lifeblood: songs: backgrounds: point hope f.o.i.a.

amy ray from fall 2000, the official indigo girls web site:

"i wrote pt. hope over the last few years as i was thinking about the victims of the nuclear industry cycle. on our 1995 honor tour we visited alaska and supported an effort to bring more light to the situation at a place called pt. hope. this is a place where our government buried fallout material from a bomb testing site in nevada in hopes of studying its effects on the lichen-caribou-man foodchain. this secret experiment was uncovered after the freedom of information act forced the release of the records of this crime.

"i thought about where the poisonous material originated and all that had gone into bringing it to alaska and its viscious man made journey which sickened all who were touched by it. i read a haunting article about an old indian woman who remembered watching the nevada atomic bomb test as sort of an intriguing family activity, unaware of the danger and destruction to her land. i also read many testimonials of cancer ridden miners who had brought the stuff up from the earth. the nuclear industry has depended on a lack of information and the exploitation of those that have less money and power.

"now after years of sickness and environmental catastrophies, the dangers of the uranium cycle are becoming public knowledge. information is the power we hold and we must not be intimidated by an industry that has never held our health as a priority.

"we recorded this track live in august 2000. it was a very moving experience because i think all of the players got it. hope you enjoy the song.

a ray"