美印地安原住民 用紀錄片對抗金礦公司入侵聖地 | 環境資訊中心
國際新聞

美印地安原住民 用紀錄片對抗金礦公司入侵聖地

2007年12月12日
摘譯自2007年12月6日美國,內華達州報導;范仕穎編譯;蔡麗伶審校

美國印地安西休休尼族原住民Carrie Dann為大地祈禱。圖片來源:Erin Hetherington,Oxfam第32屆美國印地安電影節於11月27日將美國印地安電影最佳成就獎頒給了西休休尼族(Western Shoshones)的鷹靈凱瑞唐(Carrie Dann)阿媽。「我們的土地,我們的生活」(Our Land, Our Life)這部紀錄片記錄了西休休尼族對於維持自己生活方式的堅持與奮鬥,也贏得了最佳紀錄片的肯定。

「我們的土地,我們的生活」(Our Land, Our Life)是一部74分鐘的紀錄片,由喬治格吉與貝絲格吉(George and Beth Gage)執導,詳實記錄了凱瑞唐和瑪莉唐(Carrie and Mary Dann)為了保護傳統生活和祖先土地的30年奮鬥歲月,他們為了對抗礦產公司的剝削,上訴至美國最高法院,甚至在沒有美國政府支持的情況下,尋求聯合國的協助。

因為贏得了電影獎的鼓勵,唐家人和他們的支持者以大地及母親之名,即將再一次準備進入美國上訴法庭及美國區域法庭。

西休休族的阿媽和其他族人,現在自稱為紐威人(Newe people),正在嘗試阻止聯邦土地管理局(BLM)允許巴瑞克公司(Barrick Gold Corporation)在泰奈波山區域採礦,巴瑞克公司是世界上最大的金礦公司,其總部位於多倫多。

西休休族和美國政府的正式官方關係開始於1863年,美國政府正式承認了西休休族的土地權並於當年簽署了紅寶石山谷條約(Treaty of Ruby Valley),但接下來的幾年,美國政府卻將這片土地視為己有,而不是西休休族所有。

「西休休族保護計畫」組織的西瓦爾(Chris Sewall)在「我們的土地,我們的生活」說道:「政府只是把錢從一個人的口袋裡拿出來,再放到另一個人的口袋裡,然後從此聲稱『正義已經伸張,西休休族人表達了他們的聲音。』」

西休休族保護計畫的費雪(Julie Fishel)質疑美國政府處處為難唐家人的動機可議,因為該唐家人所座落的區域,正在美國歷史上最大的金礦脈之上。

Shoshone Use Film, Courts to Fight Gold Mine on Sacred Land
By Lisa J. Wolf, CRESCENT VALLEY, Nevada, December 6, 2007 (ENS)

The 32nd Annual American Indian Film Festival presented Western grandmother Carrie Dann with the Eagle Spirit award for best overall contribution in American Indian cinema at an awards ceremony November 27. "Our Land, Our Life," the film that shows the Western Shoshones’ determined struggle to maintain their way of life, won the festival's Best Documentary.

"Our Land, Our Life," a 74 minute documentary directed by George and Beth Gage, details Carrie and Mary Dann's 30 year struggle to protect their traditional ways and ancestral lands from mining degradation in a battle that went to the U.S. Supreme Court and beyond to the United Nations with no relief as yet from the U.S. government.

Having won these film awards, Dann and her allies, speaking on behalf of the Earth, their Mother, are preparing once again to enter the U.S. Appeals Court and U.S. District Court.

The Western Shoshone grandmother and other Western Shoshone, who call themselves the Newe people, are trying to stop the federal Bureau of Land Management, BLM, from permitting the world's largest gold-mining company, the Barrick Gold Corporation based in Toronto, from mining on or any nearer to Mt. Tenabo.

The history of the official Western Shoshone relations with the United States began in 1863 when the U.S. government and the Western Shoshone Nation signed the Treaty of Ruby Valley, which recognized Western Shoshone land title. But in the following years the U.S. government began to treat these lands as belonging to the United States and not to the Western Shoshone.

As Chris Sewall of the Western Shoshone Defense Project said in "Our Land, Our Life," "You have the government taking money out of one pocket and putting it another and saying, 'Justice has been done and the Shoshone people have spoken.'"

Julie Fishel of the Western Shoshone Defense Project questions whether the real impetus for the U.S. government's raids on the Danns is because the area from which the animals were removed "sits atop one of the largest gold finds in the history of the United States."

全文及圖片詳見:ENS

作者

蔡麗伶(LiLing Barricman)

In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.