Cultural Corner

Continued from last week

SECTION II: WHY THE FOUR WINDS ARE HAVING PROBLEMS

The Montreal Amendment shall enter into force on 1 January 1999, provided that at least twenty Parties have ratified the Amendment. In the event that this condition has not been fulfilled by that date, the Amendment shall enter into force on the nineteenth day following the date on which twenty Parties have ratified the Amendment.

One has to wonder whether or not these international agreements will have a dramatic effect on reducing emissions that impact the Four Winds. Current statistics show that gasoline consumption has increased in the United States and that the trend is expected to continue. The United States Department of Energy (DOE) reported that the economic slump in 1991 accounted for a drop in highway motor fuel use in the United States, but consumption rose again and reached 137.2 billion gallons being consumed in 1993. The DOE cited increased population and increased numbers of automobiles for the increases. The good news is that automobiles do pollute less because of better designed emission controls, but people are consuming more fuel.

It is interesting to point out that the United States uses as much gasoline as do the Far East and Oceania. The United States consumption in 1995 was 17,225 barrels per day of refined petroleum products and the Far East and Oceania used 17,993 barrels per day.

There is little doubt that the consumer society continues to use and demand more fuel, perpetuating the problems associated with emissions, such as greenhouse gas formation and ozone depletion. The Four Winds will continue to be affected until peoples habits and energy demands change. Until we again learn to respect and appre­ciate the Four Winds, they will continue to be assaulted.

On a personal front, the Akwesasne Territory has been impacted for four decades by industrial air pollution from an aluminum smelter, located west and upwind of the territory. The smelter has released tons of fluoride each year into the local environment. The emissions, containing fluoride, has affected plants, animals, and humans. The emissions have harmed plants, such as grape, maple, pine, and lichens. The emissions, deposited on grasses, have harmed cattle, bees, and wildlife. The people of Akwesasne, who once relied on home gardens for food, have stopped using their gardens, in fear of ingesting fluoride and suffering the same fate as cattle. Cattle, in the Akwesasne territory, were found to be contaminated with fluoride, as evidenced by fluorosis. The fluorosis literally caused the teeth to fall out of cattle, stunt their growth, and cause malnutrition. The impact of the smelter has affected several generations and severely limited Akwesasne in being able to maintain self-sufficiency and quality of life.

SECTION III: HOW WE CAN HELP THE FOUR WINDS

Why We Should Protect Our Air

We should protect our air because it is the very essence of life. It sustains all life, carries life, it delivers life. Without the Four Winds, plants could not reproduce and we could not live without them. The air is a gift that we must care for and not destroy by indiscriminately dumping toxic poisons into it. It is a valuable resource that we must preserve for our children and their children. The Four Winds are at the very essence of our world, providing rain, drying land, and driving our weather.

How We Can Protect Our Air

We can protect the air by ensuring that changes we do in life do not necessarily pollute the air. We should consider driving together to reduce fuel usage, driving sensible automobiles, and maintaining our automobiles so they run properly. We can tell our leaders that the air we want to breathe must be clean and that they should force stricter clean air regulations.

What Can We Do As Individuals

As individuals, we can decide whether or not what we do is having an impact on air quality and whether or not that is acceptable to us. Individuals can decide whether or not to smoke or whether or not to burn trash. Trash should not be burned because it contains plastics and metals that will get into the air from burning. If you are to burn, try to minimize your impact by only burning leaves, wood (not pressure treated), and other natural fibers. To burn anything else only puts the problem into the air.

What We Can Do As A People

As a people, we can examine our life’s activities and determine whether or not they conflict with our values. We are taught to respect Mother Earth, and all Creation, including the Four Winds. We can examine whether or not the activities we as a people are involved with, permit, or otherwise do not object to are in conflict with our teachings, and decide whether or not to make corrections or adjustments as necessary. We can speak to other govern­ments: state, county, and federal; and discuss our concerns for air pollution and impacts to our lands. We can within our own communities develop processes to deal with and manage air pollution sources within our territories. Management can mean regulate by law, permit to operate and set conditions for the operations, and control through enforcement if air pollution sources exceed what we consider acceptable.

Very recently, the federal government authorized the Tribal Air Regulation, which affirms the fact that Tribal Nations have the authority to regulate and manage air quality within their territories, and have certain rights and privileges which can influence impacts from outside reservation bound­aries. Tribal leaders must understand what the Tribal Air Regulation is, how to use it, and how to benefit their people by using it.

THE END