PRESS RELEASE

Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Contacts:

Dailan J. Long, Diné CARE, Doodá Desert Rock Committee (505) 801-0713

Elouise Brown, Doodá Desert Rock Committee
(505) 947-6159

Lori Goodman, Diné CARE
(970) 259-0199

Desert Rock Blockade: Doodá Desert Rock Resisters are Served, Diné
Power Authority is booted from Council Agenda

Early Wednesday morning, the resisters of the Doodá Desert Rock
Blockade were served with several Temporary Restraining Orders and an
immediate injunctive relief on behalf of the Diné Power Authority/Sithe
Global. The complaint, filed in the district of Shiprock, NM Tuesday
afternoon, cites the unlawful entry of Burnham citizens and their
interference with the process of the proposed Desert Rock power plant.
DPA/Sithe’s actions are the follow up from a threatening letter which
Stephen Begay (DPA) delivered to resisters Tuesday afternoon.

Alice Gilmore, Grazing Permit holder for the site, also received a
restraining order against her despite her continual outcry against the
project. Gilmore has never relinquished her permit and has no plans to
stop opposing the project. Other resisters are supporting her stance,
and despite being served, there is no future of resisters backing down.

“Restraining orders are not stopping us” states Lucy Willie, Vice
President of the Doodá Desert Rock Committee, “we’re here to stay.”
After being served, the group learned of DPA/Sithe’s proposal being
removed from the Tribal Council’s Agenda for Thursday’s Session.
DPA/Sithe had plans to request $7 million from the Navajo Nation for
the project but, for undisclosed reasons, they were taken off the
agenda. Elders at the blockade are accrediting Council Delegate
Francis Redhouse for the occurrence. “We want to thank our son, Mr.
Redhouse from Teecnospos, for standing up for us,” Willie continues,
“We’re finally being heard.”

As a matter of fact, the world is tuning in. “We are getting a massive
amount of media from Europe, Canada, Australia, and other foreign
countries,” states Dailan Jake of Burnham, New Mexico, media
spokesperson for Diné CARE/Doodá Desert Rock Committee, “There are a
large number of people, within and outside the United States, that are
listening and the media is publicizing this story because this project
is an act of terrorism and cultural genocide. Sithe Global LLC, Desert
Rock Energy, and the Diné Power Authority are committing an injustice
against Native people and the world is seeing how they are acting.”

The Doodá Desert Rock resistors are under the legal services of Brad A.
Bartlett, Energy Minerals Law Center and have also retained the legal
representation of James W. Zion. They are still asking for public
support.

 

        


Reprinted as an historical reference document under the Fair Use doctrine of international copyright law. http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html