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In
protecting the Alaskan wilderness, activists seek to
preserve a way of life
Activists
fight Bush and oil money |
August
30,2002 - At Rio in 1992, state and nongovernmental
delegations formulated Agenda 21 and agreed to focus
efforts on the protection of the rights of women, children
and indigenous peoples.
While "sustainable development" has taken over
as the theme for the gathering a decade later, the issues
affecting these marginalized groups cannot go unnoticed.
Three hundred representatives of the Indigenous Peoples of
the World met in Kimberly last week, hosted by the Khoisan
last week, to pool resources network with one another and
to push for the adoption of one sentence into the World
Summit declaration: "We reaffirm the vital role of
Indigenous Peoples in sustainable development." |
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Under
threat of yet another act of cultural genocide, a
determined group of native Americans led by the Alaskan
native Sarah James and New Mexican singer and activist
Robby Romero, are in SA.
Their role is twofold: to lobby at the summit against the
Bush administration's efforts and save the last pristine
ecosystem in the US from being exploited for oil and to
present Romero's latest directional offering about the
same issues.
The latter is part of a film series and it titled
"Thunderstorm: Permanent Protection for Alaska's Wild
Places."
The Arctic National Wildlife Reserve is north America's
last pristine |
ecosystem.
The annual caribou migration still takes place across 1
600kms of its territory. Alaskan villages line the
migration route, making the issue one of environmental
concern as well as cultural survival.
Many groups in the US are lobbying against drilling in the
reserve, protected by presidents from Jimmy Carter to Bill
Clinton. Romero and others fear the main pressure group in
the equation is the oil cartel, which seems to have its
tentacles deep into Bush's cabinet. Much of his
presidential campaign funding came from the oil companies.
Congress recently voted for drilling in the region but
Senate voted against it. Republicans and Democrats are
divided on the issue, but the resistance from the
democrats has tabled the matter for now. Democrats remain
clear the national security argument is hogwash, with
senator Joe Lieberman publicly dismissing it as a
"scare tactic."
While at the summit, Romero and James hope international
attention on the Alaskan issue will buttress their case.
In between meetings and other summit activities, Romero
has also made time for stage appearances. He feels
positive about developments in the indigenous peoples'
agenda over the past three decades while simultaneously
recognizing how the ball turns. "I am here in
protest," he says, "but there in no one, direct
road to freedom. We are moving."
Romero earned the title UN Ambassador of the Youth for his
promotion of environmental and youth issues through the
arts. His group, Red Thunder, is the subject of the "rockumentary",
while protection of Alaskan ecosystems is the objective.
"Thunderstorm" is produced by Roland Joffe (The
Killing Fields) and Dune Lankard as a kind of "rockumentary"
through Gwich'in and other Alaskan cities such as
Anchorage and Cordoba.
Accompanying the delegation is a young chief, Evon Peter,
who has worked with the founder of the Gwich'in Steering
Committee, Sarah James, for more than 10 years. Through
his determination and success as a young activist for his
people, Peter was elected chief two years ago. He is also
featured in the film.
The film will be aired on SABC's Wildlife programme 50-50
on Sunday.
- Sonya Fatah , Business Day [South
Africa] |
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