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Latin Dance Party/ Art Show Fundraiser

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:12 GMT

Join us for a "Journey to the Amazon: Indigenous Rights and Environmental Justice in Peru"!

A fundraiser to support Village Earth's projects with indigenous communities of the Peruvian Amazon.

Latin Dance Party - Learn to dance salsa and other traditional Peruvian dances!
There will also be speakers, an art show, craft sale, and silent auction with arts and crafts by Shipibo artisans of the Peruvian Amazon. There will be lots of cool art and crafts for sale including hand-made jewelry!

Food and drinks will be provided by the Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant! Their famous margaritas will be available!

Wednesday, April 23
7:00 - 8:30 pm (Dancing & drinks 'til 10:30pm)

Location: Agave Room (Above the Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant in Old Town)
149 W. Mountain Ave.
Fort Collins, CO

Ticket Prices: $15 students; $25 non-students (All proceeds go to support indigenous community initiatives in the Peruvian Amazon!)
(TICKETS IN ADVANCE ONLY)
Available at www.villageearth.org or 970-491-5754

For more information, please contact Kristina Pearson at kristina@villageearth.org

Visit our sponsor - the Rocky Mountain Chronicle

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Kristina Pearson
kristina@villageearth.org
491-5754

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LOCAL NON-PROFIT ALLIES IN THE STRUGGLE TO SAVE THE AMAZON

April 15, 2008. Fort Collins, CO: The Amazon basin in Peru is quickly being sold off to oil companies, industrial-scale agricultural production, and loggers. “We indigenous peoples only want tranquility and happiness this is our development as said by our elders,” said Shipibo leader Limber Gomez who visited Fort Collins last August 2007. One Fort Collins non-profit has allied with indigenous communities in Peru to stop the sale of the Amazon and offer alternatives to the unsustainable path of development pursued by the corporations and the government. Village Earth, founded by long-time CSU professor and Peace Corps developer Dr. Maury Albertson, is making a difference.

Village Earth has been working internationally with indigenous communities to help them determine their own sustainable development initiatives. In Peru, Village Earth is working with native communities on many projects from clean water to opening an indigenous bank where entrepreneurs can take small loans to start businesses. With current concerns about global warming, awareness is increasing that sustainable development initiatives are extremely important in the Amazon since it is an area of global environmental importance for its roles in mitigating climate change.

Village Earth is offering the Northern Colorado community an opportunity to be a part of these important efforts. Wednesday, April 23 7:00-8:30pm Village Earth will have a Latin Dance and art show event “Journey to the Amazon: Indigenous Rights and Environmental Justice in Peru” to raise funds for their various projects in the Peruvian Amazon. The event will be held in the Agave Room above the Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant (149 W. Mountain Ave.). Tickets are $15 students; $25 non-students (Tickets are available in advance only.) For more information, contact Village Earth (491-5754) or www.villageearth.org.

_________________________________________________________________________

April 12, 2008

Dear Friend of Village Earth,

As a supporter of Village Earth YOU have the opportunity to make a difference. Join us for a fun evening of dancing and art in solidarity with Shipibo communities of the Peruvian Amazon. The Peruvian government is increasingly privatizing the land and resources of the Amazon rainforest. Traditionally held communal lands, non-titled indigenous lands, and forest areas of immense biodiversity will be sold to private landowners and foreign corporations under the new Ley de la Selva (Law of the Jungle). Many indigenous peoples and environmentalists are claiming that this law is just a facade to open up the Amazon to logging companies.

Help us stop the sale of the Amazon!

A note from Shipibo leader and Village Earth friend, Limber Gomez (pictured above, a member of the Organization for the Defense and Development of the Indigenous Peoples of the Peruvian Amazon, ODDPIAP):

“Facing the threatening law Nº 840, called the “Law of the Jungle”, the indigenous peoples of the Ucayali region of Peru are in the process of uniting to discuss this turn of events, as well as the new alliance between the regional government and Peru Petro (the state-run oil licensing agency), so that we, the indigenous peoples, can form a regional front in the Ucayali.

Today more than ever before, we the indigenous peoples of the Ucayali are defending our lands and territories. We are not going to permit the contamination of our ecosystem and the environment by transnational corporations. The transnational corporations come with the story that they will give work to indigenous peoples when they enter our territories. Already we have been through this experience of lies and genocide many times before.

First comes our health and second our development. An old Shipibo elder has predicted that if we allow the exploitation of our resources, in time, Peru will convert to a desert as told by our concerned elders.

We indigenous peoples only want tranquility and happiness, this, this is our development as said by our elders.”

How does this concern you?

The destruction of the Amazon and the indigenous communities who call it home affects us all. With current concerns about global warming, awareness is increasing that the Amazon is an area of global environmental importance for its roles in cleaning the air and mitigating climate change. As well, the preservation of the wealth of species and cultures is invaluable to humanity.

“Thank you, Village Earth. You are helping us to make history”

- Cecilio Soria, (pictured above with his grandmothers) Shipibo
leader and host of the renowned radio program Indigenous Voice

Therefore, we invite you to be a part of helping the indigenous peoples of the Amazon determine their own futures and “make history” by attending this fundraising event:

Journey to the Amazon: Indigenous Rights and Environmental Justice

This event will take place Wednesday, April 23 7-8:30 PM (drinks and dancing ‘til 10:30). The funds we raise at this event will be to support the many projects we are working on with indigenous communities in Peru.

For just $10,000, we can accomplish the following project activities this year:

For $1000 - We can facilitate the second annual indigenous tribunal bringing community chiefs and indigenous leaders together to discuss their integrated development plan for the region and the defense of their forests in partnership with the new Shipibo organization ODDPIAP;
For $4000 – We will set up and maintain an indigenous-run service center in Pucallpa, Peru where indigenous community members can get access to resources for their various projects. This service center will also be home to an indigenous bank from which ODDPIAP will begin a micro-loan program to promote small enterprise development;
For $1000 - We can implement a clean water project using a new ceramic sand filter prototype that will be produced locally and will provide clean drinking water to remote indigenous communities in our continued partnership with the Engineers Without Borders Professional Chapter (Fort Collins);
For $2000 – We can set-up and train local leaders in the operation of a community-based radio station in one remote indigenous community in collaboration with local community-based radio station KRFC. They can then broadcast throughout the region news and information in their own language and under their control;
And finally for $2000 - We will bring two Shipibo leaders to attend the PPSD training here in Fort Collins this May 2008.

So please call (491-5754) or go online today (www.villageearth.org) to get your tickets (TICKETS AVAILABLE IN ADVANCE ONLY – Please RSVP by Friday, April 18)! Please invite your friends!

Tickets for students are $15
Tickets for non-students are $25

We hope to see you there! It’s going to be a fun event where you can learn different Latin and traditional Peruvian dances and enjoy food from the Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant. If you have any questions, send me an e-mail at kristina@villageearth.org, or call us here at the office 491-5754. Thanks for your continued support of Village Earth!

NPS Develops Management Plan for Badlands South Unit

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 07:14 GMT

The National Park Service has begun working on a General Management Plan for the South Unit of Badlands National Park. The public is invited to submit comments (59 KB PDF) and make suggestions during this important process. Comments on Newsletter #1 Winter 2008 (693 KB PDF) are due April 11, 2008.

Some of the issues under consideration in the plan include:

General Management Plan (GMP) - As Described in Newsletter #1 Winter 2008

According the GMP, The following concepts range from continuation of current management or shared management to management by an entity other than the NPS. Congressional action would likely be required to put into effect alternatives based on these concepts.

CONCEPT #1
The NPS would continue to manage the South Unit as one of two units of Badlands National Park. All the laws, regulations and policies pertaining to units of the National Park System would remain in effect, as would the specific enabling legislation that established the park. In addition, the 1976 Memorandum of Agreement between the NPS and the OST would remain in effect.

CONCEPT #2
Management of the South Unit of Badlands National Park would be shared by the NPS and the OST. The NPS and OST would work together to manage resource protection and visitor use in the South Unit. The laws, regulations, and policies pertaining to units of the National Park System would remain in effect, as would the specific enabling legislation that established the park and any appropriate OST ordinances and resolutions. The NPS and OST would renegotiate the 1976 Memorandum of Agreement to reflect the changed relationship between the two parties. The NPS and the OST would each contribute funding and staff for management of the South Unit.

CONCEPT #3
The South Unit of Badlands National Park would be managed by the OST with technical assistance provided by the NPS. The primary management responsibility for the unit would rest with the OST, while NPS could assist the OST with technical guidance in resource management and visitor use as requested, or as required by authorizing legislation. This concept could be implemented by recreating the South Unit as an affiliated area of the National Park System or by establishing a separate new unit of the National Park System. In either instance, all the laws and policies pertaining to units of the National Park System would remain in effect. The mechanism for funding varies depending on whether the South Unit would remain within the National Park System or become an affiliated area.

CONCEPT #4
The lands of the South Unit would be managed by OST as a Tribal Park/Preservation Area or in some other manner determined by the Tribe, in accordance with Tribal ordinances and resolutions. Staffing and funding would be the responsibility of the Tribe. This concept would deauthorize the South Unit of Badlands National Park and end NPS management there.

Note: If Concept 4 were to be selected, a GMP would not be needed, because the South Unit would no longer be a part of the National Park System. In that case, the following information about resource management and visitor use options would not apply.

Prairie Dog Management Plan and Environmental Assessment

The NPS favors the creation of a series of zones for prairie dog management.

Prairie Dog Buffer Zone - In this one-quarter mile buffer on park lands adjacent to private lands, prairie dog control would be initiated by private landowner complaint. If 80% of the problem prairie dog colony lies within the buffer zone and encroachment is evident, the entire prairie dog colony would be controlled. All other buffer towns would be managed so that the aggregate buffer zone acreage does not exceed the estimated 2006 acreage of prairie dog colonies in the buffer zone.

Bison Management Zone - In the bison management zone, prairie dog populations would be managed to balance their food needs with the forage requirements of the bison. Prairie dog populations would be allowed to fluctuate naturally in densities and acreage until the point that the acreage of prairie dogs plus the acreage used by the bison herd exceeds roughly one-half, or 50-60%, of the available suitable habitat for both species.

Prairie Dog Free Range Zone - In this zone, prairie dog populations would be allowed to fluctuate naturally in numbers and in total acreage of colonies. Any prairie dog control would be limited to administrative areas where prairie dog colonies conflict with other park management goals or objectives.

Prairie Dog Control Zone - In this zone, prairie dogs would be managed to occupy from 7 to 15% of the available suitable habitat (currently they occupy 7% of suitable habitat in this zone). This zone includes the remainder of North Unit lands that are not managed under one of the other three zones.

*Maps of each zone are included in the report.

ORGANIZATIONS FROM FIVE STATES JOIN TOGETHER TO ADDRESS PROPOSED URANIUM MINING

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 04:23 GMT

PRESS RELEASE

March 17, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ORGANIZATIONS FROM FIVE STATES JOIN TOGETHER

TO ADDRESS PROPOSED URANIUM MINING

ALSO: Uranium Hearing in Rapid City, SD
April 2 and 3, 2008 - Wed. and Thurs. 8:30 AM (MDST) (more below)

CASPER, WY - Organizations from Wyoming, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, and Colorado met in Casper, WY, on Saturday, March 15, to discuss their joint concerns about uranium mining in the Northern Great Plains. Citizens from ten organizations are voicing their concerns about surface and ground water, human health, and local property values.

Defenders of the Black Hills, South Dakota Sierra Club, and ACTion for the Environment attended from South Dakota, which faces mining proposals along the southern Black Hills. The Powder River Basin Resource Council and Biodiversity Conservation Alliance came from Wyoming, where exploratory and mining permits have been applied for in the state. Coloradoans Against Resource Destruction traveled from the northern part of Colorado where uranium mining is also proposed near Fort Collins. Western Nebraska Resources Council, Nebraskans for Peace, and Nebraska Sierra Club arrived from northwest Nebraska where Crow Butte Resources is seeking to expand their uranium mining operations. Members of Dakota Resource Council from northwestern North Dakota are also facing new plans for uranium mining in their part of that state.

In all five states, companies plan to use 'in situ' leach mining (ISL) which injects a dissolving solution underground into suspected uranium deposits. The solution dissolves the uranium and its radioactive decay products, as well as heavy metals. This radioactive solution is pumped to the surface. The uranium is then removed and shipped to a mill for concentration into "yellowcake." The water is re-treated and then injected back underground in a cycle that continues until all the uranium has been extracted. Reverse osmosis is then often used to remove some of the toxics from the water, and the remaining liquid is either injected underground or retained in shallow ponds. Numerous uranium mining companies are making plans throughout the West as a result of recent increases in the price of uranium.

"In Wyoming, there are significant questions about regulation and oversight of uranium operations," according to Wilma Tope, Powder River Basin Resource Council Board Member. "Citizens need to have a stronger voice in uranium activities." Wilma's family owns a ranch in Crook County, WY, and has banded together with other local residents to pressure regulators to ensure adequate protection of local water supplies - both quality and quantity.

In South Dakota, Powertech Uranium Corporation has started drilling more uranium exploratory wells in an area where they already have 4,000 wells in the southwestern Black Hills. "It's already been proven world-wide that ISL mining contaminates aquifers and then those aquifers cannot be restored to their previous state," said Charmaine White Face, Coordinator for Defenders of the Black Hills. "South Dakota relies very heavily on aquifers for drinking water and livestock use. We've been in a drought for the last ten years and the last thing we need to do is poison our water," she said.

ACTion for the Environment is very concerned that South Dakota taxpayers will once again have to take on the toxic messes that are left when a mining company leaves as happened previously with Canadian companies. Powertech is a Canadian company. "The Board of Minerals and Environment should remember what happened when they gave approval for the Brohm gold mine. Now SD people are paying for that mess. Are we going to have to pay for a radioactive mess left by another Canadian company?" said Gary Heckenliable of ACTion for the Environment. "Not only South Dakota residents but all the taxpayers of the United States are going to have to pay for this for many, many years to come," he said.

Coloradoans Against Resource Destruction (CARD), formed last year in response to Powertech's proposal to mine in the rapidly-growing area near Fort Collins. "Of course uranium mining always causes some form of contamination. Water at in situ leach mining sites is not returned to its original condition," said Jackie Adolph, a member of CARD. "Most people don't know that federal policies that subsidize the nuclear industry aren't just about power plants. The nuclear industry's largest negative impacts have always been in uranium mining and milling processes."

In Nebraska, Crow Butte Resources (a subsidiary of the Canadian company Cameco Corp.) is seeking to expand one the largest and oldest ISL mines in the country. Organizations have intervened in the NRC's licensing procedures. "We are particularly concerned about protection of local water supplies and cultural resources," said Buffalo Bruce, Vice Chair of the Western Nebraska Resources Council. "The NRC has failed to fulfill its duties under the Trust Doctrine, which protects indigenous rights granted to Native American populations under U.S. treaties."

North Dakota just recently started public hearings to accept comments on ISL mining in that state. Ken Kudrna, a member of Dakota Resource Council, lives only a few miles from where uranium mining is planned to begin.

The groups have issued a common statement:

"We want the uranium industry to know that we stand together on this issue. Whether in a rural setting or a populated area, uranium mining causes radioactive contamination. Past uranium sites continue to contaminate the air, land, and water. Any bonds designed to pay for clean-up of former mining areas have not been sufficient, and taxpayers have been forced to pay the bill. We call on the public and all elected officials to do everything possible to protect the water, land, and local economies from proposed uranium activities."

More information can be found at:

Defenders of the Black Hills: www.defendblackhills.org

Coloradoans Against Resource Destruction: www.nunnglow.com

Powder River Basin Resource Council: www.powderriverbasin.org

Nebraskans for Peace: http://www.nebraskansforpeace.org/

Contact: Charmaine White Face: (605) 399-1868 Shannon Anderson: (307) 763-1816

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Uranium Hearing in Rapid City, SD
April 2 and 3, 2008 - Wed. and Thurs. 8:30 AM (MDST)

On March 12, 2008, the SD Water Management Board held a hearing in Pierre, SD, on changes to the rules for Chapter 74:55:01 - 74:55:01:61 Underground Injection Control -- Class III Wells. The changes are being made to coincide with the changes that the Board of Minerals made last year to accommodate 'In Situ Leach' uranium mining. However, as the Board violated state law in cutting off the time for submitting written comments to three weeks before the hearing, a continuation was sought and obtained.

The Water Management Board has continued the hearing for April 2 & 3, 2008, in the Angostura and Deerfield Rooms at theRadisson Hotel on Mount Rushmore Road and Main St., Rapid City, SD. The Hearing will begin at 8:30 AM with a presentation on ISL Uranium Mining by Powertech Uranium Mining Company. General comments and specific comments for changes to the rules will follow. The Board is asking that spokespersons for groups present their comments and not repeat what has been stated previously.

One of the most important rules being considered is 74:55:01:24, Designation of exempted aquifers. With a ten year drought in the Region, with changing weather patterns and global warming, it is very important to maintain underground sources of water for the years to come. We strongly encourage everyone to ask for a copy of the rules by calling 605-773-3296, on the Internet at http://www.state.sd.us/denr/DES/Ground/grundprg.htm

We also ask as many people as possible to attend this hearing to show your support for keeping our groundwater intact and unpolluted with disturbed uranium. In every place in the world where groundwater has been disturbed for In Situ Leach uranium mining, the groundwater has NOT been able to be restored to its previous condition.

THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT MEETING FOR THE FUTURE OF THE REGION'S GROUNDWATER SOURCES.

Oglala Tribe to Amend Constitution and Bylaws

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 10:51 GMT

On Tuesday April 22nd, the Oglala Sioux Tribe will host a secretarial election to amend the Constitution and Bylaws for the Pine Ridge Reservation of South Dakota. The opinion article by Tim Giago from the Mitchell Republic Newspaper posted below outlines some of these amendments and raises concern that to be eligible to vote in this election tribal members must have resided within the reservation boundaries for a period of one year prior to the election. While this excludes a large percentage of tribal members (e.g. those who live off the reservation), it is based on Title 25, Code of Federal Regulations Part 81.11 and Article VII of the existing Constitution and Bylaws of the Oglala Sioux Tribe.

Based on the number of phone calls I have received, it is clear that there is a great deal of confusion among tribal members about the intent and implications of these amendments but also the eligibility criteria for voting. I would like to invite readers of this blog to post their concerns and reactions to these issues on this blog so we might expand the range of the dialogue and share more perspectives on these important issues.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Tim Giago syndicated columnist
Published Monday, March 17, 2008
From http://www.mitchellrepublic.com

There are many Oglala Lakota people that are not living on the Pine Ridge Reservation of South Dakota that are under the false impression that they are still citizens. Wrong!

One of the most important secretarial elections in the history of the Oglala Lakota will be held on April 22 and in order to vote in that election a supposed tribal member must live on the reservation and must have lived there for at least one year.

Election Board Member George Patton said, “We need to make it very clear that if you want to vote in the upcoming secretarial election you have to be registered and in addition to returning your registration form you need to have lived on the reservation for at least one year to vote.”

A secretarial election is one that is sponsored by and must be approved by the Secretary of the Interior. This election will bring nine very important changes to the Constitution of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. Keep in mind that the secretarial elections in 1985 and 1997 allowed ALL tribal members to vote. But now, because of a lack of funds, nearly 50 percent of the Oglala Sioux Tribe’s citizens will be disenfranchised.

Nine changes to the OST Constitution will be on the ballot. All nine will affect the lives of the Oglala Lakota people whether they live on the reservation or not. Keep in mind that many Oglala Lakota left the reservation to find jobs because of the nearly 50 percent unemployment rates on the reservation. And now, because they left home in order to provide for their families or to go to college, they are to be denied the right to vote on their own future.

There are nine changes to the OST Constitutions on the ballot.

Four year staggered terms for tribal council representatives and four year concurrent terms for the president and vice president.
Instead of quarterly council meetings the council would be mandated to meet at least one day each month, the last Tuesday of each month.
Restructure the judicial power of the OST by creating a true separation of powers between the council, the courts, and the executive by having a court system created by the Constitution not by the council, by establishing a process to appoint and remove judges and by revising the jurisdiction of the OST.
Revise the process of becoming an enrolled member of the OST by removing the residency requirement from the membership enrollment criteria.
To insulate the OST Treasurer from the political process and remove the Treasurer from the OST executive board, select for a six year term with a requirement of CPA background with five years of tribal government experience.
Mandates the council to adopt a code of ethics within one year of passing which may be revised only by referendum vote.
Establish a bill of rights for members and non-members.
Strengthen and clarify the removal and recall process for elected officials of the OST.
Provide an opportunity to vote on a new name for the tribe: Oglala Lakota Nation, Oglala Lakota Oyate or keep the same name, Pine Ridge Reservation.

Why all of these Constitutional amendments? “We are hoping to streamline the election process. We want to provide an opportunity for as many people as possible to vote on these proposed constitutional changes,” Bob Ecoffey, an election board member and Pine Ridge Agency Superintendent said.

There is little doubt, and all tribal members know this whether they live on or off of the reservation, that these changes to the OST Constitution are badly needed. We have seen council members and even tribal presidents recalled or removed from office without due process. The removal of President Cecilia Fire Thunder is one glaring example.

The newly established Secretarial Election Board includes Bob Ecoffey, BIA superintendent, George Patton, OST attorney, and Craig Dillon, tribal council representative from the LaCreek District.

If the rumors are true that nearly 50 percent of the Oglala Lakota people are to be disenfranchised because of the lack of funds to include them in the election process, then something is seriously wrong. A Nation does not deny its own people the right to vote.

Every Oglala Lakota is included in the head count when it comes to establishing the population of the tribe. And now, if they move off the reservation to go to college or to find a job to provide for their families, they are denied the right to vote in an election that will also have a profound impact upon their lives. It is wrong!

If you are an Oglala Lakota and also find this wrong, call Warren LeBeau at 605-867-5125 and get the information you need to protest this miscarriage of justice. Or call members of the Secretarial Election Board or even the office of the Secretary of Interior himself.

Two U.S. Senators Express Concern Over Chevron Lobbying

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 13:03 GMT

Reposted from: Global Exchange

Sens. Leahy and Obama Ask USTR Not To Let Chevron Interfere in Ecuador Trade Talks

Amazon Watch
February 10, 2006

Washington D.C -- Already under fire for its record profits, Chevron is coming under increased scrutiny in the nation‚s capital over its attempts to use U.S. trade negotiations with Ecuador to undermine a historic environmental lawsuit brought against the oil giant by residents of Ecuador‚s rainforest.

Chevron faces a potential liability in the multi-billion dollar case for clean-up in Ecuador of what experts believe is the worst oil-related contamination in the world, affecting an estimated 30,000 people, including the members of five indigenous groups. The tab for personal damages and health costs could double its liability, according to the plaintiff‚s legal team, which has been litigating against the company since 2003.

Now, Senators Barack Obama (D-Ill) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt) have stepped up the pressure on Chevron, sending a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman urging him to ignore company‚s campaign to improperly exclude Ecuador from trade negotiations until the Ecuadorian government shuts down the lawsuit.

The senators write: „We are writing to seek your assurances that the U.S. Trade Representative will not allow negotiations over the Andean Free Trade Agreement to interfere with a case involving Chevron that is under consideration by the Ecuadorian judiciary, particularly one involving environmental, health and human rights issues that have regional importance. While we are not prejudging the outcome of the case, we do believe the 30,000 indigenous residents of Ecuador deserve their day in court.‰

Since the trial began in 2003, the forensic evidence of widespread toxic contamination has steadily mounted; all 22 sites inspected by the court so far have been found to be contaminated, and one site had levels of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons at 900,000 parts per million, or 9,000 times higher than allowed in most U.S. states.

This staggering potential liability is real. In recent weeks, Chevron has been pulling out all the stops in an attempt to derail the lawsuit, lobbying the U.S. Congress in a shadowy but intense campaign, distributing misleading and inaccurate press releases about the Ecuador trial, and refusing to disclose details of its potential multi-billion loss to shareholders. But Chevron has run into major roadblocks in the beltway.

Texaco, which was bought by Chevron in 2001, operated a concession in Ecuador‚s rainforest from 1964 to 1992. During that time, it dumped more than 18 billion gallons of toxic waste water into the pristine Amazon rainforest and reaped profits of close to $30 billion. Local residents call the contamination the „Rainforest Chernobyl‰ and two of the indigenous tribes say they are nearing extinction.

Chevron‚s lobbying of Congress to undermine the legal case has sparked outrage in Ecuador because Chevron argued for years before a U.S. federal court that the case should be tried in Ecuador, and stipulated it would recognize the jurisdiction of the Ecuador court and abide by any judgment.

„This campaign is morally reprehensible and violates a promise Chevron made to the U.S. court,‰ said Luis Yanza, a representative of the affected communities. „Our people are dying, and they are spending millions to deny us the chance to be heard in court.‰

Steven Donziger, an American attorney on the plaintiffs‚ legal team, added: „Chevron‚s lobbying is a blatant attempt to hijack U.S. foreign policy to serve its petty interests. This trade agreement should be about national interests, not Chevron‚s interests.‰

Other recent roadblocks hit by Chevron in the U.S. include:

A formal complaint filed by Amazon Watch to the Securities and Exchange Commission, accusing Chevron of committing fraud by hiding its multi-billion dollar liability from shareholders. The company has never mentioned the potential liability in its public filings, even though the judgment could be the largest in history against an oil company. (The SEC complaint is available at http://www.chevrontoxico.com/article.php?id=287.)

A letter to members of the House Ways and Means Committee by the plaintiff‚s group, the Amazon Defense Coalition, accusing Chevron of „inappropriate‰ lobbying to undermine the rule of law in Ecuador. (This letter can be found at http://www.chevrontoxico.com/article.php?id=259.)

The filing of three separate resolutions by Chevron‚s shareholders addressing the company‚s environmental and human rights policies, one specifically asking Chevron to report liabilities related to its Ecuador problem so the potential liability does not increase further. In the past, several large institutional shareholders, including public pension funds in New York and California, have supported similar resolutions. The resolutions will be voted on at the annual shareholders meeting, to be held in April.

Studies have found markedly higher rates of cancer in the region in Ecuador where the contamination exists, including rates of leukemia in young children three times higher than in the rest of the country. In addition, rates of birth defects and miscarriages are significantly higher than in other parts of Ecuador.

The pressure against Chevron comes as the company enjoys record profits, raking in $27.5 billion in 2005. This was the highest profit in Chevron's 126-year history, and it comes at a time when Americans are paying record prices at the gas pump.

Indian trust trial could lead to big U.S. payout

Sat, 08 Mar 2008 13:05 GMT

by Chris Casteel
Washington Bureau
The Oklahoman, Oklahoma City

Reposted From: www.indiantrust.com

WASHINGTON — Committed to ending a long-running and contentious lawsuit, a federal judge Wednesday ordered a June trial that may determine whether the federal government owes billions of dollars to American Indians for mismanaging their trust accounts.

"It is time to bring this matter to a close with a decision of one kind or another,” U.S. District Judge James Robertson said at a hearing.

Robertson, the second judge to preside over the class-action lawsuit filed in 1996, gave the Indian plaintiffs two weeks to file a claim detailing how much money has been lost by individual Indians since 1887 because of the government's breach of its trust duties.

He gave government attorneys a timetable for responding and said he would begin a trial on June 9.

"I am absolutely committed to getting this case resolved with something like a final judgment this summer,” Robertson said.

Dennis Gingold, the lead attorney for the Indians, said after the hearing on Wednesday that he didn't know how much money the Indians would seek but that it would be in the billions.

When Congress was working to resolve the case legislatively two years ago, the Indians said that they would accept $27.5 billion.

Gingold said he didn't know whether the claim now would be more than that.

Background on the case
The lawsuit filed in 1996 has taken many a winding trail since the Indian plaintiffs first accused the government of mismanaging their trust accounts and asked for a proper accounting of their funds.

The trust accounts were created to hold the proceeds from oil and gas drilling, grazing, timber cutting and other uses on individual Indians' land. There are about 300,000 individual account holders, an estimated 53,000 in Oklahoma.

After decades of complaints about mismanagement, Congress passed a law in 1994 requiring reforms in the trust system and an accounting of how much money Indians should have. The Indians sued under that law, claiming the government was not complying.

Robertson ruled in January that accurate re-creations of accounts going back more than a century would be impossible and said it was time to end a case that has seen several trials, top government officials held in contempt of court, numerous appeals and the removal of the first judge in the case.

His ruling was a victory for the Indians, who had long claimed that an "historical accounting” couldn't be done because millions of records had been lost or destroyed.

U.S. Justice Department attorney Robert Kirschman told Robertson on Wednesday that the Indians weren't entitled to "damages” in the case because they didn't seek them when they filed the case.

Two Events This Month in Support of Purulia Micro-Finance Initiative

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 19:49 GMT

Village Earth- Purulia is, among many things, a micro credit program which aims to increase the standard of living in West-Bengal as well as create economic opportunities that do not deplete Ayodhya Hill, the local forest. Based on the methods that won Muhammad Yunus a Nobel Peace Prize, the Village Earth- Purulia micro credit program lends small group loans to women in the area, who use the money as capital to start their own enterprises. The womens' groups have shown great ingenuity and creativity in endeavors which vary greatly- from tilapia farming to hand crafts. The events scheduled for March will be fund raisers. The proceeds will go toward expanding the program, which is intended grow to 500 women and to incorporate villages all across the district.

The first event will take place at Alley Cat Cafe, located at 120 ½ W Laurel, on March 17^th at 6pm. The second will be hosted by Matter Bookstore, located at 144 N College, on March 18^th at 7pm. Both events will include a free showing of the film “The Faces of MicroCredit” and will be followed by a brief presentation on the Village Earth- Purulia project and a Q&A session. Participants will have the opportunity to make donations at the event, get involved with Village Earth, and browse our Indian handcrafts. Alternately, those who cannot make the event can always participate in the project by visiting us at www.VillageEarth.org to make a donation or to browse through our project blogs and photos.

Pine Ridge Study Tour: June 7th - 14th, 2007

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 09:37 GMT

Village Earth and its community partners on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota are putting together a study tour June 7-14th, 2008.

If you are interested in participating please contact david@villageearth.org.

Schedule subject to change. Please keep visiting this post for updated information.

Below are some highlights of some of the things to expect.

Visit Village Earth's Community Partners and Their Projects Across the Reservation.

Participate in a Bison Land Stewardship Assessment

Lend a Hand In Community-Based Projects
Above Photo taken at the 2005 Sustainable Nations Training on Pine Ridge

Become a Part of Land Recovery and Bison Restoration on Pine Ridge

Fish Farm Project in San Francisco

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 14:48 GMT

Former Vice President Al Gore, in his writings on global warming, notes that the Chinese character used to write “Crisis” is comprised of components meaning both “Challenge” and “Opportunity.” There is general consensus in the scientific community that reduction of acreage in the South American rainforest represents a major loss to the planet’s ability to process carbon, a leading greenhouse gas responsible for global warming. This represents both a challenge and an opportunity.

The Challenge

Although many organizations are committed to preserving remaining tracts of virgin rainforest, little is being done to address the financial incentive for the “slash-and-burn” agriculture that ranks alongside the lumber, agribusiness and petrochemical industries as a main culprit of deforestation.

Ever since the first humans struck into the rainforest thousands of years ago, the indigenous communities throughout the Amazon basin have mastered the skills of hunting, gathering, gardening and horticulture, as well as aquaculture in this richly biodiverse region. However, as the industrialized world has encroached upon the rainforest, spoiling it by both habitat loss/damage and pollution, the indigenous peoples have had their lifestyle permanently disrupted. Deforestation has drastically reduced the amount of game available for hunting, and over-fishing has severely depleted the more densely populated stretches of rivers such as the Amazon and the Ucayali.

Industrial centers such as Iquitos and Pucallpa (Peru) and Menaus (Brazil) now teem with industry: mining, petrochemical exploration, logging, construction, manufacturing, retail and wholesale distribution, entertainment, hospitality, etc. Populations of mostly “Mestizo” but also indigenous people inhabit these noisy, polluted cities, and most regional economic life is based upon what goes on in these urban centers.

The Opportunity

Fish-farming (aquaculture) has been shown to be an ideal way for indigenous rainforest communities to determine their own futures. Native species, such as Gamitana and Boquichico, are fast-growing, commonly eaten fish that are largely vegetarian in diet and command good prices in local and, in some cases, international markets.

Fish-farming is an ideal economic activity for the following reasons:

· No deforestation (rainforest land has many ponds and lagoons ideal for fish-farming; therefore eliminating the need to cut down large amounts of trees)

· No environmental threat (any fish that escape due to flooding or pond breaches are native to the area and “belong there” anyway)

· Familiarity with fish species (Indigenous people have fished these species for years)

· Minimal materials needed for daily operation (traditional dugout canoes and nets)

· Low-cost fish food (much of the fish food used can be grown or gathered locally)

The Proposition

Create a successful fish-farm operation in an influential Peruvian indigenous community - San Francisco de Yarinacocha. Allow the technology and economic

model to spread throughout the region, thus empowering these communities to participate in the economy without the need

to disrupt the forest in which they live just to “make a buck.”

The Fish Farm: Progress to Date

In early 2007, Al Polito (Activist/Musician/Writer of Portland, OR), Paola Pomposini (a translation specialist based in Lima, Peru and Maria Esther Palacios Burbano (Aquaculture Specialist with University of San Marcos, Lima, Peru) met in Lima and San Francisco Yarinacocha with renowned community leader Mateo Arevalo to begin the groundwork for the project.

More than 40 villagers expressed interest in participating in the project.

For two days following the town meeting, Burbano and Polito accompanied a group of Shipibo men in exploring the forests surrounding the village to find a suitable site to begin the first phase of the project. On the second day, the group settled on a small spring-fed lake within a mile of the village (pictured below).

Soon thereafter, Polito accompanied Mateo Arevalo, former village chief, shaman and university-trained botanist to tour the Aquaculture Research Center of University of San Marcos’ IVITA (Instituto Veterinario de Investigaciones Tropicales y de Altura), located one hour outside of Pucallpa. IVITA’s Dr. Guadalupe Contreras explained to Arevalo the steps necessary to complete an effective fish farm.

Burbano has succeeded in assembling a coalition involving IVITA (providing support and facilities), San Marcos University (providing leadership and guidance), with researchers from other organizations who have also expressed interest: including Amazonia Aquaculture Service and Piscicultura Panama of Brazil (two private enterprises) UNAM: Mexico, and National Cheju University of Korea. The additional researchers will help ensure the quality of the research.

What they need:

Currently, this group needs around $10,000 in order to undertake this collaborative fish farm venture.

If you would like to support this effort toward sustainable livelihoods in the Amazon, you can donate through Village Earth by

1- Through Pay Pal to the right side of this blog. Please indicate you would like your contribution to go towards the San Francisco Fish Farm Project

2- By calling 970-491-5754 and donate with your credit card

3- Our by sending a check or money order to:
Village Earth
P.O. Box 797
Fort Collins, CO 80522

All donations for this project are 100% tax-deductible as Village Earth is a 501 c 3 non-profit organization.

Update - March 2008

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 09:09 GMT

My usual apologies for not having more discipline and keeping you updated on all the wonderful things happening here. More is happening than ever, and I celebrate the milestones as I look back at 2 years of accomplishments. It’s been a long road to get to where we are, and I am looking forward to a break in the US soon.
The school is way bigger than the 4 walls that define it, with more happening outside of the main space than inside.
Our computer lab, a room inside of a shack next to the school with 5 computers, is a great success. The students had always asked that we teach computers. Now we are, and with great success. We have 5 classes per day, for 90 minutes each, plus weekend tutorials. The teachers are all students who had some previous understanding of computers. The manager is a student from the community, Sok Eing, who is also a university IT student. He is a great success story, and keeps all the computers running smoothly. Many thanks to our donors for making this come alive.
I will likely talk about how great Sokchea’s leadership training are for a long time; maybe the rest of my life. Perhaps it will become sad. In any case, Sokchea has taught levels I and II (45 hours of training) 6 times at Aziza (with an average 25 per class). We can now say that we have a large body of leaders, and the results show all around. I regularly show up and am struck with pride with the initiatives the students are taking on, and how they shine. The level of English speaking has gone up, and more and more students are finding quality full and part time jobs (quality, for the local economy that is).
A big contributor to this is that we have brought together a group of 12 volunteer students, or Team Leaders. These are some of our best students who want the opportunity to practice leadership skills by taking on a responsibility within the school, as well as assisting with our Leadership trainings. Having the Team Leaders be a part of things gives us way more leverage in our ability to get things done and influence the community (since they are the community).
The leadership training has gone on the road, and so have the Team Leaders. Many of the Team Leaders are also our best presenters, and during these weekend long trainings to other groups, they assist with teaching the lessons, talk about their lives, how they overcame obstacles, the challenges of living in a slum, and just getting to know each other (picture of an Aziza student bonding with a student from the countryside at the end of a leadership training). In exchange the rural students show them their lives, the farms they work, and local customs. It is another achievement for which I am proud to be a part of, and feels like it will have the most lasting impact since these students seem unstoppable, and I have full faith that they will be leaders for the future of Cambodia.
While away at the most recent leadership weekend, 2 team leaders taught a Kundalini Yoga class and did a great job, thanks to a wonderful group that is teaching yoga/meditation to our students and the community 2 evenings per week; http://www.kundaliniyogacambodia.org/
Some of the staff (Sokchea, Sokim and Sreang) have found a new location where they want to start another school, and we are researching this idea. It is a large slum, and the people’s faces are tough and not so happy. We hope to work on that, and seek funding to get us going.
We now go to aerobics/dancing every Sunday evening at Olympic stadium. With a hint of communist mass-exercise, it is pure fun and my favorite part of the week (it’s the one activity I have committed myself to attend regularly, and it was my suggestion). About 25 teenagers all pile into 3 tuk tuks for our weekly routine, and we get special attention from the teacher who recognizes the student’s spunk. The students all say their dancing has improved, and it is contributing to the high level of confidence they have these days.
We had a huge X-mas party packed with activities from afternoon to night, organized by the students, finishing with a loud dance party that our students are always good for.
A clown came, and so did Michael Higgins and his brother. Cambodian medical students came recently and gave the 1st of 3 shots of a tetnus vaccine to students over 8 years old (see picture of kids holding their arms – there were over 90 recipients that day).

One thing we have been doing since the beginning is giving the students de-worming pills. Recently we gave out a round, and had a nurse assist with the education portion of the treatment, making sure kids understand what they are taking and why (if they wanted to take it). Two days after we gave them out, a mother told us that her child puked up a 4” worm. I was so happy to hear it was making an impact that I wasn’t at all disturbed to hear that one of our students had a sci-fi-like moment. I’m still researching to find out if the tablets are effective against alien life forms.
We are lucky to now have a great Cambodian doctor come weekly to help sick students and their families (lucky, and blessed by great donors). It has been a big undertaking of resources, but is going great. Many students who lived with sickness are now well! Dr. Chenda (female) also teaches a few days a week, and assists with health trainings for our women’s group. After she gives the exam, our medical coordinator, Sreang, fills the prescriptions and distributes the medicine, carefully going over the instructions and asking patients to write down and sign that they understand how to take the medicine. We also have an Australian nurse volunteering to create good structures to provide the best health care and education we can, and to make the best use of our funds.
One night, an owl flew into the very tall palm tree in front of the school. I was happy to see the majestic, rare creature bless us with his presence. Simultaneously, a student was preparing to throw a rock at it. I motioned for him not to do so, and said that I liked owls. A few of the students explained to me that the owl is thought to bring death, and that the death could be getting placed into someone as we watched it, our necks creaking upward. After I thought about it from their side (I mean owls do have a pretty creepy look), I decided to join them and we all threw stones up at the bringer-of-death.
Just kidding! I gave my best performance and tried to convince them that owls are great, which seemed relatively effective to the 6 kids who were actually listening to the student who was translating for me. After a bit the owl flew away, and I thought it must kind of suck to be an owl in Cambodia.
We recently went to a very small village outside of Oudong, the old capital of Cambodia, and Sokchea gave a leadership training. The boys slept on tarps outside the managers house and the girls slept inside. I spread my tarp under a bamboo tree, and had multiple students approach me that they were concerned that the tree would take the oxygen out of the air during the night, and I would be a little deprived of oxygen. They said that during the day trees give out oxygen, but at night they take it in and give out carbon dioxide. I moved my tarp after they also said that I was on a cow path.
Cucumbers, I feel, should not be cooked, but so often in Cambodia they are.
Oh, and we had some tragedies too. I don’t feel the need to publish them, but of course it is not all rosy in a poor community within a country know for human rights abuses and child labor. I can see people pulling themselves out of the cycle of poverty, but I am saddened knowing what potential gets untapped, especially in young people, when even a small event takes resources from a family.