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Sammy Blackbear
Member of the Skull Valley Band of Goshutes
Sammy Blackbear is one of the most outspoken critics of the Skull
Valley Band's decision to sign a contract with Private Fuel Storage
for the temporary storage of nuclear waste on the Band's reservation
lands.
Opposition to the contract within the Band, while identifiable,
is difficult to quantify. In May 2001, 18 members of the Skull
Valley Band joined a lawsuit challenging the contract with PFS.
Blackbear was interviewed on the Skull Valley reservation, at
a point overlooking the proposed site for the radioactive waste
storage facility, by program Producer Ken Verdoia.
Ken Verdoia: What was your first reaction when you heard
there was a lease agreement between the Skull Valley Band and
PFS?
Sammy Blackbear: Well, when the tribe first was told that
we'd be doing business with PFS, we were all surprised because
we thought that our purported council would just look into it
and not sign a lease because we didn't give that permission. So
we were surprised at that, and we didn't feel that at that time
it would be a good idea. We weren't given any safety data. We
weren't given a specific amount of how much the tribe would even
get. We were just told, "You guys would get a lot of money,"
and I said, "Okay, can you be more specific?" "Oh,
you guys will just get a lot of money." I said, "Oh,
okay."
Well, ever since then it's just gone from bad to worse and a
lot of our concerns are being unanswered. You know, the tribe
didn't get fair market value. We didn't get that, and several
tribal members haven't even seen the lease. By law every tribal
member has to look at that lease and approve it. By law. And if
there is one tribal member that says they don't understand what's
going on, or safety data concerning PFS, by law that lease is
supposed to be null and void. It's supposed to be history. These
are our concerns and they are just being unheard right now.
Verdoia: Are you concerned about what the nature of that
business is planned for the Skull Valley?
Blackbear: Well it does because whether or not people
like it or not, within Skull Valley, the land is not ours. It
never was ours and never will be. We're caretakers of the land.
We're suppose to take care of it for the next generation and I
don't see us doing that putting a nuclear facility there. Mr.
Bear and his associates know this and they should have thought
that before they even thought we would have the facility here.
So yeah, that's a concern. It diminishes who we are, and that's
also being unheard. And I think that's why now that tribal members
are taking a hard look at it, they're not happy with PFS.
Verdoia: But you have a federal agency in the Bureau of
Indian Affairs that's been protecting your interests.
Blackbear: Well, I wish that was so. The Bureau of Indian
Affairs basically waived our rights in three days. You cannot
waive the rights of a sovereign tribe and sovereign land. That's
also illegal. You can't do that. No agency in the United States
can do that. And Mr. Bear and his associates also sold our sovereign
rights and you can't do that. They signed a lease for 20 years
with an extended 20, to a total of 40. You can only do a lease
on an Indian reservation for seven. Just about every aspect of
PFS coming here is illegal. They've totally ignored protocol,
law, federal law. Pretty much everything you name they've done
illegally and we don't like it, so that's why, not only myself,
but other tribal members are bringing PFS to task. Not only them
but the Bureau of Indian Affairs. And, the gross negligence and
lack of their fiduciary duties to Native American people. I'm
sorry, but we believe that the Bureau of Indian Affairs is not
our friend. They are there to dismantle reservations, not to help
Native American people. And we believe that's why they've let
this activity go on so long.
Verdoia: What you're describing is, the Skull Valley Band
at one time being a fairly tight community, but the past ten years
have had a major impact on relationships within the tribe?
Blackbear: No, I wouldn't say that. We all get along.
We're all family. The tribe chooses just not to talk about it.
We all get along. We all go visit each others' homes. It's just
an issue that...it's a bad issue so we care not to discuss it.
When it gets to that point in the Native American community, it's
best not to have them here. And they have acted unhonorably. They're
trying to use our own sovereignty against us, and that's only
because Leon sold it to them. You know, they've used the tribal
sovereignty against the state of Utah. They've done that. Now
they're trying to use our sovereignty against us. Our own sovereignty
against our own people. And that's when enough was enough.
Verdoia: Your concern about PFS has a lot of support.
Every member of the Utah Congressional delegation has voiced opposition.
The governor of the state of Utah has said, "Over my dead
body." So it doesn't seem like you're short on friends in
powerful places.
Blackbear: Well we hope to keep continuing that support.
They've helped us, at least the Utah delegation has helped us
tremendously in Washington, by bringing up this issue and keeping
it out for people to see. Now as far as the Representatives up
at the Capitol, they're giving their support. I wish they would
help us out a little more, but I really don't know what to say
because some people are saying, "Over my dead body"
and some are saying, "Well, we can't do nothing about it
so we'll just tax them now." "We'll tax PFS," and
that is a total turn around from, "Over my dead body,"
and it's got me concerned.
Verdoia: You have made a financial comparison between
what the tribe would benefit from the lease and what Tooele County
would benefit from the lease. Can you tell me about that comparison?
Blackbear: Well, Tooele County signed the lease with PFS
or an agreement 190 million dollars. I think it was; I'll have
to recheck that. The tribe's getting 48 million. So, there's a
huge comparison. We're taking all the risk. We're destroying our
reservation. As soon as you look at that you say, "Something's
not right." Something's not right, and that alone comes close
to not having fair market value for our land.
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