toxification through unsafe, unnatural methods.

[Guest guest]

They warn about mercury in fish -----

Why no warning of Mercury in vaccines????

 

 

 

Monday, June 12, 2006

MOLE LAKE, Wis. -- Tina and Rick Van Zile are members

of the Mole Lake Ojibwe tribe here in northern

Wisconsin. Each spring for more than 15 years, they

have gone spearfishing together, engaging in a

tradition for their tribe and gathering food that is

vital to their diet.

But in recent years they have added something new to

the old ways -- they consult a color-coded map that

tells them which of the more than 50 lakes in the

region have the highest mercury levels.

 

" I wouldn't even dream of going to these red ones, "

said Tina Van Zile, pointing to one of the lakes

designated as having the highest mercury content.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 22

states including Wisconsin have statewide mercury

advisories, and 23 more have advisories for specific

bodies of water. Typical advisories warn children and

women of childbearing age against eating more than one

game fish per month. The mercury in the fish can cause

neurological damage in children and fetuses as well as

health problems in adults.

Because fishing is so central to the traditions,

social life and economic sustenance of many Indian

tribes, the warnings have special significance for

them. " Fishing is a big part of what we eat and how we

eat; it ties back to the culture and traditions of who

we are as a people, " said Mole Lake tribal leader

Wayne LaBine.

He describes mercury as an organ of " Mother Earth's

body " that has been turned into a toxin through

exploitation of natural resources such as coal.

Mercury is emitted from coal-burning power plants,

paper mills and older chlorine plants.

" Fossil fuels were not intended to be burned like

this, so the balance of the Earth is thrown off and

mercury is misplaced, " LaBine said.

Along with taking part in the traditional spring

spearfishing season and the sucker season that follows

it, many Ojibwe from Mole Lake and surrounding tribes

angle throughout the summer, ice-fish in the winter

and make a yearly trip to fish with nets in Minnesota.

Fish dishes are served at ceremonies, funerals,

fundraisers and other occasions. Most families have a

freezer stocked year-round with fish, in bags labeled

with the fish's size and lake of origin so they know

its mercury risk.

Tribe member Steve Tuckwab said that when Mole Lake

elders go to ceremonial meetings with other tribes

where fish is served, " I tell them maybe they

shouldn't eat that fish because they don't know what

lake it's from and how safe it is. "