INDIGENOUS STUDENTS SPEAK OUT ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND,, GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 7, 2009
Contact: Kandi Mossett
P.O. Box 3054
Bismarck, ND 58504
Cell Phone: (701) 214-1389
Email: iencampusclimate@igc.org
Website: www.ienearth.org
  
Washington D.C.- February 27 - March 2, 2009 marked the continuation of a movement in America that began with just 16 organizations in 2004 and has since grown to over 50 diverse constituencies united in their demand for a just transition to a clean energy economy. Power shift 2009, held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in downtown D.C. this past weekend drew over 12,000 high school and college students from across the country, indeed internationally as well, who converged on our Nations Capital to speak out for environmental justice and a change in legislation on Global Warming policies. 
 
Black Mesa Water Coalition and The Indigenous Environmental Network were just two of the 50 organizations within the Energy Action Coalition who planned tirelessly over the last year to help to make Power Shift 2009 become a reality.  Together they brought over 120 students from Tribal colleges and high schools in Alaska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Arizona, New Mexico, California, Oregon, Kansas and tar sands impacted communities within Canada.  An additional 80 Native American participants joined them during the Indigenous caucuses held each night of the conference.  “They were able to connect with fellow Indigenous organizers, students and community members and take part in a monumental occasion.  They had the unique opportunity to be at the forefront of real change by taking part in the biggest lobby day on global warming ever held with over 350 meetings that took place with state senators and representatives from all 50 states,” said Kandi Mossett - Tribal Campus Climate Challenge Organizer for the Indigenous Environmental Network.  “This occasion truly brought people together in a unique way, empowering people who realized they were not alone in their struggles for climate justice.”
 
On Monday March 2nd thousands of people came together to offer an unprecedented example of mass protest and civil disobedience for the climate.  More than 2500 activists, many willing to risk arrest, successfully blockaded all five entrances to the Capitol Power Plant for more than four hours.  The Indigenous students that participated were fully impressed by the power of non-violent direct action.  Amy Murphy, a student at Nebraska Indian Community College has said, “I may not be able to solve everyone’s problems but putting in whatever effort I can is better than doing nothing at all. I am very thankful for the IEN and all the work that they do. They have opened up their arms and made it easy for all of us Indigenous people to connect.”
 
On Monday afternoon students spoke in a congressional briefing before the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming after the rally on the U.S. Capitals South lawn where the shouts rang out for Climate Justice, a Just Transition into Green Jobs, No More Coal and No More Nuclear.  Manuel Pino, Acoma Pueblo Instructor of Sociology/American Indian Studies had this to say of Power Shift 2009, “As an Indigenous educator our future generation of youth at Power Shift 2009, with their knowledge, expertise and commitment, gives me hope for a green economic future!            

For more information please visit www.powershift09.org.

Canadian Environment Minister Preempted by First Nation Youth

Rally and Letter to Congress: “Stop Tar Sands Now”

Contact: Clayton Thomas-Muller, Canadian Indigenous Tar Sands Campaign, Indigenous Environmental Network, (cell) 218-760-6632. Eriel Deranger, Rainforest Action Network-Edmonton, (cell) 202-215-4399.

Washington, DC--March 2, 2009. Youth representing Beaver Lake Cree Nation, Lubicon Cree First Nation and Athabasca Chipweyan First Nation hand-delivered a letter to Senator John Kerry at his office today while supporters rallied outside. The letter highlighted concern that Canadian Environment Minister Jim Prentice, expected to meet with Senator Kerry on energy issues, would misrepresent the disastrous environmental and human rights record of the tar sands to US Congressional leaders.

“Animals are dying, disappearing, and being mutated by the poisons dumped into our river systems,” the letter continues, “Once we have destroyed these fragile eco-systems we will have also destroyed our peoples and trampled our treaty rights.”

Oil from Canada’s tar sands currently supplies the US with ten percent of its oil.. Recent industry reports project US oil imports from the tar sands to double within the next decade. In Canada, oil production from the tar sands emits three times the global warming pollution as conventional oil, requires excessive amounts of energy and fresh water, and destroys huge swaths of boreal forest.

“Dangerous toxic chemicals used in the extraction of tar sands are contaminating water systems stretching all the way to the arctic basin and adversely affecting communities along the way,” reads the letter, “Expansion of the tar sands is a direct attack on who we are as a people.
In the US, increasing imports of tar sands oil is driving proposed development of more than 6000 miles oil pipeline and expansions of several polluting oil refineries. First Nations and American Indian communities affected by many of these projects are raising questions about adequate consultation regarding environmental impacts.

“Our communities are looking for energy solutions that provide a healthy sustainable community for our future generations” Concludes the letter, “the sustainable future for First Nations in Alberta, Canada and the United States of America alike, cannot be achieved by further exploiting one of the dirtiest, most energy intensive and destructive sources of oil on the planet.”

The Indigenous delegation and their supporters are among 11,000 youth from across the US and Canada attending PowerShift09, the biggest single-day youth lobbying effort on energy policy in US history.

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March 2, 2009

Senator John Kerry
Chairman of Foreign Relations Committee
218 Russell Bldg.
Second Floor
Washington D.C. 20510

Dear Senator Kerry,

Please allow us to present you with a different perspective on Canada’s tar sands than you are likely to hear from Canadian Minister of the Environment, Jim Prentice.

We came together this year at the Powershift gathering in Washington, DC, as members of Beaver Lake Cree Nation, Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation and Lubicon Cree Nation to share our stories with 11,000 youth from across North America. We came with messages of destruction and devastation wrought by the tar sands in our communities, but also feelings of hope that together we can contribute to building a more sustainable world for our communities and future generations. These ideas of a greener sustainable world are familiar to us as an ancient First Nations way of life.

Dangerous toxic chemicals used in the extraction of tar sands are contaminating water systems stretching all the way to the arctic basin and adversely affecting communities along the way including Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation. Expansion of the tar sands is a direct attack on who we are as a people. Many First Nation peoples believe in the medicine wheel with four elements: earth, water, air and fire—three are polluted by these projects. Destroying these elements destroys who we are. The tar sands are killing us.

Beaver Lake Cree Nation is also being encroached upon by rapidly expanding tar sands infrastructure and development. Natural gas wells used to power oil production in the tar sands are almost literally in the community’s backyards. Pollution from these projects adversely affecting peoples’ health, way of life and violate established treaty rights. Animals are dying, disappearing, and being mutated by the poisons dumped into our river systems. If there is no fish, we cannot fish, if there is no more game, we cannot hunt. Our traditional lands and water houses our culture. They are one and the same. Once we have destroyed these fragile eco-systems we will have also destroyed our peoples and trampled our treaty rights.

Construction of the Transcanada North Central Corridor pipeline, set to cross through the traditional territory of Lubicon Lake First Nation without the consent of the community is an outright violation of human rights and inherent rights of the community as Indigenous peoples. With oil and logging already impacting this territory, expansion of oil infrastructure will continue to wreck havoc on the land and displace even more wildlife.
Our communities are looking for energy solutions that provide a healthy sustainable community for our future generations. The sustainable future for First Nations in Alberta, Canada and the United States of America alike, cannot be achieved by further exploiting one of the dirtiest, most energy intensive and destructive sources of oil on the planet. It's time we focus our efforts on building a clean sustainable future that puts our people to work in a safe, green energy economy.

Senator Kerry, we urge your leadership in the Congress to:

• Respect and recognize established treaty rights during the Clean Energy Dialogue: These discussions will surely frame the future of energy in our countries. They will also determine the whether culturally significant and bio-diverse regions of our respective countries, as well as the livelihoods of the Indigenous peoples that inhabit this turtle island, are preserved.
  

• Focus the Clean Energy Dialogue on renewable energy and energy efficiency: The main focus of the dialogue should be on clean energy efforts and include wind, solar, and other renewable fuels and on transportation solutions such as electrified transportation and high speed rail.

Sincerely,
Melina Laboucan-Massimo, Lubicon Cree Nation
Gitz Crazyboy, Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation
Myron Lameman, Beaver Lake Cree Nation

cc:
Minister Jim Prentice
Secretary Steven Chu
Secretary Kenneth Salazar
Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton
EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson
CEQ Chair Nancy Sutley