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Safeguard The Sacred--Albuquerque
Activists Rally to Protect Corn

Subject: Background on Corn & Info on Corn Action in Albuquerque Feb. 6

SAFEGUARD THE SACRED: Mother Corn Threatened
By Robyn Seydel, La Montanita Coop (Albuquerque, NM)
Jan. 17, 2002

While most of our attention has been rightly focused on the "war", threats
to our safety on other fronts have continued to mount. One of the most
pressing is the threat to the genetic integrity and diversity of corn, with
researchers finding genetic contamination of corn in remote villages in the
mountains of Oaxaca . Held sacred by the people of this hemisphere, Corn
was first domesticated by the Native peoples in the semi-arid highlands of
Mexico more than 7,000 years ago. Between 5000 and 3500 years ago
(1500 to 3500BC) the first evidence of corn cultivation is found north of
what is now Mexico, and by 1000 to 1500 B.C. corn and her two sisters,
beans and squash formed the nucleus of native nutrition here in the Southwest.
(Dunmire and Tierney)) To this day, corn remains sacred to people throughout
the western hemisphere.

"Nothing We Do without Her"

Isleta Pueblo Elder, Pat Jojola says "For the Indian people corn is very,
very sacred. Corn is our Mother and there is nothing we do without her"
Used by Native peoples from from east to west from north to south, as food,
medicine, in ceremony, to make dolls and toys for children, in games, husks
used in smoking as cigarette papers and as wraps for food, other containers,
in hunting and fishing, and as building materials (Moerman), still, today
there is certainly little any of us can do with out corn. As the second
most important cereal grain (behind rice but before wheat in hectares in
cultivation and yield) worldwide, corn is in just about everything from
flakes, to meal, flour, sweeteners starches, cooking oil, snack foods and is
even utilized in dyes, paints, chemicals, automobile fuel, ethanol, whiskey,
beers and other alcoholic products. It is also, along with soybeans, the
mainstay of animal feed.

In healing, in addition to it's ceremonial role, it was traditionally made
into meal to treat bruises, swellings, sores, boils and other skin
afflictions. The Chickasaw people treated itching skin followed by sores
when scratched, by burning old corncobs and holding the affected part over
the smoke (Vogel). Today due to its significant potassium content, cornsilk
is a useful diuretic for almost all problems of the urinary system.
Soothing and relaxing the lining of the urinary tubules and bladder,
relieving irritation and improving flow and elimination, it is useful in
prostate disorders where there is difficulty in passing urine and is helpful
for frequent urination caused by irritation. Cornsilk is also an effect
herbal remedy for reducing kidney stone formation, is useful in chronic
cystitis, and is used in China to treat fluid retention and jaundice.

Dumping GE Corn

Now, with Mother Corn, symbolizing the whole of Mother Earth, and the
attentions of activists everywhere diverted by the "War on Terrorism", the
assault on "Her" by corporations in general and the bio- tech industry in
particular has gone into high gear. Brandishing NAFTA as a weapon, in
response to the bottoming out of the U.S. corn market due to international
fears of contamination by Starlink ("not approved for human consumption"
GM corn that was mixed into U.S. supplies causing the recall of over 300
consumer products) the U.S. has forced millions of tons of genetically
modified (GM) corn that could not be sold elsewhere on the people of Mexico.

While scientists are still debating the centuries or millennia of crop
development it took Native people to turn what is believed to be corn's
ancient ancestor, the wild grass, teosinte, with it's hard inedible seed
coverings, into the corn found at ancient sites, the grass still grows wild
in its traditional habitat. Over 60 other wild relatives of corn, some that
have yet to be catalogued by botanists, continue to grow throughout Mexico,
bestowing on the nation the honor of being the world's center of corn
biodiversity. Indeed when U.S. corn crops were threatened by the Southern
Corn Blight in 1970, it was to these wild relatives, conventional plant
breeders went to maintain world food security (See BioDemocrcy News #37).

Scientists Francisco Chapela and Ignacio Chapela, brothers, working at the
National Institute of Ecology, an affiliate of the Secretariat for the
Environment and National Resources, a Mexican government agency, documented
the contamination in Calpulalpan, a small Zapotec village and other small
Indian villages high in the Sierra Norte Mountains. Originally there to
find "pure" locally occurring varieties that would serve as control samples
for a project to produce organic corn, the researchers at first thought
their equipment was malfunctioning when they analyzed samples and found
genetic markers commonly used in engineered plants. Contamination, found in
15 locations throughout Oaxaca (some of which are as much as three hours
drive up into the mountains from the state capital), is running from 3-10%
in most fields. The researchers did find some uncontaminated fields.

The Mexican government banned the import and cultivation of GM seed in 1998,
but has not yet banned the importation of corn for human consumption. Since
the signing of NAFTA, Mexcio has gone from nearly total self-sufficiency,
producing 98% of it's corn needs, to one of the world's top three (along
with Japan and Korea) importer of corn. The cost of corn tortillas, a staple
in the Mexican diet has increased 300% since NAFTA took effect in 1994.
Last year Mexico imported 6 million tons of corn from the U.S., a quarter of
which is genetically engineered. Once again pinpointing the importance of
labeling of all genetically engineered crops, Chapela speculated that local
farmers had unknowingly planted GM corn, as the imported corn sold for human
consumption does not have a warning label..

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has repeatedly stated that
genetically engineered organisms must not be planted in regions that are
home to wild relatives, where the results of genetic contamination could be
disastrous. In a press release, Greenpeace Mexico, writes "Corn diversity
is essential to the future of our agricultural systems. Jack Harlan, the
famous botanist, has noted that genetic diversity 'stands between us and
catastrophic starvation on a scale we cannot imagine.' " In early December
the Mexican Congress unanimously demanded that Mexico cease all importation
of GM corn, fearing for their nations genetic integrity, diversity and
threats to the country's food supply.

Pat Jojola, Isleta Pueblo Elder, says "Personally I hold corn very sacred,
I am sure in Mexico she stands the same, the Mother of the people there
too."

On Feburary 6, 2002, activists across the our nation are coming together
to support the people of Mexico in their efforts to protect the biodiversity
of their country, end Gm imports, retrun to corn self-sufficiency, protect
the future of a crop that is essential to world food security and safeguard
our sacred Mother Corn.

For more information on how you can participate contact Robyn at
505-265-4631

January 14, 2002
PRESS RELEASE

Safeguard the Sacred, Protecting Biodiversity in Corn's Cradle
Wednesday, February 6, 2002, 2:00PM

At La Montanita Coop's Nob Hill Location at Central and Carlisle.
Join La Montanita Coop, members of The Traditional Native American Farmers
Association, including Program Director, Clayton Brascoupe, and farmer and
educator Emigdo Ballon, Isleta Pueblo Elder, Pat Jojola, the Organic
Consumers Association, the Genetically Engineered Food Alert , and local
activists in a national day of action to SAFEGUARD THE SACRED.

With genetically modified (GM) corn imported from the U.S, threatening
biodiversity in corn's cradle, the heart of Mexico, local activists are
coming together to raise awareness and call for an end to GM corn export to
Mexico. Unlabeled GM corn sold for human consumption has contaminated 15
cornfields in isolated Indian villages high in the Sierra Norte Mountains in
the state of Oaxaca.

Under NAFTA Mexico is required to buy 3 million tons of corn from the U.S.
One third of all U.S. corn grain is Genetically modified. Without GM
warning labels, which would allow Native farmers to respect their nation's 4
year old ban on the cultivation of GM crops they have inadvertently planted
the corn.

We are calling on grain exporters and the US government to protect corn
biodiversity and to honor the global treaty on Biodiversity (the Bio-safety
Protocol signed in Cartagena, Colombia Feb. 2000) by ending the dumping of
U.S. taxpayer subsidized GE corn in Mexico and other nations. We will also
be targeting the largest food corporation in the U.S., Kraft/Phillip Morris
(whose products were contaminated with Starlink corn), as well as other
companies and supermarket chains to remove GM corn from US consumer
products.

The Mexican Congress has called for a ban on the import of GM corn. Support
the Mexican people in their efforts to protect the biodiversity of their
country, end GM imports, return to corn self-sufficiency, protect the future
of a crop that is essential to world food security and safeguard our sacred
Mother Corn.

Join us for prayers, sharings, and talks from Native Elders, farmers, and
activists, street theater, letter writing tables and more, on Wednesday Feb
6th beginning at 2:00Pm. Help SAFEGUARD THE SACRED at La Montanita Coop, at
the Nob Hill Location, at Central and Carlisle.

For more information or to participate contact Robyn Seydel at 505-265-4631