Reports out of Blythe, California indicate that Native Americans, displeased with the Feds plans to “fast-track” the approval and construction of solar energy projects, have filed suit in an attempt to derail development plans.
“There is this sense that there is this rush to renewable energy that’s politically motivated and when tribes are consulted their concerns aren’t being taken seriously,” said Michelle Raheja, interim director of the California Center for Native Nations. “There’s no guarantee that once the project starts that they won’t harm something.”
Native Americans believe that, if given the green light, these massive solar projects will harm sacred and culturally significant sites in Western deserts.
Green sources report that lawsuits by two Native American groups endanger the advancement of more than five solar projects deemed “high priority” by the Obama administration. Obama spoke urgently of American’s need to increase its clean energy production in his recent State of the Union address.
According to my sources, the Feds claim to have consulted with multiple tribes and have either made sure the massive solar projects will not harm any historic works or have determined that certain sites are not worthy of protecting.
“The Bureau of Land Management takes very seriously its responsibilities to ensure that these projects are sited and developed in the right way and in the right places, and that we honor our responsibilities to Indian nations and the law,” said Kendra Barkoff, a Department of the Interior spokeswoman.
But to hear those on the other side of the fence tell it, it’s not quite that easy.
According to Dave Singleton, a member of the California Native American Heritage Commission, much of the issue is cultural, and while a site may not be registered as historic, some tribal leaders say they know it’s sacred because of oral history accounts.
“The tribes are saying you’ve consulted us, we’ve identified sites and you’re saying it doesn’t matter,” Singleton said. “There’s a rising anger that they’re being treated with disrespect.”
As Native Americans, they are in agreement with the nature-based principles of solar energy, but many feel that while the projects are fine, it’s the locations with which they take umbrage, many of which are near abandoned villages, native drawings and other cultural landmarks.
Preston J. Arrow-weed, a tribal leader, said that the fast-track projects are advancing so quickly they are “hitting us from everywhere. They seem to want to do it at the price of destroying our history. It’s an assault. They’ve already wiped out a lot of things and now they want to wipe out the desert and any evidence of our past.”
Nevertheless, and despite the suits, Solar Millennium spokeswoman, Andrea Elliot, said the company has already made many concessions to appease both tribal and environmental concerns, and at this point they plan to move forward with their proposed 7,000 acre project in Blythe.
In a company statement, Solar Millennium said “Native American representatives from area tribes have been, and will continue to be, present on site to monitor activities involving cultural resources during project construction.”
Sources:
MSNB C
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There is no such thing as free energy. Until we learn to curtail our desire for more convenience and indulgence, we will trample some part of the earth or another, all of which should be treated as sacred, in order to satisfy our endless appetite. This suit should be about protecting our grandmother earth, not just specific sites. New sacred sites may be necessary for future generations as well, not just as a memory of those who lived here in respect in the past.