- THE STATE OF TRIBES ADDRESS TOOK PLACE TUESDAY BEFORE THE STATE
LEGISLATURE AND GUESTS.
FORMER CHAIR GARY BESAW DELIVERED THIS YEAR'S SPEECH, A
TALK THAT INCLUDED TRIBAL CONCERNS ABOUT MINING AND THE
ENVIRONMENT.
- 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BUT THIS YEAR, THE MINING MORATORIUM LAW WAS REPEALED.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 THE 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 AS 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]