It warms my heart in some ways when I see environmental groups getting their just desserts, as they say. “Vengeance is mine sayeth the Lord” but still, you have to admit, it’s still a bit sweet. The Navajo and Hopi Tribes are standing together in declaring that environmental groups are no longer welcome on tribal land.
Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley, Jr., said Wednesday that he strongly supports the Hopi Tribe’s resolution to declare local and national environmental groups unwelcome on Hopi land.
“I stand with the Hopi Nation,” President Shirley said. “Unlike ever before, environmental activists and organizations are among the greatest threat to tribal sovereignty, tribal self-determination, and our quest for independence.”
“By their actions, environmentalists would have tribes remain dependent on the federal government, and that is not our choice. I want the leaders of all Native American nations to know this is our position, and I would ask for their support of our solidarity with the Hopi Nation in the protection of their sovereignty and self-determination, as well as ours.”
Unfortunately, we can just as easily take out the names of the Navajos and Hopis and insert any state, town, local community all the way down to the individual, in whom environmental groups have worked to force their agendas on Americans, threatening livelihoods. This runs contrary to our constitution which guarantees us the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But it doesn’t stop environmentalists.
I have said for some time that the longer the radical environmental groups exhibit their unrealistic, unrelenting and irrational agendas, always insisting on having their way, as a spoiled brat, people will begin to rise up against them. We are now beginning to see that more and more.
We as a culture can be quite tolerant of many people and diverse groups but when these environmental groups, the ones talked about by the Navajos and Hopis, care only of their agendas, wishing to dictate their wishes on others, at the expense of other people and their means of making a living, they have stretched the boundaries of sensible human actions. As a result, the Navajos and Hopis have kicked them off their land and have no more interest in trying to work with them.
The Hopi Council specifically names the banned groups: “the Sierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the National Parks Conservation Association, and the Grand Canyon Trust and organizations affiliated with them.”
Coming as no surprise to anyone who has had the distinct and unfortunate displeasure of working with such groups -and we could add several more to the list -, the reasons cited for kicking the groups off their lands is lying and spreading bad information.
The Hopi Tribe’s resolution states that environmentalists “have manufactured and spread misinformation concerning the water and energy resources of the Hopi Tribe in an effort to instill unfounded fears into the hearts and minds of the Hopi public.”
The Council stated that these organizations have acted without regard for the tribe’s right to determine how best to develop and manage its natural resources on its land, nor have they shown concern for the future welfare of the tribe and its people.
And this:
“Most often they don’t try to work with us but against us, giving aid and comfort to those opposed to the sovereign decision-making of tribes. They support tribes only when tribes are aligned with their agenda…..
Three cheers to the Navajos and Hopis for standing up for themselves and making it well known of their intentions and desires to be independent, to retain their sovereignty and seek self-determination. These environmental groups have had their way for far too long and they aren’t just a threat to the Navajos and Hopis, they are a threat to all Americans’ independence and self-determination, as well as the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness.
The environs are getting what they deserve. Smart, well informed people people will stop opening their pocket books to these groups.
Tom Remington
