Trash Free Pueblo

Aiyana Cree Romero

Taos Pueblo

Identity

The article “Native American Identity” by Perry G. Horse is about how Native American identity is seen and taught. It goes into details about how the terms “native american” and “american indian” are very different. If taken literally. Which is something that I found interesting. The article also goes into detail about how colonialism is just one of many forces that has affected American Indian cultures.

My connection to this article at first was when the author mentioned this part: “When I hear the term Native American, I pause ever so slightly. I know that term includes me because I was born in this country, and I am an American citizen by dint of the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924. I know too that anyone born in this country can rightfully claim to be a native American.”

I connected to the pieces of the information because I had never thought about the words (Native American) and their literal meaning. Anyone can say they are Native American if they are born on U.S soil because they are Native to the land they were born on. Which is something I never really thought about seeing like that

The second article “ Sharing one's Skin” by Jeannette Armstong is about the Okanagan community. Jeannette Armstrong is also a part of the Okanagan community. In the chapter she discusses the difference between Okanagan views and practices and the dominant society views and practices. While also explaining words and phrases in Okanagan.

My connection to this article hit’s a little closer to home. I say this because threw out the article the author explains words and phrases in Okanagan in english. But it's hard to translate the exact meaning. Which is a challenge my community faces today. My native language is not written down or recorded so it is all taught through speaking. My language also has words and phrases that are harder to translate into english/meaning. Another way I connected to this article is when she talks about one of the four capacities of self “spiritual.” I connected to it because one way we connect spiritually is through nature. Which is why I chose my topic to do my topic on Land Use and Management. I believe that we should be helping our earth grow, not trash it.

Armstrong, Jeanette. “Sharing one Skin: The Okanagan Community,” in Jerry Mander and Edward Goldsmith (eds), The Case Against the Global Economy. San Francisco, ( A Sierra Club Books, 1996. Pp 460

Horse, Perry G. “Native American Identity”. New Directions for Student Services, no. 109, © Wiley Periodicals, Inc, 2005. Pp. 61-68.

History

The article titled “Blue Lake” by Ewen Alexander, and Jeffrey Wollock provided by the online database is about how the Taos Pueblo people got their land taken away from them by the US government but got it back from them after a 60 year long battle. In 1906 the US seized the lake and 50,000 acres of land from the Taos Pueblo people. It was then announced that the land was going to be formed into a Carson National Forest. Which at the time was an idea that the Taos leadership was not opposed to. The reason for this being that Taos leadership felt that such designation would help protect the lake and its surrounding land from settlement and exploitation. Tribal leaders even asked the head of Agriculture Department, Gifford Pinchot to allow the pueblo to continue using the lake as their sacred site. In 1916 the new supervisor of Carson National Forest decided that the lake be opened up to outsiders. Pointing out that it was stocked with trout which made the area available for fishing. Cattlemen also saw the opportunity for a watershed and the area was also subject to logging. This made the Taos Pueblo people Angry and in response pushed to have the lake returned to them with full control which resulted in a 60 year long battle with the United states. It wasn’t on till December 15, 1970 that President Richard Nixon signed the bill that returned blue lake and its land back to the Taos Pueblo People.

My connection to the article “Blue Lake” by Ewen Alexander and Jeffrey Wollock start’s with the reason that this is a story of my people that holds a lot of history. I also connect to this article because it shows just how strong my community is that we fought the US government for our land back when we ourselves were still trying to adapt to society. It motivated me to spread awareness that we should be taking the most extreme measures to keep our lands clean because at one point it was taken away from us.

The next piece of information comes from an old ad/video campaign called "Keep America Beautiful: The Crying Indian (1970)" provided by the Keep America Beautiful Organization in the 1970s called “The Crying Indian.” The ad starts off with the actor Cody Iron Eyes paddling his canoe in the beautiful mountains. He eventually ends up in the city where on the way he paddles through trash and is surrounded by air pollution from factories. Pulling up to the shore next a highway Cody Iron Eyes is in shock at how much trash has covered the once natural world. Coming up to the highway he is met with speeding cars and more trash. The narration then comes into the ad saying “ Some people have a deep abiding respect for the natural beauty that was once this country , - and some people don't.” During this narration a person is seen throwing a bag of fast food at his feet. Cody Iron Eye then looks up at the camera where you see a single tear rolling down his cheek. The narration continues saying “People start pollution, people can stop it.”

My connection to this video "Keep America Beautiful: The Crying Indian (1970)" comes at the end when Cody Iron Eyes comes up from the water and the narration comes in saying “Some people have a deep abiding respect for the natural beauty that was once this country , - and some people don't.” I connect to this because it demonstrates that since then (1970) we should have been keeping our lands clean because again at one point it was taken away from us.

My last and final article “Navajo tribe embarks on a long-term cleanup” by Bill Donovan is a news article from 1997. It is about the Navajo Nation and their former president Albert Hale who since taking office in 1995 vowed to clean up an airstrip by the airport which at the time was a growing illegal dump site for over 50 years. At the time in May of 1996 Hale contacted tribal and federal agencies and collected $60,000 to get rid of the garbage. For 1 month tribal crews in protective gear removed 400 cubic yards of trash. The site had layers of garbage in a ravine 40 feet deep and 100 feet long all within 50 yards from the airstrip. While cleaning workers found thousands of disposable diapers, broken televisions, refrigerators and two cars from the 1930s proving just how long the trash had been there. All the trash was packed into trucks and transported to regional Arizona landfills. After everything was over tribal officials took photos of the area that may have not been visible to the naked eye since World War ll. The article then goes on to talk about how for generations tribes have dumped trash which in the beginning was mostly organic waste like bones and food scraps on open land. It wasn’t till the early part of the 20th century that Native Americans started to take up the same habits as Europeans, buying packaged items made with things like metal, glass and plastic. The article concludes with tribal officials agree that the dumping problem comes down to people being educated on the issue.

“ We’re going to have to get our people to respect the land as our elders have been telling us.”

My connection to the article“Navajo tribe embarks on a long-term cleanup” by Bill Donovan is at the end when he talks about it all coming down to people being educated on the issue. When it came down to choosing a topic for SHP and I found my topic that is exactly what I thought. If people were more educated earlier on what it is doing to our environment then maybe we could prevent things before they happen. I also connect to the coming together part of the article, this is what I hope will happen for my action plan.

Gordon-McCutchan, R. C., and Frank Waters. Taos Indians and the Battle for Blue Lake. Santa Fe, N.Mex.: Red Crane Books, 1990.

Waters, Frank. The Man Who Killed the Deer. Athens: Ohio University Press, 1970.

Wilkinson, Charles F. Blood Struggle: The Rise of Modern Indian Nations, pp. 208–220. New York: W. W. Norton, 2005.

https://kab.org/about/approach/mission-history/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0sxwGlTLWw

Bill Donovan Aug. 18, 1997 From the print edition Like Tweet Email Print Subscribe Donate Now. “Navajo Tribe Embarks on a Long-Term Cleanup.” High Country News – Know the West, 18 Aug. 1997, https://www.hcn.org/issues/112/3563.

Current Event

The news/ AV article “Illegal dumping on tribal land increases, along with environmental impact, cleanup costs” by Heidi Meili is about the Confederated Saliah and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation in Lake County and their battle with illegal dumping on their tribal land. Over the years Confederated Saliah and Kootenai Tribes have seen an increase in illegal dumping, which they fear could affect their land and water ways. Natural Resources Director Rich Janssen shares stories in the video of people driving to Lake County dump site only to find it closed. But instead of saving it for another time they chose to dump it on tribal land. Throwing away a hot tube, couches, and even a refrigerator. Each year the tribes see more illegal dumping which not only hurts the environment but also the tribes budget. Officials say expensive removal affects everyone on the reservation and Lake County.

My connection to the article “Illegal dumping on tribal land increases, along with environmental impact, cleanup costs” by Heidi Meili didn’t come from the reading. It came from the pictures, I connected to them because their land looks a lot like my tribe's land. The photos gave me an idea of how bad illegal dumping can get if people aren’t given the proper resources or aren’t taking advantage of the resources they have. Not only could it affect our environment but if not addressed the issue could affect the tribe's funds. Which could put a hold on certain projects that need funding. This reasoning led me to believe that this is why tribes and other severgn nations can’t thrive.

The second news article “New online series, 'Talking Trash,' focuses on illegal dumping on Navajo Nation” by Noel Lyn Smith is about the Navajo Nation and their new way to prevent illegal dumping on their land. The first and second lady of the Navajo Nation launched an online series called “Trash talk” which is focusing on illegal dumping and its hazardous effects on the tribal land. The series will focus on many different topics including garbage disposal cost, human health impacts, composting, zero waste, and much more. Their focus is to hopefully keep the people informed and educated on the effects of illegal dumping. First lady Phefelia Nez said in a press release: “As with many initiatives like this one, the more the public knows, the more likely they will be a part of the solution. We need to work together to keep our homelands beautiful.”

My connection to the news article “New online series, 'Talking Trash,' focuses on illegal dumping on Navajo Nation” by Noel Lyn Smith was when the First lady of the Navajo Nation mentioned: “ As with many initiatives like this one, the more the public knows, the more likely they will be a part of the solution. We need to work together to keep our homelands beautiful.”I connected to this part of the article because it shows that even after you try and solve an issue or it does get solved, it’s still there. Starting an online series is just one creative way to spread awareness and educate people on an issue.

The Last news article “Navajo Nation to seek prosecution for illegal trash dumping” by the Navajo Hopi Observer is about how the Navajo Nation is taking legal action against an illegal dumping case that happened in the community of Black Mesa Arizona. Navajos Nation President Jonothan Nez shares stories of talking with community members and hearing their concerns over illegal trash dumping implying that this has happened more than one time. Nez also shares how the tribe utilizes the land for ceremonial doing and his concern for what could happen if illegal dumping isn’t addressed. Many of the tribal members suggest that perpetrators be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. With this in mind Vice President of the Navajo Nation Myron Lizer told the observer “he is hopeful that the situation in Black Mesa will serve as a reminder to perpetrators that the Nation will pursue prosecution for illegal trash dumping.”

I connected to the article “Navajo Nation to seek prosecution for illegal trash dumping” by the Navajo Hopi Observer at the mention of how their tribal leaders also are concerned about the affects illegal dumping has on their community. I connected to this because even though illegal dumping isn’t really as big of an issue in my community it still motivated me to think ahead of what could happen if not prevented. It also informed me that sometimes legal action is the only way to get to people. This motivated me to spread awareness on the issue not just in my community but other communities as well.

Meili, Heidi. “Illegal Dumping on Tribal Land Increases, along with Environmental Impact, Cleanup Costs.” KECI, KECI, 29 Mar. 2021, https://nbcmontana.com/news/local/illegal-dumping-on-flathead-reservation-increasing-official-says.

Smith, Noel Lyn. “New Online Series, 'Talking Trash,' Focuses on Illegal Dumping on Navajo Nation.” The Daily Times, Farmington Daily Times, 1 May 2021, https://www.daily-times.com/story/news/local/navajo-nation/2021/05/01/navajo-nation-first-second-ladies-start-series-illegal-dumping/7412549002/.

Nation, Navajo. “Navajo Nation to Seek Prosecution for Illegal Trash Dumping.” Navajo-Hopi Observer News, 27 Aug. 2019, https://www.nhonews.com/news/2019/aug/27/navajo-nation-seek-prosecution-illegal-trash-dumpi/.

Page updated

Report abuse