By Brenda Norrell
Narco News
http://www.narconews.com
Jose Matus, director of the Indigenous Alliance without Borders and Yaqui ceremonial leader, said Indigenous Peoples on the border are concerned that conditions under President Obama remain "status quo" with the Bush regime. This means the US Border Patrol and Homeland Security continue to abuse Indian people.
As requested by Yaqui elders to maintain ceremonies, for 30 years Matus has brought Yaqui ceremonial leaders across the border from Sonora, Mexico, to Arizona, for temporary visits to conduct annual ceremonies. Since 9/11, the harassment and detainments of traditional Indian people and ceremonial leaders have increased.
The Indigenous Alliance without Borders/Indigena Alianza sin Fronteras supports Indigenous Peoples struggling to maintain their traditional ceremonies and mobility in ancestral territories, including the Lipan Apache in Texas, facing the seizure of their land by Homeland Security for the US/Mexico border wall.
The Indigenous Alliance without Borders is also challenging the human rights abuses of Maricopa County, Ariz., Sheriff Joe Arpaio. In support of the National Human Rights March on Saturday, Feb. 28, in Phoenix, the Alliance urged an end to Arpaio's reign of terror.
"We believe that the militarization and border enforcement policies that have been inflicted upon the territories of our eight Nations of Indigenous Peoples divided by the US-Mexico border have helped nurture virulent racist nativism in America, and politicians have used immigration as a wedge issue that has degraded respect for the civil and human rights of us all," the Indigenous Alliance without Borders said.
Eight members of Congress have urged President Obama to halt construction of the border wall. The members of Congress cited the outrageous cost of the border wall and the waiver of federal laws to construct the wall. "Basic protections and rights under the National Historic Preservation Act and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act were violated. One example was the destruction of 69 Tohono O'odham graves south of Tucson in 2007," stated the letter from Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva and seven other Congress members from the border.
The abuse of Indigenous Peoples by the US Border Patrol, Homeland Security and Arpaio is among the most censored issues by the media.
The most underreported news includes the Zapatistas Digna Rabia gatherings in Chiapas; American Indians support for Palestinians; the discovery of US-made white phosphorus munitions used by Israel on Palestinians; the digging up of the graves of O'odham ancestors, 69 at one site alone, in Arizona for the US/Mexico border wall and the secret removal of the remains of O'odham ancestors by Boeing while constructing the border wall on O'odham land.
The rapes, murders and drug smuggling carried out by US Border Agents on the US border are among the most concealed facts, even in the alternative media, because the crimes are concealed. (Although dozens of US military soldiers, with a police officer and prison guard were convicted and sentenced in Arizona for smuggling cocaine last year, border agents carried out the sting and were not exposed.)
The smuggling of weapons into Mexico, which fuels the current drug violence, is also censored. Ultimately, it is the people in the US who buy the drugs and provide the weapons for this wave of violence. The US even trained some of the most brutal murderers in this drug war, the Zetas, formerly as US Special Forces. The privatization of US prisons, and media fueled racism toward migrants, has resulted in profiteering for politicians and corporations like GEO Group (formerly Wackenhut) and resulted in abuse and murders in prisons.
The issues in Mohawk Nation News are widely censored, including land theft and oppression by a wide range of security forces. The exposure of mass graves of Indian children at Canadian residential schools was among the most censored articles. The hoax of carbon credits, to enrich the World Bank and corporations, is also censored.
Another censored fact was that Leonard Peltier was recently beaten by a gang in a Pennsylvania prison, and transferred. The question of why so many American Indians in some Indian Nations are living in poverty, while millions of dollars are pouring into their casinos, is largely censored. Peabody Coal, along with a long list of corporations in collusion with the Navajo Nation government, continues to produce disease and pollution, even in the area of the Navajos' place of origin, Dinetah, in what is now New Mexico. On Western Shoshone land, and around the world, Barrick Gold, and other coal, gold, silver and copper mining corporations, continue to oppress the people and destroy Indigenous lands and water. In Guatemala, there have been assassinations, and in New Guinea, rapes and murders of villagers.
To expose all of these issues, many people have lost their jobs and positions, including Kevin Annett, a minister in Vancouver who continues to expose the murders and mass graves in church residential schools. In the US, Native Americans have been removed from their positions on tribal councils for demanding justice at the US border, while others have been detained and threatened by border agents and tribal police.
Kahentinetha Horn, publisher of Mohawk Nation News, and Katenies, MNN editor, two Mohawk grandmothers, were beaten at the Canadian border by border agents and Kahentinetha suffered a heart attack. Others continue to struggle for justice, like Angelita Ramon, Tohono O'odham, whose 18-year-old son Bennett Patricio, Jr., was ran over and killed by the US Border Patrol on Tohono O'odham land in Arizona.
Along with the loss of their jobs, many people who provide information for my articles have been hungry, homeless, sick, arrested, jailed and beaten over the past two years.
On the border, Indigenous Peoples are waiting to see if President Obama will halt the abuse by the US Border Patrol, Homeland Security and Arpaio and respect the culture, graves and ceremonies of Indigenous Peoples in their own territories.
Listen to Jose Matus at:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Brenda-Norrell
Statement by Alianza Indigena Sin Fronteras
The Alianza Indigena Sin Fronteras joins and stands strongly in support of all the people and organizers of the National Human Rights March to challenge the Human Rights abuses of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. We believe that the militarization and border enforcement policies that have been inflicted upon the territories of our eight Nations of Indigenous Peoples divided by the US-Mexico border have helped nurture virulent racist nativism in America, and politicians have used immigration as a wedge issue that has degraded respect for the civil and human rights of us all.
The actions of Sheriff Arpaio extend the militarization of the border to the entirety of the metropolis of Maricopa County, where the Sheriff's Posse acts as an "uber police" force, overriding jurisdictions of civil government and community control. We understand that the 287(g) Agreement now in place with the Sheriff of Maricopa County and the federal government has been implemented in violation of the constitutional right of Equal Protection and with blatant discriminatory enforcement tactics by Sheriff Arpaio, and therefore demand that the 287(g) Agreement be cancelled immediately.
We join voices as well with members of the Judiciary Committee of the US House of Representatives to call for federal investigation on the systematic practices and procedures of discriminatory enforcement that Sheriff Arpaio has implemented throughout Maricopa County, and that such violations be addressed in the appropriate judicial venues and courts of both civil and human rights. To this end, we call to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Professor James Anaya of the University of Arizona, to take into account these procedures of federal investigation now under way, and articulate effective measures to address the international regional and historical context of the issue as part of a pattern of systemic human rights violations driven by transnational government economic policies in North America, in reference to the regime of NAFTA.
Letter to President Obama from eight members of Congress:
The Honorable Barack Obama
President of the United States
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
February 10,2009
Dear President Obama:
As Members of Congress who represent border communities, we welcome your decision to evaluate border security operations before considering whether to finish construction of the border fence. However, we write to ask that you suspend, at least temporarily, construction of the border fence until your evaluation is complete.
We, along with our constituents, understand the importance of protecting our borders. Though there are places where a fence is the most feasible option, we strongly believe the Bush Administration's approach of constructing a fence along much of the Southwest Border was ill conceived as it was void of any meaningful input from the local communities or the Border Patrol Sector Chiefs who are most familiar with the challenges of securing our border. In an era of advanced technologies, the border fence is an antiquated structure that has torn our communities apart and damaged our cross border relationships.
As you may be aware, the previous administration undertook controversial measures to expedite the construction of border fencing, such as the waiver of more than thirty environmental laws. However, despite continually missing deadlines and, at times, forgoing the proper completion of land acquisition transactions, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has moved forward with much haste. In Cameron County, for example, the DHS issued a commence work order on December 30, 2008, for eight fence segments, none of which had completed the acquisition of the land required.
Furthermore, we would also like to bring to your attention the impact the Bush Administration's approach to the fence had on Indian Country. There are several tribal nations on the US-Mexico Border, during the pushing of the fence these nations were not consulted and in many instances their sovereignty was undermined. Basic protections and rights under the National Historic Preservation Act and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act were violated. One example was the destruction of 69 Tohono O'odham graves south of Tucson in 2007.
Additionally, the costs associated with construction of border fencing have rapidly escalated. In August 2008 the Government Accountability Office testified that fencing costs averaged $7.5 million per mile for pedestrian fencing and $2.8 million per mile for vehicle fencing, up from estimates in February of $4 million and $2 million, respectively. Furthermore, a Corps of Engineers study predicted the 25-year life cycle cost of maintaining border fencing would range from $16.4 million to $70 million.
Once again, we respectfully request that you suspend construction of border fencing until your Administration has had time to properly review its merits as well as consult with those on the ground most familiar with the situation. We look forward to working with you and Secretary Janet Napolitano to find a balanced and cost-effective approach to ensuring our nation's borders are secure.
Sincerely,
Raul Grijalva, Member of Congress
Solomon P. Ortiz, Member of Congress
Silvestre Reyes, Member of Congress
Ruben Hinojosa, Member of Congress
Bob Filner, Member of Congress
Henry Cuellar, Member of Congress
Susan Davis, Member of Congress
Ciro D. Rodriguez, Member of Congress
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
John Trudell in Chandler, Ariz., Feb. 25, 2009
Double click on image to enlarge.
CGCC and White Mountain Apache Boxing Club Present John Trudell
Chandler-Gilbert Community College and the White Mountain Apache Boxing Club will present acclaimed poet, national recording artist, actor, and activist, John Trudell on Wednesday, February 25, at 7 p.m. in the CGCC Performing Arts Center on the college’s Pecos campus.
Trudell, a Santee Sioux, will discuss his work with the American Indian Movement and read selected pieces of his poetry.
Proceeds from this event will go to support the White Mountain Apace Boxing Club (WMABC), whose purpose is to have a positive impact on the lives of the youth on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation.
“Using the vehicle of organized Amateur Boxing, the White Mountain Apache Boxing Club aims to instill discipline, self-esteem, improved citizenship, social skills, and health consciousness in the minds and hearts of our valuable youth,” said Shane Burnette, who established the club in January 2008. “More than anything else, we strive to channel their energy and need for social recognition in positive and healthy directions.”
Tickets are $10 and can be purchased in advance by calling (480) 732-7312 or at the door the evening of the event.
CGCC is located at 2626 E. Pecos Rd. in Chandler. For more information, call (480) 732-7030.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Genocide in Canada: Locked out and locked in at St. James Anglican Church
Locked Out and Locked in at St. James Anglican Church:
Vancouver, February 22, 2009
by Kevin D. Annett
Only Frank and Bingo had passed through the heavy front door when it was pulled shut abruptly by a fearful church attendant.
Turning a key quickly in the lock, the man triumphantly faced the twenty of us and hissed,
"You're not welcome here, any of you!"
The prematurely smug little guy didn't realize that two of us were already inside the ornate Anglican sanctuary, bearing our banner: "All the Children Need a Proper Burial." And two Indians, to boot.
While the door guy fussed with his cell phone and called the police, Frank and Bingo were already standing in front of the altar, facing the bewildered congregation with our message. Like two fatal germs in a dying body, they spoke to the church goers and asked them to return the remains of kids who had died in their residential schools: in Alert Bay, in Lytton, in Sault Ste. Marie.
Outside, the cops still hadn't arrived, even though the main police station was only a block away. The door guy looked panicked.
"What's happened to our friends?" demanded Carol, a survivor of a survivor, to the worried flunky.
"You've locked them in there! When are you going to let them out?"
Door Man ignored her in his haste to explain to two arriving and exasperated parishioners why he had had to lock the church doors.
"It's them again ..." I heard him exclaim, beseeching the white couple, unsuccessfully, not to leave.
Vancouver's Slimiest finally arrived, in three squad cars. The cops consulted Door Man and then strode over to me, the lone white guy in our protest.
"Mr. Annett?" a sergeant barked. "You'll have to wind this down."
I held out my hand to him, asking his name.
"Ray" he replied.
"Hi Ray. I'm not in charge here, actually."
My words seemed to confuse him.
"But you can take it up with any of these folks if you like" I concluded.
I gestured to the crowd of entirely native people gathered on the church steps, mostly women and kids, and three drumming elders.
"You're all trespassing here ..." Ray began, only to be inundated by a chorus of voices.
"This is our land! They're trespassing! You're trespassing!" yelled Carol, holding up her infant grandson.
"This is his land!"
Rob, a Nishga survivor, began to lecture the other cops about the history of murder in the Indian residential schools, demanding to know why they weren't arresting those responsible.
The police looked vaguely embarrassed. One of them appeared downright guilty. After a minute more of Rob's harangue, the guilty-looking cop sputtered,
"Okay, look, if you can get a court order evicting this church from here, naturally we'd have to enforce it!".
The church building seemed to shudder and groan.
Door Man suddenly appeared and motioned frantically to the cops, as Frank and Bingo and an unknown native woman emerged from around the corner, holding aloft the banner and grinning from ear to ear.
We all cheered and applauded them.
Bingo, clearly loving the moment, regaled us with a blow by blow account, as Door Man and the cops scowled at us.
"The priest, fuck, he didn't know what to do! Every time they all said 'Lord, hear our prayer', I'd yell at them 'No, hear my prayer!' ".
"I handed out all the leaflets" the native woman told us.
"They all took them. A guy even shook my hand, said to keep it up!"
Sergeant Ray felt he had to act like a cop, or something. He approached me again.
"You have to move off these steps. You can protest down on the sidewalk."
I just smiled at Ray, which didn't seem to bother him that much, but it sent Door Man into a fit.
"You people held us hostage for forty minutes the last time you did this!" he exclaimed.
"We lost fifty parishioners because of you!".
I smiled at him and replied,
"All right!".
The cops were beginning to get that edgy, trigger-happy look, now that they were feeling so impotent. Sensing some impending head-busting, I consulted the elders, then went over to Sergeant Ray and said,
"Will you guys leave if we move to the sidewalk?"
Ray said yes. So we moved.
After the cops were gone, we walked back up the church steps and resumed our drumming and singing.
I turned just then to Bingo and Frank, and marveled at their great courage, of being locked in a church with their abusers, and of carrying on anyway, tiny in number but unbeatable.
Radiant, I reached over and hugged Bingo, saying,
"I love you guys".
"I love you too, man" Bingo said quietly.
The rain started spitting again and the elk soup and bannock that awaited us was just too tempting. So, letting out a final, joyous cheer and a prayer for the missing children, we left, for the moment.
The churchgoers were still locked inside.
.............................................................................................
Kevin Annett
260 Kennedy St.
Nanaimo, B.C. Canada V9R 2H8
250-753-3345 or 1-888-265-1007
Kevin Annett is a community minister who lives and works in the downtown eastside of Vancouver. He is the author of two books and producer of an award-winning documentary film on genocide in Canada.
Read and Hear the truth of Genocide in Canada, past and present, at this website: www.hiddenfromhistory.org
“Kevin is more deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize than many who have received it in the past.”
- Dr. Noam Chomsky
Institute Professor Emeritus
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
“A courageous and inspiring man." (referring to Kevin Annett)
- Mairead Corrigan-Maguire
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
Belfast , Northern Ireland
The very lands we all along enjoyed
they ravished from the people they destroyed ...
All the long pretenses of descent
are shams of right to prop up government.
' Tis all invasion, usurpation all;
' Tis all by fraud and force that we possess,
and length of time can make no crime the less;
Religion's always on the strongest side.
Daniel Defoe, Jure Divino (England, 1706)
Vancouver, February 22, 2009
by Kevin D. Annett
Only Frank and Bingo had passed through the heavy front door when it was pulled shut abruptly by a fearful church attendant.
Turning a key quickly in the lock, the man triumphantly faced the twenty of us and hissed,
"You're not welcome here, any of you!"
The prematurely smug little guy didn't realize that two of us were already inside the ornate Anglican sanctuary, bearing our banner: "All the Children Need a Proper Burial." And two Indians, to boot.
While the door guy fussed with his cell phone and called the police, Frank and Bingo were already standing in front of the altar, facing the bewildered congregation with our message. Like two fatal germs in a dying body, they spoke to the church goers and asked them to return the remains of kids who had died in their residential schools: in Alert Bay, in Lytton, in Sault Ste. Marie.
Outside, the cops still hadn't arrived, even though the main police station was only a block away. The door guy looked panicked.
"What's happened to our friends?" demanded Carol, a survivor of a survivor, to the worried flunky.
"You've locked them in there! When are you going to let them out?"
Door Man ignored her in his haste to explain to two arriving and exasperated parishioners why he had had to lock the church doors.
"It's them again ..." I heard him exclaim, beseeching the white couple, unsuccessfully, not to leave.
Vancouver's Slimiest finally arrived, in three squad cars. The cops consulted Door Man and then strode over to me, the lone white guy in our protest.
"Mr. Annett?" a sergeant barked. "You'll have to wind this down."
I held out my hand to him, asking his name.
"Ray" he replied.
"Hi Ray. I'm not in charge here, actually."
My words seemed to confuse him.
"But you can take it up with any of these folks if you like" I concluded.
I gestured to the crowd of entirely native people gathered on the church steps, mostly women and kids, and three drumming elders.
"You're all trespassing here ..." Ray began, only to be inundated by a chorus of voices.
"This is our land! They're trespassing! You're trespassing!" yelled Carol, holding up her infant grandson.
"This is his land!"
Rob, a Nishga survivor, began to lecture the other cops about the history of murder in the Indian residential schools, demanding to know why they weren't arresting those responsible.
The police looked vaguely embarrassed. One of them appeared downright guilty. After a minute more of Rob's harangue, the guilty-looking cop sputtered,
"Okay, look, if you can get a court order evicting this church from here, naturally we'd have to enforce it!".
The church building seemed to shudder and groan.
Door Man suddenly appeared and motioned frantically to the cops, as Frank and Bingo and an unknown native woman emerged from around the corner, holding aloft the banner and grinning from ear to ear.
We all cheered and applauded them.
Bingo, clearly loving the moment, regaled us with a blow by blow account, as Door Man and the cops scowled at us.
"The priest, fuck, he didn't know what to do! Every time they all said 'Lord, hear our prayer', I'd yell at them 'No, hear my prayer!' ".
"I handed out all the leaflets" the native woman told us.
"They all took them. A guy even shook my hand, said to keep it up!"
Sergeant Ray felt he had to act like a cop, or something. He approached me again.
"You have to move off these steps. You can protest down on the sidewalk."
I just smiled at Ray, which didn't seem to bother him that much, but it sent Door Man into a fit.
"You people held us hostage for forty minutes the last time you did this!" he exclaimed.
"We lost fifty parishioners because of you!".
I smiled at him and replied,
"All right!".
The cops were beginning to get that edgy, trigger-happy look, now that they were feeling so impotent. Sensing some impending head-busting, I consulted the elders, then went over to Sergeant Ray and said,
"Will you guys leave if we move to the sidewalk?"
Ray said yes. So we moved.
After the cops were gone, we walked back up the church steps and resumed our drumming and singing.
I turned just then to Bingo and Frank, and marveled at their great courage, of being locked in a church with their abusers, and of carrying on anyway, tiny in number but unbeatable.
Radiant, I reached over and hugged Bingo, saying,
"I love you guys".
"I love you too, man" Bingo said quietly.
The rain started spitting again and the elk soup and bannock that awaited us was just too tempting. So, letting out a final, joyous cheer and a prayer for the missing children, we left, for the moment.
The churchgoers were still locked inside.
.............................................................................................
Kevin Annett
260 Kennedy St.
Nanaimo, B.C. Canada V9R 2H8
250-753-3345 or 1-888-265-1007
Kevin Annett is a community minister who lives and works in the downtown eastside of Vancouver. He is the author of two books and producer of an award-winning documentary film on genocide in Canada.
Read and Hear the truth of Genocide in Canada, past and present, at this website: www.hiddenfromhistory.org
“Kevin is more deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize than many who have received it in the past.”
- Dr. Noam Chomsky
Institute Professor Emeritus
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
“A courageous and inspiring man." (referring to Kevin Annett)
- Mairead Corrigan-Maguire
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
Belfast , Northern Ireland
The very lands we all along enjoyed
they ravished from the people they destroyed ...
All the long pretenses of descent
are shams of right to prop up government.
' Tis all invasion, usurpation all;
' Tis all by fraud and force that we possess,
and length of time can make no crime the less;
Religion's always on the strongest side.
Daniel Defoe, Jure Divino (England, 1706)
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Grassy Narrows needs your help 2009
By Leah Henderson,
In early June, 2008 news that Grassy Narrows First Nation's demand that
industrial logging on their territory stop was met when Abitibi-Bowater
announced that they would not be seeking a licence in the Whiskey Jack
Forest. However the struggle is not over. While the chainsaws have
stopped at Grassy Narrows, persecution of those that assert their
traditional rights on the land has not ended.
Roberta Keesick, a Grassy Narrows clan mother, trapper, blockader, and
grandmother, is facing charges in Red Lake Ontario for building a
trappers' cabin on her traditional family lands without a Provincial
permit. She has been a tremendous force in the grassroots struggles at
Grassy Narrows to reclaim traditional land and assert the right of self
determination. The act for which she now faces criminal charges is part
of a process of reclamation and revival for Grassy Narrows where people
are using the land on their territory as their ancestors have for
generations; it is a critically important piece of the work that is
being undertaken by the people of Grassy Narrows to empower themselves
and to sustain their families, revive their culture and heal their
community-this access to land is crucial for the healing of First
Nations, and it is this right that is being challenged by the court with
the charges that have been brought against Roberta Keesick.
Roberta's trial date is in the spring, and while we have found her a
lawyer donating his services, he needs his costs of travel, and filing
documents with the court covered. These costs will be approximately
$4000. She is seeking donations for a legal defence fund. The assertion
of rights on traditional land is one of the most important components of
the ongoing struggle for Indigenous rights. This case has the potential
to set an important precedent; Indigenous people have a right to
traditional land use on their traditional territories. This case
represents an example of the way that governments disable First Nations
from sustaining and empowering themselves. Roberta Keesick's actions-the
building of a trapping cabin on her own family's trap line-is a perfect
example of how people from Grassy Narrows are asserting their rights
through the straightforward actions of living an Anishnabe life. It is
of the utmost importance that any and all of us who are concerned with
Indigenous rights and the well being of First Nations communities,
support the grassroots struggles at Grassy Narrows and in other
communities and to support Roberta Keesick in her struggle to simply
live her life on her land. Please donate generously.
To make a donation to Roberta Keesick's legal defence fund you can send
an email money transfer to Leah Henderson: leah.m.henderson@gmail.com With
the security question: what is your favourite flower
Answer: sunflower
You can also email the above email address to find alternative ways of
donating (ie cheque, cash etc)
Sincerely,
Leah Henderson
647-883-5983
--
"The corporate revolution will collapse if we refuse to buy what they
are selling...their ideas, their version of history, their wars, their
weapons, their notion of inevitability. Remember this: We be many and
they be few. They need us more than we need them. Another world is not
only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing."
Arundhati Roy
"We the willing
Led by the unknowing
Doing the impossible
For the ungrateful
Have done so much with so little for so long
That we are now capable of doing anything
with nothing."
In early June, 2008 news that Grassy Narrows First Nation's demand that
industrial logging on their territory stop was met when Abitibi-Bowater
announced that they would not be seeking a licence in the Whiskey Jack
Forest. However the struggle is not over. While the chainsaws have
stopped at Grassy Narrows, persecution of those that assert their
traditional rights on the land has not ended.
Roberta Keesick, a Grassy Narrows clan mother, trapper, blockader, and
grandmother, is facing charges in Red Lake Ontario for building a
trappers' cabin on her traditional family lands without a Provincial
permit. She has been a tremendous force in the grassroots struggles at
Grassy Narrows to reclaim traditional land and assert the right of self
determination. The act for which she now faces criminal charges is part
of a process of reclamation and revival for Grassy Narrows where people
are using the land on their territory as their ancestors have for
generations; it is a critically important piece of the work that is
being undertaken by the people of Grassy Narrows to empower themselves
and to sustain their families, revive their culture and heal their
community-this access to land is crucial for the healing of First
Nations, and it is this right that is being challenged by the court with
the charges that have been brought against Roberta Keesick.
Roberta's trial date is in the spring, and while we have found her a
lawyer donating his services, he needs his costs of travel, and filing
documents with the court covered. These costs will be approximately
$4000. She is seeking donations for a legal defence fund. The assertion
of rights on traditional land is one of the most important components of
the ongoing struggle for Indigenous rights. This case has the potential
to set an important precedent; Indigenous people have a right to
traditional land use on their traditional territories. This case
represents an example of the way that governments disable First Nations
from sustaining and empowering themselves. Roberta Keesick's actions-the
building of a trapping cabin on her own family's trap line-is a perfect
example of how people from Grassy Narrows are asserting their rights
through the straightforward actions of living an Anishnabe life. It is
of the utmost importance that any and all of us who are concerned with
Indigenous rights and the well being of First Nations communities,
support the grassroots struggles at Grassy Narrows and in other
communities and to support Roberta Keesick in her struggle to simply
live her life on her land. Please donate generously.
To make a donation to Roberta Keesick's legal defence fund you can send
an email money transfer to Leah Henderson: leah.m.henderson@gmail.com With
the security question: what is your favourite flower
Answer: sunflower
You can also email the above email address to find alternative ways of
donating (ie cheque, cash etc)
Sincerely,
Leah Henderson
647-883-5983
--
"The corporate revolution will collapse if we refuse to buy what they
are selling...their ideas, their version of history, their wars, their
weapons, their notion of inevitability. Remember this: We be many and
they be few. They need us more than we need them. Another world is not
only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing."
Arundhati Roy
"We the willing
Led by the unknowing
Doing the impossible
For the ungrateful
Have done so much with so little for so long
That we are now capable of doing anything
with nothing."
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Oakland: Intertribal Friendship House Calendar, Feb. 2009
February 2009Tuesday, Feb. 3rd Beading Class 6:30 pm to 9 pm
Wednesday, Feb. 4th Community Forum "Justice For Andrew Moppin" TIME: 6:30 PM
On Wednesday February 4, 2009, Intertribal Friendship House will host a community forum in response to the continued police brutality as made light in the recent shooting of Oscar Grant III. One year earlier, another fatal police shooting took place on New Years Eve. On December 31st at 7:33 PM, officers of the Oakland Police Department fatally shot Andrew Moppin in the back. Andrew Moppin (Comanche/Klamath), a young unarmed 20-year-old man, had a $411 warrant out for his arrest for evading BART fare. Six months after Officer Hector Jimenez shot and killed Andrew Moppin, Jody "Mack" Woodfox III, 27, was also fatally shot in the back by the same officer of the Oakland Police Department. He was also found to be unarmed. The fatal shootings of Andrew Moppin, Jody "Mack" Woodfox III and Oscar Grant III are not isolated incidents and a reality in our communities of continued police brutality. Speakers will share a list of demands including:
1) Officer Hector Jimenez be taken off paid administrative leave for shooting of two unarmed men of color and held accountable
2) The resignation of District Attorney DA Tom Orloff.
3) That the U.S. Justice Department investigates the incident as a violation of civil rights;
4) Family Members and Friends of the Moppin and Woodfox families and all those that have been affected by police brutality have access to Healing Justice resources that are culturally sensitive to their needs.
5) Accountability on why it took one year to release the police report detailing the incident of the shooting of Andrew Moppin.
Dinner and banner making supplies will be provided.
Thursday, Feb. 5th All Nations drumming & Medicine Warriors dance class 7:00 pm to 9 pm
Saturday, Feb. 7th "All Nations Parent Circle" 12 noon to 2:00 pm
Saturday, Feb. 7th Permaculture Group 10 am to 1:00 pm
Tuesday, Feb. 10th Beading Class 6:30 pm to 9 pm
Thursday, Feb. 12th All Nations drumming & Medicine Warriors dance class 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Friday, Feb. 13th Alcatraz Occupation 40th Anniversary Planning Meeting 1 pm
Saturday, Feb. 14th "All Nations Parent Circle" 12 noon to 2:00 pm
Saturday, Feb 14th Traditional Foods Workshop 9 am to 3:00 pm
Sunday, Feb. 15th Traditional Nutrition Workshop 9 am to 3:00 pm
Tuesday, Feb. 17th Beading Class 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm
Thursday, Feb. 19th All Nations drumming & Medicine Warriors dance class 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Thursday, Feb. 19th IFH Board Meeting, 6:30 pm
Saturday, Feb. 21st "All Nations Parent Circle" 12 noon to 2:00 pm
Saturday, Feb. 21st Permaculture Group 10 am to 2:00 pm
Tuesday, Feb. 24th Beading Class 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm
Thursday, Feb. 26th All Nations Drumming & Medicine Warriors dance class 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Thursday, Feb. 26th No 2010 Olympics Planning/Orientation Meeting 6:30 PM
Friday, Feb. 27th "Liberation Day" AIM West & IFH fundraiser 4:00 pm to 12 midnight
Saturday, Feb. 28th "All Nations Parent Circle" 12 noon to 2:00 pm
Saturday, Feb. 28th Permaculture Group 10 am to 1:00 pm
Intertribal Friendship House is hiring! See posting below.
Job Announcement
Administrative Manager Temporary, Part-time
20-25 hours per week $2000/per month
Intertribal Friendship seeks a part-time temporary Administrative Manager to assist Interim Executive Director in administrative, facilities, reporting, grant writing and supporting the House Manager. Hours are flexible and must be available to work occasional evenings.
Intertribal Friendship House (IFH) located in Oakland, CA was established in 1955 as one of the first urban American Indian community centers in the nation. It was founded by the American Friends Service Committee to serve the needs of American Indian people relocated from reservations to the San Francisco Bay Area.
For urban Native people IFH has served as the Urban Reservation and Homeland. In many cases it is one of the few places that keeps them connected to their culture and traditions through pow wow dance, drumming, beading classes, and the many social gatherings, cultural events, and ceremonies that are held there. Intertribal Friendship House is more than an organization. It is the heart of a vibrant tribal community.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
· Oversee the completion of all contract reporting
· Compile required monthly reporting
· Complete contract and service proposals
· Maintain and update records & documents requests
· Compile agency newsletter
· Support the House Manager as needed
· Responsible for facilities rental & compliance forms
· Work along side Board Chair and Executive Director to Compile agency newsletter
· Coordinate facilities repairs and maintenance
· Participate in the Fund Development committee
· Maintain and update policies and procedures
This job description reflects management's assignment of essential functions; it does not prescribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned.
REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:
· BA degree required
· Experience working with Native American population
· Computer skills
· Experience with grant writing
· Strong computer skills with extensive experience working with Microsoft Office Suite
· Demonstrated skills in prioritizing tasks.
· Valid Driver's License, Car Insurance and good driving record.
SUCCESS FACTORS:
· Motivation and desire to work in a cultural and community based organization.
· Professional attitude and demeanor
· Strong communication skills and ability to follow tasks through to completion, multitask
· Experience working with and among people of diverse cultural and economic backgrounds
· Maturity, honesty, dependability
· Ability to remain calm in stressful situations
· Ability to maintain confidentiality
· Ability to work independently and be detailed oriented
Please submit a writing sample and a resume to: mgali@ifhurbanrez.org
--
Intertribal Friendship House
523 International Blvd
Oakland, CA 94606
510-836-1955
www.ifhurbanrez.org
Monday, February 2, 2009
Say 'NO' to $50 Billion in Nuclear Pork Stimulus
Lakotas fighting uranium mining join action to halt nuclear pork
Subject: stop $50B in nuclear pork in Stimulus -
Contact Senators ASAP
Now that the flush of inauguration bliss is receding, we find out
that our work as citizens has only begun :)
It is important to contact Senators asap this week as they debate the
Stimulus and ask that $50B in loan guarantees for new nuke plants not be
included. Below is a Call to Action from NIRS as well as an Article from
Common Dreams by Harvey Wasserman explaining how the eligible technologies
wording makes the $50B a handout for the nuclear industry.
Remember, former nuke industry (Exelon) lobbyist David Axelrod architected
Obamas campaign and is now Senior White House Adviser and Exelon (largest
nuclear operator in US) was one of Obamas largest campaign contributors
and heres the payback unless we red flag it for our Senators.
Below also is a sample of the letter I sent to my Senators and Rep. Just go
to www.senate.gov to find and email your senators.
Thanks :)
*** SAMPLE LETTER ***
Please do not approve the $50 billion loan guarantee package for nuclear and
so called 'clean coal'
- it is pork for the nuclear industry which made large campaign
contributions to Obama (Exelon particularly) and note former Exelon lobbyist
David Axelrod is now Senior White House Adviser
- don't let Axelrod & Obama deliver $50 Billion to the industry that
sponsored them - delete from the Stimulus please.
Continued thanks for your public service.
*** CALL TO ACTION FROM NIRS ***
From: Nuclear Information and Resource Service [mailto:nirsnet@nirs.org]
Sent: Friday, January 30, 2009 12:24 PM
Subject: Sign-on letter to stop $50B in nuclear pork
Nuclear Information and Resource Service
LET'S STOP THE NUCLEAR PORK IN THE STIMULUS PACKAGE!
January 30, 2009 Dear Friend, As you probably know by now, the economic
stimulus package approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee includes up
to $50 Billion in new taxpayer loan guarantees that can be used for
construction of new nuclear reactors and "clean coal" plants (an oxymoron if
there ever was one...). We need to tell the Senate that we're not willing to
risk our money on nuclear power, that we don't want more radioactive waste
in our communities, and that we do want Congress to support safer, cleaner
and cheaper energy resources like solar, wind and energy efficiency.
WITH YOUR HELP, WE CAN WIN THIS BATTLE! Organizations: Please sign on to the
grassroots sign-on letter by clicking here.
Please sign by 5 pm on Tuesday, February 4, 2009.
Individuals: While the sign-on letter is for organizations only, if you have
not already done so, please e-mail your Senators by clicking here
. Ask your friends and colleagues to send a letter as well.
And please follow up your e-mails with phone calls to your Senators at
202-224-3121.
Everyone: Please forward this e-mail widely--send to all your lists and
contacts. We've already generated more than 2200 letters to the Senate in
the past 24 hours! Let's keep it up! We will keep you informed about what
happens with this issue and any further actions you can take. Thanks for all
you do, Michael Mariotte Executive Director Nuclear Information and Resource
Service www.nirs.org
, nirsnet@nirs.org
------------------------------------------------------------ And please make
a small donation to help us pay for this work. Every contribution is
tax-deductible, and every contribution, no matter the size, is gratefully
appreciated. Please donate here
.
Subject: stop $50B in nuclear pork in Stimulus -
Contact Senators ASAP
Now that the flush of inauguration bliss is receding, we find out
that our work as citizens has only begun :)
It is important to contact Senators asap this week as they debate the
Stimulus and ask that $50B in loan guarantees for new nuke plants not be
included. Below is a Call to Action from NIRS as well as an Article from
Common Dreams by Harvey Wasserman explaining how the eligible technologies
wording makes the $50B a handout for the nuclear industry.
Remember, former nuke industry (Exelon) lobbyist David Axelrod architected
Obamas campaign and is now Senior White House Adviser and Exelon (largest
nuclear operator in US) was one of Obamas largest campaign contributors
and heres the payback unless we red flag it for our Senators.
Below also is a sample of the letter I sent to my Senators and Rep. Just go
to www.senate.gov to find and email your senators.
Thanks :)
*** SAMPLE LETTER ***
Please do not approve the $50 billion loan guarantee package for nuclear and
so called 'clean coal'
- it is pork for the nuclear industry which made large campaign
contributions to Obama (Exelon particularly) and note former Exelon lobbyist
David Axelrod is now Senior White House Adviser
- don't let Axelrod & Obama deliver $50 Billion to the industry that
sponsored them - delete from the Stimulus please.
Continued thanks for your public service.
*** CALL TO ACTION FROM NIRS ***
From: Nuclear Information and Resource Service [mailto:nirsnet@nirs.org]
Sent: Friday, January 30, 2009 12:24 PM
Subject: Sign-on letter to stop $50B in nuclear pork
Nuclear Information and Resource Service
LET'S STOP THE NUCLEAR PORK IN THE STIMULUS PACKAGE!
January 30, 2009 Dear Friend, As you probably know by now, the economic
stimulus package approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee includes up
to $50 Billion in new taxpayer loan guarantees that can be used for
construction of new nuclear reactors and "clean coal" plants (an oxymoron if
there ever was one...). We need to tell the Senate that we're not willing to
risk our money on nuclear power, that we don't want more radioactive waste
in our communities, and that we do want Congress to support safer, cleaner
and cheaper energy resources like solar, wind and energy efficiency.
WITH YOUR HELP, WE CAN WIN THIS BATTLE! Organizations: Please sign on to the
grassroots sign-on letter by clicking here.
Individuals: While the sign-on letter is for organizations only, if you have
not already done so, please e-mail your Senators by clicking here
And please follow up your e-mails with phone calls to your Senators at
202-224-3121.
Everyone: Please forward this e-mail widely--send to all your lists and
contacts. We've already generated more than 2200 letters to the Senate in
the past 24 hours! Let's keep it up! We will keep you informed about what
happens with this issue and any further actions you can take. Thanks for all
you do, Michael Mariotte Executive Director Nuclear Information and Resource
Service www.nirs.org
------------------------------------------------------------ And please make
a small donation to help us pay for this work. Every contribution is
tax-deductible, and every contribution, no matter the size, is gratefully
appreciated. Please donate here
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Top audio downloads at Censored News
Top three audios at Censored News Blog Radio
Photo by Brenda Norrell
Subcomandante Marcos at Digna Rabia gathering, recording courtesy EZLN/Enlace Zapatista website (Spanish) 254 downloads
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Brenda-Norrell/page/1
Navajo and Hopi protest Peabody Coal in Denver, recorded by Mano Cockrum, Hopi/Navajo, 172 downloads
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Brenda-Norrell/page/2
Lipan Apache press conference against land seizure for border wall in Texas, recorded by Brenda Norrell, 169 downloads
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Brenda-Norrell/page/1
Radio stations are welcome to rebroadcast audios, in whole or part, for news anywhere in the world. Please credit the recorder/producer. Downloads files are mp3.
Censored News Homepage
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/
Subcomandante Marcos at Digna Rabia gathering, recording courtesy EZLN/Enlace Zapatista website (Spanish) 254 downloads
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Brenda-Norrell/page/1
Navajo and Hopi protest Peabody Coal in Denver, recorded by Mano Cockrum, Hopi/Navajo, 172 downloads
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Brenda-Norrell/page/2
Lipan Apache press conference against land seizure for border wall in Texas, recorded by Brenda Norrell, 169 downloads
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Brenda-Norrell/page/1
Radio stations are welcome to rebroadcast audios, in whole or part, for news anywhere in the world. Please credit the recorder/producer. Downloads files are mp3.
Censored News Homepage
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/
Marcos at Digna Rabia/Courtesy photo EZLN
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