I sent a letter to the DOI the other day:
I read that the DOI is expected to approve a merger that would allow Peabody to open a new mine in the Navajo Nation as well as continue to operate existing ones. It seems that there is a total disregard for the impact mining has on Native Americans. Nature is sacred to Native Americans. Most tribes believe it is their spiritual duty to protect it. Mining is not ok. Pilfering water from the area's only aquifer is not ok. Which is another point that seems to have been overlooked. The Navajo and Hopi reservations are in the desert. An abundance of water is not exactly characteristic of the desert. Peabody has already reduced their ONLY source of water by 30%. The only compensation tribes receive for this is coal. People can't drink coal. As a farmer from Colorado, Salazar should understand the importance of water in the west. It's not something that can be wasted on coal slurries. It's the duty of the United States Federal Government to provide equal protection to ALL of it's citizens. This is not the time to pull the "sovereign nations" bs. If they have to pay taxes, they're not sovereign nations. And if they were sovereign nations, they could stop Peabody themselves. But, instead, only the DOI has the power to stop Peabody and other corporations from further desecrating Native American lands. We are one nation. We are all Americans. We all deserve to be protected from devastating corporate interests. Furthermore, if this merger is approved, the government will be in violation of the Religious Freedom and Restoration Act of 1993. Under this act, the federal government is prohibited from placing a ‘substantial burden’ on a person’s exercise of religion unless the government’s action furthers a ‘compelling government interest’ or ‘is the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling government interest.’ What government interests do a couple of coal mines serve? None. Does the destruction of sacred lands and the undermining of religious principles place a substantial burden on the practice of Navajo and Hopi religions? Absolutely. I implore you to not allow this merger and stop, or at least radically decrease, mining on reservations.
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