Progress Report #1 CED

Topic: The impact of environmental destruction on indigenous societies
Group Members: Jacqueline Birkel, Ashlie Hendricks, Ryan Borys, Elise Svennevik, Dana Anderoli, Caroline Kline

Our group has decided to analyze three different accounts in depth, in which large corporations, and "big business" has had an affect on the surrounding indigenous society. The three we picked are: Chevron's interference in Ecuador, U.S. mineral fields invading Congo, and Metro medicine company cutting down Native American Yew trees. Each person has been assigned a part of the research we need to find in order to present these cases.

Jacqueline: Give a business breakdown: which businesses are effecting the environments, and in what way? Dollar for dollar, where is the revenue going? Incorporating spread sheets with data for each company involved.
Ashlie: Describes how the environment, itself, was affected by the corporations. Were there pollutants? Did it take away from the habitats, and ecosystems? Were any animals harmed in the process?
Ryan: Discuss the health impacts of having companies in these societies. What happens when oil seeps into the ground, or when a key-stone species disappears? How does human health improve, or decline when a big business takes over?
Elise: Talk about the culture of each indigenous society, and how it was affected. How does the presence of corporations affect the culture of the society? Is it negative, or positive? Can an indigenous society keep their culture intact with big business influence?
Dana: Give a brief history of the locations before the companies arrived, and a summary of how they are doing now. Did the companies have a lasting affect on the environment, people, and society? Was it negative, or positive? Is there a noticeable before, and after?
Caroline: Discuss the laws, and politics of the sites before, and after the companies arrived. Were there certain laws that were ignored, or over-looked by either party? Did the corporations install their own laws, or follow Native law? Have any laws, or policies been put in place due to the businesses arriving/leaving?

Companies have become carless trying to spend less and make more, becoming ignorant to their effect on the indigenous societies they inhabit. We plan on building an effective campaign to prove this theory through multi-media, articles, research, and analysis. Our presentation will include a short five minute clip of each environment we talk about, so as the class can get a better understanding of the area. We will include a power-point type presentation that will hold mostly pictures, and spread sheets. Our sources are coming from the internet, SPEA archives, newspapers, and online databases. The overall questions we want to try and answer are: do companies have the right to exploit indigenous societies, even if it betters a larger population? Does the invasion of corporations help or hurt the environment? Is it possible for the society and the company to come to an agreement, or compromise? Who has the right to the land, and it's resources?