Indigenous Peoples and Human Rights

May 2, 2013

Dine' Adella Begaye: The vultures of dirty coal

Dine' Adella Begaye responds after Navajo government signs lease to continue the dirty coal industry on Navajoland
Navajo Generating Station near Page, Ariz. on Navajoland. 


By Adella Begaye, Dine'
Censored News
www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com
 
The passage of the Navajo Generating Station by the Navajo Nation Council and Ben Shelly was a major disappointment -- especially when they are being dictated to and forced to accept the company's terms.
When the lease was signed in '69, the leaders then did not speak English, therefore, did not understand the contract. One has to forgive them for being trustful to these vultures.
But after 40 plus years of coal companies exploiting all that is valuable and sacred on Navajoland, the leadership were passive and clueless in some cases.
The main culprit, as I view it is Ben Shelly and his so-called experts who negotiated the legislation/lease. The Council Delegates were not given adequate time to review the legislation to make informed decisions. Again the leadership deferred to the lawyers who downright lied about specific questions about the coal ash, the aquifer, the pollution, the health impacts and how the company is helping the Navajo people.
Currently, Navajo Generating Station and Salt River Project are not happy with the amendments that a few our our astute council delegates put in the legislation. This confirms Navajo Generating Station, Salt River Project and Central Arizona Project have no intention of helping the Navajo people or even their Navajo workers, by striking out the Navajo preference for employment in the legislation.

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