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Tribal Partners: In the News Friday, August 22, 2008 Our work on stopping the Desert Rock Power Plant and bringing a Just Transition to Renewable Energy was featured on TreeHugger.com Black Mesa Water Coalition Press Release: Friday, June 27, 2008 Office of Surface Mining Rejects Public's Request for extension of Black Mesa Project draft EIS Commenting Period This 2008 Earth Day editorial appeared in the Navajo Hopi Observer. This captivating video from Al Jazeera news follows our tribal partners Elouise Brown and Dallian Long as they raise questions over the proposed new Desert Rock coal-fired power plant in New Mexico that would be built on Navajo lands. Field Update: Longest Walk 2 By Andy Bessler, Tribal Partnerships Program Thanks to Calvin Johnson for this great shot of these traditional staffs for the Longest Walk 2 crossing into the Navajo Nation on their walk from San Francisco’s Alcatraz Island to Washington, D.C. I was honored to be part of a Intertribal running group that covered 15 miles for the Longest Walk by running 5 miles with a traditional staff that will travel by foot across the country. Tribal partners Bucky Preston from Hopi and Manny Pino from Acoma Pueblo also ran part of the distance from Leupp, AZ to Birdsprings Chapter, AZ. Over 200 walkers are going from Alcatraz Island to Washington DC as a way to bring attention to the impacts of Global Warming on Indigenous communities and their sacred sites. We hope to help the Longest Walk 2 cross the Navajo Nation with running another stretch later this week. The Walkers are commerating the first Longest Walk in 1978 that unified tribal members as a stronger political force in America and is lead by long-time AIM leader Dennis Banks. The Indigenous walkers are joined by Japanese monks and others from around the world. The have a travelling kitchen powered by a wind turbine and biodiesel. It was inspiring to see their hard work for Mother Earth. So far, Colorado Governor Bill Ritter has delcared a “Longest Walk 2” Month in Colorado and the Speaker of the House of the Navajo Nation Council, Lawerence Morgan, gave the Walkers a Procolmation from the Navajo Nation thanking them and welcoming the Walkers to the Navajo Nation. More information on the Longest Walk 2 Tribal Partnerships in the Arizona Republic, April 3 2008. Field Update: Dooda Desert Rock Prayer Gathering November 9-12, 2007 Burnham, New Mexico By Andy Bessler, Tribal Partnerships Program There are many tools required to stop a massive coal-fired power plant like effective lobbying, strong legal arguments and solid grassroots organizing. Not quite the Ritz Carlton, but the food and coffee were great!! Prayer is also a strong tool that Navajo organizers used as they called upon higher powers to inspire the struggle to stop the proposed 1500 mega watt coal-fired Desert Rock Power Plant. From November 8th to the 11th, Dooda Desert Rock organizers set up a powerful prayer gathering at their camp for traditional Navajo prayers aimed at stopping the plant and bringing a clean energy future to the Navajo Nations and the Four Corners region. Over 100 people attended along with several Navajo Nation officials and traditional local leaders. Within sight and sound of a churning coal dragline in its dusty shroud at the nearby Navajo Mine, the camp was complete with a kitchen, camping area, sweat lodges and sacred fire that burned during the gathering. Prayers were shared by Navajo medicine men as well as nearby residents concerned about the proposed coal fired-plant and expansions of nearby coal mining. For two nights straight, prayers were sung. Donations of sheep and goats and other foods came to the camp from all directions. Elouise Brown shows Sonny Weahkee how to do it! We just wished it was as easy to kill a power plant as it was this goat! As Sonny Weahkee of Sage Council shows, butchering takes some help. I think the photo below, although graphic, shows that like fighting a power plant, you need each other to help get the job done!! Elouise Brown and her family fed the over 100 attendees with the help of volunteers to cook and keep the camp clean for all. Several sweat lodges helped attendees clear the minds and bodies of the nearby coal mining. A huge Ahe’hee to Dooda Desert Rock and Elouise Brown for their leadership and strong prayers!! During one night of the event, Shonto Begay, a Navajo artist from Arizona held up a bright flashlight to point to some stars and we realized what we were breathing. Like someone had just dusted off a giant couch pillow, the beam of light showed the air filled with a high density of particulates most likely from the near by coal mine. While the grit on my teeth was bad for a few days, folks nearby live with this daily and report many relatives fighting cancer battles of their own. Local residents live with a huge struggle to avoid more air pollution from the Desert Rock pulverized coal fired power plant. Finally, a huge thanks to several Rio Grande Chapter volunteers helped contribute to the effort. Thanks to everyone from the Northern New Mexico Group and Rio Grande Chapter that helped in the effort. Several Sierra Club folks came from Arizona and Colorado as well. The Sierra Club’s Tribal Partnership Program helped out with food, and prayers that a clean energy future is on the way. Thanks to all in their efforts to stop the Desert Rock Power Plant and find a clean energy path for all of us! For more information on Desert Rock, visit the Sierra Club’s Rio Grande Chapter's website or visit www.dooda-desert-rock.net. Coal dragline seen from nearby Dooda Desert Rock camp. Field Update: A Prayer Run for Water The 4th Annual Hopi Paatuwaqatsi (Water is Life) Run September 15th, 2007 First Mesa, Hopi Nation The Tribal Partnership Program and Environmental Justice Program had the honor of helping organize the 4th annual event this year on September 15th at First Mesa on the Hopi Nation. Here is a summary: This was a great prayer run...Over 200 people in attendance with over 100 runners. There were over 40 volunteers from Hopi communities and the Sierra Club there to handle the 8 water stations and the feast. Following the run, the traditional meal was had by all followed by a wonderful dessert of watermelon caked with sand due to a short rain storm. This rain, of course was followed while I crossed the finish line, an apparent positive evaluation of the event from those on high. The rain, awards for the runners, great t-shirts, and amazing 30 mile backcountry course visiting the Hopi village of Walpi and several springs both flowing and dry made the Water is Life Run simply an amazing gathering and event. As usual, several runners temporarily lost their way and were later found wandering village streets or dry arroyos. One person ran the 30 mile course barefoot and runner ages ran from young kids to old folks. It was a truly diverse event with several tribes represented. Stacey Hamburg, Sierra Club staffer for the Grand Canyon Chapter ran the 10 mile, 3 person team with two great Navajo runners from Gallup, NM. They had a fast team! Sierra Club volunteers Mimi Torres and Jessa Fisher ran the 4 mile fun run while Andy Bessler ran "in partnership J" on the Native Movement 6-person team with Tony Skrelunas, Dan Rosen, Evon Peter, Audrey Delmar and Brett Ramey. A huge Kwa Kwai (thanks in Hopi) to all the organizers, volunteers and runners who made this prayer run a powerful and wonderful event! Big thanks for the leadership and guidance from the Paatuwaqatsi Run Committee including Bucky Preston, Susan Secakuku, Nelia Naha and Nadine Ami, Kris Kuhn and the many Hopi volunteers who made helped make it all happen. Thanks to all the Grand Canyon Chapter volunteers who offered their help with the trail work and water stations. Thanks as well to Native Movement and Black Mesa Water Coalition folks who helped out with other logistics and the great T-shirts including Kim Smith and Andrea Jaussi, Enei Begaye and Evon Peter. It was the 4th year of the run and in true form, it continues to grow. While this is truly a Hopi event organized by the Paatuwaqatsi Run Committee and traditional runner Bucky Preston, this run was proudly supported by Stacey Hamburg of the Sierra Club's Grand Canyon Chapter's Canyon Protection Program, Robert Tohe of the Sierra Club's Environmental Justice Program and Andy Bessler of the Sierra Club's Tribal Partnership Program. It is my unique honor to assist with organizing this prayer run for water. This 30 mile ultra-marathon run was a great capstone to several great Sierra Club service trips doing trail work to prepare for the run. 15 Sierra Club volunteers and staff helped restore around 7 miles of traditional Hopi trails to various springs. Photo by Andy Bessler. Sierra Club Press Release: March 22, 2007 California Energy Regulators Grant the Just Transition Coalition's Request for Mediation to Develop Plans for Renewable Energy after the Closure of the Mohave Generating Station Sierra Club Press Release: January 23, 2007 Sierra Club Partnership Program and The Just Transition Coalition host Renewable Energy Investment Summit with Navajo and Hopi Community Leaders The Tribal Partnerships Program was featured in the Sierra Club Foundation's 2006 Annual Report ! Field Report: Indigo Girls rock for Just Transition Just Transition Coalition members with the Indigo Girls plus Winona LaDuke! Andy Bessler presents Emily Sayers with a small gift on behalf of the Just Transition Coalition for helping with the concert. Check out the great article on the recent Indigo Girls benefit show for Just Transition by clicking here. The Tribal Partnerships Program worked with the Honor the Earth Foundation, Black Mesa Water Coalition and other Just Transition Coalition partners on rocking out with the Indigo Girls!! Over 1000 folks came to the show in Flagstaff and the Just Transition got over 250 postcards signed to SCE asking them to invest in Just Transition instead of re-opening Mohave. The postcards were so effective that even before we mailed them, SCE announced that they were discontinuing their efforts to re-open Mohave and find other buyers for the plant. An OSM official told me on the phone that, "Mohave is dead." The EIS process is shelved for now, so things are looking great for Just Transition!! A Big thanks to everyone who helped make the benefit concert a huge success including the Indigo Girls, Honor the Earth Foundation, Winona LaDuke and everyone who helped set up this great event! >> Check out a video of the show! >> Read more Just Transition in the News: Click here to read the latest article on Just Transition in Sierra Club's national newsletter, The Planet. Final closure of Mohave Generating Station signals end of era for the west's dirtiest power plant and signals new era of clean energy for Navajo and Hopi people. Read the entire press release Just Transition Coalition secures first step towards a sustainable economic future for Navajo and Hopi people In the wake of the shutdown of the Mohave Generating Station, California energy regulators approved a request by the Just Transition Coalition to track and accumulate revenues from the sales of sulfur credits from Mohave's primary owner, Southern California Edison, for possible future distribution to the tribes once determination of Mohave's future operation is made. Read the entire press release Sierra Magazine article on Just Transition came out in the May/June, 2006 issue. The Just Transition Coalition is featured in the summer, 2006 issue of the Earth Island Journal. Arizona's Navajo and Hopi Tribes have won a water-rights battle against the coal company that has sustained their fragile economies. But on the threshold of victory, a sobering question: Now what? To read this L.A. Times article, click here. (One-time registration required.) To read the USA today's article on Just Transition, click here. Here are some local articles on the Sierra Club's Partnership Program's work in the Southwest: Navajo Times article on a water march to the capital of the Navajo Nation, Window Rock Time for a Just Transition to a better future on the Rez By the Just Transition Coalition Black Mesa Trust closes Flag office Just Transition Petition seeks restitution For more information, please contact Andy Bessler Sierra Club's Environmental Partnership Program P.O. Box 38 Flagstaff, AZ 86002 928-774-6103 fax 774-6138 cell 928-380-7808 andy.bessler@sierraclub.org Up to Top HOME | Email Signup | About Us | Contact Us | Terms of Use | © 2008 Sierra Club