I lifted the following posts from Indigenous Action Media to catch myself up to speed on the resistance in Arizona. I spent New Year's Eve with Klee Benally and a small gathering of friends in Flagstaff, and saw the sunrise from the San Francisco Peaks before leaving the gift below at the entrance to Snowbowl Road. I was deeply troubled by all I learned about the US Attorney's office's latest attacks on Klee and his comrades.
As many readers of this blog know, Snowbowl is celebrating 75 years of desecration this year with a new feature: treated sewage effluent. Flagstaff's waste water has extended their season as well as the amount of recreational activities they offer now. Of course, it's not only a health and environmental concern, but the spewing of sewage all over the mountain is desecrating a sacred site, a continuation of the genocidal process the prison industrial complex is now playing its part in perpetrating - witness the persecution of Indigenous resisters to the violence against their people and culture, and join us in solidarity actions.
You don't need a Facebook event page or a whole crew to make your own thoughts on the desecration known, by the way...this was done by my lonesome with simple food coloring and spray bottles, and I set up my tripod so my camera was watching my back. Always make sure someone is watching your back...
Snowbowl Road Entrance, Flagstaff
New Year's Day 2013
Below are the last three posts from Indigenous Action Media. They do good work there. Please support them every way you can. Info from their site:
Indigenous Action Media
(IAM) was founded on August 25th, 2001 to provide strategic media
support and direct action to address issues impacting Indigenous
communities.
IAM offers media strategy consultation
and support in the face of environmental & social injustices. We do
this through direct support, workshops, web and graphic design services,
documentaries and youth empowerment projects.
We are a volunteer collective of experienced Indigenous media makers & activists that work together on a project by project basis for media justice from an anti-colonial & anti-capitalist framework.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, December 10, 2012
CONTACT:
Klee Benally
indigenousaction@gmail.com
National Forest Service
Announces New Sacred Sites Policy at the Same Time That Flagstaff Peaks
Activists Are Targeted with Federal Charges and Arrest Warrants
Peaks Activists Vow to Fight Charges and Plan to Turn themselves Over to U.S. Marshalls
What: Peaks activist Klee Benally and others expected to be arrested
When: Tuesday, December 11, 2012 at 8:15 a.m
Where: US Marshall’s Office 123 N. San Francisco St, Flagstaff, AZ
FLAGSTAFF, AZ — On the same day that secretary Tom Vilsack of the US Department of Agriculture issued a
final report on Sacred Sites and
an inter-agency memorandum to work towards Sacred Sites protection, the
Coconino Forest Service filed federal charges against four Sacred Sites
advocates who were part of a protest at the Forest Service offices
three months earlier.
On September 21, 2012 more than a dozen Flagstaff community members
peacefully delivered letters to address the US Department of
Agriculture’s policy on sacred places. While community members delivered
the letters, a “quarantine” was also theatrically staged in the
Coconino National Forest Service lobby to protest the agency’s role in
approving of an Arizona Snowbowl ski area expansion and snowmaking with
treated sewage effluent on the Holy San Francisco Peaks. Several members
of the theatrical staging wore white suits and held caution tape with
signs that said, “Quarantine Snowbowl,” “Forest Service Kills Native
Culture, Stop Snowbowl,” and “Protect the Sacred.”
The four protestors are facing multiple counts (Section 261.3a) of a
misdemeanor charge for allegedly interfering with a Forest officer. The
statute reads,
“Threatening, resisting, intimidating, or interfering
with any forest officer engaged in or on account of the performance of
his official duties in the protection, improvement, or administration of
the National Forest System is prohibited.”
“Not only are these federal charges absurd, they are an attack on
freedom of expression,” stated Klee Benally, a Dine’ (Navajo) activist
who has been advocating for Indigenous religious freedom and protection
of the holy Peaks for more than 14 years. “The fact that the USFS would
bring these charges the same day they released their report on the
protection of sacred sites demonstrates that they are not acting in good
faith.”
Klee Benally delivered two letters to acting Forest Supervisor Earl
Stewart calling for an immediate halt to ski area expansion and
snowmaking with treated sewage effluent on the holy San Francisco Peaks.
The letters were addressed to the Obama administration and included: US
Department of Agriculture (USDA) Tom Vilsack, Senior Adviser for Tribal
Affairs USDA Janie Hipp, Coconino National Forest Supervisor Earl
Stewart, and Counselor to the Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs Dion
Killsback. The letters called for the termination of Snowbowl’s Special
Use Permit and the protection of sacred places.
The letters also focused on public health concerns due to
contaminants in the treated sewage effluent that Snowbowl ski resort
intends on using for snowmaking on the Holy site and demanded a
moratorium on the use of treated sewage effluent, commonly called
reclaimed wastewater to avoid the “ick factor”, in public places.
“I entered the building with a group of people and requested to speak
to Forest Supervisor Earl Stewart, we had a cordial conversation, he
accepted letters regarding the sacred sites policy, we shook hands
multiple times. We broke no laws. The Forest Service is the one who is
violating the law of the creator.” stated Benally. “Myself and others
will turn ourselves over to the U.S. Marshall tomorrow at 8:15 a.m. so
we can move towards ending this act of repression and political
retaliation against us by the US Forest Service.”
The U.S. Marshall’s office is located at 123 N. San Francisco St..
Benally and others are expected to be arrested and appear before a judge
for arraignment at 10:00 a.m.
According to the Forest Service complaint, the fire department and a
hazmat team were called to address a potentially hazardous spill of
clear liquid that had flooded the Forest Service lobby floor after
protesters exited. An unknown individual allegedly tipped over a 5
gallon bucket full of what the hazmat team determined to be treated
sewage effluent.
“These charges are absurd! The irony is that the USFS has authorized
Snowbowl to spill more than one million five hundred thousand gallons of
treated sewage effluent per day onto a rare and pristine alpine
habitat. Yet they feel its appropriate to call hazmat when a pail of
wastewater is allegedly poured onto their polished tile floors? I hold
the USFS liable for the environmental poisoning that is set to occur on
the Peaks right now,” stated Flagstaff resident Evan Hawbaker.
On December 6, 2012, while addressing more than 500 Indigenous
leaders at the “White House Tribal Nations Conference” Secretary Vilsack
unveiled a
sacred sites report
stating, “This report represents a commitment by USDA and other
agencies to be better partners and improve communications about Sacred
Sites, better protecting those sites, access and provide government-wide
training to ensure that there is a better understanding of the
relationship those sites have to decisions we make.” Vilsack continued,
“While we have made strides in improving services to Tribes, much is
left to be done. One step we are taking today is the filing of our
Sacred Sites report.”
“The President is insistent that these Sacred Sites be protected and
preserved: treated with dignity and respect. That is also my commitment
as Secretary of USDA. I know my fellow Secretaries share in this
commitment. We understand the importance of these sites and will do our
best to make sure they are protected and respected.” Vilsack stated.
(
http://blogs.usda.gov/2012/12/06/secretary-vilsack-addresses-white-house-tribal-nations-conference-unveils-sacred-sites-report/#more-43547)
Read the delivered letters here:
http://protectthepeaks.org/protect-the-peaks-letter-to-usda-protect-the-holy-san-francisco-peaks-terminate-snowbowls-special-use-permit-for-higher-public-purpose/
Read the sacred sites report here:
http://www.fs.fed.us/spf/tribalrelations/documents/sacredsites/SacredSitesFinalReportDec2012.pdf
Forest Service attempts to ‘Ban’ Peaks Activists from the Peaks to Prevent Further Protests
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 12, 2012
Contact:
Klee Benally
indigenousaction@gmail.com
Peaks Supporters Face Federal Charges in ‘Politically Motivated Attack’
Forest Service attempts to ‘Ban’ them from the Peaks to Prevent Further Protests
Note to editors: Video of September 21, 2012 protest available upon request.
Klee Benally sings before being arrested.
FLAGSTAFF, AZ — On December 11, 2012 three Peaks activists peacefully
turned themselves over to U.S. Marshalls in response to allegations of
federal charges and “sealed” warrants resulting from a civil protest at a
Forest Service building on September 21, 2012.
“It is obvious why these court documents were sealed, the Forest
Service wanted to arrest and make an example out of us to deter further
protests for protection of the Holy San Francisco Peaks.” stated Klee
Benally a Dine’ (Navajo) activist. Benally has been advocating for
Indigenous religious freedom and protection of the holy Peaks for more
than 14 years, “This is a politically motivated attack that was clearly
timed to send a message to anyone who cares about the Peaks from
protesting Snowbowl snowmaking with treated sewage effluent.”
Benally declared to a crowd of supporters at the Marshall’s office,
“The Forest Service lied in the Environmental Impact Statement, they
lied in court, they are lying about these charges, and they are lying
about their sacred sites policy. We are being arrested today because we
are not afraid to stand up and speak the truth!”
Protect the Peaks supporters gather outside the Federal Courthouse.
The three Peaks activists were kept in shackles around their waists,
hands and feet and caged for nearly 5 hours while waiting to appear
before a judge. While in custody, plain clothed U.S. Forest Service
agents attempted to individually interrogate the Peaks activists without
lawyers present.
Forest Service law enforcement captain John Nelson was the only
Forest Service representative in the courtroom. Nelson has a history of
intimidating and harassing Peaks supporters and traditional
practitioners engaged in prayer on the Peaks.
“It seems clear to me,” Benally stated, that the Forest Service is
seeking to suppress any further possibility of us speaking the truth for
religious freedom and protection of the holy San Francisco Peaks.”
The prosecutor repeatedly requested that the judge “ban” the
activists from going on the San Francisco Peaks and to any Coconino
Forest Service building as a condition of their release. During the
arraignment, the federal prosecutor continually stated that he was
concerned about the possibility of further protests.
Attorney Matthew Brown argued that Benally’s religious practice was
directly connected to the San Francisco Peaks and restricting his access
to the Holy Mountain would be akin to preventing him from going to
church. The judge agreed not to ban Benally from the Peaks but cautioned
him that if he broke any laws he would be immediately imprisoned until
trial. Even a wrongful arrest on USFS lands would be grounds for
imprisonment until trial.
The three Peaks supporters were released just after 2:30 p.m.. They
re-joined the group of supporters and held a banner stating, “Protect
Sacred Sites, Defend Human Rights.”
A status hearing for the Peaks activists will be held on December 27,
2012 at 10:00 a.m. at the Flagstaff Federal Courthouse. A date for a
bench trial is expected to be set then.
The four protestors are facing multiple counts (Section 261.3a) of a
misdemeanor charge for allegedly interfering with a Forest officer. The
statute reads, “Threatening, resisting, intimidating, or interfering
with any forest officer engaged in or on account of the performance of
his official duties in the protection, improvement, or administration of
the National Forest System is prohibited.”
“Not only are these federal charges absurd, they are an attack on
freedom of expression,” stated Benally, “The fact that the USFS would
bring these charges the same day they released their report on the
protection of sacred sites demonstrates that they are not acting in good
faith.”
“The final report on Sacred Sites repeatedly points directly at
Coconino National Forest and Secretary Vilsack’s callous handling and
subsequent approval of using treated sewage effluent to make snow at
Arizona Snowbowl.” stated Rudy Preston, a citizen of Flagstaff. He
continues his statement “it was the single most detrimental action to
their ability to even be taken seriously while doing public outreach to
create the report. I feel like the timing of these arrests had two goals
in mind: the first was to ban effective activists from Snowbowl as the
resort begins to make poop snow, and the second was to thumb their noses
at the Sacred Sites report and say, ‘this is how we do it in the
Coconino and we don’t care if you want to make good relations with
Indigenous cultures.’ Even the Snowbowl Record of Decision clearly
states ‘this project will likely have a disproportionately adverse
effect on affected Native Americans (p.32)’ and additionally states that
the no action alternative ‘is the environmentally preferable
alternative because it would not have approved any of the physical,
cultural or biological impacts that are anticipated under the
implementation of Alternative 3 (snowmaking and expansion, p.33).’”
Peaks supporters have stated that they are undeterred from this
attack on their freedom to express themselves and will continue their
efforts to protect the holy San Francisco Peaks.
“The natural laws and the indigenous people were already here in a good
relationship before the coming of the colonial society who draws law and
boundaries.” stated Big Mountain resister Louise Benally who was
outside the courthouse offering support, “However we Indigenous Peoples
will always have ties with these lands, we will continue to live that
way with nature and we will carry on. These man-made laws by the U.S.
government will vanish soon.”
Previous News Release & Forest Service Report here:
http://www.indigenousaction.org/peaks-activists-targeted-with-federal-charges-and-arrest-warrants-as-forest-service-announces-new-sacred-sites-policy/
More info:
www.ProtectthePeaks.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, December 24, 2012
Contact: Rudy Preston
Email:
info@truesnow.org
Phone: 480-382-5288
www.TrueSnow.org
Arizona Snowbowl Starts Making Fake Snow from Treated Sewage… and it’s Yellow
FLAGSTAFF, AZ (San Francisco Peaks) — After a decade of legal battles
and opposition from environmental groups, concerned citizens, and
Indigenous Nations, Arizona Snowbowl ski area has started making fake
snow from Flagstaff’s treated sewage effluent.
Surprise… it’s yellow!
“My parents always told me not to eat yellow snow, this is absolutely
disgusting,” said Katie Nelson, longtime resident of Northern Arizona. “
Will parents tell their kids it’s OK to play in it? I used to be a
skier and snowboarder, but I am boycotting Snowbowl because they
obviously don’t care about my health or the environment.” stated Nelson.
Snowbowl is set to be the only ski area in the world to make snow
from 100% treated sewage effluent. This action has raised serious
concerns from community and environmental groups due to potential risks
to human health and the sensitive mountain ecosystem.
“Snowbowl is clearly disregarding public health by not fulfilling
their requirement to have signs posted that the fake snow is made from
treated sewage and that it must not be consumed. I checked the entire
area where kids ski and learn to ski and I could not find any warning
signs.” stated Rudy Preston, former board member of the Flagstaff
Activist Network. “There were none posted on the childrens ski lifts
either,” he continued.
Although Snowbowl manager JR Murray has stated that treated sewage
would be “…cleaner than the snow falling out of the sky” the yellow
colored snow clearly indicates that something is wrong.
State law mandates that it is illegal for anyone to consume snow made
from treated sewage effluent. Ingestion pathways include the eyes,
ears, nose, mouth, and skin. Additionally, any “direct reuse” cannot
even have the “potential for ingestion.” While Snowmaking is considered
legal, the “direct reuse” of this treated sewage effluent is in fact
“skiing” and ADEQ is ignoring their own laws when it allowed Snowbowl to
make snow (Arizona Administrative Code: R-18-9-704).
“Despite the obvious health risks, you would have thought that
respect for our Indigenous brothers and sisters would have been enough
to stop this project years ago, treated sewage for snowmaking is an
absolute affront to Indigenous Nations that revere the Peaks as holy and
I for one choose to respect their wishes and will no longer ski at
Arizona Snowbowl.” stated Rudy Preston.
Multiple protests and prayer gatherings have been held since Snowbowl opened last Thursday.
On November, 14, 2012 the Hopi Tribe filed a new lawsuit and for
injunctive relief due to threats reclaimed water poses to an endangered
plant that is found nowhere else in the world but on the Peaks. The Hopi
Tribe requested an injunction to be placed on snowmaking activities
until consultation was completed with both the US Fish and Wildlife and
Department of Agriculture. The court has yet to issue a response.
The wastewater, which is treated to Flagstaff’s highest standard, has
been proven to contain endocrine disrupting chemicals
(http://azdailysun.com/article_a53bda53-1369-5d4b-bf1f-cbce10164267.html)
and now even anti-biotic resistant genes
(http://www.rwlwater.com/antibiotic-resistant-bacteria-genes-found-in-flagstaff-water/).
Since the Environmental Protection Agency has no regulations addressing these contaminants in treated sewage, the
Forest Service, City of Flagstaff, AZ Department of Environmental
Quality (ADEQ), and Snowbowl continue to call it “clean enough to drink”
although it would be illegal to do so.
ADEQ regulations allow A+ treated sewer water to contain fecal matter in three out of seven daily samples (R18-11-303 2a). In addition, according to
Northern Arizona University biologist Dr. Paul Torrence, the treated
sewage effluent may also contain antibiotics such as triclosan and
triclocarban, which break down into bio-accumulating cancerous dioxins
when exposed to sunlight.
For nearly a decade every environmental concern brought to the courts
by Sierra Club, the Center for Biological Diversity, and Flagstaff
Activist Network have been swept under the rug on filing technicalities
and no court has ruled on the issues raised about direct reuse and
ingestion. In another lawsuit by the Hopi challenging the legality of
the City’s contract with Snowbowl, Judge Joe Lodge ruled that the tribe waited too long for
the court to make a ruling on clear ADEQ environmental law violations.
Download high resolution pictures here:
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B9AUXPXEUmRJS1NtaWVMdHBPVEU
Photo credits: Katie Nelson and Rudy Preston
.JPG)
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