Elim Students Against Uranium (ESAU)
Organizers: Emily Murray & Flora Simon Box 39907 Elim, AK 99739 (907) 890-2351
October 2008
Alaska's Youth Protest to Gov. Palin and the State
of Alaska Against Uranium Mining
By Pearl Johnson
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... Click here to read the 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."
For More Information: Western Mining Action Network Elim Uranium Mine Student Blog Big New’s: Uranium in Norton Sound Reigon Indigenous Environmental Network
Images Courtesy: Big New’s: Uranium in Norton Sound Reigon
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