Absurd one-sided news coverage of the so-called 'ban'

By Brenda Norrell

The amazing part of the one-sided news coverage of the so-called Hopi Tribal Council ban on environmentalists, which the Navajo president supported, is how few news reporters were even aware of the large number of Hopi and Navajo environmental organizations and individual activists.
The majority of reporters failed to even contact Hopi and Navajo environmentalists, people actually defending the land (with every dime that they have.)
The reporters also failed to consider the obvious: This was a media scam, based on the takeover of the Hopi Tribal Council, by a pro-Peabody Coal faction.
Of course the Navajo president jumped to support it, that's where his salary and the Navajo Nation Council members' salaries and expense checks come from, energy royalties and fees. These councils were established by the United States for the purpose of signing energy leases. (This fact was stated clearly in the Navajo Nation Council's own brochure of its history circulated in the 1980s.)
If all the Hopi and Navajo people defending and honoring the land, air and water were banned, all of the traditional Hopi and Navajo would have to leave their lands.
What the one-sided coverage by AP, Arizona Republic and the others reveals is that the reporters are not spending any time in Indian country. They continue to just rewrite the press releases of politicians and corporations.
Even Mother Jones got duped.
The media that does quote the Hopi and Navajo peoples' press releases often just pour on gasoline and fan the flames, claiming everyone is in a "battle." This is the same way the media fanned the flames of the so-called Navajo Hopi land dispute. This led to Navajo relocation to clear the way for Peabody Coal mining on Black Mesa and more than 14,000 Navajos relocated.
Peabody Coal and its attorneys know how to play the media and get what they want: The seizure of Black Mesa for coal mining and the theft of Hopi and Navajo pristine aquifer water. Peabody and its attorneys are masters of deceit, misinformation and division. News reporters sitting in easy chairs are easy to dupe.

Read responses of Hopis and Navajos: 

Klee Benally (Navajo): Democracy unwelcome on Navajo and Hopi Nations?
http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2009/10/klee-benally-democracy-unwelcome-on.html
Vernon Masayesva (Hopi): Peabody Coal takeover of Hopi Tribal Council
http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2009/10/masayesva-pro-peabody-takeover-of-hopi.html
Alph Secakaku (Hopi council representative): Hopi are true environmentalists
http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2009/09/secakuku-hopi-are-stewards-of-land.html
Ben Nuvamsa (Hopi) responds to so-called ban:
http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2009/10/former-hopi-chairman-nuvamsa-responds.html
Black Mesa Water Coalition (Navajo and Hopi) responds to so-called ban:
http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2009/10/navajo-organization-reponds-to-navajo.html
Calvin Johnson (Navajo): Appalled at Navajo president's ban on environmentalists:
http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2009/10/navajo-appalled-by-navajo-presidents.html
CounterPunch: A dirty new low for Peabody Coal by Brenda Norrell :
http://www.counterpunch.org/norrell10052009.html
VIDEO: Russell Means discusses colonization and the US puppet governments dependent on US dollars. Means also discusses 'fighting Sioux' and mascots:
http://www.republicoflakotah.com/2009/hopi-navajo-update/