Statements from Dineh and Hopi Resistors.

• Author: Jake, Uncle
• Position: Native Americans speak against efforts of United States Government to seize more land

These people are euphemistically known as "traditionals." They are not members of the dominant society. They are not a part of "the modern world."

Most do not have electricity. They do not speak English as their first language, and some do not speak English at all.

They are not the kind of people who have a loud presence on "the Net," or "the Web," or in any mainstream media.

I believe this makes what they have to say that much more valuable.

This first statement comes from Kee Watchman, and is his address to the United Nations Human Rights Commission Fifty-seventh Session, March 19--April 27, 2001, International Indian Treaty Council, Agenda Item 11(e) Religious Intolerance.

"I am a delegate from the International Indian Treaty Council. I have been sent here to speak for the community where I have lived my entire life, Cactus Valley-Red Willow Springs. We have been subject for over thirty years to confiscation of our livestock, rules preventing us from building homes or even maintaining the homes we have, continuous police harassment, harsh restrictions on our religion and the threat of forcible eviction from the lands our clans have called home for thousands of years.

"The international community's attention has been focused on our plight for over 20 years. Every year some of us have come before you to tell our story and ask for justice.

"The United States government, for reasons of its own policy, is actively and knowingly destroying our families, our livelihood, our sacred places and our way of life. It has given itself statutory authority to use whatever force necessary against us to accomplish its goals.

"Lately, we had heard strong rumors that Peabody Coal Company still wants our rich and low sulfur coal that lays underneath our feet. Hearing this only reaffirms our own intuition of why we had been faced with this forced relocation policy by the United States government.

"As well, the Hopi Tribal Council recently had given permission to construct a cellular tower on the very peak of our shrine called (Dzil'na Sai) or Big Mountain without any consultation. This desecration of our Holy Mountain will only add further insult to a deep injury caused by this forced relocation policy.

"We sympathize and support our Apache relatives to the south, where they are struggling to protect their Holy mountain called (Dzil Nchaa Si An) also known as Mount Graham. This Holy Mountain is being desecrated by telescope projects by the University of...