Got Eagle Rock?

For Immediate Release: May 23, 2010

Contact:

Cynthia Pryor - (906) 360-2414 - cpryor@isp.com

Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve - (906) 345-9223 - ydwp@yellowdogwatershed.org 

Drew Nelson – (616) 706-2539 - drew@drewnelson.net

Link to Drew Nelson's song: http://www.yellowdogwatershed.org/blog/2010/05/21/activist-songwriter-release-song/

Hard copies of the song are also available by contacting the YDWP office.

Drew Nelson releases ‘Eagle Rock - Song of the People” in support of those protecting their sacred site from harm

Drew Nelson, singer songwriter, has written a song that calls to all of us who wish to protect our lands from any action that would injure it. Drew who is from Michigan, understands our water rich place and has embraced this cause against a metallic sulfide mine on the Yellow Dog Plains - located in the beautiful remote Upper Peninsula of Michigan on the shores of Lake Superior.

Currently, Rio Tinto second largest mining conglomerate in the world proposes a copper/nickel mine under the Salmon Trout River on the Yellow Dog Plains. The proposed mine, disrespectfully called “Eagle” is on state and public land that our government has put in the hands of this multi-national corporation for their private gain. On this state land there is a rock - a three acre outcrop that is the only high spot on the Yellow Dog Plains. This rock is Migi zii wa sin or Eagle Rock that is a sacred site to the Anishinaabe of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community. Eagle Rock was scheduled and approved by the state of Michigan to be the portal to this mine.

The event that precipitated the arrest of Cynthia Pryor and the occupation of Eagle Rock by three courageous women - Charlotte Loonsfoot, Chalsey Smith and Georgeana Earring was the beginning of the fencing in of Eagle Rock by Rio Tinto. These are all women of the water who did what they had to do to help stop this mine.

Drew wrote this song in honor of the bravery of those who now occupy Migi zii wa sin and who are not leaving. Drew presents this song with these words:

I have written a new song called 'Eagle Rock (song for the people)" and it will be made available for FREE to everyone. All I ask is you visit these sites, educate your self about what is going on and PLEASE make a donation to those brave heroes who are holding off one of the largest and most egregious violators of indigenous peoples and our mother the earth.

THIS IS NOT A LOCAL PROBLEM IT IS A GLOBAL PROBLEM.

Drew signs his name lower case and as ‘human being’. This is not about any one person but together represents all the brave spirits and human beings that care. We thank all who wish to help and as you listen to this song - think about those people on the ground, in harm’s way, who have taken their stand - there at Eagle Rock.

For more information about Eagle Rock and how you can help, go to these sites: http://www.standfortheland.com/; http://www.yellowdogwatershed.org/; and http://www.savethewildup.org/.

Please also visit Drew Nelson's website at http://www.drewnelson.net/.

Our Great Lakes are so precious! According to the EPA website http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/basicinfo.html: The Great Lakes are the largest surface freshwater system on the Earth. They contain about 84 percent of North America's surface fresh water and about 21 percent of the world's supply. Only the polar ice caps contain more fresh water.

In addition: Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area and is the world's third-largest freshwater lake by volume.

Holy wah that's a lot of fresh water...we need to work together to protect it!