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Brown Proclaims “Water Is Sacred” As He Promotes Tunnels

by Dan Bacher
Governor Jerry Brown was originally scheduled to read the proclamation but he didn’t show up. Instead, Cynthia Gomez, Tribal Advisor for Governor Brown, read Governor Brown's proclamation for California Native American Day as Anecita Agustinez, Tribal Liaison for the State Department of Water Resources, stood next to her.

Photo of Jessica Lopez, Chair of the Concow Maidu Tribe, Caleen Sisk, Chief of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, and Morning Star Gali of the Pit River Tribe at the State Capitol in Sacramento after the march from the Tower Bridge on "Native American Day" on September 26.
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Brown Proclaims “Water Is Sacred” As He Promotes Tunnels

by Dan Bacher

Members of Indian Tribes from across the state, including many wearing traditional garb and regalia, gathered to celebrate the 47th “Annual Native American Day” at the State Capitol in Sacramento as Governor Jerry Brown issued a proclamation declaring Friday, September 26, 2014, as “Native American Day" in California.

The press release announcing Brown’s proclamation stated, “The theme of this year’s celebration at the Capitol is ‘Water is Life, Water is Sacred.’”

Many at the event noted the irony of the “Water is Life, Water is Sacred” theme at a time that the Governor is promoting the destruction of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and Chinook salmon, a fish that is sacred to many Tribes, through the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) to build the peripheral tunnels.

The theme becomes even more ironic when one considers that the Brown administration presided over record water exports from the Delta and a record amount of splittail and other fish killed at the state and federal pumping facilities in 2011.

Then in 2013, a record drought year, Brown collaborated with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in the draining of Trinity, Shasta, Oroville and Folsom reservoirs to supply corporate agribusiness interests on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley, southern California water agencies and oil companies conducting fracking and steam injection operations in Kern County. The draining of reservoirs continued this year, endangering salmon and steelhead populations in both the Klamath/Trinity and Sacramento River systems.

Brown is no-show at California Native American Day

The Governor was originally scheduled to read the proclamation but he didn’t show up. Instead, Cynthia Gomez, Tribal Advisor for Governor Brown, read Governor Brown's declaration for California Native American Day as Anecita Agustinez, Tribal Liaison for the State Department of Water Resources, stood next to her.

“In his 1851 address to the Legislature our first Governor George Hardeman Burnett famously stated, “that a war of extermination will continue to waged between the two races until the Indian race becomes extinct, must be expected,” the proclamation read.

“In spite of Burnett’s predication, California today is home to the largest population of Native Americans in the fifty states, including both the rebounding number of our native Tribes and others drawn to the Golden Gate by its myriad attractions,” said Brown.

Gomez said the reason why Brown didn’t show was because of a scheduling conflict.

“He only has so much time in his schedule. The Governor has great respect for Native people. He just has to work it into his schedule,” said Gomez, pointing out that Brown had 800 bills to read before the legislative deadline.

However, others said he declined to speak because a peaceful march held before the event was deemed a “security risk.”

Prior to the beginning of the official agenda sanctioned by state officials, over 100 Native Americans held a peaceful march from the Tower Bridge down Capitol Mall to the State Capitol. The marchers included members of the Pit River, Winnemem Wintu, Round Valley, Hoopa Valley, Buena Vista Rancheria, Miwok, Concow Maidu and other Tribes and their allies. The marchers, ranging from young children to elders, chanted "Water is Sacred - Not for Sale.”

“The marchers were protected by a security detail made up of Native American Men from the organization 'Fatherhood is Sacred', wearing 'Security' T-shirts furnished by the event planners,” explained Gary Mulcahy, a member of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe. “As the marchers entered the Capitol grounds, and moved to the north steps where the main agenda and events would take place, they continued to chant 'Water is Sacred - Not for Sale'. Two tribal leaders were asked to come up to the steps and give prayers as an end to the march.”

“During their prayers, two representatives of the FEDERALS (males) approached a few of the (female) organizers of the march and voiced their disrespect and disregard for these women, stating in various forms that the marchers had no right to be there, and they were disrupting the set out agenda,” he emphasized.

“As this incident came to light, and the disrespect unloaded onto these female organizers, the security detail from the Fatherhood is Sacred organization took off their security t-shirts and quit on the spot, saying they could not condone nor support an event that shown such disrespect to other Native American peoples, and especially to the women,” said Mulcahy.

One member of the security detail, a member of the Concow Maidu Tribe, confirmed what Mulcahy said.

“Two tribal chairs complained that the marchers were protesting,” he said. “They said this ruined the chance of the Governor coming down to speak. They made rude remarks to two woman organizers, saying that this march is not approved. After the women were verbally assaulted, we decided to step down from security.”

A class or caste system?

Mulcahy emphasized that he was at the first Native American Day 47 years ago, when both federally recognized and unrecognized tribes were welcomed.

“There was not this class system up of unrecognized and recognized Tribes until 1978 - and it wasn’t enforced until the 1980s,” he said. “Today we honor the federally recognized tribes and the rest don’t matter. Are Sacred Water Dollars the only thing that Brown understands? What happened? All tribes were honored and recognized bacl then. Now we have entered a class system.”

Caleen Sisk, Chief and Spiritual Leader of the Winnemem Wintu, said she was there to let the Governor know that “We aren’t defeated.” She said she wasn’t allowed to speak at the event.

Sisk said the Governor needs to do much more to answer why his support for the peripheral tunnels, water bond and Shasta Dam raise is justified, especially when the theme of this year’s Native American Day at the Capitol was “Water is Sacred.”

“We still oppose the tunnels and oppose the Shasta Dam raise,” said Sisk. “No matter what kind of splits are happening, we’re still standing strong – I believe the Governor is reaching out to the compact tribes and trying to make it seem like were on the same page.”

“I think he’s playing Indians against Indians - taking powerful tribes and turning them on the unrecognized tribes. We don’t get invited to the Governor’s parties and meetings. How come the Governor won’t include us – is it because we have no compacts and we can’t be bought?” she added.

When I asked Anecita Agustinez, Tribal Liaison for the state Department of Water Resources, about the treatment of members of unrecognized tribes at the event, she responded, “This is a public event sponsored by the state of California Tribal Liaison Committee. We have little time during the event and every year the event changes. We embrace everybody. We’ve had MCs from unrecognized tribes in the past.”

For example, she pointed to one of the event organizers, a member of a federally unrecognized tribe, who has spoken at the event before.

Mulcahy disagrees with Agustinez’s claim that “We embrace everybody.”

“There are many things that we could talk about of the pros and cons of this day, but the one thing that is very evident is the 'caste' system that has been set up and exploited by the Federal and State governments,” he said. “ A way to conquer and divide - who is or isn't 'federally designated.’ And the unfortunate reality is, that many of the FEDERALS buy into that.”

“This was the 47th annual Native American Indian Day. In the beginning ALL tribes in California were honored and recognized on this day. As late as 30 years ago, this still remained the case. But, since then, the Federal Government has established it's Indian Designation list, and many of the true California Historical Tribes are being quietly forgotten. Maybe, the day should be renamed, California Federally Designated Tribal Day, or, in short CALIFORNIA FEDERALS DAY,” Mulcahy stated.

“Remember, the theme this year was Water is Sacred. During the honoring ceremony of the FEDERALS where a tribal representative marches into the circle along with someone carrying their banners while their tribal name is called out, at least 5 of the tribes recognized by this segment bottle their water and sell it on the market with their logo attached. One has a direct contract with Nestle' to bottle it's water. So, is water only sacred it if brings in Sacred Water Dollars? It appears that may be so. At least in the eyes of some,” he concluded.

Brown's environmental policies favor big corporate interests, 1 percent

The irony of Governor’s issuing a proclamation for event with the theme “Water is Life, “Water is Sacred” is further evident when reviews Brown’s environmental record. While Brown has signed some environmental legislation, including a “Human Right to Water Bill” in 2012 and bills promoting green energy and banning single use plastic bags this year, his overall record on fish, water and the environment is one that sacrifices the public trust in order to benefit corporate interests and the 1 percent.

In addition to fast-tracking the peripheral tunnels, presiding over record fish kills and water exports and draining northern California reservoirs at the service of corporate agribusiness, Brown’s record includes the following attacks on water, fish and the environment:

• Senate Bill 4: In September 2013, Brown signed State Senator Fran Pavley's SB 4, legislation that clears the path to the environmental destructive practice of fracking (hydraulic fracturing) in California, after receiving over $2 million from the oil and gas lobby.

• Water Bond: Brown is relentlessly promoting Proposition 1, a $7.5 billion water bond measure that with interest would cost California taxpayers $14.4 billion. Over one-third of Prop 1—$2.7 billion—is prioritized for spending without oversight by the legislature to build dams for corporate agribusiness.

In addition, an additional $500 to $900 million could be used to purchase water transfers for these interests, many of which are growing and exporting water-intensive crops to China. Stewart Resnick’s Paramount Farms is one of the largest and most politically influential growers that has consistently demanded more water at the expense of the public and the environment, according to Food and Water Watch.

• MLPA Initiative: Brown has forged ahead with one of the most corrupt environmental programs of the Schwarzenegger regime, the privately-funded Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative. The alleged “marine protected areas” fast-tracked under this initiative fail to protect the ocean from pollution, fracking, offshore oil drilling, military testing, corporate aquaculture and all human impacts on the ocean other than sustainable fishing and gathering. At the same time, the Brown administration has to date failed to acknowledge the traditional gathering rights of the Yurok Tribe and other Tribes in state marine reserves.

• REDD: Brown is an avid supporter of the REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation+) that allows Northern Hemisphere polluters to buy forest carbon offset credits from the global South. Brown is trying to link an agreement among Chiapas, Mexico; Acre, Brazil; and California, to AB32, which commits to a 25% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions for 2020, and an 80% reduction for 2050).

Tom Goldtooth, Executive Director of the Indigenous Environmental Network, exposed the devastating impact of Brown’s REDD policies on the environment and Indigenous Peoples when he spoke at a protest against Brown’s failed environmental policies in San Francisco on October 17, 2013. Brown was slated to receive an environmental leadership award from the Blue Green Alliance, but failed to show just like he did on September 26 at "Native American Day" at the State Capitol.

"Despite being awarded, as I speak, for his supposed environmentalism, Governor Brown is moving ahead with a policy that grabs land, clear-cuts forests, destroys biodiversity, abuses Mother Earth, pimps Father Sky and threatens the cultural survival of Indigenous Peoples," Goldtooth said.

• “Theme Park” Wetlands: The Department of Fish and Wildlife under the Brown administration is working with the Annenberg Foundation to bulldoze a section of the Ballona Wetlands to build an interpretive center and help with the “restoration” of the land around the center.

For a complete, updated review of Brown's environmental policies, go to: http://www.counterpunch.org/2014/09/24/big-oils-favorite-governor-jerry-brown/
§Free Our Water sign
by Dan Bacher
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"Free Our Water" was one of the signs displayed by members of Indian Tribes before the march to the Capitol. Photo by Dan Bacher.
§Conch Blowing
by Dan Bacher
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The march began with the blowing of a conch. Photo by Dan Bacher.
§March begins
by Dan Bacher
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Over 100 people marched from the Tower Bridge to the Capitol chanting "Water Is Sacred, Not For Sale!" Photo by Dan Bacher.
§Choose the Can
by Dan Bacher
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Marchers carried a number of signs, including one saying "Choose the CAN, Not our waters." Photo by Dan Bacher.
§Water Is Life
by Dan Bacher
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The largest banner in the march was a large blue one proclaiming "Water is Life." Photo by Dan Bacher.
§Jessica Lopez
by Dan Bacher
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Jessica Lopez, Chair of the Concow Maidu Tribe, with her baby in front of the Capitol after the march. Photo by Dan Bacher.
§Governor's Staff
by Dan Bacher
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(L) Cynthia Gomez, Tribal Advisor for Governor Brown, read Governor Brown's proclamation for California Native American Day as Anecita Agustinez, Tribal Liaison for the State Department of Water Resources (R), stood next to her. Photo by Dan Bacher.
§Brown Berets and Winnemem Wintu
by Dan Bacher
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The Brown Berets and Winnemem Wintu Tribe stand united in defense of Tribal Water Rights. Photo by Dan Bacher.
§Flower Dancers
by Dan Bacher
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Women from the Hoopa Valley Tribe on the Trinity River did a demonstration of the Flower Dance for Native American Day at the Capitol. Photo by Dan Bacher.
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