Other issues facing Dine and other indigenious groups
In addition to looking for solutions to the numerous external concerns listed below, the Navajo Nation also needs to address other pollution concerns such as sanitation. There are environmental bio-technologies being developed right now in Europe that hold great promise. Papernet has created and is marketing a biotech toilet paper that cleans the pipes and septic tank each time it is used. The paper, which is 100% and non-pathogenic contains contains five different types of good microorganisms. When the toilet paper comes in contact with water the good micro-organism’s are activated. The US is waiting for this biotech
toilet paper wholesale market to open up for homes, businesses, schools, restaurants and any other location with a restroom. It will be revolutionary. For the time being there are many e-commerce sites that sell toilet paper, such as http://www.cleanitsupply.com. Hopefully they will start offering this biotech toilet paper soon.
In the meantime the Navajo Nation still has to deal with the following issues.
Uranium: While the United States government breaks its own laws delaying relief payments to cancer-striken former uranium workers and their families, the possibility of new mining once again threatens the Navajo homeland
• Uranium dangers of the Navajo Nation
• Other Information
• Updates and alerts
Internal articles:
• It’s Gas vs. Heritage in Navajo Country , Oct.14, 2003
• Navajo Citizens oppose oil rigs on sacred lands , July 15, 2003
• Diné CARE Opposes Ominous Energy Bill
• Power Plants dump toxins in Navajo air
External articles:
• Hopi tribal police dismantle Camp Anna Mae sundance site.
http://www.blackmesais.org/Destruction_Of_Sundance.html
• Poison Fire, Sacred Earth: World Uranium Hearing, Salzburg, Austria, 1992.
http://www.ratical.org/radiation/WorldUraniumHearing/
Coal Fired Power Plants
Power generation via coal combustion has had a significant effect on the Colorado Plateau’s once famous air quality
Nuclear Waste
White Mesa Nuclear Waste Facility. Located south of Blanding and north of Aneth, Utah.
Oil and Gas
Prevent future drilling of oil on Navajo reservation near Aneth, UT and Table Mesa, NM.
Forestry
In 1981 Navajo department of forestry reported that the forests of Chuska Mountains were in seriously bad shape. Thirteen years and millions of trees later, the Navajo Nation lumber mill ceased operations after accumulating millions in debt. Now, for some strange reason, the Navajo Nation department of forestry thinks it’s a good idea to start cutting down the forest again.
Colorado Aquifer
Members of the southwest area of the Navajo Nation Chapters “C Aquifer for Dine” organization are petitioning the Navajo Nation Council to stand with them against the use of C-Aquifer for coal slurry from Black Mesa and to oppose the recent “Settlement Plan” to re-start the Mohave Generating Station and resume the Peabody Coal mining operation.
Other Issues
From toxic waste dumping to forced relocation of Diné from their ancestral lands, a round-up of issues facing the Navajo people, and other indigenous peoples of the Americas.
Peabody Coal depleted N – Aquifer to where it damaged the surface ( Study by NRDC ) and above that cheated the Navajo Nation out of $600 million dollars of the royalties.
Why do we want to give over another water table ( C – Aquifer ) to a company that already pretty near emptied our N-Aquifer and swore to the end the water level is still high and on top of that cheated us out of millions of dollars.
Navajo Nation is in a severe drought today and the future looks bleak for us, there is no way to predict any rain in the near future. Let us not give our Navajo water away for deals that will damage our land, our people, our integrity and stand up for what is rightfully ours and develop the domestic water for the southwest Navajo area.