by Brenda Norrell /Narcosphere
Mining is among the leading causes of murder, rape, assassinations and disappearances of Indigenous Peoples globally.
However, the non-profit organizations, especially those at the United Nations, are strangely silent about the fact.
The seizure of land, water and resources for mining, and the violence against Indigenous Peoples defending these, should be a priority at the UN, with coal, uranium and metals mining topping the list.
Another leading threat to Indigenous Peoples is nuclear dumping and the effect of war, especially on women and children. As revealed in this statement by Pacific Islanders, demilitarization was censored at the UN World Conference on Indigenous Peoples: http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2014/09/demilitarization-censored-pacific.html
Kalamaoka’aina Niheu, of the Pacific Caucus, said, “It is with great sadness and outrage to find at the 11th hour that Paragraph 21 regarding Demilitarization has been removed from the Outcome Document.”
“For this reason, Ohana Koa –Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific can no longer consent to our participation in the High Level Plenary Meeting (HLPM) also known as the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples (WCIP).”
There is no mention of mining or militarization in the outcome document for the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, held in New York in September:
http://www.rightsandresources.org/wp-content/uploads/WCIP-Outcome-Document-FINAL.pdf
The censorship of the voices for peace, and against mining and war, is not new in Indian country.
Louise Benally, Dine’ (Navajo) resisting Peabody Coal’s coal mining, forced relocation and US militarization, was censored by Indian Country Today when she opposed the Iraq war, comparing it to the genocidal forced Long Walk of Navajos.
Remembering her great-grandfather forced on the Long Walk to the prison camp at Fort Sumner, N.M., Benally said, “The U.S. military first murders your people and destroys your way of life while stealing your culture, then forces you to learn their evil ways of lying and cheating.” http://bsnorrell.tripod.com/id78.html
In October, Pacific Islanders will block the world’s largest coal port in canoes.
Thirty Pacific Climate Warriors from 12 different islands will arrive on Australian shores to stand up to the coal and gas industry. “We are now excited to announce that on October 17th, the Pacific Climate Warriors will use the canoes they have built to paddle out into the harbor of the world’s largest coal port – Newcastle – to stop coal exports for a day.”