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https://www.nativemovement.org/nm-blog/2025/8/14/no-deals-with-war-criminals-on-alaska-soil>
"Anchorage, Alaska – As President Donald Trump prepares to meet Russian
President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15 to discuss the Ukrainian
crisis, Native Movement stands with Alaskans and those across the country who
condemn any attempt to legitimize Russia’s war crimes on Alaskan lands.
Alaska knows the cost of Russian imperialism. For over a century, Russian
colonizers stole and exploited land, decimated Alaska Native populations
through violence, disease, and enslavement, and erased cultures with religious
supremacy. Today, we see the same imperial playbook in Ukraine: annexation of
territory, targeting of civilians, and the forcible deportation of over 20,000
Ukrainian children—a war crime under international law.
Alaska’s history with Russian rule doesn’t make us neutral — it makes us
witnesses.
The decision to host Putin, a war criminal, on Alaskan soil is a betrayal of
our history and the moral clarity demanded by the suffering of Ukraine and
other occupied peoples.
Native Movement voices opposition to any deals that force Ukraine to cede
territory, reward aggression, or silence the voices of those whose lives are at
stake. We stand against the rise of fascism and violent occupation
everywhere—whether in Ukraine, Palestine, or here in Alaska. None of us are
free until all of us are free.
Alaska's own experience with resource-driven governance shows how oil wealth
erodes democracy and empowers authoritarianism, just as we see in Russia's war
on Ukraine. Hosting war criminals in Alaska is a betrayal of our communities
and our future.
Petro-states like Russia and the U.S. have built empires on extractive
violence. Oil wealth correlates with increased crime and political corruption.
Alaska's large military presence is tied not to community safety but to
protecting oil and gas infrastructure, resource extraction, and broader U.S.
economic and military interests.
Meanwhile, Russia floods global markets with hatchery-raised salmon,
undercutting Alaska fisheries, destabilizing prices, and threatening wild
stocks. These hatcheries, concentrated in Sakhalin and Kamchatka, release
hundreds of millions of juvenile salmon annually. Indigenous communities, who
have long relied on salmon for food, culture, and spiritual practice, are
disproportionately affected. Bycatch isn't just waste, it's a symptom of broken
systems. Current regulations in the U.S. and Russia ignore the compounding
ecological harm and force Indigenous communities to bear the full burden on
conservation while outside investors reap the profits.
Therefore, we reject deals that reward extractive violence, whether through
war, occupation, or climate destruction. Resource-driven regimes not only
silence dissent; they deepen gender inequality and erode community well-being.
Petro-states often build national pride around oil wealth, masking inequality
and environmental harm. In contrast, Indigenous cultures emphasize stewardship,
reciprocity, and sustainability."
Via Susan ****
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
