Inuit Kids March in Streets to Protest Pebble Bay Mine in Alaska
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 01.23.08
So why are these 7th grade Inuit kids marching in the streets? Well, on first glance you might expect that they've taken to the streets to protest the relative indifference of many over the threat to their way of life posed by global warming. But they’re actually taking on another issue that strikes close to home, and they’re letting the world know about it…
They’re calling their group “Rebels to the Pebble” and asking people everywhere to support their cause. In fact, what they’re protesting is the creation of the Pebble Mine that’s being proposed near Bristol Bay, Alaska to extract two of the world’s most precious metals: gold and copper.
Of course there are gobs of money at stake, but the truth is that it could become the biggest mine of its type, as well as the world’s biggest dam, smack in the middle of the world’s largest salmon fishery.
And their teacher, Kathy McLinn, says the students acted after doing research into the project and its possible effects on the environment. The idea was to study an issue and then write a persuasive essay. And apparently the kids grew tired of that exercise in a hurry…
As McLinn points out "They wanted to talk to people who mattered, powerful people, people who could make a difference. I had a 100 percent group of kids who were opposed to the Pebble mine."
And McLinn's students are largely natives, so their families depend on local salmon and plants for subsistence. As she says, "To talk about damaging that in even the slightest way is earth-shattering. It's very, very profound."
As one student said recently at a rally "There's no such thing as a clean mine, and that's what they're proposing.” I'm just completely against the mines. It's basically just going to, in my opinion; ruin a lot of our wildlife." And according to a recent survey that’s a sentiment that roughly two-thirds of local citizens hold.
Unfortunately, with the price of gold hitting $900 per ounce recently, and the price of copper going up exponentially, the truth, as I suspect it, is that it will be very difficult to hold off that mine...
But when you've got creative, passionate, and committed kids involved you never know what incredible things can happen. And there's no doubt that everyone at Treehugger will be rooting for them!
See also: Surprising Number of UK Teens Support Total Ban on Air/Car Leisure Travel to Stop Global Warming , The Most Terrifying Video You'll Ever See
via:: NPR
"So why are these 7th grade Inuit kids marching in the streets?"
Sigh... these kids are protesting for the same reason kids anywhere protest... because the adults influence them into it. If you told them in the right way, kids would protest water.
I think these kids are doing a great thing. They are concerned for future generations to come, they are the ones thinking sustainably. http://www.npr.org/blogs/bryantpark/images/2008/01/goldmine/publish_to_web/index.html if you listen to the kids in that video they talk about preserving the place they grew up in for their children. It will be interesting to see if these kids can have a big enough impact to stop this. Shouldnt they have a say?
Go, go, Rebels to the Pebble!
I read about a movement to mine gold in an ecologically friendlier way. At the very least people can pledge not to buy Dirty Gold.
One link is here:
http://www.communitymining.org/envioeng.htm
Many companies have pledged to use 'green gold.' While the focus is on artisanal miners of gold and other minerals in the case, there exist alternative mining methods.
The Inuit youngsters are wise to be concerned. Look at the effects of gold mining by Newmont in Indonesia.
Check out also the articles on Richard Ness, who oversaw the Buyat Bay Beach project. He was featured in the New York Times, posted here:
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=11522
Hope those links help some people. I hope the Inuit can avoid the experience that many indigenous people have had who live on lands coveted for their gold. Through the Internet, they can learn a great deal about how to protect their ecology by looking at places where natives have succeeded, as well as what has failed. A lot is at stake; the youngsters must feel if not recognize the scope of the threat.
Could it possibly be any more obvious that this was entirely orchestrated by the kids' teacher? There's something really nauseating about activist grown-ups brainwashing kids.
Hurray for unemployment!
As an Alaska Native of Yup'ik descent, I would like to thank you at Treehugger for bringing some much needed attention to this issue. The proposed mine could have a catastrophic impact on the environment. I have family in Dillingham (although I live in Anchorage), and I can assure you that this is an issue of major concern in the area, at every age level.
However, I do feel the need to point out that the term Inuit is not widely used in Alaska. I personally do not know anyone who used it, and many who are offended by it. It is simply not what we call ourselves. The term Alaska Native is most common, for both Eskimos and Alaska Indians (and no we are not offended by the word Eskimo). However, it is preferred if you refer to a group by the name of the language they speak, such as Yup'ik, Inupiat, Gwich'in Athapascan etc.
Is someone complaining about adult influence?? Is it wrong that these kids are being influened by people who dont want to see the way of life for these people ruined by a mine! Good on the adults for teaching the kids the value of what they have!! Great on the kids for protesting!
I am writing about this in our magazine (in a tiny section though) that publishes every Monday and can reach about 200,000 readers, but I could not find these pictures any where. Maybe TreeHugger or anyone who took them would not mind sharing?