A dear friend of mine from the Standing Rock Indian Reservation asked me to pass this on to anyone who might happen to care. I wonder how long many of us would tolerate drinking water laced with uranium. Thanks.....Kathy

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To all, my friend Harold One Feather is taking a one man protest at Slim Buttes. Here is some background if you can help with support getting the word out. Harold is out at Slim Buttes to bring attention to the problems with the uranium mines that run into the water of the reservation.
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All,
In discussions with Harold on Friday and Saturday, two things are apparent that all should be aware of as this effort unfolds, first, he has named this effort the Grand River Environmental Equality Network (GREEN). It is a Grand River watershed clean-up effort. He is not doing this in the name of Defenders of the Black Hills. Second, the effort is about cleaning up the Grand River in general. That of course includes the radioactivity but also other heavy metal contamination, and agricultural pesticides. This effort is not about the abandoned mines in the southwestern part of the state, ISL mining or the much bigger uranium issues. It is a small piece of a huge issue that extends itself not only throughout western South Dakota, but also North Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming. As most of you know, he is now camped at the Slim Buttes area, his first preference was the Cave Hills area, but it is too dangerous because of high levels of radiation coming from the abandoned uranium mines. Lastly, Harold has asked me to run point for him until such time as him and other people living in the Grand River watershed get themselves organized well enough that I can step aside. Personally, I feel that an effort such as the one Harold is making is timely in the context of uranium issues and Indigenous peoples in North America. There are events and rulings happening right now and last week in other places on Turtle Island that support this type of action. Finally, I feel that an effort such as this will serve as an inspiration to other Indigenous Communities in North America who are struggling with uranium issues, whether they be historic abandoned mines or future mine proposals. The pressure to mine uranium on Indigenous lands is on right now. Equally strong is the efforts by the mining companies to ignore the past injustices and the deadly legacy that the uranium industry has left in Indigenous communities all across the continent. If this effort is orchestrated correctly, Tribal Councils and citizens living in the Grand River watershed will have an opportunity to open discussions with Forest Service, Interior Department, and the Congress from a renewed position of strength.
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http://www.heyokamagazine.com/HEYOKA...OneFeather.htm
Harold One Feather:* I first heard about the Riley Pass abandoned uranium mine in the spring of 1997 from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Cultural Resource Planner, La Donna Brave Bull-Allard; she said that the Grey Eagle Society of Pine Ridge / Rapid City told her that there were uranium mine tailings out there. Then the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe as part of the Sioux Oil and Gas Leasing Draft Environmental Impact Statement organized a meeting on June 6-7, 1997 at Picnic Springs, North Cave Hills Unit, Sioux Ranger District, Custer National Forest; I attended this meeting and asked to see the abandoned uranium mine tailings. The US Forest Service said that the meeting was about the cultural resources on the Cave Hills and not the uranium mine, more specifically, the USFS was more concerned about the petroglyphs that were being vandalized by unknown people and the amount of the other graffiti that was being added to the sites where there were petroglyphs.

At this meeting the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe sent as its representatives Tribal Historic Preservation Officer Tim Mentz, Sr., Cultural Resource Planner La Donna Brave Bull-Allard, SRST EPA Officer Cynthia Moore, SRST Community Health Representative Director John Eagle Shield, the SRST BIA Firefighters and many young students from the SRST Grant School.

My tribe is well aware of the mine but not the affected communities such as Rock Creek (Bullhead, SD) and Running Antelope (Little Eagle, SD). To protect these resources at the Custer National Forest, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, as recommended by Tim Mentz, Sr. SRST-THPO, issued a resolution 569-97 saying the cultural properties are sacred.

The next year I tried to organize an informational meeting concerning the abandoned uranium mines at the Custer National Forest, but had to postpone due to inclement weather.

John LeKay:* When you first saw these mine sites back in 1997; do you remember seeing any warning signs posted by any of the agencies you mentioned, of the potential health hazards of uranium exposure?

Harold One Feather:* In 1997 there were no signs posted at all; I don't know the actual number of radiological hazard signs they posted in 2002. As of
2004 I saw two signs, one was stolen. In 2005 I went to the Pickpocket mine which is about two miles east of the Riley Pass mine and have seen a sign post that had the radiological hazard sign stolen.

Harold One Feather:* As the crow flies, the nearest Native community is Rock Creek (Bullhead, SD) and it is 110 miles downstream.*

With respect to the steadily emerging health problems in Rock Creek, my mother died at 41 of cancer, my father died at 33 of heart disease, my aunt died of cancer, and there are many other people in the community that have died of cancer. There are also many miscarriages by young women occurring right now. On the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation, there is a very marked increase in diabetes rates and cancer; they just haven't been given the proper motivation to determine the cause since for them it is easier to blame alcoholism; this defeatist attitude stops with me. The Indian Health Service has been blaming alcoholism for too long; I know that this is not the case with several of the other unfortunate cancer deaths that could be explained by alcoholism. Another issue that I would like to discuss is that there are four major federal agencies that have water management authorities on the Grand River; they are the US Bureau of Reclamation, US Army Corps of Engineers, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service and the US Forest Service. Although I might seem presumptuous in assuming that only the US Forest Service is the only agency that is aware of the uranium mines, none of the other mentioned entities are monitoring water quality on the Grand River and they definitely aren't monitoring for radionuclides.

Currently as a result of my insistence, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, through their SRST EPA department, has started investigating* the radiological hazards in the Grand River; I have included these results but please note that this table was compiled on Microsoft Works and was conducted during years of drought. There will be more sampling conducted in the future.

Another issue is that prior to the new water system installed in Rock Creek several years ago, the water came from the alluvial aquifer* which drew water from 10 feet under the surface and 150 feet from the Grand River. The water from the household taps existing during this time were never sampled for radionuclides. My main point is that these federal agencies are either not aware of the radiological hazards associated with the abandoned uranium mines in the Custer National Forest or they are deliberate part of the genocide through their staff. It is a case of who really should conduct intensive water monitoring sampling surveys and has the authority to enforce pollution violations; with the reservation downstream who has the jurisdiction

that's reprehensible, Kathy.

please do let your dear friend know that I care

I pray that God will work to bring a deep and lasting help and healing to all who have so suffered physically, emotionally and spiritually from the history that so hurt them and their children. I pray He would make more and more people care with the passion that you do, Kathy, so that injustices can be corrected and a new era dawn for the Native American people

non-toxic drinking water shouldnt need an answer to prayer to obtain.....it should be an undeniable right!!

And I also care KathyM. Cheri said it all....it's reprehensible and yet it goes on.

someone should start a Grand River Environmental Equality Network wikipedia article

hi

the post was long maybe ill read it later-i guess its about dangerous mining

Thanks Cheri, Alffe, and Clouds - I'll check into Wikipedia.

Cherokee's post yesterday in the "BT1 is Down Again" thread sums up much of what I've seen over the years when it comes to native issues in this country. Cherokee said: "One disappointment after another is a wonderful predictor of what type of behavior can be expected in the future."

This is true in almost every aspect of native life. I can't blame the man for taking a peaceful stand. From what I hear from the rumblings in Canada, a not-so-peaceful protest over other issues will be taking place over the summer. It has me worried because I know many good people trying their best to keep the peace, but they're at their wits end as well.

Below is the mission of GREEN.

Mission of the Grand River Environmental Equality Network

1. To demand the comprehensive and total clean up of abandoned uranium mines with the Slim Buttes and Cave Hills, and not just one at a time as the US Forest Service is stating it is doing.

2. To consider the negative health effects of low-dose ionizing radiation exposure through surface water, ground water and air transport; especially as this has been occurring to my community Rock Creek (Bullhead, SD). We feel that the US Forest Service's negligence of considering the Rock Creek communities concern that the uranium mines are causing extreme health crises within the community is tantamount to genocide and racism.

3. To revise the US Forest Service Sioux Oil and Gas Leasing Final Environmental Impact Statement to either start an Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement or start the EIS process anew to include tribal communities' extreme health concerns. This is our main point that the US Forest Service although hearing testimony from Rock Creek community members about their increasing rates of cancer, birth problems, and diabetes, they didn't include this in the FEIS and replied that the commenting period is over. They were told numerous times about what the sickness and deaths happening downstream, yet they purposefully ignore our concerns. This too is genocide and racism!

4. We demand that all current leases involving uranium, oil, gas as well as other mineral resources be outlawed in the Slim Buttes and Cave Hills and those existing outstanding leases be allowed to expire without renewal of these leases.

5. We demand that the name of the Custer National Forest be changed to Crazy Horse National Forest; this is upon the advice of the story told to LaDonna Brave Bull-Allard by Johnson Holy Rock and Elaine Quiver: that the Slim Buttes and Cave Hills was one of Crazy Horse's favorite places and is part of the Powder River basin that as a condition of his surrender would be his permanent reservation. For this he was murdered at Fort Robinson.

6. We demand that the Sioux Ranger District be renamed Paha Zizipila as this is its true Lakota name.

This is so wrong,i sent all the imformation on to my Children. But just
so sad. Will we never learn many blessings, and thank you for posting
this. Sue

ditto what cheri said. i'm speechless.

Thank you Sue and Curious

Here's an update...

Harold has been given a cell phone and grant to purchase items for testing. Others have now joined him, so he's not out there all alone. We found out it was a local rancher shooting at him.

I appreciate your concern.