Urgently requesting outside support to picket black mesa mine and Mojave generating station

My name is Leo C. Begay. I’m a resident of Black Mesa and I live near Peabody Coal Mine.   I’m protesting against the mining company.   We’ve been blocking Black Mesa mine for about a week now.   We’ve been stopping the mining.   We need more support.

I’m calling for outside supporters to join us because the Navajo police cannot stop outside supporters and also because the elders cannot speak English very well, so we need Anglos to go in and talk to them.

The reason why we are doing this now is because this is the last year before the Black Mesa mines expiration date for coal production on Dec. 31 2005. We need to protest and block the mine now before the summer council session in July.

We don’t want the council members to change their minds and support Peabody’s life of mine proposal which extends the lease to 2026 and Increases coal production and Increases water use.

Mojave was supposed to shut down by Jan 1, 2005 to install new scrubbers.   It has not. They are waiting for the proposed new coal washing facility at Black Mesa mine under the life of mine proposal.

The lease on Black mMesa mine expires by Jan 1, 2006. The workers union contract expires slept. 11

If we can get enough support and act now and in the coming months, protesting outside both Mojave Generating Station and Black Mesa Mine, we can shut down the mine. We need as many people as possible to gather and help us block the mine and protest.

We will be at Black Mesa mine on the road to pinion

Bring tents and provisions.

Transcribed by Anna Claire Wilton, a volunteer with Black Mesa Indigenous Support