INFORMAL MEETING WITH THE AMERICAN INDIAN COUNCIL OF MARIPOSA COUNTY

November 4, 2004 I ventured by Bay Area Rapid Transport (BART) to Dublin, Pleasanton and waited for my good friend Larry Yepez to drive me to Mariposa County to speak informally to the American Indian Council of Mariposa Council. I wanted to meet Jay Johnson an Elder and Chief and former National Park employee who now spends much of his time working on behalf of the Tribal Miwoks. I also wanted to empower those I was going to meet by giving them some pertinent information about the Hetch Hetchy Capitol Improvement Program. What I really wanted to say and satisfy my soul was to put the Sacred Sites around Hetch Hetchy in perspective and speak my mind. The valley that is Hetch Hetchy was and is beautiful and it is my endeavor that better sense prevails and what was once a testimony to the beauty of the Great Spirit - be restored. That greed and actions of desecration be cast aside and the Tribal Miwoks make peace and are at peace visiting the Sacred Sites on their ancestors without any encumbrance. Larry Yepez and Paul Vasquez have worked with me and have given me all the assistance to convene, convince at the local level and hopefully the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission will convey the Sacred Sites and restored what is beautiful but drowned by water unnaturally. Let the healing begin. The tribal Miwoks of Miriposa County are not recognized by the Federal Government - but I say the Federal Government has recognized the tribal people - by stealing from them without their permission their land, their liberty, and most of all infringing the Spirituality of the Tribal Miwoks. Spiritual laws supersede those drawn up by mundane human beings. There is NO law Roman or International that would stand the test of time and decency if the true facts are put up for adjudication. 18 treaties signed by the United States Government were never kept. Tribes were illegally removed from their Tribal Lands and taken to Boarding Schools where they were brain washed. It was forbidden for the boarding children to speak their language. The most despicable actions were showered on the Miwoks and these facts would stand in court and the so called federal recognition and all the perks that come with it - flushed down the commode of disrecognition, misinformation, and plain machinations of the worst order. We have decent people in San Francisco today from our Mayor Gavin Newsom, the Board of Supervisor, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, numerous supporters who feel the pain of the injustice meted out to the Tribal Miwoks. There are some that think the Miwoks do not exist but they do and it is no joke. It fact today the Miwoks are much more empowered and will speak up for what is all theirs in the first place. In the days to come hundreds of letters will be send to the San Francisco Public Utilities Commissioners. In these letters the Commissioners will be told that the Sacred Sites should be respected. The Commissioners will read about facts and the Spirituality of the letters will convince the authorities that is a new reckoning round the corner. We started this course led by the Spirit and what the Spirit does no human can stop. Men like Ron Good have a video and documentation that will convince the stubborn that there are many ways to heal Hetch Hetchy. Once John Muir died over Hetch Hetchy but his spirit is still hovering and leading many good women, children and men to do good stuff? Miwok Elders died thinking about Hetch Hetchy and the adverse impacts. Today, we should look forward and think about healing. There are many environmental organizations that support the restoration of Hetch Hetchy. The time is now because we have the bond money to make a healing difference and bring about consolation to many. In the years to come the world will see a change. It has to start with the indigenous people and the Tribal Miwoks. I am just a messenger and a facilitator. There is only so much I can do. In the future we need deep spirituality, wisdom of the Elders, consensus of those who can and will make a difference. Things are happening in Sacramento. The media and many informed people are ready to go to bat for the indigenous people. All over the world indigenous people are standing up and stating that it is time that their freedom and mostly importantly the land be restored and given back to the rightful owner. There can be no progress without Mother Earth and land over which the indigenous people have full rights and ownership. The notion of Public Trust Land is inherent in Roman Law. No where does Roman Law condone the stealing of land and the suppression of rights of any human being. It is a shame that in 2004 the Constitution of the United States condones so many irregularities - innocent people forced to live on Reservation as Second Class Citizens. Yet, we call them the First People of the United States. The world has never understood the Constitution and the relationship with the First People of the United States. Such irregularities and improprieties stun the educated and fail to win over decency. Many of the past mistakes can be corrected and the sooner we embark to remedy the situation at hand the better. Hetch Hetchy is universal symbol that is waiting for its day of adjudication. I know for a fact there are millions of decent women, men, and children who want justice and know that they will not be let down.

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