Gulf Recovery-Genocide by Oil

by Oke

We have had many battles over the years. We've fought for educational opportunities, recognition by the Federal government, protection of our homelands from coastal erosion and hurricanes, and we're now preparing for the impact of the massive oil spill.  The BP Deepwater Disaster threatens the health  and long-term survival of the United Houma Nation communities. Spread throughout six parishes of Southeastern Louisiana, our history, culture, and livelihoods are deeply tied to water. We are a resilient people and will do everything we can to preserve our way of life.

The Houma Nation, a 17,000 member tribe, is spread out over several parishes in Southeast Louisiana.
Not even Hurricane Katrina could endanger what BP's carelessness has brought, the biggest fight to survive floating right up to their shores.

Just as the thick oil cuts off oxygen and nutrients needed for the survival of all living things from plankton to plants, the oil is seeping into the fibers of the Houma life and culture.

continued at Daily Kos...

SheKos: Mother Earth & BP's Violence Against Her

by SheKos

This week, we are very pleased to welcome back KentuckyKat after a long hiatus. Please greet her in comments! BP Oil Darkens Future for Three Louisiana Tribes by Aji, SheKos contributor The disaster in the Gulf weighs heavily on my mind and spirit. For Native Americans, the terrible destruction wrought by British Petroleum and by America's laissez-faire regulatory policies holds a deeper dimension. It is defilement. It is desecration. It is devastation to an already-endangered way of life. I've written in the past about how, for many of our peoples, the earth is our mother - Akii. That term holds very real significance for us, both culturally and spiritually. Acts that do violence to her do violence to us all.

continued at Daily Kos....

"Oil Spill Threatens Native American Land"

by Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse

The BP gusher now threatens the community of Louisiana's Point Aux Chenes Indian Tribe, their sacred burial ground, fishing livelihood and their way of life. The marshes in Pointe Aux Chenes, Louisiana is where this tribe of around 700 members live after their "ancestors were forced from their lands and resettled to Louisiana more than 100 years ago." The oil spill is approaching, but there is no help from state or federal government. So, the tribe must rely on BP to help them protect their community. Fortunately, CNN is covering this story and the reporter was not discouraged by BP telling him he could not go with the boomers, so he took another boat and filmed it.  (Video at CNN link but not embedded here due to some problems with CNN videos.)

continued at Daily Kos....

Boreal Forest dis-Agreement

by meralda

The world's largest conservation agreement was signed May 18, 2010.  The  Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement was announced by a consortium of 21 major Canadian forest products companies and nine leading environmental organizations (listed at this link). The NYTimes explained: Timber companies and environmentalists unveiled an agreement today that suspends logging and road building on about 70 million acres of Canada's boreal forest for the next three years... In exchange, nine environmental groups have promised to end campaigns urging boycotts of boreal timber products and calling for investors to pull their cash out of companies that sell them. The Boreal Forest is a global ecosystem larger than the Amazon rainforest. Canada's portion is over 1.3 billion acres. In Canada, it is also home to over 600 First Nations communities. And they were not consulted when the agreement was being made.  

continued at Daily Kos....