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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 8, 2017)
Page 12 VETERAN’S DAY Special Edition New Prices Effective April 1, 2017 November 8, 2017 O PINION Martin Cleaning Service Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Residential & Commercial Services Minimum Service CHG. $50.00 A small distance/travel charge may be applied CARPET CLEANING 2 Cleaning Areas or more $30.00 each Area Pre-Spray Traffic Areas (Includes: 1 small Hallway) 1 Cleaning Area (only) $50.00 Includes Pre-Spray Traffic Area (Hallway Extra) Stairs (12-16 stairs - With Other Services) : $30.00 Area/Oriental Rugs: $25.00 Minimum Area/Oriental Rugs (Wool) : $40.00 Minimum Heavily Soiled Area: $10.00 each area (Requiring Extensive Pre-Spraying) Push to Drill Overshadows Our Civil Rights Our sacred places under threat to cut taxes for the rich b ernaDette D eMientieff Right now in Washington, D.C., Congress is making decisions that will affect my future and that of my people — the Gwich’in Nation of Alaska and Canada. A critical part of our ancestral homelands, the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Ref- uge — one of the world’s last un- touched places — could be lost to by UPHOLSTERY CLEANING Sofa: $69.00 Loveseat: $49.00 Sectional: $109 - $139 Chair or Recliner: $25.00 - $49.00 Throw Pillows (With Other Services) : $5.00 the thirst for oil. Some in Congress want to open the area to drilling and use the rev- enue to offset tax cuts for the wealthy. Meanwhile, President Trump is qui- etly permit- ting compa- nies to take the first steps towards drilling here. The Arctic Refuge, home to wildlife and vast lands essential to my people’s survival, has been reduced to a line item. I’m disturbed that the push to drill has been allowed to over- ADDITIONAL SERVICES • Auto/Boat/RV Cleaning • Deodorizing & Pet Odor Treatment • Spot & Stain Removal Service • Scotchguard Protection • Minor Water Damage Services 5010 NE 9th Ave Portland, Or 97211 Phone: 503 284-2989 SEE CURRENT FLYER FOR ADDITIONAL PRICES & SERVICES Call for Appointment We specialize in a variety of cuts for men and women, hot towel razor shaves, braiding, hair extension, Shampoo, blow dryer and Platinum fade. (503) 281-3949 Call Today or Walk in !!! shadow our human rights. The Gwich’in people have relied on the lands of the refuge for thou- sands of years. These lands pro- vide everything we need to live and thrive — our food, our cloth- ing, our tools, everything. My people have always subsist- ed on the Porcupine Caribou Herd, whose calving grounds are in the coastal plain. This is why we call the coastal plain “the sacred place where life begins.” This place is vital for the sur- vival of my people. We are cari- bou people. Our elders say that what befalls the caribou befalls the Gwich’in. If they go, we go. Part of us will die with them, and the other half can’t survive with- out them. Our identities as indigenous people are at stake, and decision makers at the highest levels must take that into account. My people, history, culture, and our future must factor into the decision mak- ing in Washington. I’m also disturbed to hear pol- iticians talking about “directional drilling” to justify opening this area as part of the budget. That is, they’re planning on placing drills just outside the boundaries of the refuge and drilling sideways to reach oil under this special place. Directional drilling is billed as safe and clean technology. It’s not. There is no safe drilling. Such drilling would allow mas- sive oil infrastructure to squeeze the borders of the refuge, while drills could be sunk into the coast- al plain, the heart of the refuge, in the name of exploration. That would disturb the caribou calving grounds and hinder the migra- tion patterns of already declining herds. And what hurts the caribou ulti- mately hurts my people. The Gwich’in Nation has been fighting this fight since it first came up 40 years ago. That’s why every two years, the Gwich’in come together to reaffirm our commitment to protect the coastal plain of the refuge from drilling. Last year, people came from the 15 villages that make up the Gwich’in Nation. We danced. We sang. We were well provided for, and I felt that our ancestors were sitting there with us. Now tribes across Alaska are coming together again against drilling. We have a moral responsibil- ity to protect this land for our children and grandchildren. This isn’t a game. Real lives are at stake — our lives — along with special places that are too sacred to drill. Congress must take drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Ref- uge off the table. It’s up to all of us to protect this sacred place for generations to come. Bernadette Demientieff is the executive director for the Gwich’in Steering Committee. Distributed by OtherWords.org.
