It’s (still) Action Time!
How To Prepare Written Comments for the Santa Clara County Planning Commission
Protect Juristac! No Mine on Sacred Ground!
Your voice is needed! We are in a Public Comment period for the Santa Clara County Planning Commission to review the draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR)for a Conditional Use Permit for the Sargent Quarry Project which would devastate the most sacred site of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, eliminate precious grassland and oak woodland habitat, and disrupt a critical wildlife movement corridor. Our Accountability Partner, the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, vehemently opposes this planned mining operation on their sacred grounds at Juristac and are asking for OUR SUPPORT. Let the Santa Clara County Planning Commissioners know why it is so important that they deny the mining permit by sending your comment to the email addresses below. More info is HERE, and our talking points and hot tips are below as well. The deadline for submitting comments is November 7, 2022.
Join our Campaigns meeting on the third Wednesday of each month if you would like to get more involved in this campaign.
To submit your comment by email, ensure that your comment letter includes your full name and address and states the name of the project (“Sargent Ranch Quarry Project”) at the top.
Email: Robert Salisbury, Senior Planner
Santa Clara County Department of Planning & Development
sgtquarry.comments@pln.sccgov.org
Remember to BCC: eircomments@protectjuristac.org
so the campaign team can track and keep records of comments submitted.
In addition, consider adding a CC to the Planning Commission at:
planning.commission@pln.sccgov.org
And/or the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors at:
boardoperations@cob.sccgov.org
Hot Tips on Content:
State your name and full address, ID any relevant affiliations, and as a member of Showing Up for Racial Justice. (You do not need to be a county resident for your comment to count!) Put the name of the project (“Sargent Ranch Quarry Project”) in the subject line. (We want them to Vote NO on it.)
Your comment should be personal, persuasive, and include why you connect with the campaign.
It can be as simple as expressing strong concern with the destructive cultural and environmental impacts of the proposed project. That is a valuable contribution!
Keep in mind:
The task for SURJers is to make personal comments on this vote as a racial justice issue. We don’t need to respond to technical specifics in the Draft EIR unless we are subject matter experts. There is already a team of experts working on those points.
Our goal is to persuade the decision-makers to deny the building permit, no matter the mitigation recommendations which may be outlined in the EIR. We oppose the mine project on the grounds of bringing justice to the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, and indigenous sovereignty in general, the overdue reckoning of the harms of settler colonialism in our region, and our commitment to repairing those harms whenever possible.
Talking Points:
[A personal connection is best, but if you need a springboard focus on 1 or 2 of these and be sure to rephrase in your own words.]
The Amah Mutsun have successfully stewarded this land for thousands of years, and it should be returned to them. A quarry is in direct opposition to indigenous justice, given the known historic and continued oppression of the Amah Mutsun.
Juristac is the Amah Mutsun’s most sacred land where they held ceremonies and gathered together for important spiritual and cultural gatherings. We would not be considering this mine if any other historic religious building was in question. This is a historic religious site to which they have not had access for hundreds of years.
Santa Clara County Human Rights Commision has unanimously agreed that a mine is a human rights violation of the Amah Mutsun’s spiritual and cultural sovereignty. On top of which there is overwhelming public opposition to the mine including resolutions from several city councils, letters of opposition from organizations, and 20,000+ petition signers. As the draft EIR itself states, areas of the project would cause ‘significant’ impacts to tribal cultural resources, even with
so-called “mitigation” measures in place.Amah Mutsun have endured multiple waves of population genocide in the past 200 years. Destruction of Juristac is a form of land genocide, and must be stopped.
Racial justice is climate justice; this is our chance to do what is best for people and the planet. The damage to both the Amah Mutsun and the environment is not reversible.
CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) protects “Tribal Cultural Resources” which are defined as “a site, feature, place, cultural landscape that is geographically defined in terms of the size and scope of the landscape, sacred place, or object with cultural value to a California Native American tribe.” The entire site of Juristac should therefore be preserved.
Alternative 3 is not acceptable: The applicant (property owner) in his comment letter to the County clearly states that he is urging the the adoption of "Alternative 3" which is identified in the DEIR as the "environmentally superior alternative." As previously discussed it seems important that we make it clear that Alternative 3 is not acceptable in any way and that all of our comments regarding the mining project also apply fully to Alternative 3 (or, to "all the project alternatives described in the EIR").
The "Alternative 3" mining plan is only a partial modification of the proposed project, it eliminates the southern mining pits from the project and would move the processing plant north to reduce impacts to the Tar Creek undercrossing area. As the EIR acknowledges, this "alternative project" would still very significantly impact the Juristac Tribal Cultural Landscape and the wildlife corridor and other resources. It would still involve creating a massive industrial complex, and huge mining pits, in the heart of Juristac/the Sargent Hills.
CA Executive Order N-15-19 from 2019 established a Truth and Healing Council because “The State of California hereby: a. recognizes that the State historically sanctioned over a century
of depredations and prejudicial policies against California Native Americans; b. commends and honors California Native Americans for persisting, carrying on cultural and linguistic traditions, and stewarding and protecting this land that we now share; c. apologizes on behalf of the citizens of the State of California to all California Native Americans for the many instances of
violence, maltreatment and neglect California inflicted on tribes.” The county must not approve yet another depredation, yet more maltreatment.
Here is a copy of the Cultural Impact Study. See p. 74 for a summary of comments from Native American tribes about the project.
About Indigenous Solidarity
SURJ’s decision to take on this campaign came out of the work for the former Indigenous Solidarity Issue Group. SURJ works to educate ourselves and our membership about indigenous issues and current campaigns in our region, and take action to dismantle systems of settler colonialism as individuals, as an organization, and in our society. Contact Emma (emmahartung (at) gmail (dot) com) for more info about SURJ’s work on indigenous solidarity.
Looking for more ways to act in solidarity?
Host a Protect Juristac House Party!
Contact Alexis (alexismacnab (at) gmail (dot) com) to schedule a virtual visit from members of our Indigenous Solidarity Issue Group. This is an easy and impactful way to fight for Indigenous rights in your community! See our House Party FAQs below for more info.
Educate Yourself!
Check out our Living Land Acknowledgement document for more resources on education, action, and accountability.
Protect Juristac House Parties FAQs
What is a "House Party?"
These events are modeled on informal gatherings of friends, neighbors, etc., thus the name "parties." Our House Party includes a fully facilitated presentation on the effort to protect Juristac, and includes ways for YOU to get involved and fight for justice! In the Before Times we would actually come to your house and entertain you in person. Now, we can go anywhere - virtually! Less opportunity to hang out around the punch bowl, but the commute is much better!
Yeah, but what happens, exactly?
In an online presentation reviewed and approved by Amah Mutsun Tribal Band Chairman Valentin Lopez, members of SURJ @ Sacred Heart (the San José chapter of Showing Up for Racial Justice) will provide a brief history of colonization in California, context for the Amah Mutsun's fight to protect and access Juristac, their sacred land, and an update on the hurdles the campaign is facing now from Santa Clara County Planning Commission and Supervisors. The presentation includes time for reflection, grounding exercises, and concludes with ways for YOU to join the fight right now. The full presentation (including reflection and actions) is 90 minutes, but can be edited to 60 or shorter depending on the needs of your group.
What is "Hosting?"
Hosting is easy! Hosts for these events don't have any presenting or development responsibilities. You just bring the people! We have already developed the content, the format, the registration link, and will follow up with your attendees to answer any questions. You play the crucial role of spreading the word far and wide.
Sounds great! How do I sign up to Host?
You reach out to our coordinator (email alexismacnab (at) gmail (dot) com) with a date (or two) that works for your group! We will handle staffing and creating the online event. You are responsible for communicating with your guests to arrive at a date and time, and sending them the registration link when it's ready. It's a good idea to send a reminder out to your group the day before as well, and encourage them each to bring a friend!
Is translation available?
The Protect Juristac House Party is presented in English, AND we want to make this content as accessible as possible. Simultaneous translation can be available. We just need to know at the time you book your date if that's something your group wants because of the link setup requirements. Also, please put us in touch with the translator you'd like to work with!
What about other accessibility considerations?
House Parties are online and require access to the internet. Using the most updated version of Zoom is recommended. Closed captioning in English will be provided and the event can be recorded for future viewing at your request. All links and relevant documents will be distributed to your group following the presentation via email. Let us know if you have other accessibility needs!
Do participants have to register beforehand?
Yep! When you have the registration link, please share widely and wisely. Be sure to practice safe internet hygiene!
