Today the United States government has officially attempted
to complete the largest theft of land in United States history. In
violation of United States law, including the Constitution, George W. Bush,
signed into law HR 884, an attempted payoff of the Western Shoshone land. However,
this bill does not change the fact that title of the land still exists with the
Western Shoshone. Fraud is fraud, and no matter what the U.S. does to us
we will never give up our struggle to protect our Sacred Newe Sogobia – the
Earth Mother.
The United States government signed the Treaty of Ruby
Valley with the Western Shoshone Nation in 1863. According to Article 6 of
the U.S. Constitution, the treaty is the supreme law of the land. But the
United States government does not view the treaty this way. If they do not
want to follow their own laws, that the constitution is the supreme law of the
land, then this country is not a democracy. A democracy would be following
the laws of the land.
I have said this a thousand times, I am not taking
money for this land. This land has no value, there is no price for it.
In Western Shoshone culture, the earth is our mother. We can not
sell it. Taking our land is a not only a cultural genocide, it is also a
spiritual genocide. The United States is attempting to steal our religion
and our cultural.
I ask the United States today to show me how they
received title to the land. The sole legal theory stated by the Indian Claims
Commission (ICC) was that the Western Shoshone land title was extinguished
through “gradual encroachment” by non-indigenous miners and settlers. However,
such legal theory is no where found in American law. The only issue
decided by the Supreme Court was whether the Western Shoshone had been paid, not
who has title to the land. We have never had a court hear the issue of who
has title to the land. The ICC was not a court. The United States
did not give us the land, nor did they sell us the land. The land is ours.
The United States can not show how they obtained title to the land.
The government continues to steal our cattle and
horses. But I ask them, if they have clear title to the land, why do they
come in the night like a thief to take my horses and cattle – why do they make
sneak attacks – why do they attempt to take my livestock with no media
attention? If the land title is clearly theirs – why do they act like
thieves?
Why does the United States want this land? So
they can sell it to large inter-national corporate interests, including mining
companies, so they can test more nuclear weapons, so they can write the Indians
off? The United States should not be allowed to steal the land so they can
test more weapons that kill people. In fact, weapons that kill all life,
including the plants and the animals. The United States also should not be
allowed to steal the land so they can sell it to companies in order to obtain
more gold and in the process ruin the water and kill the plant and animal life.
This should not be allowed.
Today, the government has attempted to steal our
mother earth – but this will not stop our fight to keep our land. We will not
stand by to watch the United States steal our religion. We will not stand
for the United States to commit spiritual genocide. For today what happens
to us, tomorrow will happen to you. Although George W. Bush, Sen. Reid,
and Rep. Gibbons believe that they can now sell this land to private interests,
we will fight to stop it. This bill changes nothing. We are here to
protect our mother earth. That is our responsibility. Our obligation
will not be deterred by thieves.
Carrie Dann
Western Shoshone Defense
Project, 775-468-0230, www.wsdp.org
Press Release – For Immediate Release
George Bush, President of the United States, Signs
Western Shoshone “Distribution” Bill – Evidencing Ongoing Historical
Atrocities Against Indigenous Peoples in the U.S.
July 7, 2004. Crescent Valley, NV. In spite of heavy opposition from the Western Shoshone Nation, this morning, the Western Shoshone Distribution Bill was signed into “law” by George W. Bush, President of the United States. The bill would authorize an alleged payoff of approximately 15 cents an acres for tens of millions of acres of disputed lands in Nevada, Idaho, Utah and California. A majority of tribal councils, representing approximately 80% of the population, the Western Shoshone National Council and all the traditional people strongly oppose the bill, they are supported by the National Congress of American Indians and Amnesty International. This formal opposition was apparently ignored however and an undocumented, unverified straw poll was used instead by the Bush Administration and Nevada legislators to justify the legislation.
White House staffer Jennifer Farley, Deputy Associate Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, informed one Shoshone Tribal Chairman that the bill was “red hot”. The significance of the issue to the White House is apparent: Copies of Assistant Secretary of Interior Stephen J. Griles’ calendars reflect meetings with Interior Department legal staff, including Bush’s Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals nominee, William Myers, regarding “Western Shoshone Trespass (Dann Sisters)” just six months before the Department of Interior started military-style seizures of livestock owned by Western Shoshone traditionalists, including grandmothers Mary and Carrie Dann.
The
land base at issue is the third largest gold producing area in the world
and cited by a 1999 Interior report as the number one investment
opportunity for extraction companies. It is also the site where the
nation’s nuclear waste repository would be located, Yucca
Mountain, and the home to the Nevada Test Site and Federal
Counterterrorism Facility where the Bush Administration has talked of
reopening nuclear testing. Both Bush and his political advisor Karl
Rove, have made personal visits to Nevada in the last thirty days.
“I am utterly disappointed. It’s unbelievable that the U.S. body
that makes the laws has acted in this manner. The fight is not over.
A fraud is a fraud - Individuals cannot sell out a nation and
the bill, although a threat politically, does nothing to change our
inherent rights or our Treaty rights. Congress and the
President were informed of all the facts that touch upon this issue.
We will use the Treaty of Ruby Valley to stop Yucca Mountain and to
protect our lands. Our title is still intact.” Stated
Raymond Yowell, Western Shoshone National Council.
“The self-described, private group who pushed for this money are not
members of any federally-recognized council and have no authority to speak
on behalf of our Tribe or the Western Shoshone Nation. The Nevada
legislators and the Bush Administration have been well-advised of this
fact. The way this legislation was handled makes an absolute sham of
the stated government to government relationship and responsibility of the
U.S. government.” Stated Hugh Stevens, Chairman of the Te-Moak
Tribe of the Western Shoshone Nation. “Senator Reid has made
numerous public commitments regarding resolving land issues for our
communities. We will be looking for him to stand by that commitment
in an expeditious fashion. We demand that our land issues be
resolved in good faith in the same “hot line” fashion as the
distribution.” He added.
Mary Gibson, Western Shoshone states: “It’s not over, we still
exist and we still have our rights to our land. It makes me sad and
angry that myths continue to cloud the Truth in this country. This
struggle isn’t a Shoshone v. Shoshone battle, the underlying issue here
is the U.S. responsibility and accountability for a Treaty with the
Western Shoshone Nation. As long as the people in the U.S. allow
this to happen it will continue to happen.”
For additional info, contact the Western Shoshone Defense Project at
775-468-0230.
Western
Shoshone Defense Project
P.O.
Box 211308
Crescent
Valley, NV 89821
(775)
468-0230
Fax:
(775) 468-0237
www.wsdp.org