Healing Wounds of War
Some six centuries ago European colonization and genocidal war upon the indigenous people of this continent began. The wounds of that war are still bleeding. War upon the Navajo people beginning with the Spanish colonialists has been ongoing including the infamous enforced Long Walk in the winter of 1864.
Today, the Navajo Nation, or Dine' is essentially situated on 27,000 square miles of land within Arizona, New Mexico and Utah with a population of some 180,000 native people with a family poverty rate of 47%. Nearly 40% of homes are without electricity, 20% lack running water and nearly half lack plumbing. Unemployment is an astronomical 43%.
This is all a direct result of wars waged upon the Dine' people by the U.S. Military and Government, wars and treaties that stole their land, decimated their people and now a corporate controlled system that continues to systematically destroy their traditional way of life.
The Dine', as they call themselves, have an inalienable right, as all people do, to clean air and water, to their own sovereignty and to preservation of Sacred Lands, all of which are constantly being encroached upon and polluted by commercial uranium mining, Peabody coal mining, gas and oil drilling interests.
One of Veterans For Peace essential purposes is to end war and to heal the wounds of war. Right here in U.S. America the war upon native people continues and the wounds are still bleeding. In an attempt to address some of these issues the Veterans Peace Team, in solidarity with, and by invitation of the Dine' leaders, will be initiating an ongoing project this Spring to rebuild houses of elder Dine' military veterans, who after their military service are now living with inadequate resources and housing.
In mid-May or June we will begin this project. If you have carpentry, plumbing or electrical skills and would like to join this effort and/or have questions please contact Gerry Condon or Tarak Kauff.