From: redorman@theofficenet.com
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEWS CONFERENCE
WITH NAVAJO ELDERS FROM BIG MOUNTAIN
10:30 AM, TUESDAY 2/22/00 IN FRONT OF SEN. McCAIN'S OFFICE
450 W. Paseo Redondo, Tucson
SENATOR McCAIN IGNORES NAVAJOS AGAIN
John McCain has been aware of the suffering endured by Navajo
People living
in the area now known as Hopi Partitioned Lands since at least
1985. This
suffering was a result of the Navajo Hopi Indian Relocation Act
(PL93-531)
passed by Congress in 1974. At that time he was also made aware,
having
been presented irrefutable evidence, that the over-riding force
behind the
1974 Act was Peabody Coal's desire to gain access to vast deposits
of
high-quality, easily accessible coal; a fact denied by McCain
and Peabody
Coal Company and others because, if true, it would mean complicity
in a
human rights violation of major magnitude. At that time he was
also
presented evidence of the suffering and supporting anthropological
studies
which have found that no relocation of people, whose spirituality
was
closely tied to the land, had ever been successful in avoiding
substantial
trauma and suffering; and that this was no exception.
Senator McCain's significant responsibility in this matter
results from his
being a member of the Arizona Congressional Delegation. It was
the Arizona
delegation that lobbied for the law's passage (before McCain took
office we
realize) and it is to the Arizona delegation that Congress looks
for
leadership on this issue. McCain has been a member of that delegation
since
1982 and the senior senator from Arizona since Senator DeConcini's
retirement. As Arizona's senior senator he has been, and still
is, arguably
the person best situated to end the suffering. Yet what has he
done?
John McCain has often seemed unsympathetic, has often ignored,
and at times
even acted rude to Navajo elders seeking his help. His early
attempt at
legislation, the Udall-McCain bill (circa 1986), was woefully
inadequate and
never a serious piece of legislation due to the opposition of
Barry
Goldwater. His 1996 bill, which authorized the Accommodation
Agreement
(land-lease with the Hopi Government) and demonstrates his ability
to pass
legislation on the issue, was opposed by nearly all Navajo involved.
Those
who felt coerced into signing it point out that it interferes
with religious
expression, restricts them from lands used by them and their ancestors
for
centuries (like prisoners, not free to roam on their ancestral
lands) and
essentially only prolongs the agony in that it only guarantees
access for 75
years -- talk about inheritance taxes, this land may not be allowed
to be
passed on to the children. Even the guarantee is not guaranteed.
If the
Navajo do not live up to the restrictions imposed by the Hopi
Tribal
Government, they can be expelled.
If Mr. McCain truly wants to bring respect, integrity, and
forthrightness to
the office of the Presidency, then perhaps he could begin by finding
a
genuinely humane solution to an issue that has been a black mark
on his
political career almost from the beginning.
A letter was faxed to McCain's Tucson and Phoenix offices requesting
a brief
visit by Navajo elders to set up future discussions concerning
the current
situation. No response was received.
... many prayers ...
dn: daily news code for auto placement
William "Sky" Crosby, director E C C O
Environmental and Cultural Conservation Organization
Tucson, Az
tel 520 749 0585