TUCSON Community Viewing 9th Circuit Oral Arguments SB 1070

Community Viewing of the 9th Circuit Court Oral Arguments on SB 1070
By Derechos Humanos

Derechos Humanos invites you to join us at the James E. Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona on Monday, November 1st at 9am to watch the oral arguments on SB 1070 that will be presented to the 9th Circuit Court.
Monday, November 1, 2010
9:00am
James E. Rogers College of Law
Room 164
One block north of Speedway, near the southwest corner of Mountain and Helen.
The CSPAN station will also be on the TV monitor in the Dean's Lounge on the first floor
The Ninth Circuit has posted all the briefs, including numerous amici briefs, on their web site at: http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/content/view.php?pk_id=0000000470

Although the U.S. District has invited us to view this at the Federal Courthouse, please remember that they require government issued identification in order to enter the buiding.
For more information, please call us at 520.770.1373

Roberto Rodriguez: Arizona: A Time and Decade of Betrayal

Arizona: A Time and Decade of Betrayal
By Roberto Dr. Cintli Rodriguez
Updated Oct. 28, 2010

Arizona: A Time and Decade of Betrayal

By Roberto Dr. Cintli Rodriguez


When people the world over think of Arizona, nowadays, they generally think of Gov. Jan Brewer, Sheriff Joe Arapio or state rep. Russell Pearce – the poster children of the state’s move toward legalized discrimination and racial profiling. If they are closely following the politics of the sun state, they also think of state superintendent of schools, Tom Horne, the architect of the state’s move to abolish Ethnic/Raza Studies.


Here, we think of the human toll.


Combined, these Arizona measures are becoming the modern version of Indian Removal and the colonial policy of “reducciones” – a policy aimed at civilizing the “savages.”


To those outside of this insane asylum – this state is being described as the New South. It may indeed be that, including a laboratory for setting the stage for apartheid governance in a part of the country that is browning daily. Politically, this is all about the clash of civilizations; one civilization Indigenous to this continent, the other, seemingly hell-bent on continuing the policies of manifest destiny.


Yet, there is something more taking place here. In a sense, to understand Arizona, read Brown Tide Rising by Otto Santa Ana. In it, the author poignantly observes that in this society: “Only humans have human rights.” There can be no doubt that the red-brown peoples of this state are being treated as less than human.


Also, read A Decade of Betrayal by Francisco Balderrama and Raymond Rodriguez. In it, they write about this nation’s obsession with targeting Mexicans during times of economic crises, going back to the period between 1910-1920. And yet, what they point out is that the numerous campaigns that deported hundreds of thousands and even millions of Mexicans, including U.S. citizens, were not indiscriminate, particularly the one conducted in the 1930s, but rather, targeted. Who were targeted were not criminals, but rather, anyone resembling a leader, in particular, community, educational and labor organizers.


In Arizona, there are numerous policies and programs in place (Operation Streamline) to criminalize migrants – which not coincidentally line the pockets of the private prison industry. But beyond that, an array of law enforcement agencies, continue to become extensions of the U.S. Border Patrol – operating as though SB 1070 was already the law of the land.


In Tucson, these draconian measures have now begun to affect the parents of our top students and top student organizers. In the summer, the father of a young high school activist DREAM Student, was picked up by a Sheriff’s deputy while a passenger in a truck. Even though SB 1070 was not in effect, as happens regularly, he was handed over to the Border Patrol. This happened during the middle of the annual Raza Studies Transformative Education Conference this summer. As a community, we rallied to the support of the family, successfully getting him out on bail. I’ve written about her previously as she has publicly identified herself, long before several DREAM Students identified themselves publicly while occupying the offices of Sen. John McCain this past summer. As a proud community organizer, she publicly identifies herself, but I don’t identify her, not even identifying her school, because I still feel the government has the potential to target their families.


For example, this past weekend, the father of one of our top students at the University of Arizona, Michelle Rascon – who is an incredible poet, a Raza Studies alumni, a U.S. citizen and a prospective law student – was picked up at his own home in what appears to have been an elaborate ruse by the FBI. After luring Jesus Gilberto Rascon outside, they proceeded to call the U.S. Border Patrol. As we speak, he is undergoing criminal proceedings that may keep him incarcerated for at least several months – until his final disposition -- which could result in a lengthy prison sentence. Of course, there are legal details involved, which will be litigated in court, but suffice to say, that cases such as these point to the absurdity of what the government is doing to divide up families; neither are criminals in any sense of the word.


The federal government claims to no longer be targeting students or their families and that its policies are designed instead to primarily go after "criminal aliens." The draconian enforcement measures seen around the country, especially in Arizona, belie this so-called new policy. Apparently, if the nation criminalizes non-violent migrants through its various operations and 287(g) agreements, including Secure Communities, then once criminalized, they now become "criminal aliens," thus primary targets. Circular logic at its best.


We appear to be in the midst of another decade of betrayal.




* A note from Michelle Rascon: My family and I are eternally grateful for all of the support we have received. Please take this time and help us make an impact on his case. Please email me letters of support: To whom it may concern, ASAP if you are able to help or fax them to 520-884-5887. Michelle Rascon mixelle1322@gmail.com


* A note from Derechos Humanos: Please help our sister, Michelle, and her family during this difficult time. We must support each other. Donate online or mail a check or money order to Arizona Border Rights Foundation PO Box 1286, Tucson, AZ 85702-1268, with "Rascon Family" in the memo field. For more donation info, write to: kat@derechoshumanosaz.net.




Rodriguez, a professor at the University of Arizona, can be reached at: XColumn@gmail.com
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Column of the Americas
PO BOX 3812
Tucson, AZ 85722

COLUMN: http://drcintli.blogspot.com

ARCHIVED COLUMN OF THE AMERICAS
http://web.me.com/columnoftheamericas



You change my way of writing, you change my way of thinking. You change my way of thinking, you change who I am.

Forgotten People file Trust Claims to Twin Arrows Casino

Dear Friends:

October 22, 2010, FORGOTTEN PEOPLE ANNOUNCES TRUST CLAIMS TO TWIN ARROWS CASINO: The Forgotten People, an association of survivors of the inhumane Navajo-Hopi Land Dispute, announce today that they are filing a “lis pendens” notice of claim on the Twin Arrows Parcel to be used for construction of the new Twin Arrows Casino with the Coconino County Clerk and Recorder and submitting a notice of claim to the President and Attorney General of the Navajo Nation at the same time.
Please check out the link:

10 22 10 Lis Pendens and Notice Announcement.doc - https://docs.google.com/document/edit?id=1ZJFt096JLRmjt0ngGuJW8Edy-bjerXOXHIzzUHPDSPo&hl=en
Scanned Signed Notice of Lis Pendens & Notice of Suit.pdf - https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0Bw2-15QqDXkTNzY1NjZiNzEtNjc3NC00OWM5LWE2ODgtYTE4ZmEzYTdmYmM0&hl=en

Thanks,
Don Yellowman, President
Marsha Monestersky, Program Director
Forgotten People
www.forgottennavajopeople.org
(928) 401-1777

American Indian Film Fest Award Nominees 2010

For Media Inquiries Contact:

October 25, 2010 Cindy Benitez

aifipublicrelations@gmail.com




THE 35th ANNUAL AMERICAN INDIAN FILM FESTIVAL®

ANNOUNCES AMERICAN INDIAN MOTION PICTURE AWARD NOMINEES

By American Indian Film Festival
Censored News
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/


San Francisco, CA - The American Indian Film Institute (AIFI) and Title Sponsor the Seminole Tribe of Florida are proud to announce the nominees for the 35th annual American Indian Film Festival. The awards will be presented at the annual American Indian Motion Picture Awards Show on Saturday Nov. 13 at 6:00p.m at the historic Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco.



The American Indian Motion Picture Awards Show (AIMPA), (established in 1978), has recognized excellence in American Indian cinematic achievement, making the annual awards show one of the most prominent Indian Country and Native Cinema showcases.



Over 100 films have been screened and judged by a jury panel designated by the American Indian Film Institute (AIFI). Fourteen prestigious awards will be recognized to those with outstanding cinematic accomplishments, including: Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Documentary Feature, Best Documentary Short, Best Live Action Short, Best Animated Short, Best Public Service, Best Music Video, Best Industrial, and Eagle Spirit Awards.



BEST FILM

Of Mice and Men, Kyle Hudlin-Whelan, Director

Two Indians Talking, Sara McIntyre, Director

A Windigo Tale, Armand Garnet Ruffo, Director



BEST DIRECTOR

Kyle Hudlin-Whelan, Of Mice and Men

Sara McIntyre, Two Indians Talking

Rodrick Pocowatchit, The Dead Can’t Dance

Jeremy Torrie, A Flesh Offering



BEST ACTOR

Nathaniel Arcand, Two Indians Talking

John Cook, Of Mice and Men

Rodrick Pocowatchit, The Dead Can’t Dance

Gary Farmer, A Windigo Tale



BEST ACTRESS

Andrea Menard, A Windigo Tale

Kaniehtiio Horn, A Flesh Offering



BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Justin Rain, Two Indians Talking

Winter Fox Frank, Behind the Door of a Secret Girl

Stanley Wood, Of Mice and Men



BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Jani Lauzon, A Windigo Tale

Casey Camp-Horinek, Behind the Door of a Secret Girl


BEST DOCUMENTAR Y FEATURE
A Good Day To Die, Lynn Salt & David Mueller, Directors

Qimmit: A Clash of Two Truths, Ole Gjerstad & Joelie Sanguya, Directors

Hearing Radmilla, Angela Webb, Director

Reel Injun, Neil Diamond, Director



BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

Unconquered: Allan Houser and the Legacy of One Apache Family, Bryan Beasley, Director

Cry Rock, Banchi Hanuse, Director

The Return of the Goosedance, Abhish S. Birla, Director

Potlatch: To Give, Barbara Cranmer, Director



BEST LIVE SHORT SUBJECT

Liminality, James Lujan, Director

File Under Miscellaneous, Jeff Barnaby, Director

Shimasani, Blackhorse Lowe, Director

The Cave, Helen Haig-Brown, Director



BEST ANIMATION

Lumaajuuq, Alethea Arnaquq-Baril, Director

Qalupalik, Ame Papatsie, Director

Wapos Bay Episode 20: The Hardest Lesson, Trevor Cameron, Director

Legend of Secret Pass, Steve Trenbirth, Director



BEST MUSIC VIDEO

I Ain't Learned Nothing Yet, Laura Milliken, Director

The Road Forward, Marie Clements, Director

Dirty Sexy Kill Kill, Yellow Thunder Woman, Good Eagle Woman, & Robin Davey, Directors

Evergreen, Tony Hrynchuk, Director



BEST PUBLIC SERVICE

Don't Get Sick After June: American Indian Healthcare, Chip Richie, Director

Skeletons in Closets: Blood in Labs, Brian Broadrose, Director

The Healing Lens, Michelle Derosier, Director

Joanne Shenandoah, Nov. 16, 2010

Click image to enlarge.

Suppressed Report Confirms Global Violations by Canadian Mining Companies

October 19, 2010
Suppressed Report Confirms International Violations by Canadian Mining Companies

Photo: Adolfo Ich Xaman shot and killed by private security guards subcontracted by the Guatemalan Nickel Company (CGN), local subsidiary of HudBay Minerals Inc., a Canadian mining company

.
OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Oct. 19, 2010) - A report obtained by MiningWatch Canada reveals that Canadian mining companies are implicated in four times as many violations of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as mining companies from other countries. The report was commissioned by the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) in 2009 but was never released to the public.

The report discusses 171 high-profile CSR violations by mining companies between 1999 and 2009. Sixty-three percent of these violations are linked to companies from just five countries, including Canada. Canadian mining companies are involved in more than four times as many violations as the next two highest offenders, Australia and India.

The report's authors conclude that "...Canadian companies have been the most significant group involved in unfortunate incidents in the developing world. Canadian companies have played a much more major role than their peers from Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Canadian companies are more likely to be engaged in community conflict, environmental and unethical behaviour..."

Importantly, the report also found that the large majority of the Canadian mining companies involved in such violations have CSR policies in place.

"This report - done for the biggest industry lobby group - confirms what we have been saying for years: that violations of good corporate behaviour by Canadian mining companies in developing countries are numerous and widespread. Cleary this is not just a case of a few bad apples, as the industry's boosters would like us to believe," said Catherine Coumans, Research Coordinator for MiningWatch Canada. "It also confirms that voluntary social responsibility measures by these same companies are not enough to stop abuses of human rights and the environment."

It is for this reason that MiningWatch Canada firmly supports the passage of Bill C-300, An Act Respecting Corporate Accountability for Mining, Oil and Gas Corporations in Developing Countries, currently before the House of Commons. "Canadians want to know that our government is not supporting Canadian mining companies that are involved in abuses of human rights and the environment overseas," says Coumans. "That is what Bill C-300 is all about, making sure our tax dollars do not support bad corporate behaviour."

To download the report: Corporate Social Responsibility: Movements and Footprints of Canadian Mining and Exploration Firms in the Developing World go to: http://www.miningwatch.ca/sites/miningwatch.ca/files/CSR_Movements_and_Footprints.pdf

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Catherine Coumans
613-569-3439
catherine@miningwatch.ca

or

Ramsey Hart
613-569-3439
613-614-9937 (cell
ramsey@miningwatch.ca

Bringing Cochabamba to Cancun: Climate Justice Activists

Bringing Cochabamba to Cancun: Statement from Climate Justice Activists

Top photo copyright Ben Powless, Mohawk: Manny Pino, Acoma Pueblo and Ofelia Rivas, O'odham, cochair the Indigenous Peoples Working Group in Cochabamba, Bolivia in April.

Photo 2 copyright Michelle Cook, Navajo: Manny Pino, Tom Goldooth, IEN executive director, and Ofelia Rivas in Cochabamba.

More at: http://pwccc.wordpress.com/2010/10/19/bringing-cochabamba-to-cancun-statement-from-climate-justice-activists/#more-2452

By Judy Rebick, Rabble.ca, 10/19/10 – The global battle on climate change is heating up in the build up to Cancun including here in Canada. The statement below was written by a group of activists who met with Bolivian President Evo Morales at the end of September in New York City.

Statement from Climate Justice Activists

We the undersigned representatives of Social Movements and NGO’s, meeting at a side event with President Morales of Bolivia during the Millennium Development Goals Summit, New York City, September 23, 2010,

Affirm the need for urgent action in the lead-up to the Cancun climate negotiations, Nov. 27 to Dec. 10, both in Mexico and internationally,
We believe these negotiations are a pivotal moment for demanding action in advancing climate justice.

This past summer has seen severe wildfires in Russia, devastating floods in Pakistan, mudslides in China, droughts in the Sahel and Niger, and an 87-square-kilometre chunk of ice break off from Greenland — all consistent with the impacts of which climate scientists have long been warning.

With the future of humanity and the balance of Mother Earth at stake, we have a collective responsibility to hold our governments accountable, especially those in the global North which has disproportionately contributed to the crisis we face, to commit to urgent and meaningful action.

The Cancun negotiations are also crucial because key proposals from the Cochabamba People’s Agreement are included in the negotiating text. The proposals, the “Cochabamba Accord”, must be acted upon if humanity is to avert catastrophic and runaway climate change, and make the urgent transition to a low-carbon society in an equitable and fair manner.

The democratic, bottom-up process from which these proposals emerged at the World’s People Conference on Climate Change and Mother Earth Rights (April 2010) — a significant coming together of indigenous peoples, social movements and NGOs — deserves our support.

With these points in mind, we:

– Support Mexican civil-society in demanding the government of Mexico provide open space, without interference, for civil-society events and discussion.

– Welcome the diversity of events being planned by our comrades in Mexico including caravans, a November 30 demonstration in Mexico City, a trial people’s tribunal on climate justice, alternative spaces for workshops and events, and much more. We support a coordinated strategy to ensure effective mobilization to demand climate justice and express our support for the Cochabamba conference process and proposals.

– Encourage everyone who recognizes the need for system change, not climate change, and is compelled and uplifted by the spirit of the Cochabamba People’s Conference and proposals to express this by joining together and mobilizing in communities across the world before, during, and after the Cancun negotiations. The advancement of climate justice depends on the collective voices and actions of people across the world.

– Specifically, we urge support for coordinated events in the lead-up to Cancun, including the 10/10/10 Global Work party, the Oct. 12 Global Day of Action for Climate Justice, Oct. 12 Global Mobilization for Defense of Mother Earth and Indigenous Peoples and the organizing of People’s Assemblies on Climate Justice.

During the UN negotiations, we join the call originating from Via Campesina for ‘thousands of Cancuns’ on the Dec. 7 global day of action, with the organizing of events and actions in communities worldwide to add strength and visibility to the mobilizations that will be taking place in Mexico; and all other mobilizations supporting the principles of Climate Justice

– Continue, beyond Cancun and through 2011, to popularize the climate justice demands formulated at the Cochambamba’s People’s Summit, including through organizing work towards the proposed global referendum on climate change; and, finally, to encourage broad participation in the second World People’s Summit on Climate Change, slated to be convened in 2011.

Signed,

Council of Canadians
Indigenous Environmental Network
Nord-Sud XXI
Grassroots International
Toronto Bolivia Solidarity
Blue Planet Project
May First/People Link
Global Justice Ecology Project
Loretto Community
Alaska Inter-Tribal Council
National Family Farm Coalition, Member of Via Campesina North America
Derrick O’Keefe
Michael Dorsey
Roger Langen

Navajo Water Rights: Human Rights Commission Resolution

10 11 10 Scanned Signed FP Resolution Opposing Water Rights Settlement

LISTEN: Indigenous Politics Radio: Mapuche Hunger Strike

"INDIGENOUS POLITICS: FROM NATIVE NEW ENGLAND AND BEYOND"

Radio Program on WESU, Middletown, CT (88.1), USA

Airing on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Tuesday each month from 4-5 PM EST

**Listen online while the show airs: http://www.wesufm.org/

Photo: Climate Voices

On Tuesday, October 19, 2010, join your host, J. Kehaulani Kauanui, for an episode that will focus on the politics of the 82-day hunger strike by Mapuche Indian political prisoners in the face of police and military repression levied against them. The protest was directed against the government's use of strict anti-terror legislation to criminalize attempts by the Mapuche to recover their ancestral lands. The protest began on July 12 of this year, when 20 Mapuche prisoners in different prisons in the Bío Bío and Araucanía regions started the hunger strike. By the end of July additional Mapuche in three other prisons had also begun the hunger strike. As reported by Global Voices Online, the group represents about a third of the total number of Mapuche who are currently on trial under the country's infamous Anti-terrorist Law. We will hear from Luis E. Cárcamo-Huechante, a scholar of Mapuche origin who grew up in Tralcao, a rural village in the River Region of Valdivia in southern Chile, and now teaches Latin American and indigenous literatures and cultures at The University of Texas at Austin; and José Aylwin is a human rights lawyer from Chile, who specializes in indigenous peoples and citizens' rights in Latin America, and is Co-director of the Observatorio Ciudadano (Citizens' Watch), an NGO for the promotion and protection of human rights in Chile. He teaches Indigenous Peoples' Rights at the School of Law of the Universidad Austral de Chile, in Valdivia, Chile.
~~~
JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP: "Indigenous Politics: From Native New England and Beyond - Radio Program"
~~~
This show is syndicated on select Pacifica-affiliate stations in the USA: WPKN in Bridgeport, CT and Montauk, NY; WNJR, in Washington, PA, WETX-LP, "The independent Voice of Appalachia," which broadcasts throughout the Tri-Cities region of East Tennessee, southwest Virginia, and northwest North Carolina; WBCR-lp in Great Barrington, MA and WORT in Madison, WI.
~~~
All past programs of "Indigenous Politics" are archived online: http://www.indigenouspolitics.com

~~~
The show's producer and host, J. Kehaulani Kauanui, Ph.D. is an associate professor of American Studies and Anthropology at Wesleyan University. She is the author of Hawaiian Blood: Colonialism and the Politics of Sovereignty and Indigeneity (Duke University Press, 2008). http://jkauanui.faculty.wesleyan.edu

Arizona Updates: Hate, Censorship, Columbus Day and Raza Studies Lawsuit

IMPORTANT ARIZONA DEVELOPMENTS

· DEC 2-4 SUMMIT ON HATE, CENSORSHIP & FORBIDDEN CURRICULA: CALL FOR SUPPORT

· COLUMBUS DAY TRIALS SUMMARY

ANNOUNCING RAZA STUDIES LAWSUIT
SUMMIT ON HATE, CENSORSHIP & FORBIDDEN CURRICULUMS

DEC 2-4 TUCSON, ARIZONA

CALL FOR SUPPORT

By Roberto Rodriguez

A historic conference and Floricanto in Tucson, Arizona at the beginning of December will tackle the issues of hate, censorship and forbidden curriculums. Yet, it may not be so much a conference as it will be a gathering or a summit to confront what L.A. hip-hop artist Tolteka has dubbed the Trilogy of Terror: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiG8p1MUXxA).

The three legs of this Arizona trilogy include:

SB 1070- the state’s racial profiling bill

HB 2281 – the anti-Ethnic/Raza Studies bill

Nullification of the 14th Amendment or Birthright Citizenship

We here in Arizona will never recognize them as [legitimate] laws.
At the moment, the courts have temporarily neutralized SB 1070 and it will be mired in litigation into the foreseeable future. However, by the time of the conference, the courts may have also already decided whether HB 2281 can be implemented or not. The sole purpose of this draconian law is to outright eliminate Tucson’s unique and highly successful K-12 Raza Studies program by Dec 31, 2010. Concurrently, conservative state legislators have vowed to introduce a bill that will nullify the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in Arizona. It would prevent Arizona hospitals from issuing birth certificates to children born of parents who cannot prove their right to be in the United States. SB 1070 and HB 2281 were especially highlighted.
In Arizona, it is beyond a trilogy. We are also host to Operation Streamline, a Kangaroo Court of the first order which daily criminalizes some 70 migrants in a span of one hour, this while lining the pockets of the private Corrections Corporation of America to the tune of $13 million per month. The Arizona/Sonora desert is also the site of thousands of deaths along the border, not accidentally, but as an intentional strategy of the U.S. government to funnel migrants into the most inhospitable regions of the border.
The purpose of this conference is to show the world how a community under siege responds. Five UN Special Rapporteurs recently took special note of this siege, informing the world that the actions of the state legislature and the governor have created conditions that could violate the human dignity of the Mexican/Indigenous populations of the state.
While the timing of the conference coincides with the imminent dismantling of the Crown Jewel of 40 years of Ethnic Studies in the United States, the actual objective is to highlight the student-community-led resistance to these draconian measures. In regards to HB 2281, the conference’s objective is to highlight precisely what Ethnic/Raza Studies is by celebrating its thousands-of-years-old maiz-based pedagogies and epistemologies. These knowledges and ways of knowing that have been branded as “un American” by the state superintendent of schools. The conference is also an occasion to both honor and pay tribute to the Raza Studies students, alumni and educators who are part of this resistance/creation culture.
The resistance and organizing efforts of the past several years has been awe-inspiring. It has included a run between Tucson and Phoenix in 115-degree heat. It has also included protests, rallies, vigils and mass arrests. In regards to HB 2281, despite the wishes of the state superintendant of schools, it is highly doubtful that the Tucson/Arizona community will permit Ethnic/Raza Studies to go down.
Understanding that not all who wish to participate will be able to make the trip to this political desert, this here is a call to support this conference. Send whatever you can: $25, $50 or $100 in the name of The University of Arizona Foundation. Send to: Veronica Peralta, Department of Mexican American & Raza Studies, University of Arizona, Cesar Chavez Bldg, 1110 E. James Rogers Way, PO BOX 210023, Tucson AZ 85721-0023. For more info: VPERALTA@EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU or 520-626-8139.
FOR INFO, CONTACT: ROBERTO RODRIGUEZ AT MEXICAN AMERICAN STUDIES-U OF A: RODRIGU7@EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU OR 520-626-0824 FOR UPDATED INFO: http://drcintli.blogspot.com/

COLUMBUS DAY TRIALS SUMMARY
On Oct 12, when Columbus committed the ultimate criminal trespass in the history of humanity, 5 of us stood trial: Kim Dominguez-Livas, Ariana Santa Cruz, Crystal Terriquez, Jacob Robles & Roberto Rodriguez in Tucson -- in defense of Ethnic/Raza Studies. 15 of us were detained on May 13 for “Criminal Trespass,” while eventually, 13 of us were cited, including several minors. Briefs have to be filed re necessity defense... by pro bono attorney Richard Martinez. A hearing in mid-Nov, then a verdict shortly thereafter. There are more trials on the way, including Oct 21 for several more defendants, plus the O'tham brothers and sisters who took over the Border Patrol HQ in Tucson... stay tuned. http://drcintli.blogspot.com/

RAZA STUDIES LAWSUIT OCT 18
Tucson, Ariz. -- Save Ethnic Studies will hold a press conference on Monday, Oct. 18, 2010 following the filing of their lawsuit against Tom Horne and the Arizona State Board of Education.

The 11 plaintiffs, all ethnic studies educators, will discuss with the community the legal challenge they are bringing to HB 2281 which seeks to ban the teaching of Mexican-American studies in TUSD. This bill was signed into law on May 12, 2010. Since then Tom Horne has repeatedly stated that on Dec. 31, 2010 he will find the Mexican-American studies program in non-compliance of HB 2281, the first day that the law becomes effective.

What: 2281 Lawsuit Filing Press Conference
When: Monday, Oct. 18th, 4:00pm
Where: 326 S. Convent Ave., Tucson, AZ 85701, Courtyard
Contact: Deyanira Nevarez
2281 Project Director, Save Ethnic Studies
(520) 975-1485 cell

Thanks & Sincerely
Roberto Dr. Cintli Rodriguez
Column of the Americas
PO BOX 3812
Tucson, AZ 85722

COLUMN: http://drcintli.blogspot.com/

ARCHIVED COLUMN OF THE AMERICAS
http://web.me.com/columnoftheamericas

You change my way of writing, you change my way of thinking. You change my way of thinking, you change who I am.

LOS ANGELES Red Nation Film Festival

LOS ANGELES American Indian Film Festival

RED NATION CELEBRATION / ENTERTAINMENT

7th Annual Red Nation Film Festival – The Authentic Voice of American Indian Indigenous Cinema™
Founded American Indian Heritage Month in the city/county of Los Angeles
www.rednationfilmfestival.com
October 28 – November 9, 2010
Image: Artist: Monte Yellow Bird Sr.- Black Pinto Horse

LOS ANGELES - Red Nation Celebration and its founder Joanelle Romero began a 5 year long initiative to have the city/county of Los Angeles recognize “American Indian Heritage Month” in which Los Angeles has the largest American Indian Urban population in the country, is the Entertainment capital of the world, and is the second largest city in the United States. In 2006, Red Nation’s dream came true and American Indian Heritage Month was launch in the city/county of Los Angeles.

In 2006, Red Nation was recognized by the State of California “for their tireless efforts to establish the First Annual American Indian Heritage Month in the City/County of Los Angeles.”

Red Nation annual cultural events and ceremonies held throughout Los Angeles annually in November evoke connection to Mother Earth and gives Angelinos a view into the sacred relationship our nation’s first peoples carry for the environment.

In 2008 – Red Nation Celebration partnered with Governor Bill Richardson and Department Indian Affairs in initiating the first American Indian Heritage Month in the State of New Mexico.

National American Indian Heritage Month is celebrated every year in November to honor and recognize the original people of this land.

The Red Nation Celebration (RNC) continues to encourage the world at large to recognize the significance of National American Indian Heritage Month and support organizations and events that foster historical and cultural values inherent to native indigenous peoples.

Since 2005, Red Nation Film Festival The Authentic Voice of American Indian Indigenous Cinema has presented exclusive screenings, Oscars nominated films, spirit award nominated films, Native Women in Film & Television presentations, as well as Red is Green Carpet Galas / Native Fashion with Social Action, Red Nation is the NEW Glam, including La Premieres, Documentaries, Native Youth Films, Art Exhibits, Music Concert Series, Red Nation FilmLab Panels, all under the commitment to keeping American Indian image at the forefront of the entertainment industries and the world at large.

Red Nation Film Festival (RNFF) is at the forefront …. In Vision, Creativity, Leadership, Inspiration and Sustainability for American Indian Indigenous Nations in Media.

The 7th annual Red Nation Film Festival in the heart of Hollywood – the entertainment capital of the world, will present screenings over 7 day run from October 28 to Nov 9th, 2010. Some highlights include: Native Women in Recovery in the Arts a Heather Rae film FIRST CIRCLE; International films: A film by Dennis Hopper “THE LAST MOVIE,” Hawaii A Voice For Sovereignty a Catherine Bauknight film, and Opening Night - Red is Green Carpet Gala – and award-winning film “CANGLESKA WAKAN.”

Red Nation Film Festival Closing Night Film & Tribute Award Ceremony, November 9, 2010, will honor Chief Oren Lyons, Jane Goodall, Vic Bulluck NAACP, Elizabeth & Dennis Kucinich, Oliver Stone (invited), plus and the WINNER is …. Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Director, Best Feature Film, Best Documentary Film, Best Producer, Best Screenplay, Lifetime Achievement Award.

This ground-breaking historic event is eagerly anticipated and the suspense of who will receive the first American Indian Red Nation Film Award of Excellence. Red Nation tapped New Mexico sculptor artist Phillip Mangas Haozous son of the late Apache sculptor artist Allan Houser to create and design “The Red Nation Statuette.” For the very first time in the history of American film, Native actors, filmmakers, and producers have a coveted award equivalent to the well known “Oscar”. It symbolizes exceptional achievement and filmmaking excellence. Art Exhibit by Artist Phillip M. Haozous. Phillip M. Haozous in attendance.

Complete Film Festival Schedule to be posted October 18th under the Film Festival Schedule. The Red Nation Celebration (RNC) is a non-profit media arts corporation founded in 1995, Red Nation Celebration is dedicated to bringing Native American content and the arts to the mainstream media and the world by developing partnerships with leaders of the entertainment industry and Tribal Nations.

Red Nation Film Festival (RNFF) is dedicated to breaking the barrier of racism by successfully replacing American Indian stereotype with recognition, new vision, arts, culture and economic prosperity by placing American Indian Filmmakers at the forefront of the entertainment industry and to introduce American Indian Filmmakers to larger, global mainstream audiences.

Each year RNFF Annual Events chooses a Charity (s) in support of American Indian, Education, Social Justice, Environmental Solutions, Human Rights, Animal Protection and HIV/AIDS Prevention.

American Indian Heritage Month in the City/County of Los Angeles™ is the Intellectual Property and Project Rights of Red Nation® Red Nation Celebration®
Red Nation Film Festival™ * Red Nation Television Channel™ * Native Women in Recovery in the Arts© * Native Women in Music© * Native Women in Film & Television™ * Red is Green™ * Red is Green Carpet™ * Native Fashion with Social Action™ * The Authentic Voice of American Indian Indigenous Cinema™

Censored News Congratulates Hopi Teens for Radio Awards 2010

HOPI TEEN RADIO AWARDS FALL 2010
Censored News

http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/

Media statement

POLACCA, ARIZ.---Hopi High School’s media program won eight awards from the Arizona Interscholastic Press Association with broadcast radio taking home six awards and journalism winning two.
The winners in the radio broadcast division were:
*Katie Honawa and Jaysana Honyaktewa earned an honorable mention for their commercial “Hooked on Phonics.”
*Donna Brooks won honorable mention for her sportscast about Hopi High track and field.
*Dion Sahneyah earned honorable mention for his public service announcement about fire prevention.
*Honyaktewa also earned an “excellent” for her feature story about “sexting problems.”
*Gerri Sehongva took home an honorable mention for her feature story about “Bullying can lead to suicide.”
*Melsena Harris earned an honorable mention for her newscast about “Senior trip approaches.”
The winners in the journalism division were:
*Patrese Honie won honorable mention for her feature about “Malcolm Mowa’s music.”
*Ray Antone earned honorable mention for her feature about “Yaiva urges students to get involved.
Stan Bindell, radio broadcast and journalism teacher, said the awards were great for the students and for the Hopi High media program.
Hopi High broadcast radio has won 78 state awards in the past three years.
“I’m proud of the radio and journalism students. They deserve a lot of praise for their accomplishments. We’re going to work even harder to win more and higher awards,” he said.
Bindell noted that several of the students who won awards graduated last year and he hopes that this year’s students will win more awards in the spring competition.
Sahneyah, a junior, said he was excited about winning the award because he didn’t think he would get it.
“I think it was awesome that my classmates won awards. They earned it,” he said.
Sahneyah plans to major in broadcast radio in college. This past summer, he attended the University of Arizona summer journalism camp. He learned different facets of media and had a chance to interview Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer. He is considering going to the University of Arizona after graduation.
Hopi High performs the Hopi High Teen Show on Tuesdays on KUYI, 88.1 FM. It is the only live remote Native American teen talk show in the nation.
“I love the Hopi High teen show because it gives teens a chance to actually get to interview and work on the radio,” Sahneyah said.
Brooks, a junior, said she was amazed and shocked about winning the state award.
“I will do my best this year for the radio program,” she said.
Brooks plans to volunteer some of her time at KUYI, the Hopi community radio station. She said the best part of the Hopi High teen show is learning how to operate the equipment.
She plans to major in criminal justice at either Duke, Stanford or Utah Valley University.
Honawa, a senior, said she was shocked about winning the state award because this is her third year in radio and the first time she won an award. Now, she is considering going to college to major in radio at Arizona State University or IAIA in New Mexico for creative writing.
“I’m happy that my classmates won awards. I want to tell them: Congratulations,” she said.
Honawa said she likes the Hopi High teen show because “I like to hear my voice.”
Bindell and the students thank KUYI for helping with training and equipment. They also thank the Hopi High School administration and governing board for supplying funding and time for broadcast radio and journalism.
The Hopi High radio broadcast students also call in news briefs to KINO in Winslow and thank KINO for giving them air time.

Gathering to protect Glen Cove, Oct. 16, 2010

Sacred Site Protection & Rights of Indigenous Tribes
Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice

For Immediate Release
Contact: Wounded Knee De Ocampo/SSP&RIT (707) 557-2140
Bradley Angel/Greenaction (415) 284-5600 x 102, (415) 722-5270 cell

Native Americans & Supporters to Protest City of Vallejo’s Plans
That Would Destroy Major Ancient Burial and Village Site

GATHERING AND CEREMONY TO PROTECT GLEN COVE
NATIVE AMERICAN SACRED SITE IN VALLEJO FROM DESTRUCTION

Saturday, October 16, 2010 – 12 Noon at Glen Cove, Vallejo, California

Vallejo, CA – Native Americans and their supporters will hold a gathering and ceremony at the Glen Cove sacred site in Vallejo on Saturday, October 16, 2010 at 12 noon.
The City of Vallejo and the Greater Vallejo Recreation District (GVRD) are planning to desecrate the Glen Cove ancient Native American burial site in order to expand a trail, install toilets and build a parking lot.
Located along the Carquinez Straits, Glen Cove was an important Native American village, cultural and burial site for thousands of years. The sacred cove contains human remains, shell mounds, and other artifacts. Glen Cove continues to be a spiritually important area to local Native peoples. Native American activists and their supporters are calling on the City to respect and protect the ancient burials and culturally important site.
In addition to the sacred burials and culturally important village site, Glen Cove is environmentally sensitive due the wetlands and fresh water creek. Environmental justice organizations across the Bay Area are joining the Native American community in calling on the City of Vallejo to drop their plans for development that would destroy the sacred site.
For directions: www.vallejointertribalcouncil.org/SSP&RT/glencovedirections.html

Sponsored by the Vallejo Inter-Tribal Council, SSP&RITS (Sacred Site Protection and Rights of Indigenous Tribes), International Indian Treaty Council, American Indian Movement and Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice

Roberto Rodriguez: Columbus Day Trial for Defenders of Raza Studies

COLUMBUS DAY TRIAL FOR DEFENDERS OF RAZA STUDIES
By Roberto Dr. Cintli Rodriguez

The irony of standing trial on Columbus Day – for defending Tucson’s Raza Studies Program – is not lost upon the defendants. The philosophical foundation for Raza Studies-TUSD is maiz-based knowledge – knowledge that is both Indigenous to this continent, but also, at least 7,000 years old.

Despite this, the state superintendent of schools, Tom Horne – whose life mission is to eliminate Ethnic Studies in Arizona – believes that Raza Studies is “un-American,” this while embracing knowledge from Greece and Rome as the basis for Western Civilization and as acceptable for Arizona schools.

On May 14 of this year, a day after Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed HB 2281, legislation designed to eliminate Ethnic/Raza Studies, the police at Tucson’s state building detained a total of 15 student and community members for “criminal trespass.” The first trials, primarily of social justice students, are set for the morning of Oct 12.

Initially, after word had spread that Tom Horne was coming to Tucson to a meeting with TUSD administrators – one day after the signing of HB 2281 – hundreds of students and community members formed a human chain around the TUSD headquarters. His presence was interpreted as a victory lap. Wave after wave of students not simply surrounded the building, but the entire block itself.

Rather than face them, Horne instead opted to hold a press conference at the state building a couple of miles away. Hundreds of students marched to, and then entered the state building, despite being told by officials that they were not welcome in this public building. Several dozen students attempted to enter the press conference on the second floor, but were locked out. As a result, they staged an impromptu sit-in. In the end, 15 refused to leave and were thus detained. Of those, 13 were arrested for criminal trespass. This included several middle, high school and college students. It also included two University of Arizona professors (including myself).

Of course, no charges were filed against Horne who has single-handedly set it as his life’s mission to eliminate the highly successful Raza Studies program. This program graduates students at a 97.5% rate and the college-going rate is upwards of 70%. Rather than export this program nationwide, this at a time of extremely high nationwide dropout-pushout rates, Horne seeks its elimination. He charges that it is “un-American,” that it promotes ethnic solidarity and that it breeds resentment against other races and the United States itself.

Through HB 2281, Horne has charged that Raza Studies promotes segregation and calls for the violent overthrow of the U.S. government. And true to form, HB 2281 creates false exemptions for American Indian Studies and African American Studies – a clumsy attempt to isolate Tucson’s Raza Studies and this community under siege.

HB 2281 sets up a state mechanism by which books and curriculums will be approved or disapproved. Worse, Horne’s actual intent is to rule Raza Studies-TUSD out of compliance and eliminate it by Dec 31, 2010. Despite his wishes, the state lacks the power to shut it down in such a dictatorial manner. The district would get a chance to appeal the decision before Raza Studies could be shut down.

On its face, Horne’s charges – that Raza Studies is out of compliance with a law that doesn’t even go into effect until Jan. 1, 2011 – is bizarre. Having never visited a Raza Studies classroom, he has demanded that TUSD videotape all Raza Studies classes. TUSD has rebuffed his demands.

That aside, a historic lawsuit is pending which will seek to prevent the state from implementing HB 2281. In this lawsuit, Horne will be greatly handicapped because TUSD has affirmed that Raza Studies is in full compliance. He is further handicapped because all the terms used in the legislation are ambiguous. For instance, the notion of what is American or unAmerican has never been litigated. What is ethnic and what constitutes ethnic studies has also never been litigated. The notion that teaching history via Raza Studies breeds resentment and hate also is ambiguous (and false), but it also tramples upon the traditional precept of academic freedom.

The danger of HB 2281 is that similar to SB 1070 – Arizona’s racial profiling legislation – it can also be replicated nationwide and it can also be expanded to the college and university levels. This is the importance of these Columbus Day trials and the forthcoming lawsuit. It is when and where Ethnic/Raza Studies will be defended.

· Just several days ago, I learned that my own trial was unexpectedly moved from Oct 21 to Oct 12 – which in actuality is nowadays Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

· On Dec 2-4, Mexican American Studies at the University of Arizona will host a conference on hate, censorship & forbidden curriculums. For info: http://drcintli.blogspot.com/

Rodriguez, a member of the MAS-TUSD community advisory board is a professor at the University of Arizona. He can be reached at: XColumn@gmail.com


Column of the Americas
PO BOX 3812
Tucson, AZ 85722

El Acuero de los Pueblos va a Cancun

Double click on image to enlarge
Conference: Indigenous prepare Cancun agreements
October 14, 2010, Mexico City, at the News Reporters Club

Representatives from Bolivia, Denmark Climate Forum, Mexico and Campesinas of North America

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Dooda (NO) Desert Rock: EPA decision vindicates Dooda position

Contact: Elouise Brown, Dooda (NO) Desert Rock Committee President, (505) 947-6159

DOODA (NO) DESERT ROCK SAYS AGENCY ACTION VINDICATES ITS POSITION
By Dooda (No) Desert Rock
Photo: Four Corners Power Plant

.
Elouise Brown, the president of Dooda (NO) Desert Rock, said today that the decision by the Environmental Protection Agency to require the Four Corners Generating Station to reduce nitrogen oxide omissions vindicates its position on the plant and the other one nearby.

“President Shirley and his ‘yes’ men mocked me when I said that emissions from the two existing plants endangered Navajo health, but the decision to regulate this kind of greenhouse emission vindicates my position,” Brown said.

“On August 24, 2007 the Region IX EPA said that ozone was a particular concern for the Four Corners area and warned of a study that found that people living in Shiprock are more than five times as likely to need examination for respiratory complaints than others.”

“We filed a discrimination complaint against the EPA for the failure to take action on that finding, only to have the complaint dismissed because the U.S. Justice Department says that citizens cannot make Title VI discrimination claims against federal agencies. We have consistently demanded that the EPA heed its own warnings,” she continued.

“We know that the EPA decision to require the Four Corners Plant to do more about regulating emissions comes in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court decision that greenhouse gases can be regulated under the Clean Air Act and that the State of New Mexico challenged the Desert Rock air permit because those gasses are not regulated. While this decision may follow that trend, we also hope that Dooda (NO) Desert Rock’s advocacy for the health of Navajos in our area and our efforts to have the August 24, 2007 warning heeded played a role” in the decision,” she said.

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Proposed Navajo Water Rights Settlement (Document)

20100716 Settlement Agreement

Voting Record: Navajo Council tables water rights settlement Sept 29, 2010

Double click on image to enlarge

Cynthia McKinney: Bike4Peace Reaches DC and Beyond

Bike4Peace reached DC a day early and Cynthia McKinney, whose home was burglarized during the bike ride across America, reached out once again to victims of the US government

By Cynthia McKinney
Censored News
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com


Well, first of all I have to apologize to Uncle Ernie. and Reverend Sandra Decker. I didn't get my information to you on time--and to all of you, too! But, I hope you'll understand why when I give this update.


But first, I need to add that one of my favorite books of all time is "Godel, Escher, Bach," in which there is something called a "recursive loop." Part of the reason for my lateness with this final, wrap-up Bike4Peace 2010 report is that, toward the end of our ride, I became involved in several recursive loops that made me very busy; so much so that the time for writing lapsed while I was coursing the various loops.


The first loop entailed travel from Pueblo, Colorado to deal with a burglary that seems to have netted the burglars my external hard drive containing much of my intellectual property, among other things. Now, what was interesting was that they had to search for it. Well, before I declare it swiped, I'm checking and double checking my belongings. But it's not in its usual place. I'm still coursing through this loop and external hard drive sub-loop.


However, after I had just been thrust into the burglary loop, I received an invitation to become involved in the case of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, a woman believed to have been the screaming female voice heard by Moazzem Beg, a U.K. resident of Pakistani descent, who was detained and tortured and by U.S. authorities in various U.S. terror gulags. I have heard and seen Moazzem's riveting testimony of his treatment at the hands of the U.S. military. Of course, Moazzem--just like many others, including Dr. Aafia--just happened to be at the wrong place and the wrong time, and became statistics of torture and injustice in the U.S. prosecution of its so-called "War on Terror." One can get more information on Moazzem Beg at www.cageprisoners.com and at www.criminalisewar.org, the Malaysia War Crimes Tribunal.


At any rate, I had read a riveting account of a witness at her "trial," who was incensed by the glaring injustice. So, when the call came, I was ready to become part of a justice campaign in any way I could be helpful. That necessitated sending a message to the White House and State Department asking for Dr. Aafia's repatriation. I had also been asked to travel to Pakistan to ascertain flood damage and advocate on behalf of innocent victims as well as to share some information about the case of Dr. Aafia with Pakistani government authorities by leading a delegation of Pakistani-Americans and those knowledgeable of the law and certain precedents. That's when I discovered that my passport had been stolen!!!
That sent me into yet another emergency loop to get a replacement passport expedited in time for our travel!!!


After getting the replacement passport, I then sent it to the Pakistani authorities in this country, along with a visa application--where both my passport and my visa application were held hostage for about a week while I idled in Chicago and precious time was being lost endangering our time-sensitive mission. Soon, it became clear that our delegation would not travel and that a game of "four corners" was being played with us to allow the clock to sound the time out alarm before Dr. Aafia's sentencing, which occurred on September 23rd. My effort to help on compassionate grounds a woman who has become known as the "Daughter of Pakistan" came to a standstill and eventually, my passport and visa application were both returned, without explanation, to my representative. More can be learned about the case of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui at www.draafia.org.


By the time I made it back to my familiar environs of campground, tent, and bicycle, Bike4Peace had crossed Kansas. Missouri, the Mighty Mississippi River, Illinois, and had forged their way into Kentucky! It felt good to be back with biting mosquitoes, annoying flies, buzzing gnats in love with my ears, nose, and eyes, and my all-natural insect repellent that didn't work!


Unfortunately, on the day of my arrival in Kentucky, one of our bikers had to leave and return to California where his partner was waiting for him. Anyone who knew YeYo knew it was impossible to be without him for two entire months!!! But, by the time of his departure, YeYo had picked up a bug and was so sick! Food poisoning was the suspected culprit, a little medicine, and he was good to go--unfortunately, away from us!


I left Bike4Peace once again to participate in a New York 9/11 event that will be broadcast on television soon--we hope--under the auspices of Independent News Network (INN). I can't wait. Lenny Charles invited all of the people who participated in my 2005 Congressional briefing and then some! I was on a panel with Governor Don Siegelman and Senator Mike Gravel. We were there to show the audience what happens to elected officials who represent a threat to the existing political disorder! All of the testimony throughout the day was riveting. Then for me, it was back to Kentucky and Bike4Peace 2010.


And the mental calculation wasn't difficult: after Kentucky there was only Virginia, and after Virginia, there was D.C.!!!!! Wow, honestly, in the beginning, I had been misunderstood in so many quarters for choosing to do this and now, here we were, on the verge of actually reaching our goal. What an amazing feeling!


As it turns out, Bike4Peace 2010 arrived in D.C. one day early!!!! On that day--the last day--I rode 60 miles!! While I was stuck in one of those multi-layered recursive loops, I remembered listening to a lecture about the role of melanin and the production of energy. I seemed to get more energy as the sun's rays penetrated my skin. I didn't know where all the energy was coming from--I imagined a little furnace inside my abdomen, just burning away.


I could see my skin turning black black again. And I was energized by it--or maybe by the lecture on melanin that I was remembering. Amazingly, I rode more than I had ever ridden in one day on this entire Bike4Peace journey, and I never got a muscle cramp--nor a brain cramp! (A brain cramp is that little voice resident in your imagination that tells you that it's time to stop because you've done enough!)


And Babette Hogan of PoliDocs was there to greet us--kinda! PoliDocs is doing a film entitled, "Seriously Green" and Bike4Peace's triumphal entry into D.C. was captured for the film. How beautiful it must have been: the silhouette of Bike4Peace 2010 against the dusky D.C. skyline. That was September 20--one day early! We ended the day by attending a screening of the film, "GhettoPhysics" (opening in theaters on October 8) in which I have a small cameo! As we left the theater, I read an e-mail message indicating that a 30-year old African American Green Party candidate for the U.S. Senate who was riding her bicycle had been hit by an SUV. Stunned, doesn't even begin to describe how I felt. Natasha Pettigrew, bicycling victim of a hit and run.


On September 21, Bike4Peace boarded a bus headed to New York City to hear Ahmadinejad speak. I was asked to give some brief remarks, which I will send under separate cover, since I believe this e-mail is way too long already! On the way back, I learned from the D.C. Green Party that Natasha was dead. All I could think of was Natasha's mother's complete and utter grief. How could this happen? After having just crossed the country and experienced all kinds of motorists, I knew how it could happen.


On September 22, we participated in our closing events for Bike4Peace 2010. At 10:00 am, Bike4Peace convened at the U.S. Capitol and then rode to the White House. We met our goal--on time! From the House of Common Sense to the White House that needs some common sense. And, as if to underscore the importance of what we had just accomplished, I opened my e-mails after our standing-room-only event at the National Press Club to see that, sandwiched in-between NATO bombing raids that killed civilians and children, President Obama defended his war against Afghanistan and renewed threats against Pakistan. It was also Obama's Pentagon that reportedly flooded a town in Pakistan, killing hundreds of innocents, so as to save the military base from which U.S. drones are launched. Shades of New Orleans and the Lower 9th Ward all over again. Given the circumstances of today, there is very little more important than our engagement for peace. Thank you, Bike4Peace--Ron Toppi and Vernon Huffman--for actualizing personal transformation while visualizing U.S. policy that promotes peace.


On September 24, Zaccai Free, whom we met at the screening of "Ghetto Physics," took Yaney to the airport, signaling the beginning of the end of Bike4Peace 2010. Scott, went to his brother's and will probably shave his beard before he heads back to Boston! Vernon and his daughter, Lucy, took off on their fully-loaded bikes, for another adventure--cycling to New York City, where Lucy lives. Annie visited with friends before heading back to the West Coast. And I attended the vigil for Natasha Pettigrew and hugged her mother in an embrace that lasted way too long--but still wasn't long enough to absorb all the pain. I wish I were a sponge so I could soak up the world's pain and put an end to it once and for all. You can read about Natasha here: www.natashaforsenate.com. The Maryland Green Party has named Natasha's mother, Keniss Henry, as its U.S. Senate nominee. At dusk, the candles were lit for Natasha and Bike4Peace 2010 officially ended.


* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Please Note: For those of you in the Atlanta area and who can attend, please put October 6 on your calendar. On that date, at 10:00 am promptly, the Fulton County Board of Commissioners will officially present my mother and me a proclamation in honor of the life and work of my father. Please come and be a part of our extended family and share this honor with us:

Subject: McKinney Proclamation Presentation...

The Board of Commissioner’s meetings start and 10:00 a.m. and I always urge everyone to be there by then. The Chairman usually starts the meeting as soon as he has a quorum, which is generally by 10:00 a.m.

After roll call, prayer and the pledge of allegiance, the Commission approves the agenda for the day and the very next thing is proclamations. This usually occurs between 10:15 a.m. and 10:20 a.m. That’s why I always recommend that the participants be in Assembly Hall by 10:00 a.m.

When it’s time for presentation, the Chairman calls the recipients down to the podium. Chairman Eaves and Commissioner Darnell who are both sponsoring this proclamation will speak and he will give the family the opportunity to address the Commission. Afterwards, our photographer will take a group shot and the family would be free to either stay or watch the remainder of the meeting or exit.


Aaron V. Johnson
Community Policy Director
Office of Chairman John Eaves
Fulton County Board of Commissioners
141 Pryor Street, 10th Floor
Atlanta, GA 30303
(p) 404.612.8251, (f) 404.730.4754
aaron.johnson@fultoncountyga.gov

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