From: Native Americas Journal <bfw2@cornell.edu>
1) A Call To Action: The Albuquerque Declaration
2) Earth to NASA: Native Americans Join Quest to Understand Climate Change
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A Call To Action: The Albuquerque Declaration
The following article is provided as a Last Words for Native
Americas'
special double-issue on "Global Warming, Climate Change and
Native Lands."
Published by the Akwe:kon Press at Cornell University's American
Indian
Program, Native Americas keeps you informed of emerging trends
that impact
Native peoples throughout the hemisphere. Visit us on the internet
and
participate in our discussion groups at
http://nativeamericas.aip.cornell.edu.
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A Call To Action: The Albuquerque Declaration
The indigenous peoples of North America sent some 180 delegates,
including
more than a dozen recognized elders, to share ideas on the impact
of
climate change to the "Circles of Wisdom: Native Peoples/Native
Homelands
Climate Change Workshops" sponsored by NASA. The following
is a condensed
version of their common statement, "The Albuquerque Declaration,"
which was
later tabled at the Conference of the Parties Four at the United
Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change held in Buenos Aires, Argentina,
November 2-13, 1998.
As indigenous peoples, we are to begin each day with a prayer,
bringing our
minds together in thanks for every part of the natural world.
We are
grateful that each part of our natural world continues to fulfill
the
responsibilities set for it by our Creator, in an unbreakable
relationship
to each other. As the roles and responsibilities are fulfilled,
we are
allowed to live our lives in peace. We are grateful for the natural
order
put in place and regulated by natural laws.
Mother Earth, Father Sky, and all of Creation, from microorganisms
to
human, plant, trees, fish, bird, and animal relatives are part
of the
natural order and regulated by natural laws. Each has a unique
role and is
a critical part of the whole that is Creation. Each is sacred,
respected,
and a unique living being with its own right to survive, and each
plays an
essential role in the survival and health of the natural world.
Because of our relationship with the lands and waters of our
natural
surroundings, which have sustained us since time immemorial, we
carry
knowledge and ideas that the world needs today. We know how to
live with
this land: we have done so for thousands of years.
We express profound concern for the well being of our sacred
Mother Earth
and Father Sky and the potential consequences of climate imbalance
for our
indigenous peoples and the significance of these consequences
for our
communities, our environment, our economies, our cultures and
our
relationships to the natural order and laws. A growing body of
Western
scientific evidence now suggests what indigenous peoples have
expressed for
a long time: life as we know it is in danger. We can no longer
afford to
ignore the consequences of this evidence.
In June 1997, more than 2,000 U.S. scientists, from over 150
countries,
including Nobel Laureates, signed the Scientists Statement on
Global
Climate Disruption which reads, in part, the "accumulation
of greenhouses
gases commits the sacred Earth irreversibly to further global
climate
change and consequent ecological, economic, social and spiritual
disruption" (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, December
1995).
Climate imbalance will cause the greatest suffering to the indigenous
peoples and most pristine ecosystems globally. According to this
overwhelming consensus of international scientists, the burning
of oil,
gas, and coal (fossil fuels) is the primary source of human-induced
climate
change.
The increasing effects of the indiscriminate use of fossil
fuels adds to
other adverse impacts on natural forests. Natural forests are
critical
parts of the ecosystems that maintain global climate stability.
The mining
and drilling for coal, oil, and gas, as well as other mineral
extractions,
results in substantial local environmental consequences, including
severe
degradation of air, forests, rivers, oceans and farmlands. Fossil
fuel
extraction areas are home to some of Mother Earth's last and most
vulnerable indigenous populations, resulting in accelerated losses
of
biodiversity, traditional knowledge, and ultimately in ethnocide
and genocide.
For the future of all the children, for the future of Mother
Earth and
Father Sky, we call upon the leaders of the world, at all levels
of
governments, to accept responsibility for the welfare of future
generations. Their decisions must reflect their consciousness
of this
responsibility and they must act on it.
We request that the potential consequences of climate imbalance
for
indigenous peoples and our environments, economies, culture, place
and role
in the natural order be addressed by:
1. Establishing and funding an Inter-sessional Open-ended Working
Group for
indigenous peoples within the Conference of the Parties of the
UN Framework
Convention on Climate Change.
2. Provisions for case studies be established within the framework
of that
Working Group that would allow for assessing how climate changes
affect
different regions of indigenous peoples and local communities,
assessing
climate changes on flora and fauna, freshwater and oceans, forestry,
traditional agricultural practices, medicinal plants and other
biodiversity
that impact subsistence and land-based cultures of indigenous
peoples, and
other case studies that would provide a clearer understanding
of all
effects and impacts of climate change and warming upon indigenous
peoples
and local communities.
3. Indigenous participation. Indigenous peoples of North America
were
invited by neither the United States nor Canada to participate
in the
negotiations of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change.
We demand
a place at the table of this important international discussion.
Indigenous peoples have the right, responsibility and expertise
to
participate as equal partners at every level of decision-making
including
needs assessments, case studies, within national and international
policy-making activities concerning climate change impacts, causes
and
solutions. They need to help establish protocols that would actively
promote international energy efficient and sustainable forms of
development, including the widespread use of appropriately scaled
solar
energy and renewable energy technologies as well as sustainable
agricultural and forestry practice models; exploration and development
in
the traditional territories of indigenous peoples of the world
must be done
with the full consent of indigenous peoples, respecting their
right to
decline a project that may adversely impact them. Where destruction
has
already occurred, there should be a legally binding obligation
to restore
all areas already affected by oil, gas, and coal exploration and
exploitation. This restoration must be done such that indigenous
peoples
can continue traditional uses of their lands.
*****************************
For more information contact: Indigenous Environmental Network
- National
Office P.O. Box 485 Bemidji, Minnesota 56619-0485 USA Phone: (218)
751-4967
e-mail: ien@igc.apc.org Web Site: www.alphacdc.com/ien.
"Nowhere else will you be able to find such powerful-knowledge
filled
writing."
-Wilma Mankiller, Editorial Board Member of Native Americas Journal
Native Americas Journal
Akwe:kon Press
American Indian Program
Cornell University
450 Caldwell Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853-2602
Tel. (607) 255-4308
Subs. (800) 9-NATIVE
Fax. (607) 255-0185
Email. nativeamericas@cornell.edu
Internet http://nativeamericas.aip.cornell.edu
http://www.aip.cornell.edu
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Earth to NASA: Native Americans Join Quest to Understand Climate
Change
By Missy Globerman/Ithaca Journal, February 5, 2000
© Copyright 2000
In an unusual marriage of interests, the federal government
is embracing
the sagacious prophecy and wisdom of Native Americans to combat
some of the
greatest environmental challenges of the next millennium - climate
change.
As one reflection of this partnership, Cornell University's
Akwe:kon Press
has published a double issue of its widely circulated journal,
"Native
Americas," with the help of a $61,000 grant from NASA's Earth
Science
Enterprise Division.
Their convergence is part of a significant trend, initiated
and supported
by NASA, to incorporate the longstanding, multi-generational perspectives
of people who have connected to the earth for centuries, with
NASA's data
on such phenomena as ozone depletion and rising oceans. NASA scientists,
grants and technologies are also supporting Native communities'
assessments
of climate impact on their homelands.
Despite centuries of skepticism, the intersection of hard scientific
investigation and the views of Native people is clear, according
to Verna
Teller, former Isleta Pueblo governor and project director for
the Native
Peoples/Native Homelands Southwest initiative.
"Scientists always have been skeptical, but now we have
come full circle.
The science community used to pooh-pooh our traditional knowledge
as myth
or legend, unfounded and whimsical, and now they recognize it
is a reality
that fits hand in glove with their science data," she said.
Native American interest in climate change is entrenched in
their homeland
roots. Through their spiritual ceremonies and code of teachings,
their
words and knowledge can be seen as predictive or reflective.
Oren Lyons, faithkeeper of the Onondaga Nation, tells a story
of Seneca
chief Handsome Lake, who in 1799, brought to his people the visions
and
revelations from his journeys. "Handsome Lake said, 'They
said the maple
tree, the leader of all trees, will begin dying from the top down
and
nobody will know how to deal with it,' and now the trees are dying
from
acid rain and it's not just the maple trees," he said.
Onondaga prophecy says that the acceleration of the winds and
how well
people treat their children are the two indicators of the earth's
decline.
"Seeing how many children are abused and homeless, and storms
are so
violent, we know the earth is being impacted and it will get worse,"
he said.
Though global climate changes are happening slowly, "Anyone
who says these
changes are not going on has another agenda, is not observant,
or is not
interested," he said.
The Onondagas are just one of many tribes whose prophecies
predict human
effects on the planet. Hopi prophecy included in the journal warns
that "if
you disturb things that lie deep within the Earth, bring them
up, move them
around and scatter them, the whole direction of the world is going
to
change. They say that if deeply embedded material is moved out
from under
the Earth and put on the top, monsters will be released. These
monsters,
they said, could destroy the Earth."
"No one has a deeper connection to the land than those
who use the land at
its most basic level," said Jose Barreiro, editor-in-chief
of "Native
Americas."
In the double issue, economic and ecological problems resulting
from
changes like melting ice from the glaciers of Alaska to decades
of drought
and blizzard in the Great Plains, are investigated. The effects
for many
communities will be devastating.
The symbiotic relationship developing between science and Native
peoples'
experiences will connect the quantitative with the spiritual.
A change for NASA?
Though NASA is most commonly known for its study of outer space
and moon
landings, studying the earth is actually one of its primary missions.
Sensors and satellites aimed at Earth have collected data for
decades to
study environmental phenomena ranging from ozone depletion to
glacier
movements.
"We are charged with understanding the entire earth, its
components and how
those elements interact to understand natural and human-induced
changes,"
said Nancy Maynard, former director of applications, commercialization
and
education for the Earth Science Enterprise Division. "Looking
at the earth
system as a whole is the perspective NASA shares with the Native
Americans."
Maynard fostered the initial discussions between NASA and the
Native
communities after Native communities were left out of workshops
sponsored
by NASA to work on the U.S. National Assessment on climate change,
part of
the 1990 Global Change Research Act.
The workshops united scientists from 19 federal science research
agencies -
NASA included - with a variety of stakeholders who may be particularly
impacted by climate change.
"The Native perspective has a great deal of history and
wisdom about the
climate changes in particular geographic areas, like their reservations,
and I felt very strongly that they be brought into the assessment
process,"
Maynard said.
Listening to the elders
The funding for the "Native Americas" journal was
one outcome of a larger
conference in Albuquerque, N.M., in October 1998. Called "Circles
of
Wisdom: Native Peoples/ Native Homelands Climate Change Workshop,"
this was
the first time tribal leaders, Native American scientists, scholars,
spiritual leaders and environmental managers met with a group
of government
scientists to share their knowledge and observations of climate
change.
Barreiro attended the conference since he was astounded that
NASA was
seriously interested in exchanging ideas with the Native communities.
Since
Barreiro is of Cuban origin and a member of the Taino tribe, his
relationship with Native elders is an essential part of his background,
both personal and academic.
"Native people, especially the elders, have a type of
intelligence that is
beyond intuitive, and their prophecies speak to the urgency of
the current
climate changes," he said.
In Central New York, Lyons said the Onondaga Nation faces challenges
from
the effects of warmer weather, lack of water and even the creeping
northward of non-native animals and insects. He reports from other
tribes
that there are more drastic effects, like changes in bird and
fish
migratory patterns that can leave a village in Alaska with no
food or
economic sustenance. "We believe the earth has a point of
no return, no
recovery, and we are pushing humanity to that point. The earth
many recover
from all of this damage, but there will be no human beings left,"
Lyons said.
Because of these types of changes, recent generations of Native
people have
shifted from their prior silence or unwillingness to share their
knowledge
with people outside their communities. "It is so important
to preserve
indigenous cultures and languages that embody this knowledge,
especially
since we have lived in these places for thousands of years and
are
intimately associated with the land," Lyons said.
Though the Native's history is intertwined with violence and
antagonism,
"Once the elders began to die, there was a realization that
they needed to
share some of this irreplacable knowledge with somebody,"
Barreiro said.
The frustration experienced by Barreiro, among other academics,
is the lack
of authenticity of many who have tried to emulate the knowledge
of the
elders. "Though there is some sham around the community,
the deep culture
people in this hemisphere have a type of intelligence that transcends
what
Western civilization believes about the forces of nature,"
he said.
Maynard said NASA scientists, with few exceptions, "are
very open to any
evidence or possibilities to explain climate change, though it
is not
standard science, and perhaps scientists need to be more open
to
non-traditional sources of information."
NASA's grant will allow Akwe:kon to print and distribute 35,000
copies of
the journal, while their normal distribution is between 6,000
and 7,000
copies. The double issue on climate change will be distributed
to every
Native school in the U.S., as well as to universities, public
libraries and
Congress.
By bringing together writers and thinkers who are fully involved
in Native
life, but also investigate and think critically about current
important
issues to indigenous people, "'Native Americas' is an important,
and
useful, tool to create a bridge between academic type knowledge
and Native
peoples throughout the Western Hemisphere," Barreiro said.
Maynard believes the first steps to institutionalizing the
need for the
Native American perspective in decision- and policy-making regarding
environmental change have been taken since the Albuquerque conference.
Effects of climate change
NASA is also providing the funds for two three-year impact
assessments, one
in the Southwest U.S. and one in the Northern Great Plains, of
climate
change on native people and their homelands.
Teller said the research project, based at the University of
New Mexico,
will investigate how NASA's environmental data can help tribes
in Arizona,
New Mexico and Southern California examine the impacts of global
warming in
particular.
She said areas of concern for the tribes include lessened tourism
and
negative health effects as the climate changes. For Native people
in her
region, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is of primary concern. The
potentially deadly virus, she said, is spread by deer mice and
is
contracted by ingesting some kinds of nuts and berries in the
wild that her
people may eat. With an increase in rainfall, there are more deer
mice -
and a greater chance to contract the hanta virus.
"Our people live off the land, and are dying from this
virus, and we are
very concerned about what the future may hold," she said.
NASA is also helping Native researchers examine the reintroduction
of
ancient agricultural practices of the Pueblo people used in the
14th and
15th centuries. Water conservation and water retention were identified
as
important issues for the future of the region. Ancient farming
techniques
like terrace gardens and mulch made of pebbles may be useful in
severe
drought conditions, she said.
Tribes in Teller's region are already improving their land
use planning and
management using NASA technology like remote sensing and university
resources for global information systems and global positioning
systems.
"These tools are incredibly useful for us, and now, Natives
are learning
how to use these technologies through our tribal colleges to continue
this
work into the future," she said.
In addition to sustaining their coverage of climate change
issues in
upcoming journals, "there is a tremendous need to sustain
the dialogue
between the scientists and Native people, to have an ongoing relationship,"
Barreiro said.
--30--
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"Nowhere else will you be able to find such powerful-knowledge
filled
writing."
-Wilma Mankiller, Editorial Board Member of Native Americas Journal
Native Americas Journal
Akwe:kon Press
American Indian Program
Cornell University
450 Caldwell Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853-2602
Tel. (607) 255-4308
Subs. (800) 9-NATIVE
Fax. (607) 255-0185
Email. nativeamericas@cornell.edu
Native Americas Journal
http://www.nativeamericas.net
http://nativeamericas.aip.cornell.edu
American Indian Program, Cornell University
http://www.aip.cornell.edu
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