via Indigenous Environmental Network "Yes, we were all in frenzy because we had heard about the permit to pass through highway 12, which runs through territory we ceded to the U.S. while maintaining usufructuary rights (hunting, fishing, water, etc). Now this was on a Sunday, so we all called an emergency meeting of the 9 Council members to discuss the situation. Turns out the State Court in Idaho had granted or recognized the authority of the United States Forest Service to weigh in on whether or not the State of Idaho should or should not issue the permit to move this MegaLoad through our country. Well, the USFS stated that the Nez Perce government had not been consulted (as they are required to do on all highways in our ceded territory) and that they could not support approval of the permit. We (Nez Perce) agree with this statement and even assert that it should be elevated to requiring our Free Prior and Informed Consent according to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Anyhow, the Forest Service said no. The State of Idaho didn’t care, and issued the permit anyway. That left us with limited time, limited options. They backed us into a corner. We all agreed that forming a blockade was a reasonable thing to do." lastrealindians/breaking-interview-with-arrested-nez-perce-councilman-brooklyn-baptiste/
Posted on: Sat, 24 Aug 2013 18:23:24 +0000