Saturday, February 4, 2012

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  {tab=Donate} Click here for the General Needs List
  • Donate: You can make 501-C3 tax-deductible donations here: http://blackmesais.org/donate/.
  • Fundraise! Fundraise! Fundraise! As a grassroots, all-volunteer network, we do not receive nor rely on any institutional funding for these support efforts, but instead count on each person’s ingenuity, creativity, and hard work to make it all come together. We are hoping to raise enough money through our community connections for gas, specifically for collecting wood and food for host families, and for work projects.   Host events, hit up non-profits, generous food vendors, and folks in your own networks. An article that we want to highlight is ‘8 Ways to Raise $2,500 in 10 Days’. Check our website soon for this document, template letters to vendors, fundraising guidelines, and more. 
  • Find a Truck for a Big Mountain Organizer! Big Mountain resident, activist and organizer (Louise Benally) is requesting the donation of a truck.  For most of her life she has been actively resisting and organizing against the federally forced relocation laws and the multinational energy corporations destruction of her homelands and community.  She continues to travel outside Big Mountain, speaking on behalf of her people and the lands, networking with others, as well as traveling around her area organizing meetings and outreach.There is still so much pending and threatening with the Peabody intent on expanding its operations on Black Mesa. It is vital that the communities have the resources to organize themselves, and for residents have access to go to meetings.  In addition to all of this,the daily life of living at Big Mountain is an act of resistance and the ability to haul water, wood and navigate the muddy and snowy roads is necessary for that survival.  As well as an activist, Louise is a mother and a grandmother, and she is asking for our help. IDEAL  TRUCK:1990’s model 4x4 Toyota (or other) Extended cab allows more riders for meetingsSomething that is in good working condition, a “junker” causes morehardships than help.Please fundraise in your community to support Louise! You can contact Black Mesa Indigenous Support volunteers for guidance. Having a vehicle for her by this fall is ideal.
  • Trucks, chainsaws, & supplies are integral to the success of the wood & supply runs (also known as caravans). The more trucks we have, the more wood, water and other heavy loads we can transport. Axes, mauls, axe handles, shovels, tools of all kinds, organic food, warm blankets, and did we mention trucks? — either to donate to families or to use for the week of the caravan–are greatly needed on the land to make this caravan work! We’ve got a 501-C3 tax-deductible number, so if you need that contact us. Please keep checking the BMIS website for an ongoing list of specific requests by Black Mesa residents.
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  • Stay with a family any time of the year: Families living in resistance to coal mining and relocation laws are requesting self-sufficient guests who are willing to give three or more weeks of their time, especially in the winter. Contact BMIS in advance so that we can make arrangements prior to your stay, to answer any questions that you may have, and so we can help put you in touch with a family. It is of the utmost importance that each guest understands and respects the ways of the communities that we will be visiting. Since it is crucial to have good help out there, and not create more work for the families, supporters are required to read and sign the Cultural Sensitivity & Preparedness Guide: http://blackmesais.org/tag/cultural-sensitivity/
  • Join the Fall Wood & Supply Run / Caravan: Connect with a coordinator or create a work crew in your region. Contact BMIS so that we can connect you with others who may be in your region. So far caravan coordinators are located in Prescott, Phoenix and Flagstaff, AZ; Denver, CO; Santa Cruz, CA; Eugene and Portland, OR; and the San Francisco’s Bay Area. Meeting locations and dates will be posted on the BMIS website & our facebook page as coordinators set them up. This caravan will be in collaboration with the annual Clan Dyken Fall Food and Supply Run on Black Mesa. It is of the utmost importance that each guest understands and respects the ways of the communities that we will be visiting. Prior to visiting Black Mesa, all guests must read and sign the Cultural Sensitivity & Preparedness Guide: http://blackmesais.org/tag/cultural-sensitivity/
  • Each spring long time support group Clan Dyken organizes a caravan to plant gardens on Black Mesa:  "It's time to start thinking about a planting trip to the Big Mountain, Black Mesa, Sand Springs areas of the Navajo Reservation in Arizona. If you don't know about our work on the rez check the Beauty Way page of the web siteThere is a lot to do...."Mark Dyken www.clandyken.com

Continued residency by families throughout the Big Mountain of region has a significant role in the intervention of Peabody Coal Company's plans to desecrate Black Mesa & add to climate chaos. You can visit for several weeks to months or organize a work crew for about a week. Guests are expected to be adequately prepared prior to staying with families on Black Mesa, which is high desert and very remote.

{tab=Letters & Petitions}
  • REPEAL PL-9531! Help BMIS launch a campaign to Repeal 93-531  Campaign. Sentate Law 93-531 is the forced relocation law. Although these are now outdated, here are profiles, email addresses, phone numbers & addresses of some appropriate public officials.  This list needs revised and made into form letters. If you can help with this please contact us. Forced eviction of Dine' families on HPL is a crime against humanity.
  • Amplify the struggle on Black Mesa in social, environmental, and climate justice movements. Too often Black Mesa becomes invisibilized as other human rights, environmental justice and climate justice struggles are showcased and highlighted in both the mainstream & progressive media. The truth is that all of these struggles are interconnected and central to our collective survival is the need to increase the visibility of struggles such as Black Mesa, a decades-long indigenous-led resistance to the fossil fuel industry, in related movements for human rights, environmental, climate & social justice.
  • Keep Coal in the Ground! Lets make connections with environmental groups who are working on corporate campaigns and fossil fuel moratoriums.
  • Learn about and support the grassroots organizers of Black Mesa.
  • Write letters to the editors of your local newspapers on the various issues of Black Mesa.
  • Organize prayer vigils in support of the traditional Dine' and Hopi People.
  • Act as a Human Rights Observer; stay with a family.
  • Stop Peabody, check out our section on things you can do to help stop Peabody Coal.
  • Improve your everyday lifestyle choices. Lessen your water and electricity usage, how much gas you use, what you consume. You play a part in this. We are all from the Earth.
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WHEN IS IT ENOUGH? EVERY DAY THAT WE WAIT TO ACT, THE PROBLEM GETS HARDER TO SOLVE.

Give back to the Earth! Give to future generations!

  • Host or attend regional organizational meetings in your area: We strongly urge participants to attend or organize regional meetings. Due to the large number of caravan participants in past years, we are limiting the number to just under 100 this fall. Please register early and plan on attending meetings held in your region. There you’ll engage in political education work and help regional coordinators plan logistics, fundraisers, and collect donated food and supplies ahead of time.
  • Raise Awareness about Black Mesa and the caravan. You can obtain literature from BMIS here.
  • Challenge Colonialism! One of our main organizing goal’s is to highlight anti-colonial education within all the regional meetings leading up to the caravan. In addition to the Cultural Sensitivity Guide, we encourage you to bring articles, films, and other resources to your regional meetings & host discussions that further our collective understanding for transforming colonialism, white supremacy, genocide, & all intersections of oppression. We have started a resources list, which is now on the website.  Feel free to share with us any resources that you like so that we can build upon this list & strengthen our growing support network! In addition please check out our Points Of Unity.

May the resistance of Big Mountain and surrounding communities on Black Mesa always be remembered, and supported!

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