Dear Big Mountain Supporters,
On Tuesday, June 8, with Alice Begay went with Marsha Monestersky
and some of
her family members to the BIA in Keams Canyon. They went there
with a
trailer in case they were able to bring home their impounded cow.
Alice
pleaded with Robert Carolin, the Superintendent of the Hopi BIA
Area Agency
to return her cow which he promised to do on Friday, May 21.
She was also
trying to stop her cow from being sold at public auction the next
day,
Wednesday, June 9. The BIA just continues to tell them they are
ineligible
for a BIA grazing permit even though they have jurisdiction to
issue interim
permits. The Begay's animals remain subject to massive confiscation.
Alice Begay says of her meeting with Robert Carolin on Tuesday,
June 8, "I
don't like his lack of respect and his attitude. Why does he
not want to
listen to what he is doing, is it because of his greed? He said
he is the
one that can issue a grazing permit to me but he does not want
to. What kind
of words will he hear to accept my words and stop my suffering.
I liked it
when he promised to give me back my cow. Now he just faced away
from me and
tried not to listen to me. I don't like that. I want my cattle
back and I
do not want to let go of a single one. This is part of my life,
my food and
my living. What is the reason he is like this? Maybe he hates
me.
Livestock is what we live on and part of our food. This is part
of life and
what I have known since I was born and raised with for all this
time. What
if that happened to this person? What if his valuables were taken
away? How
would he feel?"
Alice Begay continues, I was born here and have lived
here all my life. My
family, all of them were born here and my grandmother and mom
before me,
since before the Long Walk to Fort Sumner. We have 5 girls, 3
boys, and more
than 50 grandchildren. I am illiterate and do not speak, read
or write
English. How can the BIA tell me I am not eligible for a permit
to graze my
animals and then continue to steal my animals from me? Doesnt
that just make
them cattle rustlers, stealing my animals then keeping the money
they make
when they are sold at public auction? Both me and my husband
are sick from
the stress. I can't eat and I cant sleep thinking about
my cow in the
impoundment yard. I don't want my cow sold at public auction.
I want the BIA
to give it back to me."
At the same time that the BIA refuses to issue them a permit
they are non
signers of the Accommodation Agreement, considered "those
awaiting
relocation". They have already received a notice to vacate.
Alice Begay
says of the impending eviction, "I fear that a big truck
will come to my door
with a bulldozer and load up my stuff. The rest of it will be
left and my
cermonial stuff will be buried right before my eyes. This happened
to a lot
of people. I know of a man that moved out and before he could
get all of his
stuff out it was bulldozed. I will resist but I don't know what
will happen
to us. I have heard of the people who relocated, that they have
problems,
suffer from depression, alcoholism, and then they die. I do not
want to go
anywhere. Our prayers are around here and our sacred places.
I just want to
remain here in quiet and peace, here with my animals."
Kee Z. Begay says, "In our condition we can't work, we
have no way of making
money. We are elderly great grandparents. We don't even have
enough food to
eat. We don't have a vehicle and we are suffering. There is a
lot of stress,
mental, physical, and emotional. I had heart surgery and I go
back and forth
to see the doctor. I have a broken hip now and my wife has abdominal
pain.
We are both sick from worrying. Please help us. We need to get
our cow back
- so we are counting on you."
Since the return of this cow is so important to the well being
of Alice and
Kee Z. Begay, and the price is too high to pay for release from
the BIA
impoundment yard, we will attempt to purchase it from public
auction. We
are currently trying to raise the funds for the purchase of their
cow and
barbed wire fencing to corral their animals off Hopi Partitioned
Lands (HPL)
to avoid confiscation. We are also in need of funds for them to
feed their
animals since they have had to keep most of them in the corral,
fearing
massive confiscation at any time by the BIA.
Please send your tax-dedictible contributions to pay for hay
and feed for
corralled animals and for the purchase of Alice and Kee Z. Begay's
cow from
public auction to:
Steve Sugarman, Executive Director
Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs (SEE)
20110 Rockport Way, Malibu, CA 90265-5340
phone: (310) 456-3534, Tax ID number 95-4116679
Please make your check out to Sovereign Dineh Nation (SDN)
and specify that your donation is for hay and feed and/or for
the purchase of
the cow from public auction
If you have not seen this web site recently, please check it
out
You will find photographs of the criminals at the BIA that are
confiscating
Dineh livestock now and photographs of Anna and Ella Begay's donkeys
on the
web site soon
Web site: http://www.solcommunications.com
Also, please visit:
Web site: http://www.theofficenet.com/~redorman/welcome.html
Thank you for your support,
Marsha Monestersky
E-mail: dinetah29@aol.com