It\’s Getting Hot In Here

Previous blogs about this here for an update, here for another update, and here to learn how to help.

Update of the Navajo Nation Desert Rock Blockade (9:30 p.m. MST, 12/21/06), as posted by Tom Goldtooth, Director, Indigenous Environmental Network

All your calls to the Navajo Nation today have been working! As of this late evening, we heard from the people at the Blockade that the Navajo police have NOT made any arrests (yet).

All the supporters must understand that from late morning to early afternoon today, the elders and resisters at the Blockade, for all intentions and purposes, actually were thinking they were going to be arrested. Reports came in from the Blockade that there were up to 21 numerous types of police, ambulance and tribal ranger vehicles ascending on the site. According to Dailan Jake Long, the media contact at the Blockade, some of the tribal police came all the way from Tuba City, Arizona, in addition to local Shiprock, New Mexico police vehicles.

Dine’ CARE was trying to maintain constant contact with the Blockade resisters during this very tense and critical time today. During a time period, all cell phone contact was cut-off. In the best interest of the elder grandmothers, a decision was made to post a message that Dine’ grandmas were being arrested and for supporters to immediately call the Navajo Nation President’s office. The posting stated that if elders and supporters have been arrested, to ask the police to release them. At the time, the situation called for immediate action, and from sporadic reports from the Blockade, it appeared arrests were being made. That’s when an action was posted through electronic mail and other means.

After some time, cell phone connection was reestablished between Lori Goodman of Dine’ CARE and the Dooda resisters. According to Dine’ CARE, who talked with people at the Blockade, the elders were given five minutes to make a decision to leave or get arrested. The report was that many of the elders and resisters were being intimidated by the large police force. According to Dailan Jake Long, some of the grandmothers got scared.

The elders and resisters were doing a prayer ceremony when police finally drove up and disrupted the ceremony. According to Dailan Jake Long, the police dismantled the camp, tossing tents and everything into a huge truck and moved it across the road away from the blockade area. No one had any access to any of the supplies, nor the food. The elders and resisters were refused access to the portable toilets.

The police have posted police at the blockade entrance and two at the proposed drilling sites. The police now have 4 cops there, guarding east and west entrances.

Communication is very much needed. The area is remote, with no electricity nor running water. The Dooda resisters are doing the best they can to maintain communication with the outside world. Native support groups like Dine’ CARE, Black Mesa Water Coalition, Indigenous Environmental Network, Indigenous Media, and others are trying as best as we can to provide support and information.

It has come to the attention of the Dooda resisters, Dine’ CARE, Black Mesa Water Coalition, Indigenous Environmental Network and our support groups that the director of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety has issued a statement today to correct misinformation being disseminated online that arrests of Navajo grandmothers are occurring at the Desert Rock Energy Project site. Like we explained above, we understand that after everything that took place earlier today, no arrests were made. However, it is our opinion that if people from throughout the country had not made calls to the Navajo Nation today, arrests could have taken place. Again, according to the reports directly from the people at the Blockade, the police were ready and equipped to make arrests. They had paddy wagons, which are vehicles to haul people to jail.

The director of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety further says that “the officers there are doing a good job and are providing the direct service that the elderly need out there. They’ve been helping with moving firewood provided by the Navajo Nation, and are employing 120 percent diplomacy in dealing with the situation.”

The Dooda resisters and elders did NOT experience the police as providing help nor exercising diplomacy.

He said “online reports that there are 21 officers on the site are inaccurate. He said there are two Navajo Nation officers, one lieutenant and two Navajo rangers assisting the people.”

Again, this is not what the Dooda resisters have experienced. The resisters are the ones that witnessed the numerous police vehicles. They counted up to 21 vehicles today.

It is reported tonight the police had tossed their food and belongings all alongside the road and the Dooda members were just putting their new Camp back together. Students from Fort Lewis College have arrived to help out and will doing videotaping. More people are to be coming from Save the Peaks from Flagstaff tonight and a man from Taos brought firewood.