Navajo chapter comes out against proposed power plant

SANOSTEE, N.M. -- A Navajo community in northwestern New Mexico has issued a resolution in opposition to a proposed $3 billion coal-fired power plant, but a tribal lawmaker says the community's concerns have fallen on deaf ears.

Jerry Bodie, a delegate who represents the Sanostee Chapter, said a few dozen of the chapter's 1,500 voters showed up at meeting this month and passed the resolution against the Desert Rock Energy Project.

Bodie said he took the chapter's message to the Tribal Council last week, and each delegate received a copy.

"They didn't listen to it and they think the power plant is good for all the people," Bodie said.
Critics claim the plant will add pollution to a region that already has two existing coal-fired plants, but Desert Rock supporters argue that the opposition represents a minority and that the Navajo Nation as a whole supports the project.

Houston-based Sithe Global and the tribe's Dine Power Authority have partnered on the project. It's expected to bring in about $55 million each year for the Navajo Nation and provide about 400 permanent jobs.

The Sanostee resolution requests a comprehensive health study of residents living within a 60-mile radius of coal-fired power plants. Sanostee is about 12 miles west of the proposed site, Bodie said.

The resolution also urges the Navajo Nation to consider alternative energy sources, such as wind and solar power, in place of the plant. A draft environmental impact statement on the proposed plant is expected in several weeks, and the resolution asks that public hearings on the document be held in Sanostee.

The First Fire - Cherokee lore

In the beginning of the world, there was no fire. The animal people were often cold. Only the Thunders, who lived in the world beyond the sky arch, had fire. At last they sent Lightning down to an island. Lightning put fire into the bottom of a hollow sycamore tree. The animal people knew that the fire was there, because they could see smoke rising from the top of the tree. But they could not get to it on account of the water. So they held a council to decide what to do.

Everyone that could fly or could swim was eager to go after the fire. Raven said, "Let me go. I am large and strong."

At that time Raven was white. He flew high and far across the water and reached the top of the sycamore tree. While he sat there wondering what to do, the heat scorched all his feathers black. The frightened Raven flew home without the fire, and his feathers have been black ever since.
Then the council sent Screech Owl. He flew to the island. But while he was looking down into the hollow tree, a blast of hot air came up and nearly burned out his eyes. He flew home and to this day, Screech Owl's eyes are red.

Then Hooting Owl and Horned Owl were sent to the island together. But the smoke nearly blinded them, and the ashes carried up by the wind made white rings about their eyes. They had to come home, and were never able to get rid of the white rings.

Then Little Snake swam across to the island, crawled through the grass to the tree, and entered it through a small hole at the bottom. But the smoke and the heat were too much for him, too. He escaped alive, but his body had been scorched black. And it was so twisted that he doubled on his track as if always trying to escape from a small space.

Big Snake, the climber, offered to go for fire, but he fell into the burning stump and became as black as Little Snake. He has been the great blacksnake ever since.

At last Water Spider said that she would go. Water Spider has black downy hair and red stripes on her body. She could run on top of water and she could dive to the bottom. She would have no trouble in getting to the island.

"But you are so little, how will you carry enough fire?" the council asked.

"I'll manage all right," answered Water Spider. "I can spin a web." so she spun a thread from her body and wove it into a little bowl and fastened the little bowl on her back. Then she crossed over to the island and through the grass. She put one little coal of fire into her bowl and brought it across to the people.

Every since, we have had fire. And the Water Spider still has her little bowl on her back.

Native American Rights Fund

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NARF’s practice is concentrated in five key areas: the preservation of tribal existence; the protection of tribal natural resources; the promotion of Native American human rights; the accountability of governments to Native Americans; and the development of Indian law and educating the public about Indian rights, laws, and issues. Our work depends solely upon the generosity of donors like you. Please make a secure online donation today.

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Give Us Hearts to Understand

Give us hearts to understand;

Never to take from creation's beauty more than we give; never to destroy wantonly for the furtherance of greed; Never to deny to give our hands for the building of earth's beauty; never to take from her what we cannot use.

Give us hearts to understand;

That to destroy earth's music is to create confusion; that to wreck her appearance is to blind us to beauty; That to callously pollute her fragrance is to make a house of stench; that as we care for her she will care for us. We have forgotten who we are. We have sought only our own security. We have exploited simply for our own ends. We have distorted our knowledge. We have abused our power.

Great Spirit, whose dry lands thirst, Help us to find the way to refresh your lands. Great Spirit, whose waters are choked with debris and pollution, help us to find the way to cleanse your waters. Great Spirit, whose beautiful earth grows ugly with misuse, help us to find the way to restore beauty to your handiwork. Great Spirit, whose creatures are being destroyed, help us to find a way to replenish them. Great Spirit, whose gifts to us are being lost in selfishness and corruption help us to find the way to restore our humanity.

Oh, Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the wind, whose breath gives life to the world, hear me; I need your strength and wisdom.

May I walk in Beauty.

Author unknown

Quotes

I cannot think that we are useless or God would not have created us. There is one God looking down on us all. We are all the children of one God. The sun, the darkness, the winds are all listening to what we have to say.

- Geronimo, Apache

'Art from Indian Territory' brings contemporary art to rural communities

ANADARKO, Okla. - When modern or contemporary American Indian art goes on exhibit in Oklahoma, it usually occurs in places such as Oklahoma City, Norman or Tulsa, with people from rural Native communities having to drive long distances to attend art openings.

Although Oklahoma City's upcoming American Indian Cultural Center and Museum is still under construction, it hasn't stopped the museum from getting art to the people. ''Art from Indian Territory,'' the museum's inaugural touring exhibit, was designed to tour five different regions in Oklahoma with the express purpose of bringing contemporary Native art to the entire state.

http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096414804

Click on the link to read the full article

Navajo Olympic hopefuls to try out for Beijing games

Two Navajo runners have their eyes and hearts set on China, and the newly formed nonprofit organization Nideiltihi Navajo Elite Runners will do everything it can to help them get there for the Summer Olympics in 2008.

http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096414860

Click on the link to read the full story.