www.wbai.org/
212.2O9.2979

"We live in the shadow of the real world".  Crazy Horse

"We hate others because we fear them.
We fear them because we don't know them.
We don't know them because we don't communicate.
We don't communicate because we can't hear them.
We can't hear them because we don't listen."  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Civil disobedience becomes a sacred duty when the state has become lawless or corrupt. And a citizen who barters with such a state shares in its corruption and lawlessness..." Mohandas K. Gandhi

How you can help:
Please, sign the petition on the AWHPC website - http://www.wildhorsepreservation.com/
The petition is to generate signatures to support a Congressional investigation into the wild horse situation.

Neda DeMayo
Founder, Return To Freedom


Carrie Dann:

Hello everyone! Please take a minute and forward to as widely as you can.

We desperately need your help to get the word out about a Rider on an Appropriations Bill that is sneaking its way thru Congress and a vote is expected on Monday.

This Rider would give the Bureau of Land Management the authority to begin the slaughter of 23,000 wild horses on public lands throughout the Western states.

Any horse that is 10 years old and older will be sent immediately to slaughter, and any horse that is younger than 10 who has been sent to auction 3 times and not been sold will be sent to slaughter. And the BLM would not have to do any advertising to open up adoption of the horses.

We must get the word out about this -- wild horses are essential to the ecosystem of the West, along with the Buffalo, the prairie dog, and the endangered blackfooted ferret.

They are also essential to the spiritual and cultural survival of the Native Peoples there.

Though the ostensible reason for the horses being slaughtered is "overgrazing," no such mass slaughter of cattle is proposed. This Administration is well-known for its "embedding" with major
corporations. The cattle industry is a powerful lobby and is likely behind this legislation, as it is behind Montana Department of Livestock's yearly slaughter of the last remaining herd of genetically pure wild Buffalo on public lands in Yellowstone National Park. (Interesting that the Senator who introduced this Rider is also from Montana.)

Thank you for your work and for taking action,

Amanda Holmes

ACTION ALERT--
Buffalo Quarantine Comment Period Extended
until 5 PM on November 24th

HURRY!! Please help save America's Forests!

From: Defenders denlines@den.defenders.org of Wildlife
November 09, 2004
DEN Alert: Time is Running Out to Protect America's Forests

Time is Running Out to Protect America's Forests

Dear DEN Activist:

I am writing to you today because we need your help on an important forest issue. The U.S. Forest Service plans to expose 58.5 million now-protected, roadless acres in national forests to logging and mining companies. While growth is important, there are better ways than placing the best habitats for our grizzly bears, wolves, bald eagles, salmon, and other wildlife at risk. Help us deliver one million comments to the U.S. Forest Service

The Bush Administration needs to hear from concerned Americans. Our national forests provide clean drinking water for millions of Americans, breathtaking beauty, backcountry recreation, and irreplaceable habitat for wildlife. Generations of parents have taught their children to pitch a tent, paddle a canoe, and bait a hook in America's forests. But these outdoors traditions, and our wild heritage and wildlife are all at risk.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

The U.S. Forest Service extended its original deadline from September to NOVEMBER 15 to give concerned Americans the opportunity to comment on this plan. Don't pass up this opportunity to send an email to U.S. Forest Service officials to urge them to maintain protections for our forests. Please go to the DEN Action Center at http://www.denaction.org and send an e-mail to the U.S. Forest Service. Comments are due NOVEMBER 18, so please send your message right away.

Thanks for your help.

Sincerely,

Robert Dewey
Vice President, Government Relations
Defenders of Wildlife

 

BACKGROUND:
The U.S. Forest Service's final proposal to undermine the Roadless Area Conservation Rule was published on Friday, July 16, 2004 and would allow state governors to decide for themselves which roadless areas in national forests should be protected in their states and which should
not. And, the proposal allows the Forest Service to override a governor's decision if the governor decides to protect more roadless forests in his or her state than the Forest Service wants.

National forests belong to all Americans, but this proposal delegates management of national forests to state governors instead of the U.S. Forest Service. Few, if any, governors are likely to spend their limited resources asking the Forest Service to protect these remaining wild areas when they suspect the Administration may be influenced by the timber industry.

Defenders of Wildlife is a leading national conservation organization recognized as one of the nation's most progressive advocates for wildlife and habitat and known for its effective leadership on saving endangered species such as brown bears and gray wolves. Defenders advocates new approaches to wildlife conservation that protect species before they become endangered. Founded in 1947, Defenders is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization with more than 475,000 members and supporters.

"Comments Needed on Roadless Protection"

Bush Administration Cedes Comment Period Extension!

Let's Get A Million Comments In for Roadless Protection

Comment Packet and National Events

The Bush administration has extended the comment period on the new Roadless Rule to November 15, 2004! We have set an ambitious goal of 1 million comments in order to send a clear and powerful message that we will not tolerate the Bush administration giving our National Forests away to the timber, mining and oil industries. Keep writing to help reach this goal!!!

Please go to the American:
www.americanlands.org/issues.php?subsubNo=1085518143&article=109 2416869 Lands Roadless Comment Drive Organizing Action Tool-Kit to view sample comment letters, sample letters to the editor, a sample editorial board memo, an analysis of the new Bush roadless rule and a link to the new rule. We need to keep the pressure on the administration by generating more comments and media attention on the new Roadless Rule.

On September 14, 2004 there are going to be a number of events across the country in order to demonstrate that the American public resoundingly rejects the Bush administration's efforts to repeal the 2001 Roadless Rule. If you haven't already linked into these activities (information below) please consider doing so. If you are not participating in a local event in your area consider writing a letter to the editor on September 14, 2004 expressing your disappointment with the Bush administration for attempting to repeal the Roadless Rule.

The extension of the comment period past the national election is a clear indication that the roadless issue has become a problem for the Bush administration. On September 14th events are being organized in DC and around the country to continue to call attention to the Bush administration's plan to log our remaining roadless wild forests. Groups are encouraged to participate in events that are already being planned as well as organize other press events or rallies to demonstrate broad public support for roadless area protection, calling attention to your states' contribution to the goal of 1 million comments.

Events are being planned in the following states: AZ, TX, WV, TN, FL, NM, NV, NH, ME, PA, IL, MI, MN, AR, NC, ID, CO, OR, WA, WI, NJ, CA, LA, VA, AK.

To get involved contact Seth Horstmeyer, shorstmeyer@net.org, 202-887-8800.

Anne Martin
National Field Director
American Lands Alliance
423 W. First Ave. Suite 240
Spokane, WA 99201
Phone: 509-624-5657
email: annem@americanlands.org
http://www.americanlands.org/

***Come Visit American Lands Alliance's New Website!***
Newly updated and retooled, www.americanlands.org is an in-depth, extensive resource for forest activists. American Lands Alliance, working to protect wildlife and wild places.

Action Alert - May 27, 2004

We Need Your Help!!!
Western Shoshone Payoff Bill is on the Move Again!

Current legislation before the United States Congress, entitled the Western Shoshone Distribution Bill (HR 884/S 618), is an attempt to strip away U.S. treaty obligations and Western Shoshone connections to their homeland by a mere one time payment of cents on the acre. Last week we received information that under the guise of bi-partisanship, Senator Harry Reid and Congressman Jim Gibbons are once again gearing up to force this one time payment on the Western Shoshone people for 24 million acres of land at approximately 15 cents an acre. The bill is HR 884/S 618, entitled the "Western Shoshone Claims Distribution Act". The bill could come up for a vote on the suspension calendar in the full House as early as this week or shortly after the Memorial Day recess on June 2nd. If you want to express your concerns please send or call your local representatives and the key congressional contacts listed below.

The fear of many Western Shoshone people and the majority of Councils is that the forced distribution of these monies by Congress will be used to silence Western Shoshone concerns regarding U.S. violations of the Treaty of Ruby Valley and ongoing violations against Western Shoshone rights to property, due process and equality under the law. This push is being made at the same time that the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste repository is being pushed along and Congressman Gibbons' is sponsoring other legislation, HR 2869 and HR 2772, which would open up Shoshone lands to privatization by multinational mining companies and massive geothermal energy development with no provision for Western Shoshone interests or concerns. Additionally, in the last two weeks, Notices of Intent to Impound livestock have again been received by Western Shoshone grandmothers Mary and Carrie Dann and other Western Shoshone ranchers. The Western Shoshone Nation needs your help now. What affects one community affects us all.

"As Western Shoshone, we have been fighting for many years to simply remain who we are - Western Shoshone. The earth is our mother and land provides us with life, like the water and the air. To take this land from us will be to lead us into a spiritual death. Please help us to stop this unconstitutional, unjust and unwanted payment." Carrie Dann, Western Shoshone grandmother.

"The elders before us stood up for life and their understanding of the Treaty and this elder and others still stand for the Treaty and life. Our Indian children are over in Iraq supposedly fighting for their country. And yet our Nevada Congressional leaders through the Western Shoshone Distribution Act are trying to take away the Western Shoshone homeland. What are our Shoshone kids going to come back to - What are they fighting for? If the war on terrorism is about protecting this country then why is our own government trying to take away our homelands?" Mary McCloud, Western Shoshone elder.

A key points sheet and sample letter are attached below for your reference.

SAMPLE LETTER