Last Updated on July 28, 2014
Some say California is where the American Dream was defined; That an accidental discovery near some unknown river ushered in a new kind of lifestyle said to be entrepreneurial, wide-open, free.
It wasn’t long before the rumours started, back in 1849, that someone found themselves some gold – or when they were confirmed by President James K. Polk in his state of the union address later that year.
In a blink of an eye, the California Gold Rush began…
At first it was like you see in the movies, you know, where you kneel by a riverside and pan for gold… but it wasn’t long before a new process was adopted. It seemed harmless enough and it got the job done, so it couldn’t have been all that bad. that was the going theory, at least. And sure, it felt and tasted kinda funny but the kids had a great time with it.
“What’s this stuff called again?”
“Mercury, Cletus. They calls it mercury.”
When all was said and done, more than 26,000,000 pounds of the neurotoxic substance known as mercury had been used to extract the gold ore living in some 12 billion tons of Earth in California.
Today most of that gold is, well, packed away safely from desperate hands. But the mercury is still there, in the rivers and fish, in the trees and soil, and in the brains of unborn children. It’s a legacy that speaks to what can only be called the American Reality: something that’s all too often ignored.
Produced by the California Indian Environmental Alliance and the Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Development, this 12 minute video discusses the ongoing toxic legacy of mercury contamination, it’s impact on Indigenous communities in California, and the ongoing effort to clean it up and restore tradition.
Across the world right now, Indigenous peoples are facing a renewed assault on their lands, rights, and ways of life.
From extractive industries pushing deeper into ancestral territories, to governments rolling back hard-won protections,
the threat is global—and it is growing.
What makes this moment especially dangerous is how little attention it receives.
Stories like this are disappearing in real time. Mainstream media
barely covers it and the coverage is fragmented. The public is left without the context
needed to understand what is truly at stake.
That is exactly why IC Magazine exists..
For more than 20 years, IC has reported on Indigenous struggles worldwide — consistently, independently, and without compromise.
We don’t follow news cycles; we trace patterns. We don’t sensationalize; we provide context.
And when the world looks away, we stay focused.
But this work is increasingly difficult to sustain.
We refuse to lock our reporting behind a paywall. We don’t sell access through subscriptions.
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Please donate today if you can. Every contribution helps us to continue this crucial work.
Thank you,
John Ahni Schertow
Founder and Editor in Chief
