On December 12th, 2006 community members in Burnham, New Mexico established a blockade to prevent preliminary work for the proposed Desert Rock coal-fired power plant (covered at IGHIH here and then here). For ongoing updates, check: www.desert-rock-blog.com AND check a request for support and media alert copied below the fold.
The short film, “Making a Stand at Desert Rock” was just released - directed by Klee Benally and Produced by Indigenous Action Media.
[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/T88qZ5TbGrg" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]
FULL UPDATE AND MEDIA ALERT Burnham, New Mexico - Community members have established a blockade to prevent preliminary work for the proposed Desert Rock coal-fired power plant. On Tuesday, December 12th Elouise Brown and elder Alice Gilmore along with their relatives and concerned community members took action and stopped representatives of Sithe Global from entering onto their land. It was found that the New York based-company Sithe Global, along with Dine’ Power Authority (DPA) which is an enterprise of the Navajo Nation, had been drilling for water near Alice Gilmore’s home. A tent has been raised, a fire is being kept and donations are slowly pouring in. The elders and community there have experienced harassment and threats from law enforcement and other officials. In an incident last week, an elder’s sheep dog was skinned alive, run over twice, left for dead and tossed next to the blockade encampment. This is plain brutal and intent to intimidate the camp. The elders put a lot of value into training their sheep dogs and an act such as this is elder abuse.MEDIA ALERT!!!!The Desert Rock Resisters have asked that the media be alerted!They have just received notice that Navajo Nation President, Joe Shirley and his staff including the newly elected Vice President Ben Shelly, will be making a trip to the blockade site at 2:00pm MST today (Monday, December 18, 2006) to meet with the family and supporters. DPA will also be in attendance and are supposedly bringing permits. Please help us get the word out to the media and supporters who might be able to attend this meeting.What: Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley and staff meeting with Desert Rock Resisters. Also expected to attend are DPA officials with appropriate permits.
When: Monday December 18th (TODAY), 2 PM MST
Where: Blockade site (directions below)Directions to Blockade Site:
- The site is between Gallup, NM and Shiprock, NM in northeastern, NM
- Take the road between Gallup and Shiprock, the 491
- At the Mustang Service Station (one of the only service stations between the two), turn East on road #5 towards Burnham Chapter
- About half a mile past the turn off to the Burnham Chapter, turn North onto gravel road #5082
- About 10-12 miles up the road turn West and drive until you see the encampment. There will be markers and signs (balloons) to help guide you
- If you begin to see a dragline, you’ve gone too farMORE SUPPORT IS NEEDED!!!!
Come on out to the site!
You have been invited by the Dine grassroots families who live on the land on which the proposed Desert Rock coal-fired power plant may be built to come on out and help support! For more information on participating in the blockade, where to go and what to bring check out http://www.desert-rock-blog.com.
Donations!
The Desert Rock Resisters are requesting:
- Unleaded gas in appropriate containers for the generator
- A Port-a-potty (Navajo Vice President Frank Dayish had promised one days ago and has yet to provide)
- Various kitchen Supplies including: Hefty trash bags, large pots, ladles for stew, paring knives, paper towels, baking powder, hand soap, toilet paper, a wash pan and big bowls
- Video cameras and digital cameras
- Monetary donations to cover costs of radio announcements
Please send donations to:
Elouise Brown
1015 Glade Lane 34
Farmington, NM 87401
Elouise can also be reached at: thebrownmachine@hotmail.com
Contact the Authorities!
Contact the following authorities! Tell them you have heard about Desert Rock’s harassment of Navajo elders and youth. Tell them you are extremely concerned! If enough people contact these offices they will know that the world is watching:
Shiprock Police Department
phone: (505) 368-1350
fax: (505) 368-1293
Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley’s Office
P.O. Box 9000 Window Rock, Arizona, 86515
phone #: (928) 871- 6352
Also George Hardeen, Navajo Nation Communications Director Office of the President
Office #: 928-871-7000
Cell #: 928-380-7688
e-mail: georgehardeen@opvp.org
Bureau of Indian Affairs Gallup Office (they are conducting the Environmental Impact Statement)
Harrilene Yazzi, NEPA Coordinator Bureau of Indian Affairs, Navajo Regional Office
P.0. Box 1060 Gallup, New Mexico 87305
Phone: 505-863-8314
Fax: 505-863-8324
Hold Solidarity Demonstrations and Vigils Near You!
For those of you unable to make it to Burnham, hold solidarity vigils and demonstrations at a site near you:
SITHE GLOBAL POWER CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS
Sithe Global Power, LLC
245 Park Avenue
38th Floor
New York, NY 10167
Phone: 212.351.0000
Fax: 212.351.0880
Contact: mitchell@sitheglobal.com
REGIONAL & AFFILIATE OFFICES
IN TEXAS
Sithe Global Power, LLC
Three Riverway
Suite 1100
Houston, Texas 77056
Phone: 713.499.1155
Fax: 713.499.1167
Contact: white@sitheglobal.com
IN TORONTO
Sithe Global Power, LLC
Commerce Court West, Suite 5300
199 Bay Street
Toronto, Ontario M5L 1B9
Phone: 416.869.5647
Fax: 416.947.0866
Contact: baxter@sitheglobal.com
TO CONTACT US!!!!
Contact Dine CARE and the Dooda Desert Rock Committee if you would like to help:
Sarah Jane White, President, Dooda desert Rock Committee (505) 860-6166
Elouise Brown, Treasurer, Dooda Desert Rock Committee (505) 974-6159
Media Contacts:
Dailan J. Long, Dine CARE and Dooda Desert Rock Committee
Phone: 505-801-0713
Email: elmer.long@dartmouth.edu
Lori Goodman
Dine CARE
Phone: 970-759-1908
Email: kiyaani@frontier.net
For more up to date information please visit http://www.desert-rock-blog.com
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I called the Navajo Nation office and the Shiprock Police Department. Apparently, as of today, the Navajo Nation office has recieved “hundreds” of calls- I spoke with the secretary there and he said that people aren’t getting facts straight (an expected response). The police department just said “okay” to whatever I told them, which was this (anyone who wants can use this script…)
Hi, my name is _________ and I’m calling from (city, state)_______________. I’m calling because I just heard about the harrassment of Navajo families and elders occuring in Burnham. I just wanted to express my deep concern and disgust with how the (police department)__________(office) has handled this situation. I also wanted to let you know that I will continue to watch this case and will be informing the news in my town and my friends about this abuse until it stops.
good luck making phone calls! Don’t get discouraged with their expected “no fault” responses! You’re doing good.
-Christina
The Apollo Alliance and its cheerleaders for the Nuclear “Clean Energy” Act of 2007 should stop trying to make political points at the expense of the Diné Navajo people on the Navajo Reservation. This is inexcusable.
Do you know how much the Diné Navajo people have suffered from uranium mining, nuke waste dumping, and the worst nuclear accident in American history on July 16, 1979, when 1100 tons of uranium mining tailings and 98 million gallons of radioactive water burst through U.S. Nuclear’s earthen dam, into the Rio Puerco? See http://www.ratical.org/radiation/UraniumInNavLand.html, or
http://www.truthout.org/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi/66/24037.
Here’s a good link regarding the Apollo Alliance:
http://www.oilempire.us/apollo.html