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The Western Shoshone Defense Project (WSDP) posted an action alert yesterday, warning that Cortez Gold Mines (a subsidiary of Barrrick Gold) may soon be permitted to build a new gold mine on the slopes of Mt. Tenabo.

The mountain and surrounding area is of extreme significance to the Spiritual and Cultural life of the Western Shoshone. “Mt. Tenabo has been, and continues to be used by Western Shoshone people as a central part of their religious practices and world view. Western Shoshone visit the mountain and the valley below (the location of the mine pit) for prayer ceremonies, gathering …

The Dominion has recently published it’s special issue on the Alberta tar sands; and has since last Monday , been publishing roughly one article a day about this massive, barely understood human rights and environmental disaster.

Four of the articles published so far have focused on the impact of tar sands development on indigenous people. In light of the seriousness of this issue and in respect to the effort of the Dominion to raise peoples awareness, I thought I’d briefly outline them…

The first article, “Oil Versus …

The long-awaited Intercontinental Encuentro came to an end a few days ago in Yaqui territory, Sonora, Mexico, bringing together some 547 Indigenous delegates from the around the continent, as well as over 800 observers from around the world..

Unfortunately, due to government interference the Zapatista could not attend in the numbers they had hoped–but it’s of little consequence. The main purpose of the Encuentro was to meet and learn from one another, and that was by all means achieved.

There will be more Encuentros in the future. And they …

During the second Latin American Parks Congress this week, the Wai Wai established a new precedent for Indigenous People, becoming the first to declare their territory a ‘Community Owned Conservation Area.’

Backed by a government decree and supported by US-based Conservation International (CI), they also banned miners and loggers from their section of the Amazon jungle in remote southern Guyana, near the border of Brazil–and pledged to pursue a sustainable economic strategy based on ecotourism, research and traditional crafts.

According to Cemci Sose, the Kayaritomo of the Wai Wai, …

The Woodland Cree First Nation (WCFN) is pursuing legal action against the province of Alberta, arguing the government breached its legal obligation when they granted Shell (and other companies) land tenure in order to pursue oil sands development projects within their Traditional Territory. At no point did the government consult the Woodland Cree.

Simultaneously, they are also seeking to block Royal Dutch Shell’s multibillion-dollar expansion of the oil-extraction plant at Carmon Creek, which, as described in a Press Release dated June 22, 2007, has …

The Kadar, a people living in the Southern of region of India, found out a month ago that the government of Kerala has decided to go ahead with a controversial dam that will force the removal of Two Kadar communities–permanently disjointing them from their cultural life.

The dam, which has been found to be ecologically unsound and anti-development, will also destroy the habitat of numerous endangered species and substantially reduce the water flow of the Chalakkudy river, which tens of thousands of families depend on.

The government …

Here’s an article which looks at the struggles of the People of Xanica, Oaxaca. Many people from this region are principally involved in the general struggles of Oaxaca, but they too have have their own local problems, which they tend to with equal heart and diligence.

If they did not do this, how could they a part of the greater struggle? After all, struggle itself is not just an event we plan out or a place we go to party and get laid, or whatever . It is a part …