New Zealand Salmon

I would like to thank all of the folks who have offered support and donated to the Tribe's ceremony for the salmon living on the Rakaia River.
Currently, the USF&WS as well as NOAA have been working on a salmon restoration project to return salmon to the waters above the impoundment dams on the west coast. When I spoke with them at a meeting in Sacramento, they were surprised that the genetic stock from the McCloud Baird hatchery were thriving in the rivers of New Zealand. This information was what they had hoped for as the original stock fish are what the projects call for. By bringing the roe of the ancestors of the McCloud fish home, we hope to reverse the decline of salmon we all are suffering from.
Anyway, the video link for youtube, http://www.youtube.com/winnememwintu#p/u/0/n1iMcEwb0BI is a short description of the ceremony and its importance (along with some other discussion, we made in Eugene Oregon this week for the PIELC law conference. We hope you enjoy it and it answers some of your questions about why we are headed to the Pacific.

Ecuador Part 4

Well, following the last supper (so to speak), Charlie, Myrna and I headed out via bus to banana country (about 175 miles south of Guayaquil). I have ridden in cabs in New York and Washington DC and let me tell you: the drivers in the north cannot carry a fix-a-flat for these vaqueros in South America. I do not think we stayed on our side of the road the entire trip for any longer than to hug the rail as approaching cars pushed our way. I saw people jumping out of the way, construction crews ducking to avoid getting a mirror to their melons, and better marksmanship that Sgt. York as the drivers we had (coming and going) hit every pothole in the road.
Bouncing along and getting one rest stop (at a company sponsored bodega along the roadway, we finally made it to Guabas and the free market banana plantation where Marcos, our guide drove us into the bush and then on foot to look at banana gathering first hand.
I have a new appreciation for the bananas we get here. It was hot in the plantation and the men and women working their labor extremely hard for the fruit many seem to think merely grow on trees. In fact, I learned that these plants are like mini water drums: the water soaks up the stalk of the plant, they grow bigger and eventually a red colored flower appears. This flower is bagged and marked with a colored strip and the folks continue on their way doing this until the plants are covered with multi-colored tags indicating how long the bananas have matured. Inside the flower are these petal that look like tiny baby bananas, and as they grow they are watched until the fruit finally gets to the familiar shape we all know from the store. The thing you don't see, is that as they grow, someone is constantly tending them, pruning them out and then finally harvesting them (after about 12 weeks). The photo of the fellow with the bunch on his shoulder is carrying about 80 kilos in weight (160 lbs?). He carried that about 50 meters to a drag line where the fruit was chained to a pulley and cable system and them drug to the sorting and washing /packing shed. The person in the white shirt of the photo above is the woman who owns this particular plantation.
In the shed area, the bananas were measured (like on the crab boats where they see if they are the right size) but in this case, if the fruit is too big (long and wide) they are tossed in a pile to the side. Seems the delicate mouths of the eaters in Europe and the US can only handle a particular size banana...crazy huh?
Anyway, I asked what happened to the ones chucked to the side (I was eating them by the way - I guess my little mouth was just right for the discards). These bananas are sent to a processor who purees them, packs the mess and ships it to Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream where it becomes...tada..Chunky Monkey Ice Cream. So the next time you enjoy a pint of that delicious desert, remember that it once lay on the jungle floor, after being lugged by a fellow half the size of you, and then, tossed aside because no one would eat it as it was too big.
The free trade farms, allowed the owners to hire permanent staff, and upwards of 50 additional staff to harvest. They did not make a fortune but it was a decent wage for their economy and was guaranteed throughout the year, so that was good. Health care, educational assistance and commods were provided to the permanent staff as well. I am taking a closer look at free trade and the implications of its application across other crops here and in South America.

Anyway, we finished, had a nice little dinner back at the hotel and I traveled home where I now finish this travelogue for you. It was fun writing this, as it brought back a lot of good memories and reminded me that I have friends south of all the borders who are just like me and you, so all is swell again.
We are heading to New Zealand next month for the Salmon ceremony on the Rakaia River. Hopefully I will have some snaps of that trip to share with you.

Ecuador Part 3

We had a tour of the "marginalized urban communities" near Malvinas and Flor de Bastion I believe they were called. Much like the folks out on the island we saw the day before, these folks had a spirit that burned bright in each and every one. We went to one house where, much to my chagrin, I learned the woman who was deeply involved in the community action network had passed away. I was unprepared to enter this house and worked my way back to the door to listen as the children of this woman explained how the struggle was so great but that their mother carried them through. I was reminded of the women in my life who have passed and the struggles they saw us through and felt a great empathy for these young people, now on their own.

We went to another house where the folks gathered to talk with us and we heard how the water agencies were not meeting their own standards and how the people were still without sufficient water or sanitation. Much like our own central valley communities, these people need access to clean, affordable, reliable water systems for their daily needs (wait that sounds like the human right to water that we fought for here in California but saw vetoed by the Governator this past session!) The Ecuadorian government has added this Human right to their constitution, as well as greater protections for women and children and a reserved Right for Nature! I wonder if the US will ever progress beyond these so-called 3rd worlders who seem to be so much better adapted to change and acceptance of the natural world.

Eventually, we made it back to the hotel to cool off a bit, gather our thoughts and then, for me, a presentation for and meeting with indigenous and social movement leaders in an auditorium of the Central Bank of Ecuador.

I may have mentioned that upon my departure to Ecuador from Atlanta, the plane was delayed. Apparently my luggage sat on the tarmac in the rain for several hours, soaking up the local flavor I guess. Any way, all of my clothes was soaked and as luck would have it, also stained a pretty shade of pink from my cheap suitcase. Anyway, I had to buy a shirt..the final cost for this masterwork was $35 American - I say this like that because, while it fit around me, it was too short in the body and in the arms.

So, wearing my new shirt, I walked into the building with my colleagues, and was immediately set upon by a news camera crew (who were supposed to interview me the day before) for an interview...just before speaking with the folks who came to the auditorium. Being a guest in this country, I talked with the news people because when local people have an issue in any country, I have found, if the norte americanos show up, they will get their mugs on the page. I accepted the challenge and the interview I gave was about the Mi Cometa and Observatorios and the issues they had presented to me during the preceding days. If they wouldn't talk to the locals, I would use my big American tribal voice to speak for them. (Sort o like our commitment to the salmon don't you think?).

I talked for about an hour after that about our issues here in Winnemem land as well as the condition of tribal people in this "great" country, much to the enjoyment of the audience. A Q&A session followed and I found that many of the folks, after my talk, openly expressed that they too were indigenous tribal people, but had been told not to tell. They were moved to step up and joined with their fellows in pledging to help the environment and the needs of all their relations. They also, in the form of the people who were heading up the Observatorios, pledged in the open forum in front of those who came, to included tribal people in the highest levels of their programs and in the government agencies they represented. Not a bad days work for a big old Winnemem on walk about eh?

We closed the day with a farewell dinner for our group and had any of the people who are risking it all for the betterment of their people on hand to share a last meal together. Many of our group were headed to the Galapagos for a tour, I and Charlie and Myrna were heading to the banana plantation in the morning. So we ate, laughed and shared contact information. Hopefully we will be able to assist each other and can recruit others to aiding these folks way down south.

The Banana Plantation and the return to California when we next meet.

Ecuador Part 2

So, having made it through the first night and into the second day, we headed aboard a bus that took us to the South Guasmo neighborhood where the office of "Mi Cometa" are located. This center houses many projects for the community, including the Utopia Radio station, the door on the bottom left is their entrance (see the kite design). Mi Cometa means My Kite. Any way, the projects also included a music program, housing assistance, a mico-loan program for the community members that the center offers and manages.

We had a luncheon served to us by the folks and then, a musical presentation from the program children (the young man in the green shirt was the lead singer - they sang some wicked Santana).

We finished the day at the Center by walking through the neighborhood, looking at several houses that Mi Cometa had help facilitate the construction for. We saw some in first stage bare walls, open windows and doorways and then on to others that were completed, painted and shiny. I was slightly jealous because these places were cinder block buildings, attached to the foundation (although with limited re-bar) as opposed to the trailers the folks in our own village live in. I was impressed by the willingness of the folks in these areas to help themselves and although they had no real running water or sanitation, for the most part they survived and were happy to have a united community. This message was important to see and one that I will share with whomever I talk with about this trip.

We closed out the day with a visit to the Regulatory agency ECAPAG (www.ecapag.gov.ec) This agency was, in a word, slimy. They had all the answer but seemed to not truly provide regulation or oversight. The waters of Ecuador are privatized. There is raw sewage and untreated water pouring into the rivers and this regulator organ of the government was seemingly casting a blind eye at the problems, to the detriment of the population. I asked the General Director of social communication and community relations, Stalin Poveda, about the dams on the river and how they were impacting the rivers, the lack of water quality assurance and the threat of additional dams to meet the needs of the unabashed development. He neatly sidestepped the question, actually stating that the dams were now allowing for more water to flow in the river than before they were built. He also said that there was plenty of water and thy would never need more dams for supply. Curious note: 45% of the people do not have fresh water and if I remember correctly 65% or more do not have access to sanitation (like sewer or septic). I said they were slimy, I think I know what they are slimy with.

Later this week - the Guayas River Boat trip and the Isla Santay.

To Ecuador and beyond

I had an opportunity to travel with a group from the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee. Let me start by saying that if you have not heard of this group, check them out, they are doing a lot of wonderful things worldwide as well as in the United States.

OK then, as you may or may not know, I am a follower of the Winnemem religion and no other so I was surprised by the invitation to travel and the openness of the folks at UUSC who arranged this trip south. After about 23 hours of total travel time from Nor Cal to Quito, Ecuador,speaking a bastardized version of Spanglish, I was able to negotiate my way through customs and the airport maze from the international terminal to the domestic terminal where I discovered that they were closed until 4:00 AM. Sleeping was impossible, but dozing in and out worked (along with several cups of the home brew there "Nescafe"). I verified my disdain for instant coffee that early morning and was first in line to hop the next leg of my trip. I got off the third plane of this trip and through the oppressive , muggy air, found myself smack dab in the middle of Guayaquil, a riverfront town south west of Quito.

I was greeted in the baggage area by a young man holding a sign with my name on it and let me tell you, I was never happier to see that someone knew I was coming and had actually come for me.

OK, I know this is chatty but stay with me. My suitcase was soaked from sitting hours on the tarmac in Atlanta and then in Quito so I had only the clothes I was wearing and a new pair of socks in my backpack so I hopped in the shower, rinsed and lathered, and headed to the hotel business center where I could send an email home saying I had landed. 15 minutes later I was back in my room waiting for my assigned roommate, Charlie, the President of the UUSC, to arrive. He did about 3 hours later and after setting up his rigging, we headed to the first meeting of the day with the others in our delegation.

Now, I began to get a sense of the folks who traveled south and their rationale for going. Seems that beside the staff members who handle the operations UUSC provides, the folks I traveled with were donors of sorts to the humanitarian programming. We had the general introductions and a meal and closed out the evening with a rundown of the logistics for the next days in the field - this was going to be quite the adventure: a visit to the offices of Mi Cometa, the offices of Los Observitorios, a canoe trip to the Isla Santay, a trip to the offices of the water services regulators department at Ecopag, a filed visit to a housing development by the community people and finally a trip to a free-market Banana plantation.
Over the next few posts, I will write of the events at each of these stops and finally of the presentation I made to the local community activists and indigenous people of the area.

I am happy to be home; I saw that humanitarian funds are being used in foreign lands and that is good but I also want folks to realize that we in Indian country also sometimes live in third world conditions within the United States.

I made some wonderful new friends, have promised aid to several places, saw the results of community intervention through the writing of a new constitution for Ecuador and realized that these folks like all of the folks of color I know in the US are a resilient bunch. All that will come in the next days as I gather myself for a thorough description of Ecuador and beyond.

Congressman Herger Step up or Stand Down on Health Care

As a tribal member of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, located in the Congressman's district in California, I am not surprised that Mr. Herger voted against reform of a system that has apparently contributed to his campaigns over the years. What is upsetting to me is that people of my Tribe and our fellow citizens of this nation where not truly represented by this man who's record of decisions made "on our behalf" has been so lopsided in favor of his own party's direction.
We have a chance for reform and assistance to many people living in this nation, for those who voted for this Act, we send our thanks and prayers that you can do what you are now promising the people of this nation. For those of you, like our own Congressman, I say take off the glasses that see only your party's pathway and use your heart, not your election funds to direct you to truly representing all the people.
We are not seen by the Congressman, he says he cannot help as there are Bureaus designed to assist us. Because of the failure of the government to live up to its own laws we cannot use Indian Health in our area but must travel over 3 hours to a clinic in Sacramento to have our elders and children see. I hope that with the passage of legislation like this we will have the health care we so desperately need.
I started with "step up or stand down": maybe what we need is for the Congressman to return to California and leave Washington to those who truly believe in the maxim "For the people and by the people."

I'm Back for awhile

I was looking at my blog page for the last month or so and it dawned on me that I need to get back on the horse and update what has been happening here in Winnemem Country.

We have all been working hard on the State's Water issues. The legislature is proposing some major moves that will be coming up for a vote very soon. Restore the Delta, EJCW, the Environmental Water Caucus and PCL have had their Capitol staff working night and day to ensure that ALL the interests of California are looked after. I suggest those of you who can to get in touch with your representatives and have them vote NO on the Steinberg water package: below, I have copied in Restore the Delta's comments on why and the number of the bill to vote FOR.

Here are 10 reasons why your representative should oppose the Steingberg Water Package, and all its potential ancillary bills, as well as the bond proposals.

1) The purported environmental benefits in SB x7 1 and SBx7 4 hinge on unfunded programs and unstaffed planning processes. There is no identified funding for the Delta Conservancy or the Delta Protection Council. Without identified funding, the restoration projects and consistency processes intended for Delta health will fall
behind the construction of facilities in the Delta paid for by beneficiaries. This repeats a cornerstone failure of CalFed. This creates a real risk of the infrastructure and water supply projects proceeding without environmental gains.

2)There is no assurance that a permit for any future Delta facility will accommodate the instream flow needs of fish. Public trust criteria are not proven tool for ensuring dedicated water for the environment Experienced water lawyers disagree whether the creation of public trust criteria compel the State Board to base apermit for a future Delta project on the public trust.

3)The bond allows public funds to be spent on required mitigation or necessary compliance with environmental regulation. Existing law requires beneficiaries to pay for those activities. This is a massive cost shift to taxpayers.

4) The Delta Stewardship Council holds no fee authority to carry out its mandate. Delta communities, most impacted by this legislation, would not have adequate representation.

5)The Delta Plan is not required to reduce state dependence on the Delta. The objectives for the Delta Plan do not include reducing state reliance on Delta exports. SB x7 1 only states that it's an intent of the state to reduce dependency.

6) The bill lacks sufficient oversight of the BDCP. The Council lacks the authority to ensure the project does not cause greater harm to the fragile Delta ecosystem.

7) One-third ($3 billion) of the SB 7x 2 funds above-ground storage, which is the least efficient way to increase water supplies.

8) Less than 3% of the funds in the bond would be dedicated to disadvantaged communities most in need of safe drinking water.

9) The proposed water conservation package lacks the enforceable goals needed to achieve 20% conservation by 2020.

10) A $9 billion bond will cost taxpayers about $600 million a year for 30 years. The state's debt service on bonds already authorized by the voters will grow to about 10% of the state's budget and will contribute to more state funding cuts for public safety, health, education, and environmental protection have been slashed to the bone. And the Legislative Analyst's Office estimates that the state will see $10 to $15 billion deficits each year until 2014. Even if a bond is delayed until 2015, we will just be at the beginning of financial recover and should not be piling up more debt.

There is one bill they should vote for however!

Delta Area Assembly Member Alsyon Huber, along with co-sponsor Senator Lois Wolk, have introduced AB 13 7x. This bill would require lawmakers to sign off on any canal, and it would require the Legislature's nonpartisan fiscal adviser, the Legislative Analyst, to put together an economic feasibility study of the potential project. We commend Assembly Member Huber and Senator Wolk for pulling this piece of legislation together.

Tell your representatives to support AB 13 7x.

Additionally, the California Water Plan update in being put forth for public comment. Check out PCL's website for information on how the draft plan is misleading and includes references to things that will not happen regarding environmental justice and basic environmentally based issues.

The Tribal Communication Committee (a group of tribal people working on improving communication between the state and tribes will be co-hosting the Tribal Water Summit on November 4 and 5 in Sacramento. this convening was to have the Governor speak in person but I see that all we will get is a recorded message. Secretary Christman will be on hand as will heads of the major department within the state that deal with conservation and environmental issues. If you have not registered, get in touch with them to secure a seat at the "table" to at least here what we have to say.

This meeting will be followed on Friday with a conference at Chico state on "Sustainability". There will be presentations on a variety of issues related to this topic as well tribal concerns presented. Another "must see" event.

Also, keep your eyes open for information on NOAA and NMFS "Salmon Recovery Project". They, like many of us are looking at returning salmon to the rivers and streams above the impoundment dams (Shasta/Folsom). This fits in with the Winnemem effort to have the genetic stock taken from the McCloud/Baird hatchery, returned to us from New Zealand. Keep this in mind. We may need help funding this trip but rest assured we will get them back!

Well that's a lot to digest, thanks for checking in and email me if you have questions about these updates.

On a personal note, I hope that you have all enjoyed the Halloween season and are ready for the next series of holidays. As my friend Bill Jenkins said, be safe, watch out for your little ones and yourself (paraphrasing there Bill).

We have a lot of things coming at us in the new year and we need all of you ready to act.

Mark