Indigenous Peoples and Human Rights

January 31, 2012

O'odham Ofelia Rivas: URGENT Halt Gold Mining in Sacred Quitovac



URGENT: PROTECT SACRED QUITOVAC FROM GOLD MINING
O'ODHAM LANDS -- (Jan. 30, 2012) Ofelia Rivas, O'odham, speaks on the urgent need to protect Quitovac from gold mining. Quitovac is the sacred ceremonial community of O'odham south of the border in Sonora, Mexico.
Funds are needed now for travel in Sonora, and meetings with Sonoran officials, to halt this gold mining by Silver Scott Mines, Inc. Video by Censored News.

READ MORE on genocidal gold mining planned for Quitovac:
http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2011/12/traditional-oodham-halt-mining-genocide.html
Donate to O'odham Solidarity Project:http://www.solidarity-project.org/
Direct cash donations are also essential! Please remember that every little bit helps! Donate to the O'odham Voice Against the Wall
Mail well concealed cash or money order to:Ofelia Rivas
PO. Box 1835
Sells, Arizona 85634

Ofelia Rivas e-mail: oodhamrights@gmail.com
O’odham Rights-Cultural and Environmental Justice Coalition
            
oodhamrights@gmail.com   
December 2, 2011
Lic. Rafael Carlos Quiroz Narváez
Delegado Regional de PROFEPA
Hermosillo, Sonora
Lic. Abigail Galvez
PROFEPA

Greetings,
On behalf of the O’odham (peoples) Sonora, Mexico and O’odham from Ali Jegk community of the Tohono O’odham Nation, I am writing to request your assistance to defend and protect our cultural significant and sacred ceremonial site located in Quitovac, Sonora, Mexico. The Silver Scott Mines Inc. proposed open pit mine operations will detrimentally impact not only the health of the O’odham but will also destruct the sensitive ecological environment within the area.
Quitovac is an ancient O’odham village and is the location of a profoundly sacred ceremonial site continually inhabited by our people for thousands of years. This site is also biologically sensitive significance, as it is a precious fresh water spring-fed lagoon in the middle of the Sonoran desert. 
The impact of the water and air of this ceremonial site by an open pit mine and contamination from its operations would devastate the spiritual well-being of the O’odham and be a cultural and environmental disaster is an act of genocide.
As the PROFEPA is charged with the responsibility to upholding environmental justice and is entrusted by legal mandate to exercise its commitment to the natural environment and the Indigenous peoples are of the natural environment, we respectfully request that you do everything possible to stop this proposed open pit mine operations by Silver Scott Mines, Inc. and protect the traditional O’odham lands and sacred ceremony site.
Respectfully, 
Ofelia Rivas, Cu:Wi I-gersk Community and Ali Jegk Community                             
O’odham Rights-Cultural and Environmental Justice Coalition
Bradley Angel, Executive Director
Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice      
Traditional O’odham Leaders, Governors of O’odham communities in Sonora, Mexico
Ali Jegk community of Gu-Vo District of the Tohono O’odham Nation                     
                                                            
cc.
C.P. Leonel Coronado Mendoza
Director de CCDI Caborca
Sonora, Mexico
L.C.I. Griselda Veronica Leyva Egurrola
Regidora Etnica Tohono O´otham
H. Caborca, Sonora
Attachments; 
Traditional O’odham Governors Resolution
Ali Jegk Community Resolution
Articles of Silver Scott Mines, Inc


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