Indigenous Environmental Network

June 8, 2009
Invoking our collective ancestral obligations as members of the Continental Confederation of the Eagle and the Condor, in concert with calls to action by the Continental Coordinating Body of Indigenous Nations, Pueblos and Organizations of Abya Yala, we as Indigenous Peoples of Abya Yala North, speaking as Original Nations of the Continent raise our voice in solidarity and denunciation to address the genocide of our relatives of the Amazon Territories of the Confederation of the Boa in Peru.

We echo the call for an International Tribunal of Justice to address the crimes of genocide, war crimes, and terracide that are now perpetrated by the administration of Peruvian President Alan Garcia Perez. We specifically denounce the Decree Laws of executive order, and the military and police invasion of the territories of the Indigenous Peoples of the Peruvian Amazon which has resulted in the loss of scores of Human Life over the past week.

We demand accountability from the US Government, President Barack Obama and the US society as a whole for the issue of complicity with the ongoing genocide occurring throughout the Amazon Basin of Abya Yala South, with priority and particular focus on the situation in the Peruvian Amazon and the persecution of our indigenous organizations and leadership such as the AIDESEP, (Interethnic Association for Development of the Peruvian Amazon) president Alberto Pizango Chota.

We demand an immediate moratorium on all trade agreements hemispherically between the US and the government states of the OAS, until a comprehensive review and report on these compacts be undertaken by the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Peoples, in evaluation of the violation of the Right of Self Determination of Indigenous Peoples affirmed by the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and systematic violation of the principle of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent referenced by the International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention 169. Any such trade agreements among the states that do not integrate the recognition, respect and protection for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as referenced by the UN Declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples is hereby proclaimed illegitimate in our hemisphere of Abya Yala.

We demand immediate congressional hearings on the US-Peru Free Trade Agreement as an instrument of criminal collusion with the genocide perpetrated against the Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon in Peru.

We affirm the call by the delegations of Abya Yala North from Mexico and Canada that have demanded the cancellation of the US-Peru Free Trade Agreement, and apply the same criteria of denunciation to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between Canada-US-Mexico as well.

The paradigm of social economic development driven by capitalist expropriation and exploitation of Indigenous lands and labor has come to an end. It has died, with the blood of the jungle of the Peruvian Amazon the death certificate has been delivered to the world. A new, yet ancient, global ecological-economic framework is emerging at great cost, but also with great promise to effectively address the global climate crisis. The recognition of the rights of Indigenous Peoples is the first step.

Our call is the challenge of change invoked by the new administration in Washington, DC that is historic in itself for not being defined by the dehumanizing memes of caste and the historical trajectory of Manifest Destiny of the European American colonization of North America.

Now is the time for the realization of Integrity, integrating justice and dignity along with all of our fellow "Americans" of this continent Abya Yala in a new world hemispheric policy of Self Determination and Reciprocity with Respect for the Rights of the Nations of the Indigenous Peoples at a continental level, transcribed in the principles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples which was adopted by the UN General Assembly on September 13th, 2007.

The time has come to not only change but TRANSFORM our collective continental society of the Americas, breaking the chains of centuries of European-American racism and colonization, expropriation and exploitation by finally and for the first time arriving and discovering the ancient hearth of our global humanity here in the New World of Abya Yala: a world under assault since the beginnings of World War One: October the 12th, 1492.

This war, the war against the Nations of Indigenous Peoples of Abya Yala, must also be brought to an end. In pursuit of peace, and in solidarity with our relatives of the Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon of Peru, we deliver this message of conscience and call to justice.

Signatories: Abya Yala North TONATIERRA 7th Generation Fund - Western Shoshone Defense Project - Alianza Indígena Sin Fronteras - Indigenous Network on Economies and Trade (INET) - Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN)

Our planet is heating up at an alarming rate, threatening our very survival. What needs to be done is simple: The pollution and destruction of Earth must be stopped immediately. But instead, there is a lot of greed, false solutions and lies about how to save our future. It seems that leaders of the world are more concerned about making money than solving the climate crisis.

You have in your hands a quick guide to the truth about false solutions to climate change. These market-based scams allow polluters to avoid reducing their pollution, continue to destroy nature and make millions while they are at it. The United Nations, the World Bank, industry, multinationals, governments and even some NGOs promote this climate fraud. Could it be that crimes against humanity and the planet are being committed and nobody knows?

But what does all this have to do with Indigenous Peoples?

Unfortunately, most of these false solutions are violating not only the law of nature but also Indigenous Peoples’ rights. Many of these so-called “solutions” to Climate Change are grabbing our land and devastating our territories. Indigenous Peoples need to know what’s going on so that we can fight back.

Click Here to Read/Download (PDF)

Nuestro planeta se está calientando de una forma alarmante, amenzando nuestra sobrevivencia. Lo que hay que hacer es obvio: La contaminación y la destrucción del mundo se deben detener de inmediato. En cambio, hay mucha avaricia, falsas soluciones y mentiras sobre cómo salvar nuestro futuro. Parece que los líderes del mundo se preocupan más por hacer plata que por resolver la crisis climática.

Tienes en las manos una guia rápida a la verdad sobre las falsas soluciones al cambio climático. Esas tranzas del mercado permiten que los contaminadores esquiven su obligación de reducir su contaminación, sigan destruyendo la natureleza y al mismo tiempo ganen muchos milliones de dólares. Las Naciones Unidas, el Banco Mundial, las industrias, las empresas multinacionales, los gobiernos y incluso algunas ONGs promueven este fraude climático.

¿Acaso se están cometiendo crimenes contra la humanidad y el planeta y nadie se da cuenta?

¿Pero qu é t i en e qu e ver todo eso con los Pu e bl os In d ígenas ?

Desafortunadamente, la mayoria de las falsas soluciones están violando no solamente la ley de la natureleza pero también los derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas. Muchas de las llamadas “soluciones” al cambio climático están robando nuestra tierra y devastando nuestros territorios. Los Pueblos Indígenas necesitamos saber qué pasa para que podamos defendernos.

Haga clic aquí para descargar. (PDF)

St. Paul, Minn. (AP) — Some members of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe are trying to stop a planned oil pipeline from crossing their reservation in northern Minnesota.

Member Sandy Nichols said she's gathered signatures from nearly 1,000 members out of about 9,800 statewide to oppose the pipeline known as the Alberta Clipper, which is being built by Enbridge Energy Inc. The 1,000-mile pipeline will travel from in Alberta, Canada, to Superior, Wis.

The pipeline will carry oil extracted from Canada's oil sands, a process which environmentalists have long opposed because they say it uses too much energy and contributes to global warming.

However, the Leech Lake Tribal Council has already passed a resolution that says it plans to accept $10 million from the company and would grant permits and leases for the pipeline.

Nichols and the Bemidji-based Indigenous Environmental Network said despite the resolution, it's not too late to hold a referendum on the issue.

Tribal officials did not immediately return calls seeking comment.

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission has approved the pipeline, though the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy is challenging that decision in court.

The project expects a final federal Environmental Impact Statement to be published soon, which will allow any pending permits to move forward, said Enbridge spokeswoman Denise Hamsher.

Construction on the pipeline is slated to begin in midsummer, Hamsher said.

Photo Caption: Leech Lake tribal member Sandy Nichols tells Minnesota Capitol reporters that she fears pollution will follow the construction of two pipelines across northern Minnesota. With her are Marty Cobenais of the Indigenous Environmental Network (center) and American Indian activist Clyde Bellecourt. (Photo Credit: Don Davis / ddavis@forumcomm.com)

By: Don Davis , Forum Communications

ST. PAUL – Some American Indians have threatened to stop efforts to build a pair of northern Minnesota oil pipelines.

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Highlights Include:
7 nights Accommodations
7 Breakfasts, 4 lunches, 5 Dinners

Participation of harvesting Wild Rice,
Catching World Famous Red Lake Walleye,
and Attending a Traditional Pow-Wow.

Presentation by Tom Goldtooth,
Executive Director of IEN.
Tour Eco-friendly buildings:
Large Scale and Small Scale
Native American History told by Native Americans

Scenic Natural Views and wildlife. Itasca State Park

Headwaters of the Mississippi River
2 Boat Cruises
Mall of America
Limited Seating, Reserve your seat by:
July 1, 2009

By REDOIL and Indigenous Environmental Network

ANCHORAGE -- At the first global gathering of Indigenous Peoples on climate change, participants were outraged at the intensifying rate of destruction the climate crisis is having on the Earth and all peoples. Participants reaffirmed that Indigenous Peoples are most impacted by climate change and called for support and funding for Indigenous Peoples to create adaptation and mitigation plans for themselves, based on their own Traditional Knowledge and practices. Indigenous Peoples also took a strong position on emission reduction targets of industrialized countries and against false solutions.

The majority of those attending looked towards addressing the root problem - the burning of fossil fuels - and demanded an immediate moratorium on new fossil fuel development and called for a swift and just transition away from fossil fuels.

"While the arctic is melting, Africa is suffering from drought and many Pacific Islands are in danger of disappearing. Indigenous Peoples are locked out of national and international negotiations, " stated Jihan Gearon, Native energy and climate campaigner of the Indigenous Environmental Network. "We're sending a strong message to the next UN Framework Convention on Climate Change this December in Copenhagen, Denmark that business as usual must end, because business as usual is killing us. Participants at the summit stood united on sending a message to the world leaders in Copenhagen calling for a binding emission reduction target for developed countries of at least 45% below 1990 levels by 2020 and at least 95% by 2050."

"In Alaska, my people are on the front lines of climate change and are devastated by the fossil fuel industry," related Faith Gemmill, Executive Director of Resisting Environmental Destruction on Indigenous Lands (REDOIL). "As an Alaska Native network we are fighting back. We recently won a major battle last week as the District Court of Columbia threw out a plan to access 83 million acres of the Outer Continental Shelf that was driven by Shell Oil. Shell has a long history of human rights violations, for which many have suffered and died, like Ken Saro-Wiwa of the Ogoni People in the Niger Delta of Africa."

Tom Goldtooth, Indigenous Environmental Network's Executive Director, commented, "We want real solutions to climate chaos and not the false solutions like forest carbon offsets and other market based mechanisms that will benefit only those who are making money on those outrageous schemes." He added, "For example one the solutions to mitigate climate change is an initiative by the World Bank to protect forests in developing countries through a carbon market regime called Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation or REDD." He concluded, "Don't be fooled, REDD does nothing to address the underlying drivers of deforestation."

At a World Bank presentation at the global summit, Egberto Tabo, General Secretary of COICA, the Coordinating Body of Indigenous Organizations in the Amazon Basin denounced "the genocide caused by the World Bank in the Amazon." Mr. Tabo also categorically rejected the inclusion of forests in the carbon market and the Bank's funding of REDD. The World Bank's representative, Navin Rai admitted that "the Bank has made mistakes in the past..We know that there were problems with projects like the trans-amazon highway." But REDD, he argued would not be more of the same. However, indigenous leaders at the global summit were unconvinced by his assurances and the Work Bank presentation ended with a Western Shoshone women's passionate appeal to the Bank to stop funding projects that endanger the survival of indigenous peoples.

Contact:
Faith Gemmill, REDOIL, redoil1@acsalaska.net
+1-907-750-0188 (mobile) for the Arctic
Jihan Gearon, IEN, ienenergy@igc.org
+1-218-760-1370 (mobile) for False Solutions
Tom Goldtooth, IEN, ien@igc.org
+1-218-760-0442 (mobile) for Emission Targets

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