Amerika still dominates Noochew

In reference to the land returned to the Noochew, Ute people, 
Energy Secretary Bill Richardson said, "We're trying to do the 
right thing, returning land to its rightful owners." In exchange 
for this valiant deed (giving back land that already belonged to 
the Noochew people), the Amerikan government requires the Ute 
Nation to contribute 8.5% of its profits from oil and natural gas 
production to environmental cleanup.(1)

Putting profit before people and the environment, Amerika created 
a radio-active mess near the Arches and Canyonlands National 
Parks. MIM points out that this land was never rightfully 
Amerika's to pollute. More than 10 tons of uranium sits 80 miles 
south of the Uintah and Ouray Amerikan-decided reservation. The 
total cleanup cost could run up to $300 million, of which the 
United Snakes is prepared to start paying $10 million.(1)

In addition to paying for cleanup, the Ute Nation must relinquish 
control over part of its current land along the Green River and 
agree not to use this resource i.e. no dams will be allowed 
there.(1) In 1965, the Ute Nation deferred control of some of its 
water in exchange for promised dams and water storage. Amerika has 
not fulfilled its promises and water projects in the Uintah Basin 
still hinge on Amerikan approval.(2) As part of the recent 
agreement, Amerika creates more broken promises by preventing the 
Ute nation from controlling its own destiny and building the 
infrastructure it needs.

The Utes plan to use oil production to increase members' income, 
currently at $4,520 annually. Currently, Ute unemployment on the 
Uintah and Ouray reservation is 29%.(1)

In an area as large as the state of Texas, the Ute Nation 
originally spanned the Amerika-occupied land called Colorado, 
Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico. Seeking gold, Spanish invaded lands 
traditionally held by the Ute and other indigenous nations. Then 
the Mormons attempted to convert and soon killed Ute Nation 
members.(2)

At gun-point, white nation settlers, backed by ol' Abraham 
Lincoln, marched and relocated numerous Ute bands onto smaller and 
smaller reservations. Settlers squeezed together bands that had 
not traditionally lived together so they would take up less land. 
The Amerikan white settler nation relocated the Ute bands of 
Yampadttka, Pahdteeahnooch and Taveewach (Uncompahgre) to the 
Uintah and Ouray reservation.(2)

During World War I, Amerika swiped a part of the remaining land 
for possible oil extraction for Naval use. The Amerikan government 
is only now getting around to returning the land, yet the u.$. 
still considers the land to be within Amerikan jurisdiction.(1)

The Northern Ute web page states: "'Manifest Destiny' continues to 
live today, the State of Utah wants jurisdiction over Ute tribal 
members within their own reservation. The State of Utah took the 
Hagen jurisdiction case all the way to the Supreme Court. The 
Supreme Court said homesteads and townsites are extracted from the 
reservation (making a donut hole) where the state has jurisdiction 
over tribal members. The Ute Tribe feels, they are a sovereign 
nation and have jurisdiction over our own members within the 
reservation, no matter what."(2)

Amerika has forced First Nations into a position of minimal 
economic survival by any means. Natural resource extraction, 
tourism, casinos, and service industries provide a much-
needed source of income for many First nations. The Amerikan 
white settler nation owes much more to indigenous First 
Nations than the promise, with strings attached, to return 
small swaths of land. All of the land Amerika occupies in 
North America belongs to indigenous peoples. Amerika also 
owes monetary reparations for centuries of blatant genocide, 
labor internment, and never-to-be-recovered malicious 
destruction of North America's natural resources.

Notes to both stories on cana:

1. New York Times, 14 January 2000, p. A13.

2. Northern Ute Indian Tribe webpage: 
http://www.ubtanet.com/~northernute/index.html

3. New York Times, 12 December 1999, p. A6.

4. John Weeks and Phil Gunson. Panama: Made in the USA. 
Latin American Bureau; New York, 1991.

5. New York Times, 15 December 1999, p. A12.

6. New York Times, 1 January 2000, p. A15.