Copyright © 2001 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

BIG MOUNTAIN, AZ - On Wednesday, July 9th, five traditional Dineh elders were arrested at the Sundance being held at Camp Anna Mae at Big Mountain, Arizona. They were held overnight in Hopi jail and were released at 11:15 a.m. on Thursday morning on their own recognizance.

They are being charged with Trespassing and "No Permit for a Ceremony". Those arrested were: Ruth Benally (85 years old) and a medicine woman , Pauline Whitesinger (in her 80's), Elvira Horseherder (62), Louise Benally, and Joella Askie.

These elders have been struggling against forced relocation at the hands of the United States government and Peabody Coal Company who want the coal, oil and uranium deposists that lie beneath their lands, for three decades.

These arrests are a dangerous escalation of the attempt to force these elders from their land and deny them their basic human rights of freedom of religion and the right to carry on their ceremonies on their own traditional sacred lands.

The official word is that these types of harassments are already intensifying this year as more and more restrictions are placed on the elders' basic human rights, increasing the chance of their continued arrest and eventual forced relocation unless we act now to stop this cultural genocide.

The protest and rally will be held at the New Federal Building, 4th and 4th, in downtown Minneapolis, MN on Tuesday, July 17, 2001 at 3:00 p.m.

Please call and tell these officials to drop the charges against the elders and to stop harassing them and finally, to end the policy of forced relocation at Big Mountain.

Gale Norton Secretary of the Interior, phone: 202- 208-3100

Bureau of Indian Affairs, phone: 202-208-7163, FAX: 202-208-6334

Neal McCaleb (Chickasaw Nation of OK), Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs

Wayne Taylor, Hopi Tribal Chairman, phone: 520-734-2441

On Monday July 16th Native America Calling will be covering the recent Dineh elders arrests at Camp Anna Mae send comments to Harlan Mckosato and/or call the show, phone: 1-800-99NATIVE

Listen to Amy Goodman's coverage on "Democracy Now" that can be found on the Pacifica Radio web site. For more information visit the Black Mesa web site.