By Vernon Robison
Moapa Valley Progress
Members of the Moapa Band of Paiutes, along with members of other southwest tribal nations, completed a 58 mile, three day ‘cultural healing’ march last weekend in celebration of Earth Day. The march began early Friday morning at the tribal building on the Moapa Indian Reservation and ended on Sunday afternoon with a rally at the Lloyd George Federal Courthouse in Las Vegas.
Moapa Band Environmental Director, Darren Daboda said that planning for the march had started as a protest against the environmental affects of Reid Gardner Station coal powered plant which is located only a few hundred yards away from some reservation residents. But the event had broadened into a more general appeal from Native American tribes in the region to respect the environment.
“We talk a lot about the pollution and the damaging effects of our actions to the environment,” Daboda said. “But to us there is a much deeper cultural affect. These are tribal lands and our people have lived and sustained ourselves here for hundreds of years. They are vitally important to our culture as a nation.”
About two dozen participants gathered Friday at the Tribal Offices at around 6:30 a.m. to set out on the journey. The path went across the fields of the reservation and then climbed up onto the rocky desert connecting with the Union Pacific railroad and running parallel to the tracks. The first day the group walked about 16 miles to the Paiute Travel Plaza at exit 75 of the I-15.
Leading the march were two tribal members. David Lee, a Moapa Paiute veteran, proudly carried the U.S. Flag. Tyler Samson carried the Moapa Tribal Flag. The two set a brisk pace. By lunchtime they had arrived near the I-15 Ute exit.
“This is a good thing to see,” said Dwayne Etsitty, a Paiute elder. “Nowhere but in this country is something like this possible. If we were in Syria or Afghanistan we’d probably have people shooting at us.”
The group stayed the night at the Veteran’s Park across the highway from the Paiute Travel Plaza.
The numbers of the group increased on Saturday and Sunday as more tribal members were off work and were able to participate. Paiutes from neighboring tribes also joined with the Moapa Band including members from the Las Vegas band, Cedar City band, the Shivwitts of Southern Utah, and the Hualapai of Arizona.
At the end of the day Saturday, the group had made it as far as the Speedway in the North Las Vegas. On Sunday morning they continued the journey where they had left off.
Participants followed Las Vegas Boulevard into downtown Las Vegas on Sunday and ended their march at the courthouse. At the rally, members of the various tribes joined with members of the Sierra Club in an Earth Day rally. Over 100 people were in attendance at the rally event.
The rally was focused on calling attention to the plight of the Moapa Paiutes who claim to have suffered ill effects from pollution at Reid Gardner plant. It included traditional Tribal victory dance and song, and Tribal members telling the story of the health and social toll of Reid Gardner.
“Air pollution has caused a great concern for tribal members on the reservation,” said Moapa Band of Paiutes Chairman William Anderson. “We need action from the federal government to protect native people and all Americans from harmful pollution.”
“This Earth Day, we proudly rally alongside the Moapa Band of Paiutes and our other partners for environmental and social justice,” said Lynn Goya, Sierra Club Organizing Representative. “Here in Nevada, that means retiring the dirty Reid Gardner coal plant and replacing it with clean, renewable local energy sources like solar and wind.”
4 thoughts on “Paiutes Hold 3-Day March For ‘Cultural Healing’”
My husband and I co-pastor @ Moapa Christian Church and have seen first hand many deaths in the people that live on the reservation. Medically we cannot assume that they all passed on due to the coal run power plant but for such a small population it has been alarming the number of deaths in the past few months. We stand with our Paiute friends and other Native Americans are concerned with our environment. We pray that the government will not disappoint our Native American friends.
My husband and I co-pastor @ Moapa Christian Church and have seen first hand many deaths in the people that live on the reservation. Medically we cannot assume that they all passed on due to the coal run power plant but for such a small population it has been alarming the number of deaths in the past few months. We stand with our Paiute friends and other Native Americans are concerned with our environment. We pray that the government will not disappoint our Native American friends.
During my short duration, as volunteer support personnel attached to the Moapa Paiute marchers and a tribal member, I had a unique opportunity to witness a level of human character that is defining, honoring and hopeful.
The Moapa Paiute marchers were composed of marchers as young as nine years, many senior citizens, and every age group in between. They walked thru 50 miles of brutal desert between Moapa and Las Vegas with determination that is exceptional.
Each person, in every age group, willingly crossed 50 miles of unforgiving desert to support the ancient concept of survival of the tribe and ageless culture; they traveled as their ancestors once did. Such travel on foot was a part of life for survival, for many countless generations of Natives. Surely, all of the Paiute marcher’s ancestors, wherever they may be, were smiling and pleased with each marcher’s unselfish, individual efforts.
Every indicator reveals it’s a survival situation again for each person, family, or any person who chooses to live in the tribal homeland. By displaying unity as a tribe in periods of adversity indicates that this important aspect of culture still strong and active. It is evident that all will become stewards of unity when needed.
Someday, Moapa people of all ages will awaken in the morning and breathe air that will not shorten their gift of life one second. Hopefully, the surrounding landscape will not be an abandoned toxic waste land of ash and like substances.
Ingenious people are not unfamiliar with marching. My spouses’ ancestors were not by choice, part of the U. S. Government’s “Trail of Tears” relocation plan. That resulted in the deaths of much due exhaustion, hunger, or by freezing to death. This faith happened to infants, children, and adults. The old simply died. This is shameful, murderous U.S. history.
Will history record that the present day Moapa Reservation air pollution that the Native are exposed to be regretful and could have be avoided? Will the area’s history mention life shorting conditions, that is undoubtedly to some degree contributing to the killing the Paiute infants, young, adults and elderly in a slow and murderous fashion?
Every resident from the youngest to the oldest who dwells on the tribal homeland wants to live as long as their destiny allows.
During my short duration, as volunteer support personnel attached to the Moapa Paiute marchers and a tribal member, I had a unique opportunity to witness a level of human character that is defining, honoring and hopeful.
The Moapa Paiute marchers were composed of marchers as young as nine years, many senior citizens, and every age group in between. They walked thru 50 miles of brutal desert between Moapa and Las Vegas with determination that is exceptional.
Each person, in every age group, willingly crossed 50 miles of unforgiving desert to support the ancient concept of survival of the tribe and ageless culture; they traveled as their ancestors once did. Such travel on foot was a part of life for survival, for many countless generations of Natives. Surely, all of the Paiute marcher’s ancestors, wherever they may be, were smiling and pleased with each marcher’s unselfish, individual efforts.
Every indicator reveals it’s a survival situation again for each person, family, or any person who chooses to live in the tribal homeland. By displaying unity as a tribe in periods of adversity indicates that this important aspect of culture still strong and active. It is evident that all will become stewards of unity when needed.
Someday, Moapa people of all ages will awaken in the morning and breathe air that will not shorten their gift of life one second. Hopefully, the surrounding landscape will not be an abandoned toxic waste land of ash and like substances.
Ingenious people are not unfamiliar with marching. My spouses’ ancestors were not by choice, part of the U. S. Government’s “Trail of Tears” relocation plan. That resulted in the deaths of much due exhaustion, hunger, or by freezing to death. This faith happened to infants, children, and adults. The old simply died. This is shameful, murderous U.S. history.
Will history record that the present day Moapa Reservation air pollution that the Native are exposed to be regretful and could have be avoided? Will the area’s history mention life shorting conditions, that is undoubtedly to some degree contributing to the killing the Paiute infants, young, adults and elderly in a slow and murderous fashion?
Every resident from the youngest to the oldest who dwells on the tribal homeland wants to live as long as their destiny allows.