|
By Delphine Trowbridge On March 4-5, 2006 a very unusual and unique event took place in the California desert. People of very different cultures and experiences met to discuss the environmental justice principles for indigenous communities and to learn about each other’s way of life. The car camp was on the ranch of Preston J. Arrow-weed, a Quechan tribal member who lives at the Fort Yuma Reservation in Winterhaven, California. In spite of the cold nights and lack of amenities on the ranch, everyone had a good time. Participants came from all over; Susan Ellsworth, associate representative for Responsible Trade Programs for Sierra Club came from Washington D.C., members from the Mayan community of San Marcos, Guatemala, Sierra Club members from San Diego, L.A. and other places, and the local Quechan tribal members all attended. The leaders of the event were Don and Joan Holtz, Faramarz Nabavi and members of the San Diego Sierra Club. The main goals were to build bridges and educate through panels, workshops, sharing of food and prayer ceremonies. We began our day at 6 am with a Mayan prayer ceremony around the campfire to remember our ancestors. This was followed by breakfast and a welcome hot cup of coffee. Our first session was led by Susan and a charming young man named Jesse Swanheyser who gave a brief history of Free Trade, the meaning of Globalization and gave us some of the terminology we would need for the rest of the weekend. Faramarz summed up by talking about Fair Trade and how we can all help by purchasing good that are Fair Trade Certified. After lunch we had two panels about a corporation called Glamis Gold, which is based in Vancouver British Columbia, Canada. This corporation has threatened both the Mayan and the Quechan communities. The first panel was by the representatives from the Mayan group who told the tragic story of their struggle to stop open-pit mining from destroying their land. Two people have been killed so far and many others have been driven from their homes. The second panel was about the Quechan struggle with this same Glamis Gold. One of the speakers was Courtney Coyle, a lawyer for the Quechan people in their effort to fight to save their sacred land. In 1987 Glamis Gold used an 1872 mining law to acquire the land without having to pay for it. All they had to do was establish subsidiaries in the U.S. to make a claim for the land. In April of 2003 California passed laws to limit the impact of open-pit mining and Glamis Gold used Ch. 11 of NAFTA to sue United States for $50 million claiming that California destroyed the value of its mining investment. Another speaker described the importance of sacred lands to the Indian people and how they are Stewards of the land. Mining companies destroy the religions sights and then leave without attempting to repair their damage. The tribes were not even consulted in any of the decisions and if it were not for the concern of outsiders it would all be business as usual. Dinner followed this dynamic afternoon and after we ate we all caravanned to Winterhaven for a powwow. I was definitely surprised at what occurred. There were many Native Americans from all over the United States in the most fabulous dress, each representing a separate expression of their culture. They marched to drums and danced separate dances together in one large circle. What a spectacle! We then went back to the ranch and crawled into our sleeping bags to try and keep warm. Sunday morning we woke at 7:30 and had breakfast by the campfire. We then had final prayers, wrap up and some of the group went to the site where Glamis Gold would like to mine. This weekend left a deep impression on all of us as we realized that we are all part of this world and what happens involves all of us. Today’s trade rules favor multinational corporations, and are not designed to protect workers, the environment or consumers. Current trade rules allow companies to set up shop wherever labor costs are lowest and environmental rules weakest. This is the reason we all need to become aware of our trade agreements and how we can change these agreements to make a better world.
Up to Top |
