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Native Americans dates back to the Dawes Act of 1887. The Act three-year period. About half a million workers would be eligible for created a trust fund for Native Americans over the years, but since the the status if they are sponsored by American businesses and pay 1950s the government has grossly mismanaged revenues from oil, US$500. timber and mineral leases on tribal land. Because of the nature of the work being offered under this According to Elouise Cobell, a member of the Blackfeet tribe, program, most guest workers will be left with little more than many Native Americans depend on these royalty checks for the bare = minimum wage employment. There are no benefits or health care necessities. The Navajo Nation has more than 140,000 members and _ offered under the new program. The $2,000 price tag for uninvited is the country's largest tribe. It is also one of the poorest. More than _ potential guest workers means that most of over 10 million 40 per cent of its people live in poverty while the median household —_ undocumented workers will be unwilling to come forth. There has annual income is $20,000, less than half of the national median. been no serious discussion on Capitol Hill on realistically dealing In 1994, Congress passed the American Indian Trust Reform Act. with the undocumented worker situation because US corporations This required the Interior Department to account for all the money in _ will continue to benefit from cheap labour sources from outside and the trust fund and clean up the accounting process. The Individual _ inside US borders. Indian Monies case, also known as Cobell v. Norton, filed in 1996, is This proposal allows hard-working, tax-paying immigrants to the largest class-action suit ever filed against the Federal government. become a legitimate part of the US economy, but it keeps them from Elouise Cobell is at the centre of the suit fully participating in democracy—making that involves more than 100 years of immigrants a permanent sub-class of revenues generated by government society. leases on Native American land held "in Thousands of papers have (Sources: Interhemispheric Resource trust" for mining as well as oil and gas come out touting different Center, November 16, 2004; Washington exploration. The defendant in the Cobell Free Press, November/December 2004; v. Norton case is Interior Department developments in nanoscience, MotherJones.com, November 11, 2004) Secretary Gale Norton. She has been held in contempt by Federal Judge but fewer than 50 have 22. Nanotechnology's Health Royce C. Lamberth for ignoring his examined how engineered Effects Need Scrutiny orders to account for the fund. Lamberth i i lhe science of nanotechnology is stated that he had never seen greater nanoparticles wi I affect rapidly advancing, but there is little government incompetence than the people and the environment. research to show whether or not nano- Interior Department had shown in sized molecules are safe for people and administrating the money and the environment. Nanotechnology uses representing itself in court. molecules that are virtually impossible In early 2001, Alan Balaran made a surprise visit to the govern- to see: one blood cell measures 7,000 nanometres in width. ment's warehouse. There he found papers from a shredder, which The US Government spent close to $1 billion in 2004 on nanotech- had records concerning the money paid out of the trust fund. The nology research and development. However, only one per cent of it Bureau of Indian Affairs, which is under the Interior Department, went towards research for risk assessment, despite the fact that nan- said similar documents were being shredded every day. otechnology also has the potential to cause harm to people and the Judge Lamberth has ordered the government to complete an histor- environment. The nano-sized molecules can damage or kill the skin ical accounting for all funds in the case by January 6, 2008. cells of humans and also kill valuable bacteria in water. The reason (Sources: LiP Magazine, Winter 2004; News from Indian Country, little money is given to research the risks is nanotechnology's huge March 8, 2004) upside: some estimates predict that the nanotech market will reach $1 trillion in a decade. 21. Immigration Plan Favours Business over People Thousands of papers have come out touting different developments bipartisan effort from the US Federal Government is emerg- in nanoscience, but fewer than 50 have examined how engineered ing to close the borders with Mexico by increasing barriers nanoparticles will affect people and the environment. The studies that keep "illegal" immigrants from travelling to and from aint a grim picture for nanotechnology. Mexico, and in turn creating a guest worker program with specific In the spring of 2004, Dr Eva Oberdorster, an adjunct scientist at time limits for residency. Reminiscent of the defunct bracero Duke University, made headlines with potentially disturbing news program, the status of "guest worker" has reappeared as the pre- about a highly praised nanoparticle called the "fullerene", named for ferred name for Mexican nationals working in the USA. the inventor R. Buckminister Fuller. The fullerene is made of 60 car- The leading organisation behind the guest worker legislation is the on atoms, bonded together like a molecular soccer ball. Dr Essential Worker Immigration Coalition (EWIC), organised in 1999 Oberdorster put a solution of fullerenes into a tank with large- while Bill Clinton was still president. The group quickly grew to mouthed bass and later examined different organs in the fish. She include 36 of the country's most powerful employer associations, found signs of oxidative damage in their brains and speculated that headed by the US Chamber of Commerce. The National Association the nanoparticles had stimulated the production of free radicals— of Chain Drug Stores (which includes Wal-Mart) belongs, as do the ighly reactive compounds that can cause cellular damage. Dr American Health Care Association, the American Hotel and Lodging — Oberdorster's and other experiments show that nano-size particles can Association, the National Council of Chain Restaurants, the National slip through the blood-brain barrier by travelling up nerve cells into Restaurant Association, and the National Retail Federation. Each of the brain. these associations represents employers who depend on a workforce A survey by North Carolina State University found that public per- almost entirely without benefits and working at (or below) minimum _ ception of nanotech remains fairly positive. As has happened with wage. new technologies in the past, this optimism may become accusations Edward Kennedy (D) and John McCain (R) are promoting a bipar- and lawsuits if the side effects outweigh the benefits. tisan bill that would create the designation of "guest worker" for a (Source: Chronicle of Higher Education, September 10, 2004) Thousands of papers have _come out touting different Pa nh ene ne a nS en ee ee PENN developments in nanoscience, but fewer than 50 have — examined how engineered nanoparticles will affect es a Bet Se wane en tot money 21. Immigration Plan Favours Business over People bipartisan effort from the US Federal Government is emerg- ing to close the borders with Mexico by increasing barriers that keep "illegal" immigrants from travelling to and from Mexico, and in turn creating a guest worker program with specific time limits for residency. Reminiscent of the defunct bracero program, the status of "guest worker" has reappeared as the pre- ferred name for Mexican nationals working in the USA. The leading organisation behind the guest worker legislation is the Essential Worker Immigration Coalition (EWIC), organised in 1999 while Bill Clinton was still president. The group quickly grew to include 36 of the country's most powerful employer associations, headed by the US Chamber of Commerce. The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (which includes Wal-Mart) belongs, as do the American Health Care Association, the American Hotel and Lodging Association, the National Council of Chain Restaurants, the National Restaurant Association, and the National Retail Federation. Each of these associations represents employers who depend on a workforce almost entirely without benefits and working at (or below) minimum wage. Edward Kennedy (D) and John McCain (R) are promoting a bipar- tisan bill that would create the designation of "guest worker" for a NEXUS = 21 people and the environment. DECEMBER 2005 — JANUARY 2006 www.nexusmagazine.com