Through
covert dealings, Gov. Sarah Palin, State Dept. of Natural Resources,
Bureau of Land Management, the Alaska and U.S. senators and representatives
and an ANCSA corporation entrusted with the security and health of
their constituents have accepted the lease proposal to explore for
uranium at the Fireweed/Boulder Creek area located in southwestern
Seward Peninsula, without the knowledge, consent nor approval of the
citizens of Western Alaska.
When
students of Elim, Alaska first realized this, they began researching
the effects of uranium mining and created educational posters to
share what they learned. A community meeting was organized in Elim
to share their findings and garner support to protest this action.
The community responded favorably and in March 2007, demonstrated
when the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race went through their town.
On
September 17, 2007, a letter was sent to Gov. Palin inquiring what
she planned to do about uranium mining at Boulder Creek which is
located north of their community. She has yet to respond to this
letter..
In
her State of the State speech on January 17, 2007, I quote: “With
our rich energy supplies, we can contribute globally in many arenas,
if we do things right. We must lead with trust – founded upon a
most ethical government. To sustain our future……we must look to
responsible development throughout the state… from mining etc. We
can be good stewards of God’s green earth.”
Core
drilling has been completed at Boulder Creek. Pollution in this
watershed will negatively impact and irreversibly destroy the area
and sustain heavy environmental and cultural damage impacting the
communities of Council, White Mountain, Golovin, Koyuk, Elim and
Shaktoolik. To allow the total destruction of this beautiful land,
lush meadows, rich green forests, flower fields, pristine lakes
and rivers is unthinkable. This fragile ecosystem nourishes and
supplies Inupiaq, Yupik and non-native people, and healthy populations
of every plant and mammal species indigenous to Arctic Alaska. It
is not a frozen wasteland but a biologically diverse home to millions
of salmon, beluga whale, seals, crab and annual migrations of birds
from the Americas. The great Western Arctic Caribou Herd has wintered
here, along with local reindeer, grizzly and black bear, and moose.
Wolves, fox, lynx, beaver, otter, muskrat, mink, weasel, squirrel
and porcupine traverse through quiet grasslands and marshes. Eagles,
hawks and owls, robins and ravens fly through wind blown rocky enclaves
in search of insects and small rodents. Berries, herbs and teas
color the landscape along with wild cotton, cat tails and willows.
Why
would you destroy this? If mining is allowed, air, wind and waterborne
pollutants will turn this area into an arid, desolate wasteland
unfit for habitation forever. Did the politicians decide how the
residents of this area were going to live, stricken with cancers
and deformed fetuses? Where would they go? The birthright of the
residents of this area has been sold. And, they have been abandoned
by the politicians and left to fend for themselves!
The
village of Elim and other Seward Peninsula communities were never
given the opportunity to discuss planned exploration and drilling
of uranium nor voice their concerns regarding mining. The regional
native corporation, Bureau of Land Management, State Dept. of Natural
Resources and the elected officials charged to care for their constituency
did not study the impact uranium mining would incur in the region.
Had they done that, they would have realized that mining for uranium
is unregulated and no method of extracting uranium is safe and would
have informed the impacted area of the pros and cons of development.
And Gov. Palin has broken her oath of office and despite her State
of the State speech, has gone against her promises of “doing things
right, mutual trust, trustworthy government and responsible mining
development “ by allowing a proposal to mine uranium on the Seward
Peninsula which now threatens the livelihood and lives of the people
of Western Alaska.
The
organization, Elim Students Against Uranium (ESAU), has been spearheaded
by Emily Murray and Flora Simon. Emily Murray, “We may be the minority
but as an indigenous nation, our voices will be heard and we will
stand tall and fight for what we believe in.”
ESAU
is continuing to educate organizations and communities in the region
and plans to take this protest to the United Nations Permanent Form
on Indigenous Issues should Gov. Palin, the State of Alaska and
mining conglomerates continue pursuing heavy mining development
at Boulder Creek. Flora Simon, “This process of exploring, mining
and being possessed by the mighty dollar has even corrupted the
minds of our leaders that we voted for. The ones that are to be
praised the most are the students of Elim that care enough to speak
up and want to protect their subsistence lifestyle, for these are
the ones that will benefit or be destroyed.”
Elim Students Against Uranium (ESAU)
Organizers Emily Murray & Flora Simon
Box 39907
Elim, AK 99739
(907) 890-2351
For
more information, google elim uranium or contact flora_simon@yahoo.com
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