range complex will be located or is proposed to be located. we're still trying to find it. so trying to put a stop to it. so yeah, the stray bullets from the sorry range. well dropped into this area and into the ocean. yeah, i just wanted to show you that and then we're going to go into some family. our family is one of many families across squan who's ancestral lands were taken from them after world war 2, around 2 thirds of the island was actually seized by the us after the war. families live peacefully. i rented in for many years before it was condemned in the 60s for national defense purposes. and then in the ninety's, when the land was no longer needed, it was declared excess. it was supposed to be returned back to be original land owners, my family, and 3 other families. but instead it was transferred to the federal government to become a fish and wildlife refuge. so in the ninety's,

lineal descendants of blood tax and were told that they endangered species were more important than the land being returned. and now we're being told a firing range complex is more important than protecting the endangered species because it's being built over a conservation area. it's not just the fisherman that are going to lose some of the best christine waters around the entire island. it's not just our local feelers who won't be able to access forever. this little plants that can be found in this area. it's not just the 15 endangered species that call this place home. the turtles that nest here on the stands that come back every year that are going to be impacted at the center of this issue. there's an indigenous land rights issue for tomorrow. people were a peaceful people. we don't want our lands, we don't want our waters to be transformed into the largest military training area in the world. we just want to live peacefully on our islands. we want to be able to

keep our water clean, want to be able to preserve our fresh water officers for future generations. we want to protect our coastal waters from contamination from lead to us and other heavy metals that will fall into the water that will contaminate the sand. winds political status as an unincorporated territory of the us is really at the heart of why the tomorrow people don't have a seat at the table to protect our resources in the midst of this mass military expansion. so we're here at the museum. this is the location of the offices of the commission on the quantization. and what this organization does is they look at the different political status options for guam independence, free association and statehood. and so that they understand the complex situation

that were in, in regards to our political status as an unincorporated territory of the us. so we're going to speak today with the director melvin one pet or i just excited to pick his brain to understand the ways that our political status impacts us as a colonized people. jesus must say for meeting with us today. so 1st off, can you explain juan's current political status and our relationship with the united states? we are domestically a part of the united states, right? we, we, we operate within the system of government. but we are not privy to negotiations with other government entities with other government bodies. right. so the military build up here on guam essentially was a bilateral agreement between the us, federal government and the japanese government and guam. even though we are ultimately going to bear the burden of the build up, we were not

a part of any conversation negotiation around how this bill that was going to happen. anybody knows the history of the build up is basically that the united or the japanese government, which also colonized ok. now let's not forget, right? that ok now is not japan that those people are not japanese that they also, you know, have been dealing with a long legacy of colonial rule that you know, the, the, after the war, the united states and japan became allies. part of that deal was that the united states would be allowed to have, you know, military presence in japan. but japan decided that they're not going to build this base in japan. they're going to build it in ok now. and so of course, you know, the, the base has a long history, the us marines have a long history of conflict with the local population. and so what we saw is that, you know, it became so problematic that ok now and we're just up in arms and very unified,

you know, i mean they march and 90000 people in the street to close for 10 my air base. and so of course, you know, the japanese government had to respond and that was how it all began right. they. they then began conversation negotiation with the united states on relocating the base. that was crazy about it is that the, the japanese government is putting a large part of the bill to not just remove the base from oak, you know, but to relocate that base here, a lot of people don't realize this, but in the draft environmental impact study for the build up, you know, they, they clearly say that there are other alternative locations for the building. you know, they were planning, they had planned to work with either hawaii, the philippines, or california to include one. but when they assessed those other 3 locations, those were all answered with a no in and the no comes from the leadership. i think most important part of it,

right, is that for california in hawaii as states, you know, they have the right to say no, we don't want this. you know, we have connie and marine corps base and hawaii we have camp pallets and in california we don't want another base. we're good. and then you have the philippines that the sovereign nation. they said, yeah, yeah, we'll pass on that too because, you know, we're not going to do so big they all over again. that table on the build up where they had the conversation happened around the terms that was negotiated between 2 parties with guam as an after thought they even said in their d. i s that because the philippines, california, and what you all were know, go that guam was the ideal location and it was because, and they said pretty bluntly like painfully blindly that they, they think alarm is the ideal location. because guam is what they consider, sovereign us soil and we're

a territory. and because we don't have the same level of autonomy over our affairs as a state, they can basically do whatever they want here with little to no interference from the local governments. and that's exactly what they got. so sabina pairs with a $36.00 palm legislature, shared similar sentiments about the us and japan. slack of consultation with guam about their military build up plans to transfer transfer the marines from ok now to bomb was made without form being at the table. and the militarization of guam, i think, is the dominant driving force in how development is occurring on our island. so a lot of the federal laws, us environmental throw laws have to be followed. but the problem is in its implementation, it involves the interaction between federal agencies which develop the regulations without the consent of the indigenous people. and the military definitely has

dismissed a lot of the concerns. and you'll seeing our, our cultural sites being a race before i is no c r for us being raised, concerned about qualms, water resources, sen, pairs recently introduced legislation to recognize the sacred relationship between the tomorrow people and our water resolution 55 dash 36 highlights the very real threat of contamination to our primary uncle for from 6700000, but bullets proposed to be shot. the department of defense is by fire training range complex. yes. so 55 dash of these 36 was created. mainly because my, my concern about the, the live fire training range it's or it was meant to to reaffirm our, our, our rights to, to clean drinking water. and then how this range would it be impact would impact

our drinking water as well as our resources, our coastal water resources. this is a time where, you know, i did not want to accept the fact that this far range um, you know, there's to what fits fired range as is that was not constructed or is still in the process of being constructed. and it was so important for me to protect this area because that house is very unique. a native flora and fauna. and one of them is a habitat to critically endangered species called sir. yep, it's no sony i, which is the husband longer training. and there's only one reproductive trees on island, and this is higher range would be a 100 feet away from that mother tree, which is boston, which is what started typing, such as aaron, you know, type in pamela, which were super tysons. in addition,

it would stood one or 2. this tree has been standing um you know, a form or 2. and so imagine now we're putting a final range, a 100 feet from this tree that was said, all of that. and where they're going to shoot 6700000 bullets yearly and perpetuity. and so um and this for us is critical because it protects this tree . it's a, it's a habitat for the stream in addition to other critically endangered species, such as being around an 8 spot butterfly. and so to me it's, it's a cultural symbol. and it's, it's really unfortunate that the endangered species act which protected the national single b u. s about income from becoming extinct. here it is, it's, it's being used to jeopardize a cultural symbol for our island. and to me that's, you know, it's like bridges. and it's important that we protect this for us. many to as

president of the guam fisherman's cooperative association who are presents more than a 100 fishermen with boats has consistently spoken out against the firing range complex over the years. because of it impacts to water quality. you're going to have a foreign range on top of a water land. and you gosh, i came down there with fresh water pool underneath. you guys didn't know that. you have a, a damon area for you are i think that's funny, was billed on the 5. you have oh, over 10, nice thing. journalists on uh, hit option under concerned about a 3rd or you don't. tomorrow's going total, so it's we need to protect it, but they're gonna do 50 caliber machine guns above their nesting area. and they're gonna shoot out 0 euro line. one famous guy and one told me

a many bomb down because they're shooting at targets. there's a 50 caliber machine gun shooting a target that last time i remember target when i was in the army. we were shooting at cardboard. and a 50 caliber machine gun bows anywhere from 4 to 6 miles in distance. it can caught up for one bullet inside a coconut tree and a half when i went to the wrong just to see the house after and engagement. because the trail, when so many find themselves, will depart, we choose to look for the common ground, the during the 2nd world war pool underground power, military organizations in poland,

occupied by german troops, as well as in the bordering regions of bella, arose were united into the so called home on a trip to the documents and they've got them up for you to send it to the organ when they do the prospect. just say it's because i use a blue screen time list. and if i put in the front of it is i think it's within the ship where they put you through this issue, which i think of the who mom a was the main organization that the boat issue was systems fighting against jim and occupation and soviet rule of anything in the army currently away? 1920 the little ship police up really unfair boys still exciting. so yes. can i put those on anything unusual this you know, that's most of the home on a carried out operations to destroy the nonsense. but then switch to settling schools with soviet partisans and the civilian population that supported them. they have nearby to automatically over to destroy your customers any today. well, i've been in the new dave,

i bought it from my goal is to be able to get product is on the new product. that's pretty liberal in agreement or just the booklet is devali. 60 those up. let me know 40 points thing. when you go and i serious for deal of forgotten, you have no need. so francis jim city and we generally look for you simulate, you treat you most of the every minute that it's 50 caliber machine gun fires if bush 45 you know, appreciate all the 1000000 bowers conversion. 40 pounds, a projectile in the water is the most for steam water in the world as no real concern for a lot of quality. national grill concerned for noise pollution regarding the amount of bullets has been material. but know what to me is as a way to a cross, the t's and way dotted dies. there's no real concern for water quality. 900

football fields of land have been cleared for military build up projects. and activists are concerned about the ways this will affect both the prefers ability to recharge, as well as adversely affect the coastal waters. i spoke of johnny ker, an activist environmental list and science instructor who shared her thoughts on the mass clearings. and if we get rid of those for us, or it's possible that what we're doing is we're also getting rid of a way that water has been entering and recharging the arc with for, for thousands of years. so inside the substrate, we have these premises whole spaces, pathways for the water to move downward. and in search of that water we have the trees following with the routes. and so we have this very complex root system that enables a pathway for water to get down to the aquifer or easily. and then if we couple

that with, with pay the putting a building such as what's going to happen with the base and with the firing range, that actually leaves the surface and impermeable surface. my concern is that there is not going to be as much recharging of the, aka, 1st with uh, removal of the forest and that, and also that we might have contaminants making their way into the local marina environment either through um or their, uh, uh, a heavy metal, transportation, the rain or wind eventually getting into the limestone substrate, and then making its way out into the ocean because we are, our aquifer is connected to the ocean. that's why we have these fresh water streams of bobo, this kind that leach out into the ocean. i sat down with 2022 nobel peace prize

dominy hub christabel, who for more than 35 years is organized across qualms and to use local government boards and commissions. working to protect qualms resources, and promote the try people's in a label right to self determination. crystal, the study of the effects of military contamination in qualms, lands and waters for decades. but i haven't seen or heard of anything in 20 years. where the people of one are asked to participate in any discussion of our, our state of being on our homeland. nothing that addresses colonialism, nothing that addresses, all right, in the ability to drive in this environment that for 4000 years sustained our ancestors and, and our parents. nothing that addresses that nothing that

addresses a way forward for a people to obtain their highest purpose in life. there's so for us, as a colonial people, you know, the united states has never really acknowledge the fact that we are a colonial people. they use other words to make us feel good, like we are a no territory, excuse me. how could we be a territory? you know, the meaning of the word territory. use a sense of belonging. if we truly belong, then why do they not care about the environment that has sustained us for 40000 years? you know, why do they not care for human lives?

one has all 5 branches of the military were represented here. and our basis teach as wes and a s yeah. what we call anderson air force space. now you have another base, you know, they're not really telling us the needs are based, but it, so no marine base that they're building when they start talking about controlling when they start talking about all these. and so high parts of a base. well, they're building a base, but they never, they always told us that it was for, by fire range and the outs, and they basically lied to us. what the purpose is for cheering. 12 over 1200 acres of forest. there is just, you know, you have this big military industry. it's just the only industry on this island.

the only industry that warm house is the military industry. and the military is payments for contaminating the grounds, the air for contaminating the phone that we grow solely own by which we plant in the, you know, eat, we shouldn't be wondering why counter is our 2nd highest kim are on this. i am we know it has to have come from this industry in looking at the prefer. today we know that most of the developments occurring up north. we know there's at least a $122.00 municipal wells. and some of those are monitoring wells and northern guam lends prefer,

is the soul of prefer for this island. but in the northern part of the island from loop all the way to pongo. and on the way up to the tech gen and you know, the northern parts of our island. you fine, the uncle for that is not that deep down in there because the soil, which filters the any, any water intrusion into the, the ground is so been said the water that we end up with has to be kept clean. we have to prevent any other being filtering into the water lands and then i was informed about the dangers of the fine range complex, the how it would have various them are people not only the visitors, but also the military, them military and then their families. so today we're having a educational barriers. we're going to go down north,

and then we're going to see refiners complex. our main that is leave with the fox. the toxins from the bullets is less let in larger portions, till honestly, i just want lifetime lane. the other people, even if i have kids, my future generation just to be safe for a queen drinking water water discussed with water to be then funded richard cheese and barely. and since we use 8585 percent of our island uses is water. the it would not be such a small thing to get rid of. i feel like hiding the fact that from the bullets that would be left behind, which they said that they were clean up, which is a funny opening statement. really. i just want everyone to be impacted by many others and without impact,

i just want all of us to collect together. hopefully stop that filled up in these chemicals can travel the surface or ground water and contaminate ground water along with coastal and marine resources. jim cheney a former director of environmental science associates referencing the 2012 us study says this. there is a wide range of chemicals that are left in the soil, many of which can be mobilized by rain and travel to ground water mobilized by rain and travel to the ground water study is light the us paper call into question the navy. suppose the conclusion that there will be no significant direct or indirect impacts to our aquifer. we cannot afford as a people to move on without more data. the facts are clear,

the risk is imminent. it is not to be debated. the facts are there. so what then is the cost that we're debating today? what is the cost then of 170000 lives? what is the cost of 4000 years of history because we are not strangers to climate refugees here in my crenisha. we are not so far removed from the horrors of a post world war 2 posts atomic region to know what it's like for islands around us to become uninhabitable due to military activities. so what is the cause, and are you as our leaders or us people prepared to bear, bear the weight of it one way the military says it will mitigate, herm. so the aquifer is by installing monitoring wells with in the firing range complex, the monitoring miles being place. i think that's an essential part of a and it's showing that there's no contaminants coming out. but at the same time, we're not we're dealing with dealing with it after the fact and we may,

we need to ensure that it's, we need to prevent it from happening. first of all, the other issue that i'm seeing is that a lot of this monitoring is done by federal contractors. so we don't necessarily have access to the information in a real time basis. and that's one of the issues i'm seeing between the local and the federal side is does a public really know what's going on until it's much later. you know, as you know, guam has been the side of a lot of tax, a legacy contaminants. and we're only finding out now if at all that they're there and that perhaps they were impacting or helps. and so with this monitoring most, you know, where is this information going to be? is going to be provided to the public on, on a, in a regular basis and, and that's one of the issues is how transparent can the military be with our

community. and in regards to this, considering cancer is one of the leading cause of death. ellen. so many of these contaminants are carcinogenic, all military operations have in some way, shape or form had an adverse impact on the environment that they do their business . it for guam, it's, you know, being uh for one being a ward of the federal government for lack of a better term. you know, we, we just don't, we don't have the chief necessary in order to protect our resources and none of our resources. you know, we've asserted that we have, we have identified as r, e z, our exclusive economic zone. 6 not recognized by the united states. you know, there's a lot of things that happen around our waters around our borders that we have 0 control over. it doesn't matter whether you come from a 1st world, 3rd world,

5th world country. we all deserve clean water. basic human right. what about self determination? isn't that also a basic inalienable human, right? an inherent human, right? an inalienable human, right? you know, isn't that also something that we shouldn't have taken from us? the son who says that it will not be in the the, to not fun who to see how will the not fun, who to see her as look some of them on to the with the end of world war one. the move in for an indian independence from the

british empire flared up with renewed vigor. the british responded to the growth of the national liberation movement with arrest and brutal violence. repression cause active resistance. in march, 1919 at the call of mahatma gandhi, peaceful strike began in the country. but the british responded with a new round of violence and far bade the indians to gather more than 4 people. on the day of the sea bass at the festival. a huge crowd of civilians gathered in the center of the city of i'm gonna start in northern india. seeing these as outright defiance. general reginald dyer gave the order to open fire on the on arms people. the barbaric execution claimed the lives of at least 379 indians, including 40 children,

the youngest of who was 6 weeks old. the indian national congress considered the official figures to be underestimated and announced the death of more than $1000.00 civilians. the well known greatest newspaper, the morning post called dyer, the man who saved india, gave him a sword and 26000 pounds sterling as a token of gratitude for the massacre. the amorous star massacre wind down in history as one of the most brutal crimes of the british invaders, and only escalated the affair. struggle of the indians for liberation from the colonial yoke. the other of many places in the world where you can stay on the divide between the 2 oceans and all the might not think kids. what does this hay and what is northern or found guest vision. and the 2 knows that us national park. and today's, we know the was

a stuff was from taking a deep side, interesting beach because the um, lien. uh not the um unique. we seem uh far as pacific peoples, we have a deep and secret connection to water. yet all around the pacific communities are on the ground organizing to protect this life, giving source in a fight for our lives. i spent the last year on a journey through the mariana islands and so i who, who i documenting incision is resistance against us imperial.