Dog 'skinned alive'
Grisly sight greets power plant 'resisters'

A Navajo Nation police officer walks away from Victoria and Tito Gutierrez as they put up an up-side-down United States flag at the turnoff to the proposed Desert Rock Power Plant site Thursday in Burnham. Members of the Dooda Desert Rock Committee are camping out and blocking access to the site because it is sacred to them. Sithe Global Power LLC spokesman Frank Maisano said that Sithe Global has made aggressive attempts to make sure they build the most economically viable, environmentally friendly and culturally sensitive power plant they can, but not everyone is going to be happy with it. [Photo by John A. Bowersmith/Independent]

By Kathy Helms
Diné Bureau

WINDOW ROCK — A sheep dog belonging to a Navajo elder who claims she did not sign over her grazing area, was "skinned alive, run over twice," and tossed next to a campsite occupied by Desert Rock resisters.

"We have taken pictures and are reporting this terrorist act with the proper authorities. This is plain brutal and an intent to intimidate the camp," said Lori Goodman of Diné Care.

"The elders put a lot of value into training their sheep dogs and an act such as this is elder abuse," she added.

Goodman said a Navajo Nation Police criminal investigator was called to the site.

"He was saying that what he thought happened was the dog was run over at a high rate of speed and then it was brought over to the camp. But that's like gravel road back there. You can only go 35 to 40 miles per hour" because of the road's washboard effect," she said.

The sheep dog belonged to Alice Gilmore. Goodman said Gilmore, who is in her 80s, got sick after her first day out at the site.

"She's usually in a wheelchair, but she wasn't using her wheelchair and I think her feet got infected and she was admitted to the hospital the other day. She just got home yesterday, so she's immobile," Goodman said.

"There were people there until like 10:30 p.m. Thursday, when only a couple people remained, and they fell asleep. Nobody saw anything. But there were track marks where the car turned around," she said.

Diné Power Authority hauled firewood and water to the resisters, who were told that BHP was going to bring a portable bathroom to the site, however, Goodman said, that had not materialized as of Friday evening.

Burnham, Sanostee and Nenahnezad elders and citizens are braving the cold to protect the land from the encroaching Dinée Power Authority and Sithe Global LLC at the proposed Desert Rock site, according to Goodman.

Navajo residents confronted Diné Power Authority/Sithe Global on Tuesday afternoon after learning of water drilling that had been occurring without the knowledge and notification of local residents.

At that time, Gilmore said, "I have said 'no' over and over again and you keep coming over!"

Members of Diné CARE/Dooda Desert Rock Committee are asking for a copy of the categorical exclusion that is allowing the drilling activities to commence, and copies of the Clean Water Act Sections 401, 402 and 404, that would prove compliance with regulatory requirements.

The groups say there are major disturbances taking place and according to the Clean Air Act, these permits are a pre-requisite for drilling activity.

The proposed area is home to extended families, but arbitrarily drawn political boundaries by the Navajo Nation and company representatives have the families separated into three chapters: Burnham, Sanostee, and Nenahnezad, Goodman said.

The boundary defining Burnham and Nenahnezad has been moved south for benefit of DPA/Sithe as recently as two years ago, the groups said.

Elouise Brown of Sanostee said the local residents are not protesters but resisters.

"How can those residents be considered protesters when they are simply standing up for their rights to have clean air, water, and environment," she said.

Burnham, Sanostee and Nenahnezad residents didn't wait for remedy.

Instead, they set up camp at the proposed site and are refusing to move until they get the documents.

"We're fed up with them," said Sarah White, president of the Dooda Desert Rock Committee.

"The grandmas and the grandpas are being walked over by these monsters and they're being denied information. We're standing our ground now," she said.