Black Mesa Water CoalitionSummer Newsletter

Spring 2011A note from Wahleah Johns, BMWC interim executive director

In this newsletter:

Community Educational Forum A Success Community Members Talk, Listen

Black Mesa Water Coalition advertised it on the radio and in newspapers, but no one really knew how many people would come to their educational forum on environmental issues on April 15th.

Luckily the community did come out. Around 50 people, many from the Black Mesa area, were there, and most stayed from 10am – 3pm. Community members of all ages attended, including the elder Katherine Smith and several children. Lots of people also meant lots of food for the potluck lunch, as attendees soon discovered.

Many of the environmental issues facing the Navajo tribe were discussed, as about ten speakers covered topics from water rights on Navajo to the possibility of the reopening of uranium mines on Navajo. Marshall John-son, co- director of To’ Nizhoni Ani, a Navajo- led environmental group, spoke about the cheap cost of NGS power, made possible by cheap coal from Kayenta Mine. “You made it possible for the cities of Phoenix and Tucson to thrive,” he told the Navajos assembled. � is is because that power is used to transport water from the Colorado River to southern Arizona through the Central Arizona Project. Louise Benally, a commu-nity activist, talked about the HPL and how relocation was related to coal mining.

Wahleah Johns, current interim executive director of BMWC, was also happy about the forum’s turnout and energy, but pointed out that “this is only the beginning of the work that needs to be done to inform our com-munities about all of these issues”. Part of this spreading this information involves continuing to hold forums, and BMWC hopes to hold another one in the next two months.

� ank you to Billy Austin for allowing the forum to be held on your land. See the Navajo Times article that discusses the forum at www.navajotimes.com.

Educational Forum A Success, pg 1

Navajo Green Jobs Releases Toolkit, pg 2

Black Mesa Water Coalition Pulls Out of NGS Meetings, pg 2

BMWC’s Views Represented At Congressio-nal Hearing, pg 3

Update on the Black Mesa Solar Project, pg 3

Youth Leader Highlight: Interview with Star Tsinniginnie, pg 3&4

Hello Black Mesa Water Coalition friends, partners and supporters,

My name is Wahleah Johns, and you may recognize me as a previous executive director of BMWC. Nikke Alex, our last executive director, le� to continue her education. I am thankful for the energy and perspective Nikke brought to BMWC and know that Nikke will continue to do wonderful work for Indigenous people in whatever � eld she chooses.

� at being said, I am also excited to take over the role of executive director at BMWC again. As you can see in this newsletter, we have a lot of big plans for the future. We hope we have your help and support as we continue on in our work to create a just and sustainable future for our communities. � ank you,Wahleah

BMWC has a new website! Check it out at: http://www.blackmesawatercoalition.org/

Navajo Green Jobs Releases Toolkit

� e Navajo Nation turns to coal because it doesn’t feel that other economic alternatives are viable. BMWC’s new toolkit, released this March, points to several economic solutions that can and have proven to be success-ful and sustainable. It o� ers the examples of starting a weaver’s cooperative, a weatherization business, or a farmer’s market. � ese sorts of solutions are not only sustainable, but they also build community among those who work at and bene� t from them. � e toolkit is extremely practical- it details which Navajo chapters can administer land, how to obtain a business lease on Navajo, and starting points for creating business plans. All of this takes a lot of initiative on the part of the individual, and BMWC is planning on giving Navajo green entrepreneurs more help in the form of a Green Business Incubator, which will eventually provide more sup-port and services for new Navajo green businesses.

Black Mesa Water Coalition Pulls Out of NGS Meetings, But Invites EPA to Communities

In February BMWC pulled out of a series of meetings in which the future of the Navajo Generating Station (NGS) was being discussed. � e meet-ings were held by EN3pro consulting, a group that was hired by the Salt River Project (SRP), the majority owners of the NGS (see www.en3pro.com for details on each of the meetings). � e NGS is required by the United States Environmen-tal Protection Agency (USEPA) to install the Best Available Retro� t Technology (BART) on its smokestacks to reduce its high nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. Groups that are in some way a� ected by the NGS were invited to the meetings, and the USEPA will take the resolutions passed by meeting attendees into account in their BART determination. � e BART that reduces the most emissions costs $1.1 billion dollars. � is will cause the cost of NGS power to rise by 30%, NGS owners say, and they would most likely close down as a result. If a weaker BART is required, NGS’s lease will be renewed until 2044. Because the NGS a� ects many people in both positive and negative ways, providing jobs and revenue to Navajo people, but also a� ecting the health of people and the environment on Navajo, the meetings were well- attended, especially in the beginning. � e NGS also provides cheap power to the Central Arizona Project (CAP), which delivers water to the cities of Tuscon and Phoenix. Although there was some discussion of a transition to renewable energy, Black Mesa Water Coalition felt that there was not enough. Other requests, like one for SRP to fund health studies in the region, were also ignored. Most of the other Navajo grassroots environmental groups, and then later the Forgotten People, with-drew as well, but many of the national environmental groups, like the Sierra Club, continued on with the discussions. As the Forgotten People wrote in their o� cial statement “[we do] not want to be used as a “checklist” for community input to stall US EPA BART regulations. As directly a� ected people we see NO real timeline for a transition to renewable energy on the table, and NO serious community input in your processes.” As the discussions continue, BMWC wants a way for Navajo communities to actually be included in the BART decision. For this reason, it invited the EPA out to Navajo to both inform and listen to community members regarding BART. EPA representatives will be on Navajo this summer to hold public forums. � e dates and times of these forums will be listed on BMWC’s website when they are known.

Black Mesa Water Coalition

Black Mesa Water Coalition

Update on the Black Mesa Solar Project

BMWC is developing a 20 MW solar project on reclaimed land from the Black Mesa Mine as part of its long-term plan to create a sustainable economy for the region. � e solar project is being struc-tured using a “� ip model” -- in the begin-ning, the project will be owned by investors and gradually the ownership will be transferred back to the community and the Navajo Nation. Black Mesa Solar LLC will advocate for a strong community bene� ts agreement including: training for local work-ers, local hire provisions, rural electri� cation and equity ownership for the community in the solar project.

Navajo Green Jobs, under BMWC, has begun to map green projects like permaculture compa-nies, environmental grassroots groups, and weavers cooperatives on the Navajo Nation. See the map at http://www.navajogreenjobs.com/resources.html. Do you know of a green project that should be included? Email Claudia Jackson, at jacksoncj5@gmail.com.

BMWC’s Views Represented At Congressional Hearing

On May 24th subcommittees of the United States House Committee on Natural Resources held oversight hearings regarding the NGS and the upcoming BART decision. � e committee itself was sharply divided over the issue, with committee chair McClintock stating that “environmental extremists” had already caused a lot of damage to the Navajo economy, and committee member Napolitano reminding everyone of the health impacts and environmental dam-age caused by NGS, and the need to transition to renewable energy. Others favored a more libertarian approach, member Young stating that the US government should stay out of Navajo a� airs completely and let the Navajo decide what to do with their own resources. Mar-shall Johnson, of To Nizhoni Ani, a Navajo grassroots environmen-tal group that o� en partners with BMWC, and Vernon Masayesva, executive director of Black Mesa Trust, traveled to DC to discuss the negative e� ects NGS has on the environment, health, and culture of the Navajo people. As Johnson pointed out, refering to the CAP water delivery that NGS powers, “Navajos can no longer carry the burden of the most expensive water project in the world.” Ben Shel-ley, Navajo Nation president, and LeRoy Shingoitewa, Hopi tribal chairman, discussed the harmful economic e� ects of shutting the NGS down. � is hearing helps to inform the House of Representa-tives before the EPA’s decision on BART. See a video and description of the hearing at: http://naturalresources.house.gov/Calendar/Even-tSingle.aspx?EventID=240525.

Youth Leader Highlight:Interview with Star Tsinniginnie

My name is Starlene Tsinniginnie. Nakaii Dine’e nishli (I am born to the Mexican People Clan), Tabaha bashichiin (Born for the Edge Water People), Natoh Dine’e Tachinii da shicheii (� e Mountain Smoke People/ Red Running into the Water Clan is that of my maternal grandfathers.), Ashihii da shinali (My paternal

grandfather is of the Salt People Clan). For the last 18 years my family has

resided in an area called Nahata Dziil, the community developed

for the relocatees of the Navajo and Hopi Land Dispute. At age 21, I am happy to have � nally accepted this area as my home.Continued on pg 4

What does your work consist of?I assist youth in the community with their endeavors through Young Organizers United to Help (YOUTH), built by youth for youth. We have developed a program that implements community development, by promoting youth organizing. We’re working with community organizations and members to plan and make available educational events and recreational activities. � ere are many young people in the community of Nahata Dziil and the surrounding areas that are involved that see a need for change, and have the will to come together and create a better tomor-row. I’ve also become involved with the local governance of my community.

When did you start this work?Since I was a kid I have considered the importance of others. I have always been active-ly involved and engaged with my community. I began making my way into the YOUTH program during the summer of 2006 by helping and participating in the events and activities hosted by the young organizers. Other youth organizers and I have expanded the program, forming a long- lasting youth organization for the next generations of our community.

Has Black Mesa Water Coalition’s youth leadership program (SouthWest Indigenous Leadership Institute (SWILI)) helped you? How so?Being a part of SWILI has been one of the greatest choices I ever made. We are going on year two, and there is still a lot to learn and experience. SWILI has helped our own youth program gradually develop into a sustainable youth organization for the community and has helped me realize the vital importance of support. I have also become more understanding and mindful in everything that I do.

What do you plan to do in the future?� ere are a lot of things I’d like to do. With the youth program we hope to continue with a project to get grant funds for a skate park, plans for a recreation site and center, and a project to establish scholarships. With my life I have no clue of where I’ll be or what I’ll be doing in the next 3 to 5 years, but possibly one day soon I will be a part of our local governance. I also want to learn more about envi-ronmental justice. With my family, I will be encouraging my siblings to continue on with their education, beyond high school.

Do you have a native leader role model? Who is it and why is he or she a role model? I have a hero, a role model, someone who’s been an in� uence in my life, and who I love with all my heart: I have my grandmother. Ev-eryday we miss her presence. My grandmother raised us all, with love and care. Her faith was beautiful- she prayed all the time. She spoke and read only Navajo. I know she lived a life of love.

Star Tsinniginnie is a member of BMWC’s fi rst group of youth leaders. Since January 2010 BMWC has worked with 18 young people to help them develop their leadership skills and community projects. If you’re interested in being a part of BMWC’s second group of youth leaders, keep an eye out for the application on our website, available Summer 2011.

Black Mesa Water Coalition

Contact Us:P.O. Box 613 Flagstaff, AZ 86002blackmesawc@gmail.comph: 928.213.5909 | fax: 928.213.5905

Star and some of the youth she works with.

Upcoming Events:Navajo Churro Wool Buy - Hardrock Chapter House - June 10 and 11th - 8am - 4pmcall 1-866-424-8776 or (928) 725-3725 for more information and details on packaging wool

Water, Energy, Climate & the Importance of Health and Culture - Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN) Conference - July 28th - 31st - Four Bears Park, 4 miles west of New Town, NDcall (701) 390- 7133 or (928) 214- 8301, email ienpme16@gmail.com, or go to www.ienearth.org/pme_gathering.html