VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE
I AM PASSING THIS ALONG BECAUSE I BELEIVE THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE.
All,
In discussions with Harold on Friday and Saturday, two things are apparent that all should be aware of as this effort unfolds, first, he has named this effort the Grand River Environmental Equality Network (GREEN). It is a Grand River watershed clean-up effort. He is not doing this in the name of Defenders of the Black Hills. Second, the effort is about cleaning up the Grand River in general. That of course includes the radioactivity but also other heavy metal contamination, and agricultural pesticides. This effort is not about the abandoned mines in the southwestern part of the state, ISL mining or the much bigger uranium issues. It is a small piece of a huge issue that extends itself not only throughout western South Dakota, but also North Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming.
As most of you know, he is now camped at the Slim Buttes area, his first preference was the Cave Hills area, but it is too dangerous because of high levels of radiation coming from the abandoned uranium mines.
Lastly, Harold has asked me to run point for him until such time as him and other people living in the Grand River watershed get themselves organized well enough that I can step aside. Personally, I feel that an effort such as the one Harold is making is timely in the context of uranium issues and Indigenous peoples in North America. There are events and rulings happening right now and last week in other places on Turtle Island that support this type of action. Finally, I feel that an effort such as this will serve as an inspiration to other Indigenous Communities in North America who are struggling with uranium issues, whether they be historic abandoned mines or future mine proposals. The pressure to mine uranium on Indigenous lands is on right now. Equally strong is the efforts by the mining companies to ignore the past injustices and the deadly legacy that the uranium industry has left in Indigenous communities all across the continent. If this effort is orchestrated correctly, Tribal Councils and citizens living in the Grand River watershed will have an opportunity to open discussions with Forest Service, Interior Department, and the Congress from a renewed position of strength.
http://www.heyokamagazine.com/HEYOKA.4.ENVIRO.HaroldOneFeather.htm
Harold One Feather: I first heard about the Riley Pass abandoned uranium mine in the spring of 1997 from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Cultural Resource Planner, La Donna Brave Bull-Allard; she said that the Grey Eagle Society of Pine Ridge / Rapid City told her that there were uranium mine tailings out there. Then the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe as part of the Sioux Oil and Gas Leasing Draft Environmental Impact Statement organized a meeting on June 6-7, 1997 at Picnic Springs, North Cave Hills Unit, Sioux Ranger District, Custer National Forest; I attended this meeting and asked to see the abandoned uranium mine tailings. The US Forest Service said that the meeting was about the cultural resources on the Cave Hills and not the uranium mine, more specifically, the USFS was more concerned about the petroglyphs that were being vandalized by unknown people and the amount of the other graffiti that was being added to the sites where there were petroglyphs.
At this meeting the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe sent as its representatives Tribal Historic Preservation Officer Tim Mentz, Sr., Cultural Resource Planner La Donna Brave Bull-Allard, SRST EPA Officer Cynthia Moore, SRST Community Health Representative Director John Eagle Shield, the SRST BIA Firefighters and many young students from the SRST Grant School.
My tribe is well aware of the mine but not the affected communities such as Rock Creek (Bullhead, SD) and Running Antelope (Little Eagle, SD). To protect these resources at the Custer National Forest, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, as recommended by Tim Mentz, Sr. SRST-THPO, issued a resolution 569-97 saying the cultural properties are sacred.
The next year I tried to organize an informational meeting concerning the abandoned uranium mines at the Custer National Forest, but had to postpone due to inclement weather.
John LeKay: When you first saw these mine sites back in 1997; do you remember seeing any warning signs posted by any of the agencies you mentioned, of the potential health hazards of uranium exposure?
Harold One Feather: In 1997 there were no signs posted at all; I don't know the actual number of radiological hazard signs they posted in 2002. As of 2004 I saw two signs, one was stolen. In 2005 I went to the Pickpocket mine which is about two miles east of the Riley Pass mine and have seen a sign post that had the radiological hazard sign stolen.
Harold One Feather: As the crow flies, the nearest Native community is Rock Creek (Bullhead, SD) and it is 110 miles downstream.
With respect to the steadily emerging health problems in Rock Creek, my mother died at 41 of cancer, my father died at 33 of heart disease, my aunt died of cancer, and there are many other people in the community that have died of cancer. There are also many miscarriages by young women occurring right now. On the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation, there is a very marked increase in diabetes rates and cancer; they just haven't been given the proper motivation to determine the cause since for them it is easier to blame alcoholism; this defeatist attitude stops with me. The Indian Health Service has been blaming alcoholism for too long; I know that this is not the case with several of the other unfortunate cancer deaths that could be explained by alcoholism.
Another issue that I would like to discuss is that there are four major federal agencies that have water management authorities on the Grand River; they are the US Bureau of Reclamation, US Army Corps of Engineers, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service and the US Forest Service. Although I might seem presumptuous in assuming that only the US Forest Service is the only agency that is aware of the uranium mines, none of the other mentioned entities are monitoring water quality on the Grand River and they definitely aren't monitoring for radionuclides.
Currently as a result of my insistence, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, through their SRST EPA department, has started investigating the radiological hazards in the Grand River; I have included these results but please note that this table was compiled on Microsoft Works and was conducted during years of drought. There will be more sampling conducted in the future.
Another issue is that prior to the new water system installed in Rock Creek several years ago, the water came from the alluvial aquifer which drew water from 10 feet under the surface and 150 feet from the Grand River. The water from the household taps existing during this time were never sampled for radionuclides.
My main point is that these federal agencies are either not aware of the radiological hazards associated with the abandoned uranium mines in the Custer National Forest or they are deliberate part of the genocide through their staff. It is a case of who really should conduct intensive water monitoring sampling surveys and has the authority to enforce pollution violations; with the reservation downstream who has the jurisdiction?
All,
In discussions with Harold on Friday and Saturday, two things are apparent that all should be aware of as this effort unfolds, first, he has named this effort the Grand River Environmental Equality Network (GREEN). It is a Grand River watershed clean-up effort. He is not doing this in the name of Defenders of the Black Hills. Second, the effort is about cleaning up the Grand River in general. That of course includes the radioactivity but also other heavy metal contamination, and agricultural pesticides. This effort is not about the abandoned mines in the southwestern part of the state, ISL mining or the much bigger uranium issues. It is a small piece of a huge issue that extends itself not only throughout western South Dakota, but also North Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming.
As most of you know, he is now camped at the Slim Buttes area, his first preference was the Cave Hills area, but it is too dangerous because of high levels of radiation coming from the abandoned uranium mines.
Lastly, Harold has asked me to run point for him until such time as him and other people living in the Grand River watershed get themselves organized well enough that I can step aside. Personally, I feel that an effort such as the one Harold is making is timely in the context of uranium issues and Indigenous peoples in North America. There are events and rulings happening right now and last week in other places on Turtle Island that support this type of action. Finally, I feel that an effort such as this will serve as an inspiration to other Indigenous Communities in North America who are struggling with uranium issues, whether they be historic abandoned mines or future mine proposals. The pressure to mine uranium on Indigenous lands is on right now. Equally strong is the efforts by the mining companies to ignore the past injustices and the deadly legacy that the uranium industry has left in Indigenous communities all across the continent. If this effort is orchestrated correctly, Tribal Councils and citizens living in the Grand River watershed will have an opportunity to open discussions with Forest Service, Interior Department, and the Congress from a renewed position of strength.
http://www.heyokamagazine.com/HEYOKA.4.ENVIRO.HaroldOneFeather.htm
Harold One Feather: I first heard about the Riley Pass abandoned uranium mine in the spring of 1997 from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Cultural Resource Planner, La Donna Brave Bull-Allard; she said that the Grey Eagle Society of Pine Ridge / Rapid City told her that there were uranium mine tailings out there. Then the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe as part of the Sioux Oil and Gas Leasing Draft Environmental Impact Statement organized a meeting on June 6-7, 1997 at Picnic Springs, North Cave Hills Unit, Sioux Ranger District, Custer National Forest; I attended this meeting and asked to see the abandoned uranium mine tailings. The US Forest Service said that the meeting was about the cultural resources on the Cave Hills and not the uranium mine, more specifically, the USFS was more concerned about the petroglyphs that were being vandalized by unknown people and the amount of the other graffiti that was being added to the sites where there were petroglyphs.
At this meeting the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe sent as its representatives Tribal Historic Preservation Officer Tim Mentz, Sr., Cultural Resource Planner La Donna Brave Bull-Allard, SRST EPA Officer Cynthia Moore, SRST Community Health Representative Director John Eagle Shield, the SRST BIA Firefighters and many young students from the SRST Grant School.
My tribe is well aware of the mine but not the affected communities such as Rock Creek (Bullhead, SD) and Running Antelope (Little Eagle, SD). To protect these resources at the Custer National Forest, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, as recommended by Tim Mentz, Sr. SRST-THPO, issued a resolution 569-97 saying the cultural properties are sacred.
The next year I tried to organize an informational meeting concerning the abandoned uranium mines at the Custer National Forest, but had to postpone due to inclement weather.
John LeKay: When you first saw these mine sites back in 1997; do you remember seeing any warning signs posted by any of the agencies you mentioned, of the potential health hazards of uranium exposure?
Harold One Feather: In 1997 there were no signs posted at all; I don't know the actual number of radiological hazard signs they posted in 2002. As of 2004 I saw two signs, one was stolen. In 2005 I went to the Pickpocket mine which is about two miles east of the Riley Pass mine and have seen a sign post that had the radiological hazard sign stolen.
Harold One Feather: As the crow flies, the nearest Native community is Rock Creek (Bullhead, SD) and it is 110 miles downstream.
With respect to the steadily emerging health problems in Rock Creek, my mother died at 41 of cancer, my father died at 33 of heart disease, my aunt died of cancer, and there are many other people in the community that have died of cancer. There are also many miscarriages by young women occurring right now. On the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation, there is a very marked increase in diabetes rates and cancer; they just haven't been given the proper motivation to determine the cause since for them it is easier to blame alcoholism; this defeatist attitude stops with me. The Indian Health Service has been blaming alcoholism for too long; I know that this is not the case with several of the other unfortunate cancer deaths that could be explained by alcoholism.
Another issue that I would like to discuss is that there are four major federal agencies that have water management authorities on the Grand River; they are the US Bureau of Reclamation, US Army Corps of Engineers, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service and the US Forest Service. Although I might seem presumptuous in assuming that only the US Forest Service is the only agency that is aware of the uranium mines, none of the other mentioned entities are monitoring water quality on the Grand River and they definitely aren't monitoring for radionuclides.
Currently as a result of my insistence, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, through their SRST EPA department, has started investigating the radiological hazards in the Grand River; I have included these results but please note that this table was compiled on Microsoft Works and was conducted during years of drought. There will be more sampling conducted in the future.
Another issue is that prior to the new water system installed in Rock Creek several years ago, the water came from the alluvial aquifer which drew water from 10 feet under the surface and 150 feet from the Grand River. The water from the household taps existing during this time were never sampled for radionuclides.
My main point is that these federal agencies are either not aware of the radiological hazards associated with the abandoned uranium mines in the Custer National Forest or they are deliberate part of the genocide through their staff. It is a case of who really should conduct intensive water monitoring sampling surveys and has the authority to enforce pollution violations; with the reservation downstream who has the jurisdiction?