National Tribal Environmental Council

News

Summit yields human rights violations report

Originally printed at http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/global/undeclaration/97152539.html

SAN CARLOS, Ariz. – A group of southwestern tribes has filed a collective report for the United Nations Human Rights Council, documenting the human rights violations imposed on the indigenous peoples of the area by the United States government.

The 125-page report was filed with the U.S. State Department and will become part of the U.N. Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review, a process created by the U.N. General Assembly in 2006 as a mechanism by which the human rights records of all 192 U.N. member states are reviewed every four years.

The report emerged from a historic meeting June 11, called “Southwest Tribal Summit: Enough is Enough – Tribal Voices Must be Heard.”

EPA Seeks Public Comment on Strategic Plan to Move Forward on Agency Priorities: Draft plan will help advance Administrator Jackson’s seven priorities

Release date: 06/18/2010

Contact Information: Enesta Jones, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 202-564-7873, 202-564-4355; Contacto en español: Lina Younes, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 202-564-9924, 202-564-4355

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking public comment on its draft FY 2011-2015 strategic plan, which helps advance Administrator Lisa P. Jackson’s priorities and the mission to protect human health and the environment. Administrator Jackson’s seven priorities are; taking action on climate change, improving air quality, protecting America’s waters, cleaning up our communities, assuring the safety of chemicals, expanding the conversation on environmentalism and working for environmental justice, and building strong state and tribal partnerships.

The draft plan identifies the measurable environmental and human health benefits the public can expect over the next five years and describes how EPA intends to achieve those results. The draft plan proposes five strategic goals and five cross-cutting fundamental strategies that aim to foster a renewed commitment to accountability, transparency and inclusion. The plan is prepared in accordance with the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993.

The public comment period begins June 18 and closes July 30. EPA will use stakeholder feedback to prepare the final strategic plan, which will be released by September 30. Comments on the draft strategic plan may be submitted through http://www.regulations.gov. The Docket ID number is EPA-HQ-OA-0486.

For the first time, EPA is using a discussion forum to solicit ideas and feedback on the cross-cutting fundamental strategies, a new element of EPA’s strategic plan. The agency will use the feedback provided through https://blog.epa.gov/strategicplan as it implements the cross-cutting fundamental strategies and takes actions to change the way EPA does its work.

Information about the draft plan: http://www.epa.gov/ocfo/plan/plan.htm

Long Island Tribe Federally Recognized

A small Native American tribe that lives on Long Island was officially recognized as a tribe by the federal government, according to the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The Shinnecock Indian Nation, which has 1,292 members, lives on approximately 800 acres and will be placed on the government's official list of tribes by July 20. The bureau said that the tribe "meets all seven criteria as an Indian tribe within the meaning of federal law." The tribe has sought to be recognized by the federal government for the past 32 years. According to the tribe's website (http://www.shinnecocknation.com), it had previously been recognized on a state level but not federally.

Source: The Epoch Times: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/37559/

World Peace and Prayer Day/Honoring Sacred Sites

To All World Religious and Spiritual Leaders

My Relatives,

Time has come to speak to the hearts of our Nations and their Leaders. I ask you this from the bottom of my heart, to come together from the Spirit of your Nations in prayer.

We, from the heart of Turtle Island, have a great message for the World. We are guided to speak from all the White Animals showing their sacred color which have been signs for us to pray for the sacred life of all things. As I am sending this message to you, many Animal Nations are being threatened, those that swim, those that crawl, those that fly, and the plant Nations. Eventually all will be affected from the oil disaster in the Gulf.

Gulf oil disaster propels tribes into crisis

Source Indian Country Today. Published: Jun 3, 2010

HOUMA, La. – The worst oil leak in U.S. history has grown to 19 million gallons since BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded April 20.

And the oil, still gushing into the Gulf of Mexico is wreaking havoc with tribal lives in Louisiana.

“The smell of the oil is really bad, people describe it as smelling like you were in an engine room,” said Brenda Dardar Robichaux, principal chief of the United Houma Nation May 26 of vapors with potential toxicity.

The Environmental Protection Agency can’t send a representative to their tribal community for five days. “They told us to keep the children inside. In essence our children are in house arrest, their health is at risk.”