Want some good news from Tubularsock? Come on. I know it’s different but I’m lov’n it!
Remember the Nimiipuu? Well don’t worry if you know the Niimiipuutimt language there would be no problem.
Oh, you don’t know Niimiipuutimt? Hmmm.
Well to save you the time of learning a new language to discover this good news Tubularsock will translate this for you …….. hey, don’t thank me now.
In Niimiipuutimt the Nimiipuu translates into “the people” but the name we know these people by is what the French Canadian fur trappers called them, the Nez Perce.
They are a Pacific Northwest Native American people who now have a reservation in Idaho. How that all happened is the typical tragic drama of the U.S./Native American Holocaust relationship.
But, now-is-now and the Nez Perce have stopped the shipment of General Electric’s subsidiary Omega Morgan heaving hauling of XL pipeline supplies from crossing their reservation on Idaho State Highway 12.
It came down like this.
The Nez Perce asked the Federal Government’s Forest Service to stop GE from having mega-loads that are not allowed on regular highways to not be allowed to cross their Reservation and Clearwater National Forest due to environmental and native land treaty rights that were not being considered.
The State of Idaho gave GE a permit to use Highway 12 and said to discuss the issue with the Forest Service and the Nez Perce before moving the first mega-load of equipment for the XL Pipeline.
Instead GE started to move their first mega-load along Highway 12 and was delayed by the Nez Perce who blocked the highway and were arrested for blocking the highway.
The Nez Perce hauled the Forest Service back into Federal Court and the judge ruled that the Forest Service has the authority to stop GE from moving mega-loads through the region and that, “The Tribe’s treaty rights, the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, and forest management policy all trumped the megaloads on Highway 12”.
Of course this is still in play but this round goes to the “Indians not the Cowboys”.
GE in return filed a motion with the federal court, asking the judge to reconsider his decision that lead to the Highway 12 closure. But that is unlikely.
The fear is that by allowing these shipments to continue using Highway12 it would become an “industrial corridor” and would ruin a pristine environment.
An interesting side-note is that GE seems pretty sure that the XL pipeline is a done deal and is still moving all the pipe and equipment into place. Now will Mr. Step-And-Fetch-It-Obummer man up and say NO to the XL?
Tubularsock is not holding his breath!
Tubularsock 