ナバホ国首長が、ナバホ国は新たな世代にウラン採掘の被害を被らせることはないと証言

２００２年以来ナバホ国の首長を務めるジョー・シャーリーＪｒ（写真）は、フラッグスタッフで開かれた先月の小委員会で、今後もナバホ国はナバホの土地やその近隣においけるウラン鉱石の採掘に反対する立場を守り続け、ウランの採掘をさせないためにあらゆる手段を講じると語った。以下は彼の議会における印象的な証言のいくつかを北山が翻訳したものである。

「連邦政府がナバホ国の周辺におけるウラン鉱石の採掘再開の許可を考えているらしいが、たとえそれがどこであれ、今なおわれわれが過去のウラン採掘の被害に苦しんでいる現実を見れば、それはわたしの良心に照らして受け入れ難い。連邦政府のウラン鉱石採掘再開の動きにたいし、わたしは、今回議会が立案して可決した『ディネ（ナバホ）自然資源保護法』を承認した。この法律は、ナバホ国の境界線の内側、そして広義のナバホ・インディアン・カントリー全域の両方において、いっさいのウラニウム採掘を禁止するものである」

「ナバホの人間として、ウラン鉱採掘影響をこのまま、次の世代の母親や父親が死んでいくのをただ見るだけで、知らぬ顔で見過ごすわけにはいかない」

「そのためにはこれからもなんでもしていく。はっきりと声に出して反対をし、そのための手段を講じる。われわれは新しい世代として生まれてくる赤ん坊たちが奇形であることをのぞまない。われわれはわたしたちの一族の者たちがガンなどの異常とともに生きることになることも、同時に顔の見えない企業が利益をむさぼったむあげくに勝手に倒産を宣言し、土地をほったらかしにして自分たちの与えた損害に背を向けたまま立ち去ることも、とうてい受け入れることはできない」

「今日もなお、ウラン鉱採掘の後遺症が人々と大地の両方を荒廃させ続けている。鉱山で採掘に従事したものたち、その家族、および鉱山の近隣に暮らしていたものたちは、ウラニウムに身体をさらしたことに起因して増加するガンの発生率や、他の身体の医学的不調に苦しんでいる。鉱山やウラン鉱処理施設で働いていた父親たち、その息子たちは、自分たちの家族がそのことによってウラニウムによる被爆を被ることなどまったく知らないまま、汚染された土ぼこりを身につけて家庭内に持ち帰っていたのだ」

「そうしたウラニウム鉱山のほとんどがそのままうち捨てられた。今も大地に傷口を無残に広げたまま放射性物質を漏らし続けている。ウラン鉱を精錬していた工場は、汚染された大量の廃石を屋外の廃棄場にそのままうち捨てた。廃石置き場のなかには無許可のものもかなりあった。そうしたところでは今も土壌や水の放射能汚染が進んでいる」

「一族のものたちの多くがこれまで命を失った。メディスンマンの多くが亡くなってしまった。その結果われわれの文化は今では風前のともしびだ。メディスン・ピープルのなかにはたいへんな知識を持っている人たちがいた。その人たちとともにそうした知識もまた失われた。それは図書館がなくなったようなものなのだ。文化の多くがなくなってしまった。わたしたちの一族に起きているのは、そういうことなのだ」

「ウラニウムによる放射能の汚染は現在もなおわれわれの大地に、われわれの水に、われわれの生命に影響を与え続けている。ウランが巡り巡って今もなお他の世代を巻き込み続けることは許し難いことである」

関連記事：

　世界先住民ウラニウム・サミット宣言
　ナバホ・ネーションがウラニウムの採掘を法律で禁止する
　歴史を繰り返さないときめたナバホ国のあり方と、今のわたしたちの便利すぎる暮らし
　ナバホ国の境界のすぐ外でウラニウム採掘をねらう企業に動きが
　ナバホの土地で今なにが起きているのか

原子力について忘れてはいけない呪文（改訂版）

• 原子力はクリーンエネルギーじゃない。
• 原子力は安いエネルギーじゃない。
• 原子力は地球温暖化への解答じゃない。
• 原子力は安全なものじゃない。
• ウラン鉱石採掘には危険がいっぱい。
• 核兵器の投げかけた脅威は終わってない。
• 核廃棄物の問題はずっと未解決のまま。
• 核施設の誘致はその土地を豊かにしない。

＊本記事の元ネタは、友人から送られてきたもので、アメリカではまだニュースになっていない。ニュースになるべきだと思う。このところブッシュ一派のパワーハングリーな連中が仕切っている合衆国政府は、原子力産業とつるんでグランドキャニオンの周辺などナバホ・カントリーの周辺でウラン鉱石の採掘を虎視眈々とねらっているが、これはそうした動きにたいするナバホ国の回答のようなものだ。３月３０日付のプレスリリースの原文（英語）は、下に貼り付けてあります。興味のある人は全文をお読みください。

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 30, 2008

NAVAJO PRESIDENT JOE SHIRLEY, JR., TELLS CONGRESSIONAL
SUBCOMMITTEE NATION WILL NOT WATCH ANOTHER GENERATION
HARMED BY URANIUM MINING

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley, Jr., told a
Congressional subcommittee here Friday that the Navajo Nation
remains opposed to uranium mining on or near its land, and will
take whatever action necessary to prevent it.

"It is unconscionable to me that the federal government would
consider allowing uranium mining to be restarted anywhere near
the Navajo Nation when we are still suffering from previous mining
activities," he said. "In response to attempts to renew uranium
mining, the Navajo Nation Council passed, and I signed into law,
the Diné Natural Resources Protection Act. This law places a ban on
all uranium mining both within the Navajo Nation boundary, and
within Navajo Indian Country."

Testifying at a joint oversight hearing before the Subcommittee
on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands at the Flagstaff City
Council Chambers,President Shirley said Navajos "do not want
to not sit by, ignorant of the effects of uranium mining, only
to watch another generation of mothers and fathers die."

"We are doing everything we can to speak out and do something
about it," he said. "We do not want a new generation of babies
born with birth defects. Wewill not allow our people to live with
cancers and other disorders asfaceless companies make profits
only to declare bankruptcy and then walkaway from the damage
they have caused, regardless of the bond they have in place."

The hearing was held to gather testimony on "Community
Impacts of Proposed Uranium Mining Near Grand Canyon
National Park." In December 2007, the U.S.Forest Service
authorized VANE Minerals, LLC, to conduct exploratory drilling
for uranium three miles south of Grand Canyon National Park.
The Park Service used Categorical Exclusion Category 8 to
approve the drilling,which covers short-term investigations
and which had limited public involvement. Consultation with
tribes amounted to sending a letter.

On March 6, Subcommittee Chairman Congressman Raul Grijalva
wrote to U.S.Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer to ask that the
Forest Service re-initiate the process "to ensure a more rigorous
public involvement and environmental analysis process."

About 200 people filled the council chamber at the Flagstaff City
Hall. Also presenting testimony during the first morning panel
with President Shirley was Kaibab Paiute Tribal Chairwoman Ono
Segundo and Havasupai Tribal Chairman Don Watahomigie. Both
also testified that their tribes are opposed to renewed uranium
mining in and around the Grand Canyon region.

Appearing with Congressman Grijalva was Arizona Congressman
Ed Pastor and California Congresswoman Grace Napolitano.

President Shirley said that as the Cold War raged more than 50
years ago, the United States government began a massive effort
to mine and process uranium ore for use in the country's nuclear
weapons programs. Much of that uranium was mined on or near
Navajo lands by Navajo hands.

"Today, the legacy of uranium mining continues to devastate
both the people and the land," he said. "The workers, their
families, and their neighbors suffer increased incidences of
cancers and other medical disorders caused by their exposure
to uranium. Fathers and sons who went to work in the mines
and the processing facilities brought uranium dust into their
homes to unknowingly expose their families to radiation."

"The mines, many simply abandoned, have left open open
scars in the ground with leaking radioactive waste. The
companies that processed the uranium ore dumped their
waste in open – and in some cases unauthorized – pits,
exposing both the soil and the water to radiation."

Asked by Congressman Pastor whether the Navajo Nation
sees any benefits to come from uranium mining, President
Shirley the opposite has been true in the past.

"Many of my people have died. Many of my medicine people
have died, Congressman," he said. "And as a result, our
culture has gone away, some of it. Some of the medicine
people with the knowledge they have, when they goon,
it's just like a library has gone on. You lose a lot of culture.
That has happened to my people."

He said the tragedy of uranium's legacy extends not only
to those who worked in the mines but to those who worked
and lived near the mines that also experienced devastating
illnesses. Decades later, families who live in those same
areas continue to experience health problems.

"The remnants of uranium activity continue to pollute our
land, our water,and our lives," he said. "It would be
unforgivable to allow this cycle to continue for another
generation."

He explained that in recent years, many companies have
approached the NavajoNation with promises of riches.

"They have promised us newer and cleaner methods of
mining that they say will not harm the land, the water,
or the people," he said. "We have repeatedly declined
their offers."

He said the Nation has been told that in situ leach mining
is a process that injects a solution into the ground to separate
the ore from the surrounding rock.

"These companies claim the process is harmless," President
Shirley said."The science on this process is, at best, inconclusive,
and, at worst,points to increased radioactive contaminants in the
groundwater after the mining operations cease."

He said he cannot believe the claims of safety "when history and
science establish a different record."

"The Navajo people have been consistently lied to by companies
and government officials concerning the effects of various mining
activities.Unfortunately, the true cost of these activities is
understood only later when the companies have stolen away with
their profits leaving the Navajo people to bear the health burdens."

Asked by whether he was contacted by the Forest Service about
allowing VANE to conduct exploratory drilling near the Grand
Canyon, President Shirley said no. He added that any Navajo
official or division director who may have been contacted would
have given the Forest Service the same answer.

"Every testimony coming from the Navajo Nation, whether it's
through me, any of our council delegates, any of our legislators,
it's no, we do not want the further mining of the uranium ore on
Navajo land or on land contiguous to Navajo land," he said. "So
if there's any conversation that took place with any of the U.S.
Forest representatives, that's what they've heard."

"We just don't want it," he said. "We have a law in place, and
that's the Diné Natural Resources Protection Act that says no
way will we allow, no way will the Navajo Nation or any of its
departments or any of its staff allow the further mining of
uranium ore on Navajo land."

CONTACT
George Hardeen, Communications Director
Office of the President & Vice President
The Navajo Nation
DESK 928-871-7917
CELL 928-309-8532
pressoffice@opvp.org