Here at International Uranium Film Festival at Navajo Nation Museum in Window Rock, Ariz. The festival is from Dec. 2 to 4, 2013. The festival is being live streamed at:
www.ustream.tv/channel/iuff-4you
PETUCCHE GILBERT, LAGUNA-ACOMA COALITION FOR A SAFE ENVIRONMENT
I rejected last name, Ortiz, and went to court. Some pple asked why I didn’t change first name, Gilbert. I said Gilbert was name given by mother. From my home, you can see Mt. Taylor and it can be seen from Plaza because all our prayers are connected to the mountain. And this evening, our religious leaders at Acoma go out and pray and they will do this for several days. You will feel the power of our pple there. If u believe in dreams and you think of Nastradamus writing, you will see that this part of Mother Earth is protected because of prayers. I was taught that you are never alone because your ancestors are always with you. And it’s going to take everyone, not just indigenous pple, but everyone to save Mt. Taylor. I remember talking with Laguna Gov. Roland Johnson when Laguna government decided to begin mining uranium. I understand what Chili Yazzie was saying about tribal governments. Rocha Honda Mine dangled big carrot in front of tribal government, they intend to de-water, pump water that took millions of years to collect and they intend to pump 10 million gallons a day. To me it is a waste of water. It is a sin. Rocha Honda said that that wud be better than water running down stream. Acoma and Laguna are in a water war and so in our work to prevent new uranium mining, we must work together. You probably heard that four tribes: Acoma, Laguna, Zuni, Navajo, Hopi worked together and declared Mt. Taylor a sacred site/historic site. Immediately, the companies banded together and challenged. But another new challenge for us to protect Mt. Taylor. We also worked at United Nations for over 20 years on Rights of Indigenous People regarding “prior consent.”
INFORMATION ON ROCHA HONDA URANIUM MINE:
http://unsr.jamesanaya.info/study-extractives/map/index.php/reports/view/67
