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Nukiller Testing, by Jane Gregory

From the September 1991 Special 10 Years Greenham Newsletter

All the nukiller weapons testing countries bomb and contaminate less economically powerful indigenous nations. Stopping England testing nukiller weapons is fundamentally linked to Western Shoshone land rights and respect for their culture.

I heard Carrie Dann speak out at the Nevada test site earlier this year, as she has done many times. Her and her sister, Mary, have for 17 years been defending Shoshone land rights, their livelihood and their way of life. In a court case that has been all the way to the Supreme Court and the Appeals Court three times, they have been accused of trespass on land they and their grandmother and their grandmother before them have used for hundred's of years. As they don't believe "lad is a piece of rea estate which you can buy" but the "breast of the mother that feeds you", they have refused to make an individual claim of ownership and asserted Westrn Shoshone legal sovereignty. The courts have refused to direct the United States Government to honour the treaty of Ruby Valley (1863), instead stating that Western Shoshone Nation have been paid for the land despite never agreeing to sell it or accepting any money for it. The final decision in June, paved the way for a warrant to be issued to sieze the Dann sisters' cattle and horses.

If the Treaty of ruby Valley were honoured, there would be no Nevada nukiller test site.

[Contact info of Dann sisters and two baddies]

I am pleased to report that Juley, Lorna and I have remained free (well out of prison anyway) despite being found guilty of trespass at the Nevada test site and refusing to pay a fine. We were given the maximum fine of $1,000, to be paid at $50 a month. Lorna wrote to the Western Shosone National Council saying "I have decided not to pay the fine,, but thought instead I would send you $150 every 3 month, until I have paid $1,000, as a token recognition of the damage that my government inflicts on your land."

Any other wimmin able to take similar action can send a cheque/money order to the Western Shoshone National Council [address] or send it to me and I'll send it on.

Every time a nukiller test is detonated we could make our voices heard and spread the information. Nukiller testing is a nuclear war being waged now.

On 15th Aug., in New Segobia, Western Shoshone land, a nuclear device was exploded by the U.S. govt. Wimmin at bloo were able to take action to make this information as visible as possible -- also some of us rang the U.S. embassy [phone no.]. The message came via the testing alert network. Any womin who also wants to know when tests are being coducted can write to me and I will get back in touch with you.

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