For our ongoing pressure campaign against Lithium Nevada and Far Western Anthropological Research Group to oppose the looting of Indigenous people and culture at Thacker Pass:
WE NEED YOUR ACTION!!
Call the Register of Professional Archaeologists’ Grievance Hotline to let them know that Far Western employees, members of their Register, are violating their code of conduct by participating in the planned theft and destruction of over cultural sites and historical sites in Thacker Pass, NV.
In solidarity with regional native people, Protect Thacker Pass calls on our supporters to tell the Register to drop all Far Western members from the Register immediately, or warn them that proceeding with this project may put their registry status in jeopardy.
CALL the Register of Professional Archeologists’ Grievance Hotline TODAY
Phone: 410-246-2150
A sample email / call script is pasted below. Feel free to add your own thoughts, too.
Hello, I’m calling to register a grievance against your members, including Craig Young, who are employees of Far Western Anthropological Research Group.
Members of the Register who work for Far Western are working with Lithium Nevada Corporation and the BLM to dig at Thacker Pass Nevada on or after July 29, 2021. They will remove cultural artifacts and possible burial sites so that Lithium Nevada Corporation and its parent company Lithium Americas Corporation can proceed with a massive lithium mine. This mine will destroy an area sacred to regional native people who oppose this proposed lithium mine.
Regional tribal members do not want any artifacts in Thacker Pass or anywhere in the surrounding area to be taken for any reason. Taking these artifacts and disturbing potential burial sites would constitute yet another shameful chapter in a long history of settlers trying to destroy Native history and culture. There are ten tribes in the region with cultural connections to Thacker Pass who were not properly consulted before this mine was permitted and approval for the dig was given. In addition, the proper documents required under the national historic preservation act to be shared with all interested parties, including these tribes, were not shared.
We believe Far Western’s work with Lithium Nevada and the BLM violates the Register’s code of conduct which states (section 1.2 f) that an archeologist shall not engage in any illegal or unethical conduct involving archeological matters or knowingly permit the user of his/her name in support of any illegal or unethical activity involving archeological matters.
Due to inadequate consultation with indigenous peoples, the Far Western members of the Register are in violation of the ethical principles of your discipline, and specifically of your code of conduct. What’s worse, they are about to violate the ethics of the human family. Given the strong indigenous opposition to the proposed digging, what the Far Western members are about to do at Thacker Pass is essentially looting and grave-robbing. We encourage you to drop all Far Western members from the Register immediately, or warn them that proceeding with this project may put their registry status in jeopardy.
Thank you,
[Name]
Leave a message or talk directly to whoever answers the phone. If they ask you for a contact at Far Western, please give them this information:
Main contact: Craig Young
Email: craig@farwestern.com
Phone: (775) 847-0223 Extension 213
Far Western Anthropological Research Group
3656 Research Way, Suite 32, Carson City, NV 89706
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