Here & Now

Besaw Discusses Environment In His State Of The Tribes

Frederica Freyberg:

The State of Tribes Address took place Tuesday before members of the state legislature and their guests. Former Menominee Chair Gary Besaw delivered this year’s speech. A talk that included tribal concerns over mining and the environment.

Gary Besaw:

When the mining moratorium law was passed in 1998, or the “Prove It First” law, as it was known, it included a common sense provision that any metallic sulfite mining attempts in Wisconsin must first prove that the same type of mining was operated for ten years, then closed for ten years and there was no environmental degradation or pollution emanating from it. So basically when technology caught up with mining and could prove it could happen and it wouldn’t hurt us or the environment, Wisconsin would agree to monitor it and allow it. Made sense. But this year, the mining moratorium law was repealed. This reversal of much of the protections of the “Prove It First” law goes against all our knowledge and common sense. But as we said, we’re not luddites. We understand a certain amount of risk might be tolerated in exchange for certain minerals that help society. We get it. But we don’t think that technology day has come yet. We aren’t allowed ethically to put our future babies’ world at high risk. We’re not allowed to. We must look at alternatives such as recycling or no mines near water. We got to find an alternative. We have no choice. That’s our moral ethics as Tribal Nations. And please, we are no one’s enemy when we oppose this law change. We’re not doing this to argue or make enemies. This is our moral grounds and we have no choice but to stand and hold them.

[cheers and applause]