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City of Flagstaff Administratively Renews Controversial Contract with Ski Area for Wastewater Snowmaking

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Native Media Not Invited to Participate in Press Conference

 

Peaks Protest Outside Flagstaff City Hall

FLAGSTAFF, AZ — In spite of at least ten years of sustained public outcry from Indigenous Nations and community members, City of Flagstaff officials have administratively renewed a controversial 5 year contract to sell up to 180,000,000 gallons of treated sewage effluent to Arizona Snowbowl ski area for snowmaking purposes on the Holy San Francisco Peaks.

City Manager Kevin Burke spoke at a press conference today to explain the City’s actions. “Having determined that all obligations have been met by Arizona Snowbowl and the City, the Utilities Director renewed the agreement for a period commencing March 20, 2012 through March 20, 2017.” Burke stated.

Burke stated that of over 60 wastewater agreements, all of them are for uses inside City limits except for Arizona Snowbowl.

When questioned why the decision to renew the contract wasn’t opened to the public after years of public outcry to do so, Burke responded that the decision wasn’t subject to “legislative process.” Burke acknowledged that requests were made to open the process to the public but responded that he “didn’t have any council requests to place it on the agenda, there is no legislative process, its purely administrative.”

Burke responded to critics by stating, “There has been ample public participation. And this was not a legislative action, public participation doesn’t change the conditions of the agreement.”

City Manager Burke also stated that “there has been ample due process”, as he referred to the lawsuits against the Forest Service over human health concerns with reclaimed water, and the Hopi Tribe’s lawsuit against the City which recently lost in Superior Court.

When asked when the media advisory had gone out, Burke said, “This morning.” and when questioned if the media advisory went to tribal newspapers Burke stated, “I dont know.”

A City press officer stated, “It just went to my typical, my usual groups, it did not. it just went to the folks I normally send it to.”

When questioned if new information about concerns in wastewater were part of the City’s deliberations in renewing the contract, Burke responded, “In regards to the wastewater agreement, there are no deliberations in regard to modification to that agreement.”

When asked “How do you respond to critics that say the city has adopted an unofficial policy of cultural and racial intolerance?”, Burke stated, “I think thats an unfair characterization, there’s a lot more to our relationship than a single agreement. We’ve demonstrated in other discussions and work many collaborative aspects between the City of Flagstaff and Tribal Nations. Specifically the agreement reached with the Navajo Nation regarding pumping on Red Gap [Ranch] this past year is evidence these discussions can and do work.”

The City of Flagstaff purchased Red Gap Ranch, located 35 miles east of Flagstaff, near Navajo and Hopi lands, to address water shortage issues.  The Navajo Nation initially threatened legal action against the City of Flagstaff to prevent Flagstaff’s water use from impacting the Navajo Nation.

As of today, Snowbowl has asked and received permission from the U.S. Forest Service to make snow from potable water trucked from an unidentified source, in an attempt to increase profits during Spring Break.

 

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No Thanks, No Giving! Indigenous Action Yearly Fundraiser (online)

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Support Indigenous radical autonomous, anti-capitalist, anti-colonial organizing & agitation!

COLONIZERS GOTTA PAY! SMASH THE NON-PROFIT CAPITALIST
INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX!

Donate to Indigenous Action:

LINK: www.paypal.com/paypalme/indigenousaction

This is our yearly call for material support for Indigenous Action activities & donation drive for Táala Hooghan infoshop unsheltered support & operational expenses.

Indigenous Action (IA/originally Indigenous Action Media) was founded on August 25th, 2001 to provide strategic communications and direct action support for Indigenous sacred lands defense. We are a volunteer-run radical autonomous crew of anti-colonial & anti-capitalist Indigenous trouble makers & propagandists.

We generally are comprised of designers, artists, writers & frontline agitators that work together on a project by project basis (some long-term some short) for liberation for Mother Earth and all her beings. We’ve organized hundreds of actions, marches, banner drops, workshops, conferences, benefits, & much more. 100% of all proceeds directly support radical Indigenous organizing. Everything we do is based on community support. We don’t rely on grants. We’re all in for total liberation.

Some (not all) active projects & organizing we’re currently directly involved with:

  • IA Podcast+ Táala Hooghan Infoshop
  • KinłaniMutualAid.org
  • HaulNo.com
  • ProtectthePeaks.org
  • Ongoing local/regional frontline support:
  • Resource/supply distro, bail, jail support
    organizing, etc.
  • Graphic & web support for a dozen
    current Indigenous-led campaigns.

Some larger yearly expenses we need immediate support for:

  • Táala Hooghan taxes & utilities (the space has been free to use by KMA for 3 years):
    Approx. $6,000+/year.
  • Regional supply distro for Indigenous unsheltered relatives: $1,000-$3,000, we also maintain funds for emergency hotels.
  • Anti-state repression + DA support: $3,000+ varies, but we maintain an ongoing bail fund & frontline resource support.

www.indigenousaction.org

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anti-colonial

16th Annual No Thanks, No Giving!

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Indigenous Action presents:
16th Annual No Thanks, No Giving!
Food share, anti-colonial resistance & solidarity discussion circle, & online fundraiser!


DONATE: 



1:30p – 4pm
We will prepare and serve mutton stew and other foods for all who join us. Please bring any dish to contribute if you wish, we also plan on actively distributing (possibly mobile) any extra foods.

Local volunteers needed! Contact: indigenousaction@gmail.com

At 2:30p we will have a talking & action circle focused on anti-colonial resistance & solidarity. Representatives of Kinłani Mutual Aid, Haul No!, volunteers with Protect the Peaks, and autonomous organizers supporting unsheltered relatives will present & discuss upcoming actions & organizing. We will also discuss building Indigenous solidarity with local efforts to Free Palestine. Come ready to share, support and get involved! Everyone welcome!
This event is free, please bring donations for unsheltered relative support (tents, sleeping bags, tarps, jackets, etc).

This is also our yearly fundraiser for Táala Hooghan infoshop and Indigenous Action activities!
Please donate online via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/indigenousaction
Support Indigenous autonomous organizing and agitation!

*We will not host a livestream this year.

When: Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023
1:30pm – 4:00pm MST.

Where: Táala Hooghan Infoshop1704 N 2nd St, Kinłani (Occupied Flagstaff), AZ

MASKS REQUIRED This event will be held both indoors and outdoors (dress warm!) with limited indoor space. We will maintain social distancing & mask protocols for immunocompromised relatives.

For 16 years we have hosted No Thanks, No Giving! as an anti-colonial event to bring together radical Indigenous voices, share traditional foods, and benefit unsheltered relatives at Táala Hooghan Infoshop in Kinlani (Flagstaff, AZ). More info: www.indigenousaction.org

#nothanksnogiving #MutualAid #indigenousmutualaid #solidaritynotcharity

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anti-colonial

New Book: No Spiritual Surrender, Klee Benally

New Book: No Spiritual Surrender: Indigenous Anarchy in Defense of the Sacred is a searing anti-colonial analysis rooted in frontline experience.

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No Spiritual Surrender, Klee Benally Book
New Book: No Spiritual Surrender, Klee Benally

NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE & SELECT BOOKSTORES: No Spiritual Surrender: Indigenous Anarchy in Defense of the Sacred

No Spiritual Surrender: Indigenous Anarchy in Defense of the Sacred is a searing anti-colonial analysis rooted in frontline experience. Klee Benally (Diné) unrelentingly agitates against colonial politics towards Indigenous autonomy and total liberation of Nahasdzáán (Mother Earth).

Available now from Detritus Books detritusbooks.com

406 pages | $20 Nonfiction | Paperback Available in select bookshops.

About the author: Klee Benally is a Diné (Navajo) anarchist and undisciplined agitational propagandist. Originally from Black Mesa. Klee currently resides in occupied Flagstaff, Arizona. kleebenally.com, indigenousaction.org

www.detritusbooks.com

Wholesale inquiries: detritusbooks.com
Now booking speaking tour dates: indigenousaction@gmail.com

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