[News] Southwest Uranium Forum - Faking the News

[Anti-Imperialist News]

Faking the News

October 26, 2009 at 8:11 am
http://narcosphere.narconews.com/notebook/brenda-norrell/2009/10/faking-news

By Brenda Norrell

SKY CITY, Acoma Pueblo, N.M. -- Where were the news reporters during 
the 7th Southwest Uranium Forum? Only two people identified 
themselves as news reporters at the gathering, a correspondent for 
Washington Post and another from the Four Corners Free Press.

Where was the American Indian media? Where were the Native American 
newspapers and radio stations?

Recently, Associated Press and the Arizona Republic were quick to 
attack environmentalists by rewriting the press releases of 
politicians and corporations. But where were their reporters when 
Indigenous Peoples gathered to tell their stories of how uranium 
mining, and the radioactive waste strewn and left behind, caused the 
deaths of their children, parents, brothers and sisters?

Faith Gemmill, Gwich'in, came all the way from the Arctic Circle in 
Alaska to this gathering, telling of the climate change devastating 
the way of life of her people and the land, water and air of all life 
there. Charmaine White Face of Defenders of the Black Hills came from 
South Dakota, revealing the secrecy of the uranium mining and the 
waste that poisons the land and water of the Oglala. Winona LaDuke, 
Anishinabe, came from White Earth, Louise Benally, Navajo, came from 
Big Mountain, Margene Bullcreek, Goshute, came from Utah and Supai 
Waters from the land of the Havasupai.

This Indigenous Uranium Forum was broadcast live with streaming video 
by Earthcycles. As of Monday morning, there were more than 62,300 
views of the sessions from Thursday, Friday and Saturday. News 
reporters have access to these sessions at no cost. Will they tell 
the story of the Navajos who buried their children after they died of 
brain tumors, or the children who grew up without their mothers who 
died of lung cancer from the uranium mines in Monument Valley, Red 
Valley and Cove, Arizona?

Will they tell the story of the children taken away, vanished from 
their families, after their parents died working in the uranium mines 
without protective clothing? Will they tell the story of the Acoma 
and Laguna Pueblos who ate the radioactive dust with their meals near 
Jackpile Mine? Will they tell the story of the Havasupai who now must 
sacrifice their own money to fight the new threat of uranium mining 
in the Grand Canyon, uranium mining that could poison their water?

Will they listen to John Redhouse, Navajo, tell of the hate crimes 
toward Navajos and Pueblos here. Will the news reporters reflect and 
consider that uranium mining has long been a hate crime in Indian country?

Sky City on Acoma Pueblo is located between the Navajo Nation and 
Albuquerque. It is alongside the interstate highway, but no local 
reporters came. If they did, they did not identify themselves at the 
beginning or the conclusion of the gathering.

Censorship is the sad state of the media today. Faking news coverage 
is what the media does when reporters are lazy and editors do not 
send reporters to hear the stories of the grassroots people.

It is far easier for editors and reporters to rewrite the press 
releases of corporations and politicians than to go and listen to the 
truth and the voices of the people. A quick phone call will not do 
justice to the long standing genocide, greed and destruction by 
energy companies and the US government in Indian country.

This was an opportunity missed for the media who did not make it a 
priority. Please write the reporters and editors and hold them accountable.

Indigenous Uranium Forum session videos:
<http://www.livestream.com/earthcycles>http://www.livestream.com/earthcycles

Brenda Norrell is a contributor to Narco News, CounterPunch, 
Americas, Atlantic Free Press, Sri Lanka Guardian and the UN OBSERVER 
& International Report. She publishes Censored News.




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