By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch Managing Editor

WINDOW ROCK, Navajo Nation – On Thursday the Navajo nation reached a 554 million settlement with the United States government, ending years of litigation. The landmark settlement stems from a 2006 lawsuit in which the Navajo nations claims the United States Government mismanaged natural resources and trust fund assets dating back to 1946. The Navajo nation charged the federal government with failing to properly managed, invest and account for tribal funds and resources derived from the tribe’s 14million acres of trust lands, which are leased for various purposes, including farming, grazing, mining and timber harvesting. The Navajo Nation semi-autonomous reservation is the largest Native American reservation in the United States with 300,000 members and 27,000 square miles of territory in three states, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. Despite the nation’s vast resources wealth many of the tribal members who live in remote areas of the reservation live without basic modern amenities, including electricity and running water. The Navajo lawsuit alleges that the Bureau of Indian affairs miss-management of Navajo assets contributed to extreme poverty on the reservation and prevented the nation from taking actions of its own.

On Friday the United States Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, under whom the Bureau of Indian Affairs is managed, led a delegation of federal officials at a signing ceremony at tribal headquarters in Window Rock. After the ceremony she said that the funds will be transferred to the Navajo Nation within weeks. “By the end of the year, we believe the check will actually be here and in the bank and earning interest,” Jewell said.

United States President Barack Obama has directed that future interactions with Native American tribes should be based on a government-to-government status, recognizing that tribes should exercise self-governance and self-determination, Secretary Jewell. “Our job with 21/2 years remaining is to make sure that we deepen the relationship with Indian country, so no president coming after President Obama — Republican, Democrat or independent — can undo the good work that we’ve started, because we need to move forward in this next generation,” Jewell said.

Acting U.S. Assistant Attorney General Sam Hirsch, who attended Friday’s ceremony, said President Obama has long worked to strengthen ties between the United States and the Navajo Nation, adding that “it reflects my personal commitment to resolving long-standing lawsuits rather than wasting the time and resources of both the United States and Indian tribes in contentious litigation.”

The landmark legal settlement, which concluded eight years of litigation, is the most paid by the federal government to a single Native American tribe. Ben Shelley, President of the Navajo Nation, said the agreement does not fully compensate the nation for the loss of revenue suffered and harm caused by the federal governments action’s over the past several decades. However, he believes the settlement marks a turning point in the relationship between the federal government of the United States and the Navajo Nation. “The trust litigation has been a protracted battle and, in the end, it was a victory for tribal sovereignty,” Shelly said in a statement. “After a long, hard-won process, I am pleased that we have finally come to a resolution on this matter to receive fair and just compensation for Navajo Nation.”

For more information please see:

The Arizona Republic – U.S. Government Formally Agrees to Pay Navajos $554 Million – 26 September 2014

CNN International – Navajo Nation to Sign $554 Million Settlement from U.S. Government – 25 September 2014

The Los Angeles Times – U.S. Settlement with Navajo Nation is Largest Ever for a Tribe – 25 September 2014

The Washington Post – U.S. to Pay Navajo Nation $554 Million in Largest Settlement with Single Indian Tribe – 25 September 2014

By Lyndsey Kelly
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

WASHINGTON D.C., United States of America – On Tuesday 23 September 2014, more than 140 heads of state and government gathered in New York City for the 69^th annual United Nations general assembly. With the current state of world affairs this year’s agenda took on new crises, including the rise of Islamic State extremists in Iraq and Syria, the Ebola outbreak, and the ongoing civil strife between Ukraine and Russia. However, traditional topics such as nuclear weapons and climate change were also discussed.

On Wednesday, the United Nation Security Council convened at a special session chaired by United States President, Barack Obama, in order to reach an international agreement regarding disarming ISIS. The agreement seeks to sever the flow of funds and weapons to extremist groups. Thus, straining the rapid development of extremist groups such as ISIS.

In addition to addressing the concerns regarding security issues in the Middle East, United States Secretary of State, John Kerry, focused on the U.N. Climate Summit. Kerry states that it is “absolutely imperative” for the world to curb the impact of climate change immediately.

Additionally, the Ebola outbreak in Africa was a highly discussed matter at the summit. Last week, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution addressing the rapid spreading of Ebola, calling it an “international peace and security threat.” The resolution called for field hospitals to be set up in outbreak areas, along with all U.N. member nations to provide assistance in the form of qualified staff and supplies.

Since the first case of Ebola was discovered, it has claimed the lives of more than 2,7000 individuals. The United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, stated at a recent press conference, “Ebola is an exponential crisis that demands an exceptional global response.” President Obama also addressed the issue at the summit, and asked world leaders to provide more assistance in the form of funds and medical aid to the affected countries.

For more information, please see the following:

NEW YORK TIMES – President Obama to Address U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday – 23 Sept. 2014.

TIME – UN General Assembly Kicks Off in New York City – 23 Sept. 2014.

US NEWS – Obama Tackles ISIS, Ebola, and a Nuclear Iran at U.N. General Assembly – 24 Sept. 2014.

WALL STREET JOURNAL – Transcript: Obama’s Address to the United Nations General Assembly – 24 Sept. 2014.

By Lyndsey Kelly
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

MEXICO CITY, Mexico – On 21 September, Mexican authorities issued an alert concerning a toxic spill into a river due to a copper mine run by the company Grupo Mexico. Grupo Mexico operates a $1 billon a year Buenavista mine in Cananea, Sonora, which produces nearly 200,000 tons of copper.

The chemical, which is used to dissolve copper from ore, turned a 60km stretch of Sonora River the color orange. The spillage caused the authorities to shut down the municipal water supply to seven towns, affecting more than 20,000 people. Officials in the northern state of Sonora also asked that citizens to not use any water from the Bacanuchi River.

Carlos Arias, the civil protection director for the border state of Sonora, stated that his department is taking measures to ensure people and livestock do not come in contact with the water until it can be tested. The Sonora state civil protection agency said it would end its relationship with Grupo Mexico, due to the company’s continuing discharge of toxic substances into the water supply. The recent spill comes jut weeks after a spill of 40,000 cubic meters.

On 6 August, two rivers were contaminated by a spill due to the mining giant, causing thousand of residents to be left without clean water. The spill was recorded as the worst environmental disaster in Mexican history by a mining industry. The contamination forced authorities to shut down hundreds of water wells and distribute millions of liters of water in trucks. At least five individuals sought medical attention after coming into contact with the polluted water.

More than a quarter of Mexico’s mining activity is located in the north-western region. Thus making it Mexico’s top producer of gold, copper and graphite. Grupo Mexico reached an agreement with the Mexican Government, in which Grupo would create a trust to pay for all environmental damage caused by toxic spills. The company has since set up a $150 million trust.

For more information, please see the following:

ABC NEWS – Western Mexico State Reports New Mine Spill -21 Sept. 2014

BBC – Mexico’s Sonora State Reports New Mine Spill – 21 Sept. 2014.

BLOOMBERG – Grupo Mexico Spill Sparks Scrutiny of $150 Million Cleanup – 17 Sept. 2014.

WALL STREET JOURNAL – Grupo Mexico To Set Aside $150 Million for Mine Spill Cleanup – 11 Sept. 2014.