Mrs. Erwin Marquit, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom,
I noticed your excellent program on "water" mentioned in David Shove's, "Progressive Calendar," Item #10. "Women/water/poems" taking place tomorrow (3.10 5:30pm).
Had I received earlier notice I would have made plans to attend this event with information about peat mining in the Big Bog and several other related issues.
Hopefully in this program on water you will make some mention of the peat mining in the Big Bog which is destroying the largest freshwater aquifer in the "lower forty-eight."
You will find materials on my blog along with the numerous material I have sent you over the years.
Your efforts in educating people about "water" is very important; every single lake, river and stream along with the ditches are contaminated and polluted. Much of the problem comes from air-borne contamination--- which means our land is also polluted along with the air we need to breathe... not good; everything we need to sustain like on our planet is being destroyed in the quest for maximum corporate profits. Just imagine what workers in the environments creating this problem are being subjected to.
I would also note that this peat mining in the Big Bog is the result of a very crooked and corrupt racist deal worked out to allow Red Lake Gaming Enterprises the right to build a new casino in International Falls in return for the Red Lake Tribal Council dropping its historic opposition to peat mining in the Big Bog... the present Tribal Council has pointed out that this "agreement" which wasn't made public to members of the Red Lake Band violates the sovereignty of the Red Lake Nation and is a violation of Treaty Rights. Since this is a watershed that impacts the Leech Lake Band, also, involved are the violation of their Treaty Rights, too.
This dirty deal is a perfect example of how racism and political corruption go hand-in-hand as a Minnesota former Governor, Elmer Benson, was always quick to point out.
At present, another such racist boon-doggle is underway; this time placing the headwaters of the Mighty Mississippi in jeopardy and, again, in violation of the Treaty Rights of the Leech Lake Band, Red Lake Nation and White Earth Band. This project is known as the Bemidji Regional Event Center and the development of the shoreline of Lake Bemidji which Native American Indians not long ago called "home" until their racist and forced "removal."
Not only were there wholly inadequate environmental studies conducted before this racist boon-doggle began without any consideration of Native American Indian Treaty Rights or the involvement of the large Native American Indian community; but, no affirmative action program was ever developed--- thus denying Native American Indians employment on this mega-project which will end up costing tax-payers, of whom thousands of Native American Indians are included, well over two-hundred million dollars by the time this project is completed in its many phases to escape close public scrutiny of the environmental impact.
In these two projects, we clearly see how our living environment is being destroyed by these racist boon doggles that are part and parcel of a very corrupt political system held in place by systemic and institutionalized racism which is the most significant part of Bemidji's and Beltrami County's "tradition." It is no wonder that the City of Bemidji, Minnesota is known as "the most racist city in North America."
As I am sure you are aware, not one single Native American Indian is among the more than 200 sitting state legislators; nor do Native American Indians have a seat among Minnesota's Congressional delegation.
I point all of this out because ending systemic and institutionalized racism along with every form of racism and discrimination is going to have to be fought if we are going to protect Minnesota's waters--- our source of life and livelihoods.
Because so many liberal and progressive minded Minnesotans have been led to believe by the misinformation and lies spread by the mobsters in charge of the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association that all life and sovereignty for Indian Nations revolves around the development of the Indian Gaming Industry, our very right to freshwater, which is the source of all life, has been completely ignored by politicians and the public officials they appoint whose job it is to protect our lakes, rivers and streams--- thus protecting life itself.
It is no coincidence that the very same corporate domination of our economy now dominating and controlling our politics is responsible for the destruction of our fresh water in the many lakes, rivers and streams of Minnesota is what is also responsible for maintaining the systemic and institutionalized racism forcing Native American Indian people to live in shameful and disgraceful poverty as their rights, lands and resources have
been stolen out from under them by a government which now refuses to enforce affirmative action even though racism in employment is everywhere in public and private enterprises.
The mainstream media has largely been responsible for keeping people "dumbed down" about the inter-connections between racism and the destruction of our living environment--- air, water, land, plants and animals. As a result, our very existence as a human race as to how we will be forced to live as the Wall Street coupon clippers, vultures and parasites profit from this racism and the destruction of our living environment.
Our society is paying a terrible price for racism... the destruction of our freshwater aquifers is among the terrible price we pay as state monopoly capitalism has spun this pernicious and hideous web of raw greed held together by racism which keeps us all divided so we are unable to save our waters or provide a "level playing field" when it comes to education and jobs--- I find it interesting that the only place where we find "level playing fields" in our society is when we are all given the same and "equal opportunity" to drink from the same contaminated and polluted waters and breathe the same polluted air.
People cannot survive without adequate supplies of fresh water to drink or air to breathe; just as people cannot survive without jobs.
The contamination and pollution of our waters and air is also imposing a tremendous burden on our healthcare system as people are getting sick and dying--- often very long and lingering diseases which cause much pain and suffering as a result of drinking and breathing contaminated and polluted air and water and food grown on contaminated and polluted soil.
I hope your organization, the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, will begin putting all of this in the proper perspective as you discuss: water.
Many of these issues are like water, itself... they are all so interconnected like our lakes, rivers and streams it does us no good to try to separate one from the other.
Here in Minnesota, not coincidentally, the destruction of our waters actually began with the genocidal campaign of driving Native American Indians from their homes, robbing First Nations Peoples of their land and resources; which, were, while under their care and protection, pristine and unpolluted--- it took a campaign of racist genocide--- a well-planned and orchestrated campaign of genocide designed to forcefully push, through warfare and other devious and deceitful means and methods, Native American Indians onto reservations, thus depriving them of all rights in the decision-making processes--- today, with the continued and rapid pace of destruction of our freshwater aquifers, we are reaping what has been sown through centuries of racism.
Our very corrupt political system which we have today had its birth in the racist campaign of genocide carried out, and being carried out still, today.
I hope you might pass this e-mail along to those attending your "Women/water/poems" gathering.
Also, your gathering might be interested in knowing there are three Native American Indian candidates now vying for Minnesota State Legislative offices in Senate District 4 along with House Districts 4A and 4B up here in northern Minnesota; their Democratic and Republican opponents have all been a party to maintaining the racist status quo and a party to the destruction of our watersheds and freshwater aquifers... so, you see, racism really is Minnesota's most dangerous pollutant.
Minnesota: The Land Of Ten Thousand Polluted Lakes and many broken treaties where human rights are systematically abused.
I would encourage you and the members of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom to familiarize yourselves with these three Native American Indian candidates now seeking public office and standing up for all of us--- for, as Nicole Beaulieu--- one of the three candidates--- the DFL candidate for House District 4A--- has so eloquently stated: "It's time to go back and fix the things we left behind so we can move forward in unity for a better Minnesota."
Original from Progressive Calendar:
--------10 of 15--------
From: Doris Marquit <http://us.mc656.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=marqu001@umn.edu>
Subject: Women/water/poems 3.10 5:30pm
This Wednesday, at the Nash Gallery (East Bank, U of M, 405 21st Ave. S.)
Minnesota women poets will read their original poems inspired by water.
This promises to be an unusual & delightful event in the series of
successful programs associated with the record-breaking Exhibit: "Women &
Water Rights: Rivers of Regeneration" now ongoing.
See
http://www.womenandwater.net/ for other related programs & events.
WATER LIGHTS POETRY READING
Wednesday March 10, 5:30-8 pm.
Katherine E. Nash Gallery
Poets reading include well-known (Carol Connolly, Maureen Skelly, Susu
Jeffrey, and others) and new talents.
Sponsors of the Exhibition and Related Events, running until March 25, are
The Women's International League for Peace & Freedom, the Women's Caucus
for Art, and the U of M Department of Art.
Yours in struggle and solidarity,
Alan L. Maki
Director of Organizing,
Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council
58891 County Road 13
Warroad, Minnesota 56763
Phone: 218-386-2432
Cell Phone: 651-587-5541
E-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net
Please check out my blog: http://thepodunkblog.blogspot.com/
Let's talk about the politics and economics of livelihood for real change.
-----Original Message-----
From: David Shove [mailto:http://us.mc656.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=shove001@tc.umn.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, March 09, 2010 6:57 AM
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Progressive Calendar 03.09.10
P R O G R E S S I V E C A L E N D A R 03.09.10
1. Digital inclusion 3.09 8am
2. Propaganda 2010 3.09 5pm
3. Conversation 3.09 6:30pm
4. Amnesty Intl 3.09 7pm
5. Rainforest film 3.09 7pm
6. Philippines 2010 3.09 7pm
7. Drinking Greenly 3.09 7pm
8. Alliant vigil 3.10 7am
9. Anthropocene 3.10 12noon
10. Women/water/poems 3.10 5:30pm
11. Shamus Cooke - The fight to save public education
12. Chris Floyd - Breaking the fever of militarism
13. Bill Quigley - 15 reasons for a revolution/ When silence is betrayal
14. Chris Hedges - Calling all rebels
15. Peaceteam.net - Dem party's plan to THROW the next couple elections
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- David Shove shove001@tc.umn.edu
Shove, rhymes with clove
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