|
|
|
|
WASHINGTON
- Backed by Native American leaders from across the
country, Alaska's Gwich'in people assailed the Bush
Administration for scheming to turn over to greedy oil
companies their ancestral lands in the Arctic National
Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). A standing room only crowd packed
the conference room as the Gwich'in leaders appealed for
an outpouring to block the plan to drill in ANWR, a threat
to the calving grounds of the Porcupine Caribou herd. |
"Our Ancestors have lived with the Caribou for
generations beyond time," said Jonathan Solomon,
Chairman of the Gwich'in Steering Committee. (GSC)
spokeswoman, Sarah James added "The coastal plain is
vital to the Caribou. We call their calving grounds
"The place where life begins," and we cannot
allow it to be ruined by oil drilling."
At the moment,
former Enron CEO, Kenneth Lay, was on the witness stand
one block away refusing to testify before the Senate
Commerce Committee on his secret dealings with Vice
President Dick Cheney's Energy Police Task Force. Drilling
in ANWR was high on Enron's list of priorities. Bush and
Cheney have invoked "executive privileges" to
keep the proceedings of the Energy Task Force secret. Dune
Lankrad of the Eyak Preservation Council said "Enron
and the Bush Administration are creating their energy plan
behind closed doors with no transparency." He said
"Oil companies are the highest subsidized, most
profitable, least taxed of any corporations."
Robby Romero,
leader of the Native Rock band Red Thunder, blasted the
right-wing dominated Congress for the so-called
"Patriot Energy Act."
"They are
doing a snow job on Americans with this act that threatens
our people," Romero said. "It has nothing to do
with National Security. This act is a crime. We have
multinational corporations that are depleting resources
(401-k accounts) from their own employees, getting richer
while hiding their crimes under laws they enacted."
He added, "What is 9-11 about? Is it about life? The
future? Or is it about oil, the bottom line, profits for a
few?"
—
Tim Wheeler / Peoples' Weekly World
|
|
|
|
