Bigger Than US

Bigger Than Us

By

Alton Good Plume

For those that motivate themselves to uphold

Part of the responsibilities to expose

Violations of Human Rights

No matter the cost even if it tragically takes a life

Sacrifice is key, the cause is bigger than you and me

So today, my sisters and brothers, I show my gratitude

By expressing from me to you, a person named Rigoberta Menchu

Who is a Quiche Mayan

Me, I’m an Oglala Lakota

She is from the Highlands of Guatemala

My people are from the Northern Plains near Hapa Sapa

Same Continent

Assimilation, Colonization, Civilization, similar situation

Hell yeah our people are relevant

Born on January 9^th, 1959 in Chimel

AT an early age Rigoberta became aware that her people’s lives were hell

Between the government and plantations

The indigenous people was forced into devastation

In response, Rigoberta father vincente made a stance with the United Peasant Committee

NO NON CHALANT

After that protest Rigoberta family would endure awful deaths

Only to spark Rigobertas desire and I bet her name was on top of a list by hitmen for hire

Inspired by other indigenous leaders during exile

She went to the United Nations with Honesty overpowering Denial

Of the social injustices done upon her people

Mistreatment yeah we were treated equal

As Rigoberta Menchu reached out to the world

There were those that were willing to help

Get the message out for her tribes men, women, boys, and girls

Ancient Civilization once existed

But mainstream has history and reality twisted

For my first 17 yrs of life my peoples history I missed it

People like Rigoberta Menchu whom are gifted

To Rise to the occasion

People like you has me passionate about what Im embracing

And that’s a shift in the human concept of belief and being

One day it will be a big relief

When all humans have the same reality that they are seeing…..

Avatar Related

....Alton.... Good Plume

NASD110

..5/19/2010..

Southwest Region: Uranium Mining on ....Navajo.. ..Land....

Essay

 

 

            Mining for minerals on Navajo land began at the end of World War I.  Vanadium was the first mineral to be mined in the ..Carrizo.. ..Mountain.. area thirty miles west of ....Shiprock.., ..New Mexico.... in 1918.  At first, the soft yellow metal ore that was found by vanadium held no value whatsoever.  But its demand would increase over the next thirty years. Uranium mining began in the early 1920’s on the Navajo Nation because the ....United States.... wanted to exploit it.  But the mining facilities operation would come to a halt in 1923, due to the discovery of cheap uranium in the ..Belgian Congo...

            After World War II, the ....United States.... began mining uranium for the purpose to develop nuclear weapons.  Since the 1940’s, over 15,000 people have worked in the uranium mines of the processing mills in the southwest region of ....America.....  About 13 million tons of uranium was mined during its operation.  The two major companies that were in charge of the mines were The Vanadium Corporation of ....America.... and Kerr-McGee.  These two companies are also responsible for the destruction of the Navajo lands and destruction of the Navajo people. 

            Timothy Benally Sr. whom is a Navajo had a hard time finding a job after returning from the Armed Services.  He remembers in the 1940’s and 1950’s on the reservation, the only job was basically mining uranium.  After three months, he complained about the safety of the mines to his boss and got fired.  Then the Kerr-McGee company came in and took over the job site and hired Mr. Benally Sr. back on.  He then complained about the wage, which was $1.25 an hour by federal law, but he was only getting 80 to 90 cents an hour.  He was again fired.  Not only did the Navajo people receive low wages for working in the mines, but also were not informed about the dangerous affects that uranium would have on their lives.

            In the 1950’s Navajo workers and families started noticing that they had a high rate of cancer compared to the rest of the ....United States.... population.  Navajo workers were kept from receiving compensation for lung cancer and respiratory diseases that was caused by the uranium.  The requirements for receiving compensation was, a worker must provide legal documentation that he/she worked in the mines and was suffering from one of the diseases on the compensation list.  This law was known as the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act of 1990.  If approved by the law, the law was required to pay $100,000 as a “compassion payment” to uranium miners who were diagnosed with cancer of respiratory ailments. 

            Navajo workers medical records met time-consuming barriers to be certified.  Traditional marriages were not recognized by the justice department because they didn’t possess a paper filed with the local county or tribal government.  Navajo workers also had a hard time establishing work history and keeping records due to the wages being so low.  The wages earned couldn’t even pay taxes.  The application process was also slowed down by reviewing the reading of the radiation and radon levels in the mines.

            In a creation story told by the Navajo people is that of uranium.  Uranium also known as “cledge” is from the underworld and should be left in the ground.  The Navajo people had a choice between yellow corn pollen and uranium.  The Navajos believed that yellow corn pollen was of positive elements and uranium was of negative elements.  Navajo people would pray with yellow corn pollen and carry it around in medicine bags.  When the uranium was released from the ground the Navajo’s believed that it would become a serpent and cause death and destruction. 

            The Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. wrote a article called, “Remembrance to Avoid an Unwanted Fate”.  He wrote about how the ....United States.... used uranium to create advanced weapons of mass destruction and how they overlooked the destruction of a Nation.  Genocide is the only word that can describe this matter because of the hazards of cancer and respiratory disease that were known to doctors and federal officials.  The Navajo people have lost wisdom, knowledge, stories, songs, and ceremonies due to the ....United States.... rise to be a “Super Power”.  In 2005 Navajo Nation passed the Natural Resource Protection Act.  This law prohibits uranium mining and processing in all its forms on Navajo land.  Although there is going to be some kind of company or persons wanting to mine uranium for their own selfish benefits, The Navajo people do not want another generation going through what their grandparents had to go through because of big corporate companies failing to inform people of the hazards of working in a uranium mine. 

            As one can see from text provided, that a nation, a people, and more importantly a culture has been coerced to move from a land that they are familiar with to a land that they are not familiar with.  The cause of this was because of the discovery of uranium that has left a fatal impact not only on the Navajo people but on the land as well.  A movie had been recently released called “Avatar”, which has the same concept of what happened in the 1920’s to the 1950’s.  The only difference is that the Avatar people won the battle for their land.  The Navajo people were much unfortunate. 

pilamaya thank you

What an experience.  I have spoke in front of people and felt a very accomplished feeling afterward but after speaking to some of those that share the label student and a diverse group of people, I felt very thankful for those that helped this opportunity make it a success.  I thank the class for being interested and responding to our visit.  I thank the students at the Cascadia Community College for listening and commenting on certain issues we face today.  I really hope that this can spread like a wild fire because what better place to engage in diversity/unity other than in the sancutary of education.  Obama speaks of education dearly, so we as a people and young nation must become pro-active in giving the truth of history.  Although not to diminish us but to gain understanding and acceptance of each others culture.  I think Obama will back us in this one and I truly believe it is what the younger generation wants because everything is so diverse now.  And thats good.  We have many issues to address as a World.  Thinking GLOBAL.  Like when Sherman Alexie said they called him a Globe or something that.  Lol.  I would like to see other students engage in their culture and share it with those that know nothing about it.  Always keeping an open mind.  In this way, a form of education would be taught.  But we are getting better at it.  I see us moving in a positive direction.  Only we can be acceptable to social change.  Obama you have my vote for 2012.  I would like to go visit CCC again and maybe have some of them come to our college.  I would also like them to visit Northwest Indian College's main campus too.  I think that would be nice.  Who knows let's see what we can do.     

Dedicated to Ivan Rain Good Plume

Alton Good Plume

Instructor: Renee Roman Nose

Eng 156

A Poem with metaphors

Smoke Signals

From my cousin I just received a smoke signal

Yellow flames filled with thoughts written in charcoal

He tells me about how many moons he got

and how he dreams about his lady thru the days and nights

Demons try to possess his mind with prayer he fights

He's cloaked from darkness by flickering dim lights

He fears his friend Hope might become heartless

He's grateful to be able to ignite fire but sometimes his pencil is spark less

If he is to be corresponded

In search of the rebirths of old and new friendships

Lookin’ forward for returned smoke signals

In a place He would love to forget

Anything to stimulate his humble institutionalized mind

He still can't believe the judge handed him a dime

Don’t worry cuz Im going to show you love

I see your smoke is ill but strong

I'll send you my smoke to help you heal and renew our bond

Hopin’ you'll see it soon

Dedicated to Ivan Rain Good Plume