>-----Original Message----- >From: Mary Arquette [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] >Sent: Tuesday, November 14, 2000 7:26 AM >Subject: Help need > >She:kon: > >I hope you are all well. > >I just wanted to alert you to a protest that is coming up soon being >organized by our Environmental Task Force in Akwesasne and ask for >your help. If you know of any active student organizations on >campuses (Native Students, Environmental Coalitions, faculty groups) >and are willing, please help us get the word out to appropriate >student contacts. We will be starting a letter writing campaign and >could also use help getting information into college and local >newspapers (esp. SUNY Schools) via editorials, contacts with local >media etc. > >It seems the New York Power Authority is planning to give (they are >not required to do so) a local non-profit organization (consisting >mostly of Massena Economic development folks and local colleges in >the area - St. Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, Clarkson and SUNY >Canton) $20 million dollars plus land to build an aquarium on >traditional lands that are used by elders and others in the >community to pick medicine, berries and sweet grass. At the same >time, the Power Authority has said that the dam does not and has not >affected areas downstream (ie. Akwesasne) and as a result, are >dragging their feet regarding a settlement for outstanding damages >that have resulted due to the dam. They are giving land away to the >Universities at the same time the Power Authority and the State of >New York refuses to settle outstanding land claims with the Mohawks >(and others). It is a clear case of environmental injustice. >Unfortunately, the local universities have convinced the St. Regis >Mohawk Tribal Council that this aquarium is in their best interest >(increased tourism for the casino I guess; the Tribal Council is >planning to sign an agreement with the aquarium but they have not >shared any of their thinking or the agreement with the community - >everything is being negotiated outside of a public process). The >aquarium board is saying that the Tribal Council speaks for all >Mohawks and that no one (including the Mohawk Nation or the Mohawk >Council of Akwesasne, or the other Mohawk communities or the >Haudenosaunee Confederacy) has any say in what they do with the >power authority, local universities or aquarium. It is very sad. >Not only is this area a beautiful place (it is one of the few areas >that the river remains in its original course, without being >disturbed by the dam and seaway) with lots of medicines, old trees, >sweetgrass, a nesting eagle in the area, lots of waterfowl and >wildlife - there is also an archaeological site that is protected by >the US National Historic Preservation Act. The Tribe apparently >wants to work with the Universities to put materials that are to be >repatriated on behalf of all the Mohawks on display in the SUNY >Potsdam Museum. For this is reason and others, I consider this an >issue that affects all of the Mohawks and the Confederacy in >general. I thought the whole purpose of repatriation was to put >sacred materials and remains in the hands of those people who can >treat them with the respect they deserve. As a result, this issue >affects all of the SUNY system and may reflect badly on many of the >colleges/universities in the state of New York. One of the aquarium >board members went so far as to say at a public meeting that human >remains could be put on display at the aquarium to teach the public >about the Mohawks. This is how outrageously out of date their >thinking is. Anyway, we need to the help of knowledgeable faculty >members and active student groups to convince the aquarium board to >site this development project elsewhere (they have a second location >upstream but the local town of Massena wants the tourist $ it will >bring. St. Lawrence University's President - who chairs the >aquarium board - promised at a community meeting in Akwesasne that >if the community said no, they would move the aquarium upstream. He >has, however, apparently forgotten his promise. > >We will be putting together more information in the next few days, >including a letter writing campaign targeting the aquarium board >(perhaps the universities and their trustees) as well as the >aquariums funders: the State of New York and the Federal Government >(HUD is providing $, the Seaway (a Federal Agency) is planning to >donate the land where the aquarium will actually sit! Note: the >Seaway is giving land away to local universities at the same time >the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne has a claim for outstanding >grievances with them) > >We will get more information out soon. We are looking for support >from anyone willing to help. > >Onen, Mary > >Mary Arquette, DVM/PhD >Akwesasne Task Force on the Environment >PO Box 992 >Hogansburg, NY 13655 >Phone: 518-358-9607 FAX: 518-358-2857 >E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
