October 10, 2023
The Honorable Deb Haaland
Secretary
U.S. Department of the Interior
1849 C St., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20240
Dear Secretary Haaland:
We are Japanese American and Alaska Native survivors, who were wrongfully incarcerated during World War II at Minidoka. We are joined by Minidoka descendants and allies.
We respectfully ask you to protect the Minidoka National Historic Site from the proposed Lava Ridge wind project by adopting the No Action Alternative in the Lava Ridge Final Environmental Impact Statement and by designating the greater Minidoka Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC).
If approved by the Bureau of Land Management, LS Power’s wind project would desecrate sacred ground, dishonor the military service and sacrifice of Japanese Americans and Alaska Natives and reverse nearly 50 years of progress on our road to healing.
We have worked to rebuild our lives and overcome racial prejudice. Thanks to over twenty years of National Park Service leadership and bipartisan Congressional support, we’ve turned a place of trauma into a place for healing and enjoyment.
Through Minidoka’s Honor Roll, we commemorate the military service of nearly 1,000 Minidoka incarcerees. We honor the lives of 73 soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice to defend our nation’s freedom, while their Gold Star Families remained imprisoned. We admire the courage of Min Yasui and resistors who fought for justice.
We support President Biden’s statement that “[p]reserving incarceration sites as national parks and historic landmarks is proof of our Nation’s commitment to facing the wrongs of our past, to healing the pain still felt by survivors and their descendants, and to ensuring that we always remember why it matters that we never stop fighting for equality and justice for all. My Administration is committed to maintaining these national parks and landmarks for future generations and to combating xenophobia, hate, and intolerance…”
We also appreciate President Biden’s Day One commitment to racial justice and his whole-of-government guidance to federal agencies to protect dispersed environmental justice communities and places of worship, as outlined in his April 2023 Executive Order, “Revitalizing Our Nation’s Commitment to Environmental Justice for All.”
We appreciate your acknowledgment of the tragic parallels between family separations of Japanese Americans and the terrible legacy from Federal Indian Boarding Schools. Many of our family members were separated when they were imprisoned in Santa Fe and Lordsburg, New Mexico, Fort Missoula, Montana and other sites.
To tell our stories and heal the trauma from the incarceration, President Bill Clinton designated Minidoka as a National Monument. In 2008, Congress passed bipartisan legislation to expand Minidoka to include the Bainbridge Island Eagledale Ferry Dock Site. Secretary Ken Salazar protected Minidoka from LS Power’s proposed transmission line in 2009.
We support renewable energy and the Administration’s commitment to fight the climate crisis without putting a disproportionate burden on people of color. In terms of siting projects on sacred lands, Bill McKibben recently wrote that “repeating the mistakes of our history at this point is truly unforgivable.”
We hope that, under your leadership, BLM will not repeat the mistakes of the past. According to BLM, its preferred alternatives in its draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) would have “disproportionately high and adverse impacts to the Japanese American community and Native American Tribes given the importance of setting and feeling …” Also, BLM’s proposed mitigation measures, including conservation easements, removal of structures in the foreground and scholarships for Pilgrimages, would not offset the visual and emotional impacts of Alternatives C, E or some combination.
We encourage BLM to adopt the No Action Alternative in the Lava Ridge final environmental impact statement (FEIS) and Record of Decision. Federal lands around Minidoka constitute Traditional Cultural Property (TCP) which is rooted in our history and important to maintain our cultural identity. We support the Idaho State Historic Preservation Office’s finding that Minidoka TCP is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
To protect the Minidoka National Historic Site and TCP, we encourage BLM to begin a public planning process to designate 237,000 acres of BLM land as the Greater Minidoka ACEC.
By designating the ACEC, BLM can honor the memories of our parents and grandparents, the lives of 200 people who died in Minidoka and leave a lasting legacy of healing for our children, grandchildren, community and nation.
Thank you for considering our request to help our nation avoid repeating the mistakes of the past and to achieve its highest ideals of equality and justice.
We can be contacted at: mi****************@gm***.com or c/o 3114 22nd Ave S. Seattle, WA 98144-6404.
Sincerely,
| Minidoka Survivors: Mary (Tanaka) Abo Barracks: 6-4-C Age: 83 Bremerton WA Alice (Tanaka) Hikido Barracks 6-4-C Age: 90 San Jose, CA Frederick S. Sakura Clinton, WA Age: 80 Prison number: 35860 Barrack: 17-F-5 Military Service No.: RA 56 427 090 John David Sakura Barracks: 15-8-E Age: 87 Thornton, NH 03285 Sam Kito, Jr. Barrack: 24-3-C Age: 85 Sultan, WA (incarcerated from Petersburg, AK) Military service: brother, Harry Kito, deceased in Vietnam War; Gold Star Family Tribal affiliation: Tlingit (Alaskan) and Japanese Irene Teiko Saito Prison Number: 11659D Barrack: 28 Marie Matsuno Nash Block 1, Barrack 8C Age: 79 Ugashik, AK Military Service: Father, Fred Matsuno served in the 442nd, awarded Bronze Star, Purple Heart, commendation for the 442nd rescue of the Texas “Lost Battalion,” Congressional Gold Medal Tribal affiliation: Aleut-Alutiq Barbara Kito Barrack: 24-3-C Age: 83 Anchorage, AK (incarcerated from Petersburg, AK) Tribal affiliation: Tlingit (Alaskan) and Japanese John Kito Barrack: 24-3-C Age: 82 Anchorage, AK (incarcerated from Petersburg, AK) Tribal affiliation: Tlingit (Alaskan) and Japanese Linden Takuma Nishinaga 13-7-E Age: 78 Torrance, CA Sadayo Nojima (aka Nikki Nojima Lewis) Prison Number: 11061B Block 44, Barrack 2A Age: 85 Albuquerque, NM Herb Tsuchiya Age: 92 Seattle, WA Military Service: 2 brothers in 442nd RCT, 1 brother US Air Force (deceased since signing) Fujiko (Tamura) Gardner 17732 Block 21, Barrack 10E Age: 91 Lakewood, WA Military Service: Hiroshi Tamura (KIA 4/20/45), Mitsuru Tamura, Masuru Tamura Gloria (Tomita) Shigeno Renton, WA Paul Tomita Bellevue, WA Mabel Tomita Bellevue, WA Eugene Minoru Tagawa Prison number: 11820E Block 15, Barrack 1B Age: 81 Seattle, WA Military Service: Washington National Guard 1961-1967 Roy Toshio Ouchida Prison Number: 15477 Barracks: 39-2-E + 39-9-E Age: 89 Redmond, OR U.S. Army John Morimi Shigaki Prison Number: 11295E Barracks: 42-9-D Age: 79 Seattle, WA National Guard | Minidoka Descendants: Julie Abo Dominguez Chevy Chase, MD Maya Abo Dominguez Pasadena, CA Aiko Abo Dominguez Los Angeles, CA Andrew Abo San Carlos, CA Rob Hikido San Jose, CA Annie Hikido Waterville, ME Brian Hikido San Jose, CA Christine Hikido San Francisco, CA Peter Hikido Danville, CA Guy Michael Tanaka Santa Monica, CA Michael Tsutomu Tanaka Redondo Beach, CA Jon Takeshi Tanaka New York, New York Jim Tanaka Victoria, British Columbia Canada Sho Yamagushiku Victoria, British Columbia Canada Emma Tanaka Toronto Canada David Tanaka Denver, CO Clio Tanaka Tokyo, Japan Amber Tanaka Seattle, WA Richard Tanaka Poulsbo, WA Cathy (Tanaka) Bianchetto Seattle, WA Tyler Bianchetto Seattle, WA Alicia Bianchetto Seattle, WA Liz (Tanaka) Phillips Dayton, WA Davy Phillips Seattle, WA Sarah Oscar Spokane, WA Keisha Phillips Spokane, WA Jenna Phillips Seattle, WA Ed Tanaka Spokane, WA Susan Koba Churchill Anchorage, AK Leslie Ishii Juneau, AK Sam Kito, III Anchorage, AK Michelle Kito San Francisco, CA Cynthia Kito Lexington, Kentucky Hope Kito Bellingham, WA William Kito Washington D.C. Greg Kito Sitka, Alaska Kimberly Kay Louis Seattle, WA Dan Sakura Chevy Chase, MD Melna (Sakura) Skillingstead Camano Island, WA Cara Sakura Skillingstead Missoula, MT Lucy Kay Sakura Washington, DC George Abe Albuquerque, NM Tribal affiliation: Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Harvey Shirai Jr. Tribal affiliation: Tsimshian, Tlingit Dallas, TX Pauline Shigaki Seattle, WA Alison Shigaki Seattle, WA Kai Morimi Randolph Seattle, WA Erin Shigaki Seattle, WA Joy Shigaki Seattle, WA Nancy (Fukuyama) Albright Seattle, WA Todd Albright Seattle, WA David Albright Seattle, WA Ann Elizabeth Murao Davis, CA Christine Susumi Bainbridge Island, WA Clarke Kido Idaho Falls, ID Father Fred M. Kido served in the 442nd RCT Connie Masuoka Portland, OR Eileen Yamada Lamphere Kent, WA James Ishii Kent, WA Michael Ishii Queens, NY Janet Sekijima Seattle, WA Margaret Sekijima Seattle, WA Ken Mochizuki Maple Valley, WA Kyle Kinoshita Seattle, WA Leslie Marr Pierce Seattle, WA Marlene Susumi Smick Spokane, WA Yutaka Sugahiro-Wong Milwaukie, OR Norman Bruce Sakura Rancho Palos Verdes, CA Patricia Koto Yakima, WA Tom Koto Boise, ID Ryan Kozu Seattle, WA Stephen Kitajo Auburn, WA Dale H. Watanabe Seattle, WA Kanako Kashima Mercer Island, WA Jonathan Narita Seattle, WA Keith Yamaguchi Seattle, WA Carol Reitz Bainbridge Island, WA Family #11872 Emily Yoshioka Seattle, WA Paul Kikuchi Seattle, WA Joel Kikuchi Seattle, WA Danny Kikuchi Seattle, WA Karen Akada Seattle, WA Cathy Kiyomura Seattle, WA | Minidoka Allies: Karen Atkinson Albuquerque, NM Laurel Goodluck Albuquerque, NM Kalen Goodluck Albuquerque, NM Forrest Goodluck Albuquerque, NM Victor Yamada Albuquerque, NM Kiku Kato (survivor of Tule Lake concentration camp) Age: 101 Albuquerque, NM Alan Akiyama Juneau, AK Dennis Arashiro Anchorage, AK Jean Caswell, Anchorage, AK Jim Caswell, Anchorage, AK M Kay Gatlin Anchorage, AK Greg Hayashida Anchorage, AK Wendy Henson Eagle River, AK Ronald K Inouye Fairbanks, AK Suzanne Ishii-Regan Anchorage, AK Matthew Regan Anchorage, AK John Jensen Anchorage, AK Scott Kawasaki Anchorage, AK Aaron Kusano Anchorage, AK Jennifer Lorentz Anchorage, AK Kelly Marciales Palmer, AK Anthony Nakazawa Eagle River, AK Lynette Nakazawa Eagle River, AK Erika Ninoyu Arlington, Virginia Shunji Ninoyu Anchorage, AK Patrick Regan Anchorage, AK Lincoln Saito Anchorage, AK Martin Suzuki Juneau, AK A Keith Taniguchi Soldotna, AK Laurel Tatsuda Anchorage, AK George Tolbert Anchorage, AK Richard Yamada Auke Bay, AK Brian Yamamoto Fairbanks, AK Lesley Yamauchi Anchorage, AK Dixie Johnson Juneau, AK David Gray Juneau, AK Janie Homan Juneau, AK Karleen and Roger Grummett Juneau, AK Joe Masatsugu Abo (survivor Tule Lake Concentration Camp) Bremerton, WA Sara Moriguchi (descendant of Tule Lake concentration camp) Michael B. Murray Chair, Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks Washington, DC Jonathan B. Jarvis Director, National Park Service (2009-2017) Berkeley, CA Japanese American Museum of Oregon Portland, OR Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) San Francisco, CA Historical Museum at Fort Missoula Missoula, MT Kevin Emmerich, Basin and Range Watch Beatty, NV Bill Tashima (descendant of Heart Mountain & Poston Incarceration Sites) Fall City, WA Karen Matsumoto (descendant of Jerome concentration camp, Board Member BIJAC) Bainbridge Island, WA Diane Honda (descendant of Poston concentration camp) Brentwood, TN H. Leo Tanaka, MD San Diego, CA Shelley Takeuchi (descendant of Santa Fe Prison Camp) Albuquerque, NM Hana Fedorenko (descendant of Jerome concentration camp) Seattle, WA Yoko Fedorenko (descendant of Jerome concentration camp) Seattle, WA Leslie Morishita (descendant of Jerome concentration camp) Seattle, WA Bif Brigman Seattle, WA Mark Albright Seattle, WA Scott C. Miller Seattle, WA Margie Shackelford Fresno, CA Marsha Bennett Ashland, OR |