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Bemidji, MN - "The proposal, made by Northern States Power Untility Company, in relation to the Mdewakanton Dakota community of Prairie Island is an unethical, immoral and blatant act of evironmental racism," says Tom Goldtooth, National Coordinator of the Indigenous Environmental Network, a national Indian environmental organization. NSP's racist policy of siting their facilities in people of color communities is consistent with it's action in the predominately African-American community of Homer, Louisiana, where NSP is pushing a uranium enrichment processing plant to be built, despite community opposition.

For over 22 years the Prairie Island community have been exposed to radio- activity from the NSP reactors that produce radioactive waste. "It has impacted the animal life, the fish, and the birds. It is only logical to understand that the air, the water and the people must also be contaminated," said Joseph Campbell, a Prairie Island community member. "NSP has a responsibility to compensate the Dakota people without any strings or continued nuclear power production. NSP is attempting to cloak their agenda of continued plant operation despite the will of the people, under the guise of compensation," Goldtooth said. "NSP is agitating disunity between tribal membership, tribal and environmental alliances, while simultaneously presenting a public facade of concern and justice. We are not confused by this smokescreen," said Campbell.

Native people from throughout North American have been disproportionately on the front lines of nuclear contamination from mining, to processing, to testing, to human experimentation, and to storage of nuclear waste. "It's an act of genocidal, terracidal, and biocidal corporate maniacs that put financial "profit" before respect for sacred life," said Nilak Butler, Greenpeace Indigenous Nuclear Free Future Campaign worker.

Numerous tribal nations and communities have said no to the nuclear power industry such as the Western Shoshone of Nevada, the Inupiat of Point Hope Alaska, the Sac and Fox of Oklahoma and the Ojibwe tribes of Minnesota. Just a couple of years ago, the community members of Prairie Island voted through tribal referendum their opposition to the continued production and storage of nuclear waste next to their reservation. "It was premature for NSP to bring the proposal before the Minnesota legislature before the tribal community members of Prairie Island have even had a chance to review the proposal and decide for ourselves whether we support it or not," said Bill Owen, another Prairie Island member who opposes the NSP proposal.

"The Indigenous Environmental Network, its national council membership and alliances stand in support with the Prairie Island community members for their natural right to clean air, clean water, clean food, and to live a healthy way of life. We understand that nuclear waste is a threat to to their continued survival and their future generation. We support their just cause of compensation for the grievous damages and contamination at the hands of NSP, but with no strings," said Goldtooth. "NSP is trying to checkmate our tribal leaders under threats of survival to agree with compensation deals with strings attached that would allow NSP to expand their storage space of radioactive waste. What about the people that decide to stay and not relocate. This deal is a death warrant against the Dakota people." said Owen.

"The Minnesota legislature must uphold its responsibility to the health and well being of all their constituents and say no NSP's proposal," said Campbell.