INDIGENOUS ENVIRONMENTAL NETWORK
THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS BEING POSTED AT THE REQUEST OF:
THE INDIGENOUS ENVIRONMENTAL NETWORK
Indigenous Environmental Network
P.O. 485
Bemidji, MN. 56601
ph: 1-218-751-4967
fax:1-218-751-0561
e-mail:ien@igc.apc.org
PRESS RELEASE - URGENT
Contact: Judy Fairbanks, Indigenous Environmental Network.
(218) 751-4967 - voice
(218) 751-0561 - fax
Date: February 6, 1996
NATIONAL INDIAN ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP CHARGES NSP WITH ENVIRONMENTAL
RACISM AND AGITATING DISUNITY AMONG TRIBAL MEMBERS AND ENVIRONMENTALISTS
Bemidji, MN - "The proposal, made by Northern States Power Utility Company,
in relation to the Mdewakanton Dakota community of Prairie Island is an
unethical, immoral and blatant act of evironmental racism," says Tom Goldtooth,
National Coordinator of the Indigenous Environmental Network, a national
Indian environmental organization. NSP's racist policy of siting their
facilities in people of color communities is consistent with it's action in
the predominately African-American community of Homer, Louisiana, where NSP
is pushing a uranium enrichment processing plant to be built, despite community
opposition.
For over 22 years the Prairie Island community have been exposed to radioactivity from the NSP reactors that produce radioactive waste. "It has
impacted the animal life, the fish, and the birds. It is only logical to
understand that the air, the water and the people must also be contaminated,"
said Joseph Campbell, a Prairie Island community member. "NSP has a
responsibility to compensate the Dakota people without any strings or
continued nuclear power production. NSP is attempting to cloak their agenda
of continued plant operation despite the will of the people, under the
guise of compensation," Goldtooth said. "NSP is agitating disunity between
tribal membership, tribal and environmental alliances, while simultaneously
presenting a public facade of concern and justice. We are not confused by
this smoke screen," said Campbell.
Native people from throughout North American have been disproportionately
on the front lines of nuclear contamination from mining, to processing, to
testing, to human experimentation, and to storage of nuclear waste. "It's
an act of genocidal, terracidal, and biocidal corporate maniacs that put
financial "profit" before respect for sacred life," said Nilak Butler,
Greenpeace Indigenous Nuclear Free Future Campaign worker.
Numerous tribal nations and communities have said no to the nuclear
power industry such as the Western Shoshone of Nevada, the Inupiat of
Point Hope Alaska, the Sac and Fox of Oklahoma and the Ojibwe tribes of
Minnesota.Just a couple of years ago, the community members of Prairie
Island voted through tribal referendum their opposition to the continued
production and storage of nuclear waste next to their reservation. "It
was premature for NSP to bring the proposal before the Minnesota legislature
before the tribal community members of Prairie Island have even had a chance
to review the proposal and decide for ourselves whether we support it or not,"
said Bill Owen, another Prairie Island member who opposes the NSP proposal.
"The Indigenous Environmental Network, its national council membership
and alliances stand in support with the Prairie Island community members
for their natural right to clean air, clean water, clean food, and to
live a healthy way of life. We understand that nuclear waste is a threat to
their continued survival and their future generation. We support their just
cause of compensation for the grievous damages and contamination at the hands
of NSP, but with no strings," said Goldtooth. "NSP is trying to checkmate
our tribal leaders under threats of survival to agree with compensation
deals with strings attached that would allow NSP to expand their storage
space of radioactive waste. What about the people that decide to stay and
not relocate. This deal is a death warrant against the Dakota people."
said Owen.
"The Minnesota legislature must uphold its responsibility to the health
and well being of all their constituents and say no NSP's proposal," said
Campbell.