Glenn Greenwald
Sunday Aug. 31, 2008 11:46 EDT
Federal government involved in raids on protesters
As the police attacks on protesters in Minnesota continue -- see this video of the police swarming a bus transporting members of Earth Justice, seizing the bus and leaving the group members stranded on the side of the highway -- it appears increasingly clear that it is the Federal Government that is directing this intimidation campaign. Minnesota Public Radio reported yesterday that "the searches were led by the Ramsey County Sheriff's office. Deputies coordinated searches with the Minneapolis and St. Paul police departments and the Federal Bureau of Investigation." Read article:
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/08/31/raids/
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Haudenosaunee Grandmothers File Suit Against Canada
HAUDENOSAUNEE GRANDMOTHERS FILE “DO IT YOURSELF” LAW SUIT – WATCH OUT CANADA , THE FEDERAL COURT IS BEING PUT TO THE TEST
Mohawk Nation News Aug. 30, 2008.
Canada keeps trying to pretend it’s “open season” on the Kanionkehaka/Mohawk. It’s even okay to assault our elders and grandmothers. No steps have been taken to charge the Canada Border Services Agents CBSA who assaulted Katenies and Kahentinetha on June 14th 2008. Kahentinetha suffered a trauma induced heart attack. They tried to beat Katenies to a pulp. They act like this is “business as usual”. The prosecutors have not done their duty. Because of this there has been no public investigation and the crime has been swept under the carpet.
The two women have no money, but they have found a way that might make rogue crown agents accountable. They have filed an action in Canada ’s Federal Court.
This does not mean they are accepting Canadian jurisdiction over themselves or the Haudenosaunee. Canadian agents have no right to abuse human rights or commit crimes against anyone, including those foreign to Canada . Canada has signed many agreements promising to uphold international human right standards. You don’t have to be a Canadian citizen to sue Canada . Canada ’s courts have an obligation to uphold the law.
The following “Statement of Claim” shows that we can defend ourselves. They two grandmothers filed their complaint in the Federal Court of Canada, under Section 48 of Canada ’s Federal Court Act. [You can find the instructions for filing on the Federal Court website]. To get things going, you pay the filing fee and hand in 5 copies of your “Statement of Claim”. The court clerk puts on a gold stamped seal and signs it to prove it has been filed. They serve it on the government the next day, and the crown has 30 days to answer.
When you draft your claim, just put the facts down. Make sure you don’t include any allegations that you can’t prove. For example, you need a direct witness, documentary evidence or video tapes from CBSA cameras. If you miss a deadline, your case will be finished. The crown has to follow the law too, but it might try to ignore you. Don’t forget to include a demand that federal officials follow the court’s timelines.September 19, 2008, is the crown’s deadline for answering the two grandmothers. If the crown doesn’t answer, Canada will lose by default. The court should then order Canada to meet the grandmothers’ demands. MNN Staff
STATEMENT OF CLAIM TO THE DEFENDANT (court seal)
Assault, Arrest and Illegal Detention
By Canada Border Service Agents
At Cornwall Border
Court File No. F1309-08
FEDERAL COURT OF CANADA
BETWEEN
KAHENTINETHA AND KATENIES
Persons of the Kanion’ke:haka/Mohawk NationPlaintiffs
AndThe QueenSection 48, Federal Court Act
STATEMENT OF CLAIM1.
The plaintiffs demand that the individuals who assaulted them must be charged, tried and punished and that their personal possessions must be returned.
2. Canada ’s Constitution Act, 1982 states that Canada is governed by the rule of law and everyone is equal before the law.
3. This means that Canadian officials must obey the law, just like everyone else. When they commit an assault they should be charged with an assault under Canada ’s Criminal Code just like anyone else who commits an assault on the territory over which Canada claims jurisdiction.
4. Canada has failed to apply its laws equally in the area over which it claims jurisdiction.
5. Akwesasne is a small Kanionkehaka community that existed long before the Canadian state was conceived.
6. The Canada - U.S. border was placed in the middle of Akwesasne without the consent of the people of Akwesasne.
7. The people of Akwesasne must cross the Canadian border many times a day for groceries, to visit relatives and to conduct normal community life.
8.Kahentinetha is a 68-year old Kanionkehaka grandmother. Katenies is 43-years old and also a Kanionkehaka grandmother. Sakowaiaks is their friend.
9. On June 14, 2008 Sakowaiaks and Kahentinetha went to Akwesasne to pick up Katenies on the Kanatakon portion of the Akwesasne community.
10. At approximately 2:00 pm they arrived at the Canadian border control, which is situated in the Kawehnonkeh portion of the Akwesasne community.
11. The border agent took the identity documents of Katenies, Kahentinetha and Sakowaiaks and told them to wait under the canopy. Soon they took Kahentinetha’s car keys. The three hostages sat there peacefully for an hour surrounded by guards.
12. Some Kanionkehaka elders showed up to witness what was happening.
13. During this time, several other vehicles were searched and released. Only Indigenous people were stopped. All were residents of Akwesasne.
14. At approximately 3:00 pm, a platoon of about a dozen guards marched towards the car, all wearing leather gloves, flack jackets and all kinds of equipment hanging about their waists.
15. Throughout the attack on Kahentinetha and Katenies that followed, one officer, Maurice Saucier [Badge #16121], was on the cell phone directing operations.
16. Katenies was dragged violently from the back seat of the car by a gang of hefty young men and women dressed up as Canadian Border Services Agents. They knocked her down, pinned her to the ground, and forced their knees into her head and back. They handcuffed her and smashed and rubbed her face into the pavement.
17. Sakowaiaks heard the sound of flesh hitting the pavement.
18. Katenies received bleeding scrapes and bruises on her face, shoulders, arms and legs. She was taken into the customs building and later to Ottawa .
19. No charges were read to Katenies and her request for medical help was refused. She was not allowed to call her mother and her mother was not permitted to see her or speak to her. She was held incommunicado for three days until she appeared in Cornwall court on June 17, 2008.
20. After the assault on Katenies began, Kahentinetha was ordered to get out of the car. She was afraid to get out because of what they had done to Katenies.
21. Kahentinetha heard Maurice Saucier tell the other agents to “Take her out”. She was afraid for her life if she got out of the car.
22. Kahentinetha asked “What have I done?” She was not informed of any legal charges against her.23. Several agents started grabbing her and yanking her out of the car. She was thrown around, assaulted, handcuffed, and imprisoned.
24. In the cell, the attack continued. Kahentinetha’s shoes were taken. Some officers tightened the handcuffs she was wearing several times. This cut the circulation to her hands. Pain shot up her arms. She saw flashes of light and felt sharp pains in the middle of her chest and back. She cried out for help. The guards ignored her and tightened the handcuffs more. They yelled threats at her and kept ordering her to bend down. A man stood behind her and had his hands on her pants. She received scrapes and bruises on her arms and legs.
25. Frank Horn, Kahentinetha’s brother is a Cornwall lawyer. He and his son Kanatase, happened to be waiting in the line at the border.
26. When Frank Horn asked to see his sister, they took off the handcuffs and gave her a chair to sit on. When he saw her, he immediately insisted on calling an ambulance. The Akwesasne Police stood and watched in silence.
27. The ambulance took Kahentinetha to Cornwall Community Hospital and later to the Ottawa Ontario Heart Institute. She remained in hospital for 5 days in the trauma unit and intensive care unit. The doctors told her she had had a trauma induced heart attack.
28. Kahentinetha was in excellent health before the attack by the border guards. Her health is now fragile. On June 30th, 2008 she had a relapse and was hospitalized at the Anna Laberge Hospital in Chateauguay Quebec .
29. Neither of these women is associated with any kind of criminal activity.
30. Some of the CBSA officers involved in the attack had the following badge numbers: 17012; 16320; 16511; 16121; and 16275.
31. Katenies’ identity documents have not been returned. Also missing are documents that were in the trunk and the shoes taken from Kahentinetha’s feet.
The plaintiffs request:
a) Trial on appropriate criminal charges against the individuals who committed and directed the assault against them;
b) Full disclosure of all evidence including videotapes, cell phones, files, official communications, policing agreements and wiretaps concerning this action;
c) An order that all Canadian government agencies must respect our human rights as set out in international human rights instruments that Canada has signed;
d) An order that the accused and all involved Canadian government agencies must respect the time delays set out in the Federal Court Rules of Court;
e) $10 million for physical, psychological and punitive damages; andf) Such other relief as this court may deem fit.
The plaintiffs propose that this action be tried in the Federal Court of Canada at 30 McGill Street , Montreal Quebec .
August 20, 2008
Kahentinetha _______________
Katenies ___________________
Address of Service: For the purposes of this proceeding only, service to be made care of Julio Peris, 625 Rene Levesque West, Suite 900, Montreal, Quebec H3B 1R2 – 514-933-4656 Fax 514-93309587/I HEREBY CERTIFY that the above document is a true copy of the original issud out/filed in the Court on Aug. 20, 2008 A.D.
Signed by Nicole Reimen, Agent du Greffe, Registry Officer
PLEASE NOTE: As can be seen, it’s becoming critical for legal actions to be taken to protect our rights. We have no funds. Canada is hiring costly law firms to suppress our rights. If you can donate anything to our cause, it will be greatly appreciated.Donate to: PayPal, www.mohawknationnews.com, or “MNN Mohawk Nation News”, Box 991, Kahnawake [Quebec, Canada] J0L 1B0. Nia:wen/Thank you very much.
New MNN Books Available Now!
The books below, email us:Mohawk Warriors Three - The Trial of Lasagna, Noriega, 20/20$20.00 usd
The On-Going Confusion between The Great Law and The Handsome Lake Code$20.00 usd
The Agonizing Death of "Colonialism" and "Federal Indian Law" in Kaianere'ko:wa/Great Law Territory $20.00 usd
Who's Sorry Now? The good, the bad and the unapologetic Mohawks of Kanehsatake $20.00 usd
Rebuilding the Iroquois ConfederacyKaroniaktajeh$10 usd
Warriors Hand Book Karoniaktajeh$10 usd
Mail checks and money orders to...MNNP.O. Box 991 Kahnawake, QC J0L 1B0
Purchase t-shirts, mugs and more at our CafePress Store
http://www.cafepress.com/mohawknews
Subscribe to MNN for breaking news updates
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Sign Women Title Holders petition!
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Iroquois
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Secure your online transaction with PayPal®. www.mohawknationnews.com
Click on DONATE button.Nia:wen,Kahentinetha kahentinetha2@yahoo.com
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ManagerStay tuned! www.mohawknationnews.com
Mohawk Nation News Aug. 30, 2008.
Canada keeps trying to pretend it’s “open season” on the Kanionkehaka/Mohawk. It’s even okay to assault our elders and grandmothers. No steps have been taken to charge the Canada Border Services Agents CBSA who assaulted Katenies and Kahentinetha on June 14th 2008. Kahentinetha suffered a trauma induced heart attack. They tried to beat Katenies to a pulp. They act like this is “business as usual”. The prosecutors have not done their duty. Because of this there has been no public investigation and the crime has been swept under the carpet.
The two women have no money, but they have found a way that might make rogue crown agents accountable. They have filed an action in Canada ’s Federal Court.
This does not mean they are accepting Canadian jurisdiction over themselves or the Haudenosaunee. Canadian agents have no right to abuse human rights or commit crimes against anyone, including those foreign to Canada . Canada has signed many agreements promising to uphold international human right standards. You don’t have to be a Canadian citizen to sue Canada . Canada ’s courts have an obligation to uphold the law.
The following “Statement of Claim” shows that we can defend ourselves. They two grandmothers filed their complaint in the Federal Court of Canada, under Section 48 of Canada ’s Federal Court Act. [You can find the instructions for filing on the Federal Court website]. To get things going, you pay the filing fee and hand in 5 copies of your “Statement of Claim”. The court clerk puts on a gold stamped seal and signs it to prove it has been filed. They serve it on the government the next day, and the crown has 30 days to answer.
When you draft your claim, just put the facts down. Make sure you don’t include any allegations that you can’t prove. For example, you need a direct witness, documentary evidence or video tapes from CBSA cameras. If you miss a deadline, your case will be finished. The crown has to follow the law too, but it might try to ignore you. Don’t forget to include a demand that federal officials follow the court’s timelines.September 19, 2008, is the crown’s deadline for answering the two grandmothers. If the crown doesn’t answer, Canada will lose by default. The court should then order Canada to meet the grandmothers’ demands. MNN Staff
STATEMENT OF CLAIM TO THE DEFENDANT (court seal)
Assault, Arrest and Illegal Detention
By Canada Border Service Agents
At Cornwall Border
Court File No. F1309-08
FEDERAL COURT OF CANADA
BETWEEN
KAHENTINETHA AND KATENIES
Persons of the Kanion’ke:haka/Mohawk NationPlaintiffs
AndThe QueenSection 48, Federal Court Act
STATEMENT OF CLAIM1.
The plaintiffs demand that the individuals who assaulted them must be charged, tried and punished and that their personal possessions must be returned.
2. Canada ’s Constitution Act, 1982 states that Canada is governed by the rule of law and everyone is equal before the law.
3. This means that Canadian officials must obey the law, just like everyone else. When they commit an assault they should be charged with an assault under Canada ’s Criminal Code just like anyone else who commits an assault on the territory over which Canada claims jurisdiction.
4. Canada has failed to apply its laws equally in the area over which it claims jurisdiction.
5. Akwesasne is a small Kanionkehaka community that existed long before the Canadian state was conceived.
6. The Canada - U.S. border was placed in the middle of Akwesasne without the consent of the people of Akwesasne.
7. The people of Akwesasne must cross the Canadian border many times a day for groceries, to visit relatives and to conduct normal community life.
8.Kahentinetha is a 68-year old Kanionkehaka grandmother. Katenies is 43-years old and also a Kanionkehaka grandmother. Sakowaiaks is their friend.
9. On June 14, 2008 Sakowaiaks and Kahentinetha went to Akwesasne to pick up Katenies on the Kanatakon portion of the Akwesasne community.
10. At approximately 2:00 pm they arrived at the Canadian border control, which is situated in the Kawehnonkeh portion of the Akwesasne community.
11. The border agent took the identity documents of Katenies, Kahentinetha and Sakowaiaks and told them to wait under the canopy. Soon they took Kahentinetha’s car keys. The three hostages sat there peacefully for an hour surrounded by guards.
12. Some Kanionkehaka elders showed up to witness what was happening.
13. During this time, several other vehicles were searched and released. Only Indigenous people were stopped. All were residents of Akwesasne.
14. At approximately 3:00 pm, a platoon of about a dozen guards marched towards the car, all wearing leather gloves, flack jackets and all kinds of equipment hanging about their waists.
15. Throughout the attack on Kahentinetha and Katenies that followed, one officer, Maurice Saucier [Badge #16121], was on the cell phone directing operations.
16. Katenies was dragged violently from the back seat of the car by a gang of hefty young men and women dressed up as Canadian Border Services Agents. They knocked her down, pinned her to the ground, and forced their knees into her head and back. They handcuffed her and smashed and rubbed her face into the pavement.
17. Sakowaiaks heard the sound of flesh hitting the pavement.
18. Katenies received bleeding scrapes and bruises on her face, shoulders, arms and legs. She was taken into the customs building and later to Ottawa .
19. No charges were read to Katenies and her request for medical help was refused. She was not allowed to call her mother and her mother was not permitted to see her or speak to her. She was held incommunicado for three days until she appeared in Cornwall court on June 17, 2008.
20. After the assault on Katenies began, Kahentinetha was ordered to get out of the car. She was afraid to get out because of what they had done to Katenies.
21. Kahentinetha heard Maurice Saucier tell the other agents to “Take her out”. She was afraid for her life if she got out of the car.
22. Kahentinetha asked “What have I done?” She was not informed of any legal charges against her.23. Several agents started grabbing her and yanking her out of the car. She was thrown around, assaulted, handcuffed, and imprisoned.
24. In the cell, the attack continued. Kahentinetha’s shoes were taken. Some officers tightened the handcuffs she was wearing several times. This cut the circulation to her hands. Pain shot up her arms. She saw flashes of light and felt sharp pains in the middle of her chest and back. She cried out for help. The guards ignored her and tightened the handcuffs more. They yelled threats at her and kept ordering her to bend down. A man stood behind her and had his hands on her pants. She received scrapes and bruises on her arms and legs.
25. Frank Horn, Kahentinetha’s brother is a Cornwall lawyer. He and his son Kanatase, happened to be waiting in the line at the border.
26. When Frank Horn asked to see his sister, they took off the handcuffs and gave her a chair to sit on. When he saw her, he immediately insisted on calling an ambulance. The Akwesasne Police stood and watched in silence.
27. The ambulance took Kahentinetha to Cornwall Community Hospital and later to the Ottawa Ontario Heart Institute. She remained in hospital for 5 days in the trauma unit and intensive care unit. The doctors told her she had had a trauma induced heart attack.
28. Kahentinetha was in excellent health before the attack by the border guards. Her health is now fragile. On June 30th, 2008 she had a relapse and was hospitalized at the Anna Laberge Hospital in Chateauguay Quebec .
29. Neither of these women is associated with any kind of criminal activity.
30. Some of the CBSA officers involved in the attack had the following badge numbers: 17012; 16320; 16511; 16121; and 16275.
31. Katenies’ identity documents have not been returned. Also missing are documents that were in the trunk and the shoes taken from Kahentinetha’s feet.
The plaintiffs request:
a) Trial on appropriate criminal charges against the individuals who committed and directed the assault against them;
b) Full disclosure of all evidence including videotapes, cell phones, files, official communications, policing agreements and wiretaps concerning this action;
c) An order that all Canadian government agencies must respect our human rights as set out in international human rights instruments that Canada has signed;
d) An order that the accused and all involved Canadian government agencies must respect the time delays set out in the Federal Court Rules of Court;
e) $10 million for physical, psychological and punitive damages; andf) Such other relief as this court may deem fit.
The plaintiffs propose that this action be tried in the Federal Court of Canada at 30 McGill Street , Montreal Quebec .
August 20, 2008
Kahentinetha _______________
Katenies ___________________
Address of Service: For the purposes of this proceeding only, service to be made care of Julio Peris, 625 Rene Levesque West, Suite 900, Montreal, Quebec H3B 1R2 – 514-933-4656 Fax 514-93309587/I HEREBY CERTIFY that the above document is a true copy of the original issud out/filed in the Court on Aug. 20, 2008 A.D.
Signed by Nicole Reimen, Agent du Greffe, Registry Officer
PLEASE NOTE: As can be seen, it’s becoming critical for legal actions to be taken to protect our rights. We have no funds. Canada is hiring costly law firms to suppress our rights. If you can donate anything to our cause, it will be greatly appreciated.Donate to: PayPal, www.mohawknationnews.com, or “MNN Mohawk Nation News”, Box 991, Kahnawake [Quebec, Canada] J0L 1B0. Nia:wen/Thank you very much.
New MNN Books Available Now!
The books below, email us:Mohawk Warriors Three - The Trial of Lasagna, Noriega, 20/20$20.00 usd
The On-Going Confusion between The Great Law and The Handsome Lake Code$20.00 usd
The Agonizing Death of "Colonialism" and "Federal Indian Law" in Kaianere'ko:wa/Great Law Territory $20.00 usd
Who's Sorry Now? The good, the bad and the unapologetic Mohawks of Kanehsatake $20.00 usd
Rebuilding the Iroquois ConfederacyKaroniaktajeh$10 usd
Warriors Hand Book Karoniaktajeh$10 usd
Mail checks and money orders to...MNNP.O. Box 991 Kahnawake, QC J0L 1B0
Purchase t-shirts, mugs and more at our CafePress Store
http://www.cafepress.com/mohawknews
Subscribe to MNN for breaking news updates
http://www.mohawknationnews.com/news/subscription.php
Sign Women Title Holders petition!
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Iroquois
Link to MNNGet the code and banners to link to Mohawk Nation News.
http://www.mohawknationnews.com/pg.php?page=promote.html
Your SupportMake a contribution to our newsgroup.
Secure your online transaction with PayPal®. www.mohawknationnews.com
Click on DONATE button.Nia:wen,Kahentinetha kahentinetha2@yahoo.com
Speaking & Contemporary Native Issues WorkshopsKatenies katenies20@yahoo.com
ManagerStay tuned! www.mohawknationnews.com
Denver Democratic National Convention, this isn't OZ
By Brenda Norrell
DENVER -- If you relied on the mainstream media for coverage of this week's Democratic National Convention, you probably visualized everyone clicking their heels together and entering the land of OZ.
While the mainstream media and politicians were cloistered together, the people were in the streets, voicing disgust over the Bush regime, which decimated civil liberties and turned the Earth into the corporate profiteers' commodity. At the same time, the Iraq war continued with the mainstream media complicit in the genocide of women and children in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The signs reminded all that the Bush regime and Congress violated the Geneva Conventions and carried out kidnapping, torture and murder of people in Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo and secret prisons.
The lawlessness that prevailed in the White House and Congress was maintained by the police at the Democratic National Convention who provoked peaceful demonstrators on Monday night, culminating in an at attack by riot police who sprayed pepper spray and shot rubber bullets at peaceful protesters.
The collapse of US democracy was most poignant at the Freedom for Political Prisoners rally and march at the federal courthouse in Denver on Monday. Here, Aurora police drew weapons on people of color: American Indians, blacks, Chicanos and others. It was clear that there are two Americas and one America is filling the prisons because of racial profiling and racial injustice. While simulating waterboarding and US torture, activists demanded freedom for Leonard Peltier, Mumia Abu-Jamal, the Cuban Five and other political prisoners.
With courage, US servicemen led the march against the war and occupation in Iraq on Wednesday. On Thursday, marchers demanded that US lawlessness be halted and the ICE raids against workers that are dividing families be halted. At the "We Are America," march for immigrant rights, marchers pointed out that hundreds of workers arrested in Laurel, Mississippi, in raids have been sent to one of the most racist towns in America: Jena, Louisiana.
As the so-called "clean coal," industry poured millions into the convention, protesters reminded the people that there is no such thing as "clean coal." A moment of truth came when ABC news producer Asa Eslocker was roughly arrested. Eslocker, an investigative reporter, was pushed into the traffic by a Boulder police officer. During the arrest, Eslocker was grabbed around the neck by an officer, as documented by a film crew. Eslocker was waiting on a public sidewalk to film financial donors leaving a hotel.
Meanwhile, those marchers who were sprayed with pepper spray on Monday were not allowed to wash it off when they were detained and jailed. "This is a form of torture," said one street medic, describing the poisons that are absorbed internally. Another medic described the wound of a rubber bullet. The women of Code Pink were targeted by police, with women thrown violently to the ground during arrests, as documented in videos.
In the St Paul/Minneapolis area, police raids of homes and community centers are already underway in preparation for the Republican National Convention, Sept. 1 -- 4. Protesters say they are not intimidated.
As thousands marched this week in Denver, volunteers at Food Not Bombs gathered donated foods and fed the people. In the streets, the people asked: "Is anyone really listening?" The people don't have a clue. But for those who spent this week in the streets of Denver, a new America was emerging. The people were giving voice to truth, a prized commodity in this age of US genocide, corrupt media and the corporate rape of the Earth Mother.
DENVER -- If you relied on the mainstream media for coverage of this week's Democratic National Convention, you probably visualized everyone clicking their heels together and entering the land of OZ.
While the mainstream media and politicians were cloistered together, the people were in the streets, voicing disgust over the Bush regime, which decimated civil liberties and turned the Earth into the corporate profiteers' commodity. At the same time, the Iraq war continued with the mainstream media complicit in the genocide of women and children in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The signs reminded all that the Bush regime and Congress violated the Geneva Conventions and carried out kidnapping, torture and murder of people in Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo and secret prisons.
The lawlessness that prevailed in the White House and Congress was maintained by the police at the Democratic National Convention who provoked peaceful demonstrators on Monday night, culminating in an at attack by riot police who sprayed pepper spray and shot rubber bullets at peaceful protesters.
The collapse of US democracy was most poignant at the Freedom for Political Prisoners rally and march at the federal courthouse in Denver on Monday. Here, Aurora police drew weapons on people of color: American Indians, blacks, Chicanos and others. It was clear that there are two Americas and one America is filling the prisons because of racial profiling and racial injustice. While simulating waterboarding and US torture, activists demanded freedom for Leonard Peltier, Mumia Abu-Jamal, the Cuban Five and other political prisoners.
With courage, US servicemen led the march against the war and occupation in Iraq on Wednesday. On Thursday, marchers demanded that US lawlessness be halted and the ICE raids against workers that are dividing families be halted. At the "We Are America," march for immigrant rights, marchers pointed out that hundreds of workers arrested in Laurel, Mississippi, in raids have been sent to one of the most racist towns in America: Jena, Louisiana.
As the so-called "clean coal," industry poured millions into the convention, protesters reminded the people that there is no such thing as "clean coal." A moment of truth came when ABC news producer Asa Eslocker was roughly arrested. Eslocker, an investigative reporter, was pushed into the traffic by a Boulder police officer. During the arrest, Eslocker was grabbed around the neck by an officer, as documented by a film crew. Eslocker was waiting on a public sidewalk to film financial donors leaving a hotel.
Meanwhile, those marchers who were sprayed with pepper spray on Monday were not allowed to wash it off when they were detained and jailed. "This is a form of torture," said one street medic, describing the poisons that are absorbed internally. Another medic described the wound of a rubber bullet. The women of Code Pink were targeted by police, with women thrown violently to the ground during arrests, as documented in videos.
In the St Paul/Minneapolis area, police raids of homes and community centers are already underway in preparation for the Republican National Convention, Sept. 1 -- 4. Protesters say they are not intimidated.
As thousands marched this week in Denver, volunteers at Food Not Bombs gathered donated foods and fed the people. In the streets, the people asked: "Is anyone really listening?" The people don't have a clue. But for those who spent this week in the streets of Denver, a new America was emerging. The people were giving voice to truth, a prized commodity in this age of US genocide, corrupt media and the corporate rape of the Earth Mother.
McCain's VP pick: Oil drilling more important than polar bears
Censored News, reader comment:
McCain's Vice Presidential's selection Palin Would deny Indigenous Rights
Praying to Four Winds
Gov. Sarah Palin is not prepared to be Vice President. She reversed Dirk Kempthorne, US Secretary of the Interior, decision listing polar bears as an endangered species. This youthful appearing governor ignored pleas of both Native People and environmentalists amid her fears of annoying oil barrens. The Governor's actions deny a way of life for American Indians, falsely believing an opposite action would hurt oil and gas development in the bears' habitat off Alaska's northern and northwestern coasts.
We don't need to punch more holes in pristine lands, nor to make our few Indians homeless. Citizens agree it's time to fight against global warming, not add to it.
Palin's pushy fundamentalist Christian views coupled with Texas bible classes would bring havoc to classrooms across Texas, which we do not need. Palin is not good for the Nation; she's not been tested. If we look back historically, it was the fundamentalists who led the worse blight on our Nation -- genocide of the Native People.
Response from Center for Biological Diversity:
"She's either grossly misinformed or intentionally misleading, and both are unbecoming," said Kassie Siegel of the Center for Biological Diversity. ... "Even the Bush administration can't deny the reality of global warming. The governor is aligning herself and the state of Alaska with the most discredited, fringe, extreme viewpoints by denying this."
McCain's Vice Presidential's selection Palin Would deny Indigenous Rights
Praying to Four Winds
Gov. Sarah Palin is not prepared to be Vice President. She reversed Dirk Kempthorne, US Secretary of the Interior, decision listing polar bears as an endangered species. This youthful appearing governor ignored pleas of both Native People and environmentalists amid her fears of annoying oil barrens. The Governor's actions deny a way of life for American Indians, falsely believing an opposite action would hurt oil and gas development in the bears' habitat off Alaska's northern and northwestern coasts.
We don't need to punch more holes in pristine lands, nor to make our few Indians homeless. Citizens agree it's time to fight against global warming, not add to it.
Palin's pushy fundamentalist Christian views coupled with Texas bible classes would bring havoc to classrooms across Texas, which we do not need. Palin is not good for the Nation; she's not been tested. If we look back historically, it was the fundamentalists who led the worse blight on our Nation -- genocide of the Native People.
In Alaska she has taken just such a position.
This candidate's short history reveals scary positions, at great risk to Alaskans; and if the country should elect her, she's not ready to lead us. The women of this nation would be denied not bettered.
-- Kenneth
This candidate's short history reveals scary positions, at great risk to Alaskans; and if the country should elect her, she's not ready to lead us. The women of this nation would be denied not bettered.
-- Kenneth
In the news:
In May, Palin said she would sue the federal government after it declared polar bears an endangered species. The Anchorage Daily News reported, "She and other Alaska elected officials fear a listing will cripple oil and gas development in prime polar bear habitat off the state's northern and northwestern coasts ... Climate models that predict continued loss of sea ice, the main habitat of polar bears, during summers are unreliable, Palin said."Response from Center for Biological Diversity:
"She's either grossly misinformed or intentionally misleading, and both are unbecoming," said Kassie Siegel of the Center for Biological Diversity. ... "Even the Bush administration can't deny the reality of global warming. The governor is aligning herself and the state of Alaska with the most discredited, fringe, extreme viewpoints by denying this."
Videos: Recreate 68, Democratic National Convention
Denver Arts Organization Targeted by Police
By The Other Side Arts
DENVER -- Denver Police targeted The Other Side Arts, a non profit art center as part of an effort to, "clean up the neighborhood" just before the Democratic National Convention. On Sunday afternoon, a number of police officers from Denver and Aurora Police Departments appeared outside of TOSA, some dressed in riot gear, and begin to investigate the property.
Denver DNC: Mass arrested pressured to waive rights
Contacts: Brian Vicente, Director, National Lawyers Guild DNC People's Law
Project, (720) 280-4067
Miriam Stohs, Esq., Colorado Chapter liaison, NLG (303) 929-5501
Project, (720) 280-4067
Miriam Stohs, Esq., Colorado Chapter liaison, NLG (303) 929-5501
FROM: NATIONAL LAWYERS GUILD DNC PEOPLE'S LAW PROJECT CRITICIZES DNC COURT PROCEDURES
Denver-- The National Lawyers Guild DNC People's Law Project (PLP) criticizes the procedures that created a high risk of accused persons waiving their rights without access to lawyers or an adequate understanding of their cases. The PLP is particularly concerned with today's phone call from the Denver County Courts alerting defendants that they could appear in court on Friday, August 29 "for an opportunity to dispose of their case."
Denver-- The National Lawyers Guild DNC People's Law Project (PLP) criticizes the procedures that created a high risk of accused persons waiving their rights without access to lawyers or an adequate understanding of their cases. The PLP is particularly concerned with today's phone call from the Denver County Courts alerting defendants that they could appear in court on Friday, August 29 "for an opportunity to dispose of their case."
Thursday, August 28, 2008
'We Are America' Migrant March Denver
By Brenda NorrellDENVER -- The march for migrants in Denver, "We Are America," sent a message Thursday morning to both presidential candidates to pass immigration reform laws and halt the ICE raids that are violating human rights and dividing families. The most recent ICE raids have been in Mississippi.
Jose Matus (second photo) is founder and director of the Indigenous Alliance Without Borders. Matus is also a Yaqui ceremonial leader who brings Yaqui ceremonial leaders across the US/Mexico border for temporary visits to carry out ceremonies. Indigenous living along the border, from the Kumeyaay in California to the Tigua and Lipan Apache in Texas have battled the oppression, seizures of land and violations of sacred areas due to Homeland Security waving all federal laws to build the border wall. In addition, Tohono O'odham ancestors have been dug up for border wall construction and an ancient ceremonial route dissected. Tohono O'odham Chairman Ned Norris said in a congressional hearing that human bone fragments have been found in border wall machinery tracks.
Jose Matus (second photo) is founder and director of the Indigenous Alliance Without Borders. Matus is also a Yaqui ceremonial leader who brings Yaqui ceremonial leaders across the US/Mexico border for temporary visits to carry out ceremonies. Indigenous living along the border, from the Kumeyaay in California to the Tigua and Lipan Apache in Texas have battled the oppression, seizures of land and violations of sacred areas due to Homeland Security waving all federal laws to build the border wall. In addition, Tohono O'odham ancestors have been dug up for border wall construction and an ancient ceremonial route dissected. Tohono O'odham Chairman Ned Norris said in a congressional hearing that human bone fragments have been found in border wall machinery tracks.
During today's march near the Democratic National Convention, marchers demanded a halt to the "Gestapo-style ICE raids" that are "promoting bigotry at the highest levels of government," according to World Can't Wait (www.worldcantwait.org)
ICE swept through Laurel, Mississippi and seized 595 workers. Four hundred and seventy-five workers are being held in Jena, Louisiana, a town notorious for racism and attacks on people of color. (Photos Brenda Norrell)
Listen to Earthcycles Producer Govinda Dalton, with Brenda Norrell in Denver:
Listen to Earthcycles Producer Govinda Dalton, with Brenda Norrell in Denver:
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Denver police pepper spray and beat people
Action Alert: Protest Police Treatment of DNC Activists
From Colorado Legal Eagles
info@coloradolegaleagles.org
For photos and more informaton, see:
http://www.coloradolegaleagles.org/
[Denver, CO] - Glenn Spagnuolo, one of the main organizers of Recreate 68, was interviewed on Peter Boyles on KHOW radio Tuesday morning about the pepper bullet incident on Monday. You can listen to the full interviews here:
http://www.khow.com/pages/boyles.html
Glenn said that the incident last night started around 5:30pm, when heavily-armed police in SWAT gear began making random sweeps through Civic Center Park, harassing people sitting in the grass by poking them with nightsticks and telling them to get up and leave. Glenn complained several times to the protester's police liaison, and the police would stop the harassment, just to start it again a few minutes later. He said that happened about 4 or 5 times. Glenn said some of the kids in the park became annoyed and formed a circle and started chanting "No Justice, No Peace" and put bandanas on their faces. He said that the police got worked up and came in pretty heavy and opened up with pepper spray and pepper bullets into the crowd without warning. The police chased the crowd through the park towards 15th and Cleveland, where there was another line of police waiting to surround the people running from the police and prevent them from leaving. Glenn says the police surrounded the crowd, which included frightened and crying children, and began pushing them back and crushing the crowd together. He said they were detained for well over an hour.
With their heavy-handed tactics and lack of warning to the crowds, the police clearly were trying to provoke violence from the crowd. There had been over 2 days of peaceful protests up until this incident. Instead of trying to arrest the trouble-makers without endangering others, the police chose to react by firing pepper bullet guns, pepper spray and tear gas into groups of innocent bystanders without warning and rounding up crowds of innocent people and detaining them for over an hour.
In other incidents of police harassment, Cindy Sheehan, an antiwar activist running for office against Nancy Pelosi, returned to her hotel room in Denver yesterday to find a man trying to plant a bug in her telephone.
http://obambi.wordpress.com/2008/08/25/cindy-sheehan-catches-a-man-trying-to-wiretap-her-hotel-room-telephone/
According to Glenn Spagnuolo, the police had been stopping and searching the cars of Recreate68 and Unconventional Action activists near their convergence center north of downtown.
Another report on colorado.indymedia.org states that 5 members of the Solidarity Radical Library and Revolutionary Center from Lawrence, Kansas were arrested Monday in Denver without any reason.
Other activists reported heavy intimidation and harassment by roving gangs of heavily-armed law enforcement officers in the Civic Center Park Festival of Democracy and elsewhere in Denver.
Please call the officials below and tell them to stop the harassment of antiwar activists by police. Forward this announcement to your friends. We need to let the city of Denver know that the "The Whole World is Watching!"
Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper Phone: 720-865-9000 (Denver 311) Ask for the Mayor's Office
Colorado Governor Bill Ritter Phone: (303) 866-2471 They say it's the Mayor's responsibility, not theirs, but they still need to feel the heat.
###
---Provided as a public service by the:
Come Up to Denver Coalition"No one else can take your place!"Check out our video of Crosby, Stills and Nash playing "Denver"
http://www.comeuptodenver.org/
Email: info@comeuptodenver.org
From Colorado Legal Eagles
info@coloradolegaleagles.org
For photos and more informaton, see:
http://www.coloradolegaleagles.org/
[Denver, CO] - Glenn Spagnuolo, one of the main organizers of Recreate 68, was interviewed on Peter Boyles on KHOW radio Tuesday morning about the pepper bullet incident on Monday. You can listen to the full interviews here:
http://www.khow.com/pages/boyles.html
Glenn said that the incident last night started around 5:30pm, when heavily-armed police in SWAT gear began making random sweeps through Civic Center Park, harassing people sitting in the grass by poking them with nightsticks and telling them to get up and leave. Glenn complained several times to the protester's police liaison, and the police would stop the harassment, just to start it again a few minutes later. He said that happened about 4 or 5 times. Glenn said some of the kids in the park became annoyed and formed a circle and started chanting "No Justice, No Peace" and put bandanas on their faces. He said that the police got worked up and came in pretty heavy and opened up with pepper spray and pepper bullets into the crowd without warning. The police chased the crowd through the park towards 15th and Cleveland, where there was another line of police waiting to surround the people running from the police and prevent them from leaving. Glenn says the police surrounded the crowd, which included frightened and crying children, and began pushing them back and crushing the crowd together. He said they were detained for well over an hour.
With their heavy-handed tactics and lack of warning to the crowds, the police clearly were trying to provoke violence from the crowd. There had been over 2 days of peaceful protests up until this incident. Instead of trying to arrest the trouble-makers without endangering others, the police chose to react by firing pepper bullet guns, pepper spray and tear gas into groups of innocent bystanders without warning and rounding up crowds of innocent people and detaining them for over an hour.
In other incidents of police harassment, Cindy Sheehan, an antiwar activist running for office against Nancy Pelosi, returned to her hotel room in Denver yesterday to find a man trying to plant a bug in her telephone.
http://obambi.wordpress.com/2008/08/25/cindy-sheehan-catches-a-man-trying-to-wiretap-her-hotel-room-telephone/
According to Glenn Spagnuolo, the police had been stopping and searching the cars of Recreate68 and Unconventional Action activists near their convergence center north of downtown.
Another report on colorado.indymedia.org states that 5 members of the Solidarity Radical Library and Revolutionary Center from Lawrence, Kansas were arrested Monday in Denver without any reason.
Other activists reported heavy intimidation and harassment by roving gangs of heavily-armed law enforcement officers in the Civic Center Park Festival of Democracy and elsewhere in Denver.
Please call the officials below and tell them to stop the harassment of antiwar activists by police. Forward this announcement to your friends. We need to let the city of Denver know that the "The Whole World is Watching!"
Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper Phone: 720-865-9000 (Denver 311) Ask for the Mayor's Office
Colorado Governor Bill Ritter Phone: (303) 866-2471 They say it's the Mayor's responsibility, not theirs, but they still need to feel the heat.
###
---Provided as a public service by the:
Come Up to Denver Coalition"No one else can take your place!"Check out our video of Crosby, Stills and Nash playing "Denver"
http://www.comeuptodenver.org/
Email: info@comeuptodenver.org
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Guantanamo on the Platte
By Brenda Norrell
DENVER -- If you like chaos, you should be in the streets of Denver. If you like being surrounded by squads of riot police with nothing to do but irritate people, you should definitely be in Denver. If you like downtown shop owners saying, "Our restrooms are out of order," and "We turned the Wi-Fi off for the week," you should really be in Denver.
I don't know how anyone else's day went, but for me, I spent eight hours accomplishing nothing. First, there's the downtown Kinkos, the worst in the nation. You can pay $30 for what should cost $5 to accomplish because the computers are pitiful. It has been that way for years.
While many shop owners just handled the chaos this way: "Our restrooms are broken," (Kinkos) or "We turned off the Wi-Fi for the week," (Paradise Bakery)" on down the street, Barnes and Nobles tried another approach. It was so hot in there that babies were sweating.
Finally I gave up and sat in a coffee shop. Across the street, the anti-abortion crowd had huge posters of fetuses. The restaurant owners were very upset because people really couldn't eat looking at these. There seemed to be lots of drama, as police and news reporters kept rushing back and forth as confrontations came and went. But one thing was clear, these protesters, mostly white Christians from small towns, were treated very different by Denver's riot police, than the peaceful marchers for political prisoners on Monday.
For people of color, the police drew their weapons. The alternative crowd wasn't treated well either. For the peaceful Food Not Bombs group, there was a huge buildup of police delivering intimidation and repression. Finally, for all the alternative protesters near the Civic Center there was a huge arrest sweep on Monday night. Medics, documentary filmmakers, and reporters said they were detained for one and one half-hours during the roundup.
Apparently Denver police felt Monday's crowd was entirely too peaceful and arrests were in order. There was no other way to explain the big roundup and arrests Monday night. Police sprayed people with pepper spray and shot pepper bullets at them. As for the bizarre single file procession of dozens of police through the Food Not Bombs dinner of rice and lentils, there's no way to explain that.
Still, there are great handmade signs all over Denver. However, there's little indication that the "haves" at the Democratic National Convention are paying any attention to the people in the streets. The people taking to the streets of Denver have come from all over America. Anyone who has a cause is here. Two signs today read, "911 was an inside job," and "Clean coal spending $2 million on convention." On the lighter side, here's a few great signs from the streets: "Give everyone everything," "Get rid of government everything," and "Free hugs."
Anyway, back to today. As I was leaving the Civic Center area, I heard from a young woman photographer who had witnessed one of the police attacks. She said one person was simply photographing his friend being arrested. The police told him to halt, so he dropped the camera and put his hands in the air. The young man taking photos was then tackled by three riot police and arrested. His crime was taking a photo. She also filled me in on the fenced dog cages being used as jails during the convention.
The locals call it after their river, "Guantanamo on the Platte."
(PHOTO: Denver riot police ready for the big sweep on Monday. Apparently the people were too peaceful, as the guy sleeping on the grass demonstrates. The photo was taken shortly before the sweep and arrests in the Civic Center area on Monday evening. Photo Brenda Norrell)
Denver police: Intimidation and provocation
Denver police stage bizarre behavior
DENVER -- On Monday, Denver police spent the day intimidating and provoking peaceful protesters. By day's end there were entirely too many police with too much time on their hands. They were eager to arrest people in Denver. It didn't matter if the people were simply walking down the street. Medics were even detained.
Flashing a wide variety of weapons, Denver police positioned police gangs around the peaceful Food Not Bombs. Police even made a single file procession through the heart of Food Not Bombs' peaceful dinner. As people were eating, Denver police made one of the silliest processions ever through a dinner of rice and lentils.
After spending the late afternoon in bizarre staging and intimidation tactics in the Civic Center area, Denver police began spraying people with pepper spray and shoving people randomly by day's end. Finally, apparently bored and itchy to arrest, they arrested people for their Democratic National Convention dog cages. It was a sad and embarrassing day for Denver police, proving that lawlessness reigns for US police.
Monday, August 25, 2008
In the Streets of Denver: Free Political Prisoners
'Taser bait' in Denver
Article and photo by Brenda Norrell
DENVER -- It was an incredible morning in the streets of Denver, with the voices of the people spilling out through this city during the Political Prisoners March and Rally. It was clear that there is another divide underway, those who are in the Democratic National Convention with their expense accounts and those in the streets, lending powerful voices to define the future. With most US citizens in a state of post traumatic stress syndrome, the brave faced off with Denver police and marched through the streets this morning. What began as a small crowd near the Civic Center grew as hundreds joined the march through the heart of the city.
Among those speaking out was Ben Carnes, Choctaw, who read a message from Leonard Peltier. King Downing, with ACLU's Campaign against Racial Profiling, described how he was arrested in a racial profiling incident and won his case. Mumia Abu Jamal's message was heard from death row in a recording for the event. Jamal described the true portrait of US democracy.
At one point, a police officer drew his weapon on the crowd in front of the federal courthouse. A legal observer with the Lawyer's Guild confronted him and after a standoff, the officer walked away. There was the feeling that we could all soon be "taser bait."
Update: Denver police stage bizarre behavior, make arrests: http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com
Here is the list of speakers that brought me here: Pamela Africa - MOVE Organization;
American Indian Movement Spokesperson Leonard Peltier Defense Committee - Ben Carnes, with a message from Leonard, direct from Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary; Rosa Clemente - United States Vice Presidential Candidate for the Green Party; Kathleen Cleaver - The Panther Nine from San Francisco; King Downing - National Coordinator of the ACLU's Campaign Against Racial Profiling; Jenny Esquiveo - Spokesperson for Eric McDavid (Political Prisoner); Chairman Fred Hampton Jr. - Prisoners of Conscience Committee; Mumia Abu Jamal - Current Political Prisoner (Recorded from Death Row); Cha Cha Jimenez - Founder of the Young Lords (Puerto Rican Resistance Prisoners); Ricardo Romero - National Coordinator for the Mexican National Liberation Movement (MLNM); Natsu Saito - Author, Activist, and Human Rights Scholar (Guantanamo Inmates); Spokesperson for the Cuban Five and a special musical performance by Native hip hop youth activists The Savage Family.
Listen later for the audios. We were live on the radio and web this morning on Earthcycles:
http://www.earthcycles.net/
In the streets of Denver, Brenda
Statement from Leonard Peltier
by Leonard Peltier Monday Aug 25th, 2008 10:08 AM
Greetings my friends and relatives, First of all, I can't express to you, near as much as I'd like to. The sincere appreciation I have that you would gather together remembering all the political prisoners, hostages and myself the way you have. Gatherings like this are extremely important because it reminds people of the sacrifices that are made daily through out the world for freedom, justice, and a clean and sane environment for our future generations. The powers that exploit our resources and people will always be there, generation after generation. And the creator will always call upon people to stand against that exploitation. Even if the creator does not call. Any just man or woman, with any semblance of justice, be it spiritual, social or environmental, He will find cause to take issue with those enemies of humanity and nature.
Listen later for the audios. We were live on the radio and web this morning on Earthcycles:
http://www.earthcycles.net/
In the streets of Denver, Brenda
Statement from Leonard Peltier
by Leonard Peltier Monday Aug 25th, 2008 10:08 AM
Greetings my friends and relatives, First of all, I can't express to you, near as much as I'd like to. The sincere appreciation I have that you would gather together remembering all the political prisoners, hostages and myself the way you have. Gatherings like this are extremely important because it reminds people of the sacrifices that are made daily through out the world for freedom, justice, and a clean and sane environment for our future generations. The powers that exploit our resources and people will always be there, generation after generation. And the creator will always call upon people to stand against that exploitation. Even if the creator does not call. Any just man or woman, with any semblance of justice, be it spiritual, social or environmental, He will find cause to take issue with those enemies of humanity and nature.
Photo: Ben Carnes, Choctaw, at the Freedom for Political Prisoner reads Peltier's statement outside the federal courthouse in Denver. Photo Brenda Norrell.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
US commits genocide of infants and children at the border
US violates rights of infants and children
In this news article, La Jornada in Mexico reports that the United States is violating the rights of infants and children by abandoning them at the border
Translation of:
http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2008/08/11/index.php?section=politica&article=018n1pol
In 7 months, the United States deported 90,000 Mexican children
Others remain abandoned, left to their luck on the border
As of this writing, during the first seven months of the year, at least 90,000 Mexican children were deported by the government of the United States, in the context of its anti-immigrant politics, according to a PRI task force study group of work on immigration matters to Mexico's House of Representatives. Also about 300,000 adults have been deported. The report states that 15 per cent of the children, approximately 13,500, live on the Mexican border, without any type of governmental protection. However, ideally they are attended by religious institutions or non-governmental organizations.The coordinator of the group and secretary of the Commission of Population, Borders and Immigration Matters, the deputy from PRI Edmundo Ramírez Martínez, specified that the children are entrusted to "polleros" or human traffickers to be taken to the United States with their parents. If the parents attempt to regain their children, they are deported. The children are practically left on the Mexican border, since the families, for fear of having the same luck, do not claim them. Also, the report explains that for every three adult deportees from the United States, one Mexican origin child is left in this nation. The report said that many of the minors accompanied parents to the north to find work, but they were deported by the authorities of this country.
Violated rights
On the northern border of Mexico there are children, "parked" who remain in the care of DIF hostels, religious or civil organizations. But, a very high percentage devote themselves to begging to survive and to try to go to the United States. The report detailed that the deportation of infants has a major impact, with consequences felt in areas with high migratory flow such as: Michoacán, Jalisco, Zacatecas and Guanajuato.
The report expressed remorse for the systematic violation to the rights of the infants on the part of the authorities of the United States and the absence of a program of support on the part of the Mexican government.
The legislative report exhibits that the International Convention of the Rights of the Children determines that in case of minors they must not be deported but repatriated. But in fact, it is believed that only 25 per cent arrive directly to their state of origin, the rest suffer the same luck as the adults who are left at the border and there they are left to their luck.
Ramírez Martínez described the difference between deportation and repatriation as "one of funds." The first one implies practically an expulsion, whereas the second one forces the country to take responsibility of the care and tutelage of the minors.
In this news article, La Jornada in Mexico reports that the United States is violating the rights of infants and children by abandoning them at the border
Translation of:
http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2008/08/11/index.php?section=politica&article=018n1pol
In 7 months, the United States deported 90,000 Mexican children
Others remain abandoned, left to their luck on the border
As of this writing, during the first seven months of the year, at least 90,000 Mexican children were deported by the government of the United States, in the context of its anti-immigrant politics, according to a PRI task force study group of work on immigration matters to Mexico's House of Representatives. Also about 300,000 adults have been deported. The report states that 15 per cent of the children, approximately 13,500, live on the Mexican border, without any type of governmental protection. However, ideally they are attended by religious institutions or non-governmental organizations.The coordinator of the group and secretary of the Commission of Population, Borders and Immigration Matters, the deputy from PRI Edmundo Ramírez Martínez, specified that the children are entrusted to "polleros" or human traffickers to be taken to the United States with their parents. If the parents attempt to regain their children, they are deported. The children are practically left on the Mexican border, since the families, for fear of having the same luck, do not claim them. Also, the report explains that for every three adult deportees from the United States, one Mexican origin child is left in this nation. The report said that many of the minors accompanied parents to the north to find work, but they were deported by the authorities of this country.
Violated rights
On the northern border of Mexico there are children, "parked" who remain in the care of DIF hostels, religious or civil organizations. But, a very high percentage devote themselves to begging to survive and to try to go to the United States. The report detailed that the deportation of infants has a major impact, with consequences felt in areas with high migratory flow such as: Michoacán, Jalisco, Zacatecas and Guanajuato.
The report expressed remorse for the systematic violation to the rights of the infants on the part of the authorities of the United States and the absence of a program of support on the part of the Mexican government.
The legislative report exhibits that the International Convention of the Rights of the Children determines that in case of minors they must not be deported but repatriated. But in fact, it is believed that only 25 per cent arrive directly to their state of origin, the rest suffer the same luck as the adults who are left at the border and there they are left to their luck.
Ramírez Martínez described the difference between deportation and repatriation as "one of funds." The first one implies practically an expulsion, whereas the second one forces the country to take responsibility of the care and tutelage of the minors.
Congratulations to Native American Music Award Nominees 2008
10th Annual Native American Music Awards Nominees Announced
Blackfire, Blackfoot, Brule & AIRO, The Blessed Blend, The Crow Girls, and The Red Corn Band lead with three nominations each
August 23, 2008 - New York. Nominations for the 10th Annual Native American Music Awards (NAMA) were announced today by The Native American Music Association & Awards, reflecting the combined votes of the NAMA Advisory Board Nominating Committee Membership. This year is a monumental year for the organization which will now have nominated an estimated 1500 artists and honored 300 winners over the past decade.
A new limited edition “NAMMY” will be introduced this year commemorating the organization’s 10th Anniversary year. The 10th Annual Native American Music Awards will be held on Saturday, October 4, 2008 at the Seneca Entertainment Center in the Seneca Casino & Hotel in Niagara Falls, NY. Tickets for the 10th Annual Native American Music Awards are on-sale now through all ticketmaster outlets. The Awards show will again be broadcast on MHZ Networks in November to an estimated 30 million cable households.
New up-and-comers were nominated alongside established artists in a diverse array of 30 music categories. Blackfire, Blackfoot, Brule & AIRO, The Blessed Blend, The Crow Girls, and The Red Corn Band lead with three nominations each. Tied with two nominations each are; Blu, Carroll Medicine Crow, Cherokee National Youth Choir, Cheryl Bear, Chief Seattle Speaks, Delbert Blackhorse, Douglas Blue Feather, Dream Scape, Eagle & Hawk, Producer Ed Stasium, Edmund Bull, Fara Palmer, Gilbert Begay Sr, Golana, Injunuity, J.C. Campbell, Jim Boyd, Ken Quiet Hawk, Medicine Dream, Native Roots, Nightshield, Primeaux & Mike, Pura Fe’, R Carlos Nakai, Rain Song, Red Feather Woman, Rezhogs, Robert Mirabal, Sotiw, Star Nayea, Stevie Salas, Tanya Brown, Terri Rivera Piatt & Lancy Goodman, Terry Lee Whetstone, Tiger Tiger, Tracy Bone and Walter Ahhaitty & Friends.
Nominated in the field of Record Of The Year are; Blackfire’s (Silence) Is A Weapon, Northern Cree & Friends’ Calling All Dancers , Thee Express’ Express Yourself, Golana’s Mirror Lake, Brule’ & AIRO’s Live At Mt. Rushmore and Blackfoot’s Train Train.
This year's Song Single Of The Year nominees represent more musical works within the Pop/Folk genres that feature distinctive Native American elements; All Colors Together by RainSong Terry & Darlene Wildman, Broken Dreams by Nightshield, Going To Gathering by The Blessed Blend, Hey Cuzzin’! by Cheryl Bear, Sleep Is The Ocean by The Crow Girls, and Way of the Warrior by Medicine Dream."These nominations throughout all 30 music categories truly reflect a diverse and impressive range of new and established talent from our community," said Awards President Ellen Bello. "We are looking forward to a spectacular Awards celebration running the full spectrum of today’s most popular contemporary and traditional Native American music initiatives.” Special Recognition Awards will also be given to internationally acclaimed artists; Janice Marie Johnson of A Taste of Honey, Pat Vegas & Redbone, Felipe Rose of the Village People and Rickey Medlocke of Blackfoot and Lynyrd Skynyrd.Voting ballots to select the final winner in each category will be mailed to all Advisory Board voting members. Voting ballots are also available to the general public on our websites http://www.votenative.com/ or http://www.nativeamericanmusicawards.com/.
See below for a complete list of official nominees for the 10th Annual Native American Awards: ARTIST OF THE YEAR Carroll Medicine Crow – Homeland Security Delbert Blackhorse – The Four Directions Jim Boyd – Blues To Bluegrass Johnny Whitehorse – Totemic Flute Chants Stevie Salas – The Sun & The EarthTerry Lee Whetstone –
The Best of the Best
BEST BLUES RECORDING Deep Downtown – Jimmy Wolf Goin’ For It – Terry Tsotigh Graywolf Blues Band – Graywolf Blues Band Hold The Rain – Pura Fe’ Levi Platero – Levi Platero & The Plateros Sir Harrison & The Blues Kings – Sir Harrison & The Blues Kings
BEST COMPILATION RECORDING Calling All Dancers – Northern Cree & Friends Heart of the Bitterroot – Various Navajo Christmas – Todi Neesh Zhee Singers Old Style Round Dance Songs – Various
The Best of the Best – Terry Lee Whetstone (2) The Native Hip Hop Hour Volume One – Various
BEST COUNTRY RECORDING Follow Your Dreams – Edmund Bull Mysterys – Qua TiSiNo Lies – Tracy Bone Still No Good – The Red Corn Band Crystal Shawanda – Crystal Shawanda
DEBUT ARTIST OF THE YEAR Blu – Rez Life Cheryl Bear – The Good Road Chucki Begay – Songs From My Heart Ghosthorse – KSA Gilbert Begay Sr – Traditional Navajo Shoe Game Songs Slavior - Slavior
DEBUT GROUP OF THE YEAR 191 N. – 5 Bucks Gas Injunuity – Unconquered Moon Lodge Singers – Cultural Legacy: Fights Alone Pimadiziwin Singers – Save The Last Round Dance For Me The Breeze Band – The Breeze BandThe Crow Girls – Sleep is the Ocean
BEST FEMALE ARTIST Fara Palmer – Phoenix Nicole – Deep Dreams Pura Fe’ – Hold The Rain Radmilla Cody – Precious Friends Star Nayea – Silenced My Tongue Tracy Bone – No Lies (2)BEST FOLK RECORDING Blue Moon – Terri Rivera Piatt & Lancy Goodman Nikawiy Askiy – Sandy Scofield Red Lodge – Danielle Egnew Where The Green Grass Grows – The Crow Girls (2) Wind of the North – Violet Naytovhow Wolfgirl – Arlette
FLUTIST OF THE YEAR Jan Michael Looking Wolf – Unity JJ Kent – I Am Red Moontee Sinquah – Freedom Tim Yett – Creating Sacred SpaceTommy Wildcat – Red Fire People Xavier Quijas Yxayotl – The Color of Morning
BEST GOSPEL/INSPIRATIONAL RECORDING Heartbeat of the Creator – Kelly Montijo FinkI’ve Come Too Far To Look Back – Thelma Emerson Journeys Through The Mist – The Blessed Blend Precious Memories – Cherokee National Youth ChoirRise Up & Dance – Rain Song: Terry & Darlene Wildman Singing Heavenly & Free – Joe Tohonnie Jr
GROUP OF THE YEAR Blackfire – (Silence) Is A WeaponBrule’ & AIRO – Live At Mt. Rushmore Eagle & Hawk – Red Road Stories Native Roots – Celebrate Primeaux & Mike w/Xavier Quijas Yxayotl – The Color of Morning The Red Corn Band – Still No Good (2)
BEST HISTORICAL RECORDING Chief Seattle Speaks 1854 – Red Hawk Journeys Through The Mist – The Blessed Blend (2) Oklahoma Style – Walter Ahhaitty & Friends Omeigwessi Reel Metis: A Tribute To Walter Flett – Omeigwessi Ensemble Precious Memories – Cherokee National Youth Choir
BEST INSTRUMENTAL RECORDING
Dream Scape: Spirit Maiden – Dream Scape Mirror Lake – Golana Sacred Land – Johnsy G The Whisper Spirit Progression – Larry Redhouse Unconquered – Injunuity York Boats & Legends – Ryan D’Aoust
BEST MALE ARTIST Clinton Denny – Prayers For My Father Edmund Bull – Follow Your Dreams Exitwound: The Native Axeman – After The Storm J.C. Campbell – Lazy James Johnny Mike – My Spirit Soars Ken Quiet Hawk – The Story Tellers
BEST NATIVE AMERICAN CHURCH RECORDINGA Vision of Spiritual Blessing – Merlinda Woody First Light – Cheevers Toppah & Kevin Yazzie Humble Prayers – Denise Becenti Mourning Praise Unto Our Creator – Meewasin Oma New Beginning – Janelle Turtle The Four Directions – Delbert Blackhorse (2)
BEST NEW AGE RECORDINGA Crown of Stars – Blue Feather, Dunlap & Henke Deep Dreams – Nicole (2) Homeland Security – Carroll Medicine Crow (2) Kokyo – Devin Village Stone /KiwamuraPoints of Origin – Anthony Wakeman & Mr Soon Voyagers – R Carlos Nakai, Udi Bar - David, Will Clipman
BEST POP RECORDING Eye of the Tiger – Tiger Tiger In The Blood – Robert MirabalLove Birds – Archie Cavanaugh Phoenix – Fara Palmer The Outsiders – RezhogsTribal Trance – Socie Saltwater
BEST POW WOW RECORDING 5 Bucks Gas – 191 N. (2) Blue Scout – Tha Tribe Hear The Beat – Blackfoot Confederacy Honoring Women Veterans – Zotigh Singers Oklahoma Style – Walter Ahhaitty & FriendsThe Elk Way – Elk Soldier
BEST PRODUCER Adrian Brown, Tim Sampson, Jonathon Joss – Still No GoodDouglas Blue Feather – A Crown Of Stars Ed Stasium – (Silence) Is A Weapon JC Campbell, Tracy Bone, DJ St Germain- Lazy James Kelly Parker – Follow Your Dreams R. Carlos Nakai, Udi Bar- David, Robert Doyle – Voyagers
BEST RAP HIP HOP RECORDING Blest With Skills – Blest One I Am Universal – Buggin Malone Loved & Hated – Nightshield Native American Hustle – Dago Braves Paranormal: The War Within – Maniac The Siouxpernatural Rez Life – Blu (2) RECORD OF THE YEAR (Silence) Is A Weapon – Blackfire Calling All Dancers – Northern Cree & Friends Express Yourself – Thee Express Mirror Lake - GolanaLive At Mt. Rushmore – Brule’ & AIRO Train Train – Blackfoot
BEST ROCK RECORDING (Silence) Is A Weapon – Blackfire Blues To Bluegrass – Jim Boyd Learning To Fly- Medicine Dream The Sun & The Earth – Stevie Salas Train Train – Blackfoot Wanted Alive –
XIT SONG/SINGLE OF THE YEAR All Colors Together – Rain Song Terry & Darlene Wildman Broken Dreams – Nightshield Going To Gathering – The Blessed Blend Hey Cuzzin’! – Cheryl Bear Sleep Is The Ocean – The Crow Girls Way of the Warrior – Medicine Dream
SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR Alex E Smith, Cheevers Toppah, Nitanis “Kit” Landry – Harmony NightsDerek Mortland, Michael Joseph – Sketches In Time Lee & Stephen Tiger – Eye of The Tiger Michael Jeans – Leather & Feathers Star Nayea – Silenced My Tongue Vince Fontaine, Lawrence Mullhall – Red Road Stories
BEST SPOKEN WORD RECORDING Artificial Red – Randy Kemp Chief Seattle Speaks 1854 – Red Hawk Distant Drums – Red Feather WomanTales From The Lodge – Debra Morningstar The Story Tellers – Ken Quiet Hawk
BEST TRADITIONAL RECORDING Brand New Day – Tanya Brown My Father’s Fire Dance Songs – Mary SmithPo’li – Clark Tenakhongva Rezmerized – Ryon Polequptena Traditional Navajo Shoe Songs –Gilbert Begay Sr Waiting With The Cellular – Navajo Nation Singers
BEST SHORT FORM MUSIC VIDEO Brave New World – Robert Mirabal Dirty Water – Michael Bucher Drinking Song – Rezhogs The Enlightened Time – JanaTimes We’ve Had – NDNVision Quest -
AIROBEST LONG FORM MUSIC VIDEO Eye of the Tiger – Tiger TigerLive At Mt Rushmore: Concert For Reconciliation of the Cultures – Brule’ & AIRO Live In Concert – Michael Searching Bear Our Land Our Life- Joanne Shenandoah The 8th Fire – Andy Pickard, Cindy Pickard, Tom Bee Train Train – Blackfoot
BEST WORLD MUSIC RECORDING Celebrate – Native Roots Dream Scape: Spirit Maiden – Dreamscape Going Home – The Gathering Journeys Through The Mist – The Blessed Blend Sketches In Time – Derek Mortland, Michael Joseph Sounds of Beauty – Estun – Bah
NATIVE HEART Ed Stasium – (Silence) Is A Weapon Jeff Ball – Shape of Light Jonny Lipford – Transitions: Out of the Flames & Into The Wind Peter Kater – Sacred Earth: Wind of the North Richard Stepp – The Sacred Journey William Hoshal – A Rumor of the Sun
Blackfire, Blackfoot, Brule & AIRO, The Blessed Blend, The Crow Girls, and The Red Corn Band lead with three nominations each
August 23, 2008 - New York. Nominations for the 10th Annual Native American Music Awards (NAMA) were announced today by The Native American Music Association & Awards, reflecting the combined votes of the NAMA Advisory Board Nominating Committee Membership. This year is a monumental year for the organization which will now have nominated an estimated 1500 artists and honored 300 winners over the past decade.
A new limited edition “NAMMY” will be introduced this year commemorating the organization’s 10th Anniversary year. The 10th Annual Native American Music Awards will be held on Saturday, October 4, 2008 at the Seneca Entertainment Center in the Seneca Casino & Hotel in Niagara Falls, NY. Tickets for the 10th Annual Native American Music Awards are on-sale now through all ticketmaster outlets. The Awards show will again be broadcast on MHZ Networks in November to an estimated 30 million cable households.
New up-and-comers were nominated alongside established artists in a diverse array of 30 music categories. Blackfire, Blackfoot, Brule & AIRO, The Blessed Blend, The Crow Girls, and The Red Corn Band lead with three nominations each. Tied with two nominations each are; Blu, Carroll Medicine Crow, Cherokee National Youth Choir, Cheryl Bear, Chief Seattle Speaks, Delbert Blackhorse, Douglas Blue Feather, Dream Scape, Eagle & Hawk, Producer Ed Stasium, Edmund Bull, Fara Palmer, Gilbert Begay Sr, Golana, Injunuity, J.C. Campbell, Jim Boyd, Ken Quiet Hawk, Medicine Dream, Native Roots, Nightshield, Primeaux & Mike, Pura Fe’, R Carlos Nakai, Rain Song, Red Feather Woman, Rezhogs, Robert Mirabal, Sotiw, Star Nayea, Stevie Salas, Tanya Brown, Terri Rivera Piatt & Lancy Goodman, Terry Lee Whetstone, Tiger Tiger, Tracy Bone and Walter Ahhaitty & Friends.
Nominated in the field of Record Of The Year are; Blackfire’s (Silence) Is A Weapon, Northern Cree & Friends’ Calling All Dancers , Thee Express’ Express Yourself, Golana’s Mirror Lake, Brule’ & AIRO’s Live At Mt. Rushmore and Blackfoot’s Train Train.
This year's Song Single Of The Year nominees represent more musical works within the Pop/Folk genres that feature distinctive Native American elements; All Colors Together by RainSong Terry & Darlene Wildman, Broken Dreams by Nightshield, Going To Gathering by The Blessed Blend, Hey Cuzzin’! by Cheryl Bear, Sleep Is The Ocean by The Crow Girls, and Way of the Warrior by Medicine Dream."These nominations throughout all 30 music categories truly reflect a diverse and impressive range of new and established talent from our community," said Awards President Ellen Bello. "We are looking forward to a spectacular Awards celebration running the full spectrum of today’s most popular contemporary and traditional Native American music initiatives.” Special Recognition Awards will also be given to internationally acclaimed artists; Janice Marie Johnson of A Taste of Honey, Pat Vegas & Redbone, Felipe Rose of the Village People and Rickey Medlocke of Blackfoot and Lynyrd Skynyrd.Voting ballots to select the final winner in each category will be mailed to all Advisory Board voting members. Voting ballots are also available to the general public on our websites http://www.votenative.com/ or http://www.nativeamericanmusicawards.com/.
See below for a complete list of official nominees for the 10th Annual Native American Awards: ARTIST OF THE YEAR Carroll Medicine Crow – Homeland Security Delbert Blackhorse – The Four Directions Jim Boyd – Blues To Bluegrass Johnny Whitehorse – Totemic Flute Chants Stevie Salas – The Sun & The EarthTerry Lee Whetstone –
The Best of the Best
BEST BLUES RECORDING Deep Downtown – Jimmy Wolf Goin’ For It – Terry Tsotigh Graywolf Blues Band – Graywolf Blues Band Hold The Rain – Pura Fe’ Levi Platero – Levi Platero & The Plateros Sir Harrison & The Blues Kings – Sir Harrison & The Blues Kings
BEST COMPILATION RECORDING Calling All Dancers – Northern Cree & Friends Heart of the Bitterroot – Various Navajo Christmas – Todi Neesh Zhee Singers Old Style Round Dance Songs – Various
The Best of the Best – Terry Lee Whetstone (2) The Native Hip Hop Hour Volume One – Various
BEST COUNTRY RECORDING Follow Your Dreams – Edmund Bull Mysterys – Qua TiSiNo Lies – Tracy Bone Still No Good – The Red Corn Band Crystal Shawanda – Crystal Shawanda
DEBUT ARTIST OF THE YEAR Blu – Rez Life Cheryl Bear – The Good Road Chucki Begay – Songs From My Heart Ghosthorse – KSA Gilbert Begay Sr – Traditional Navajo Shoe Game Songs Slavior - Slavior
DEBUT GROUP OF THE YEAR 191 N. – 5 Bucks Gas Injunuity – Unconquered Moon Lodge Singers – Cultural Legacy: Fights Alone Pimadiziwin Singers – Save The Last Round Dance For Me The Breeze Band – The Breeze BandThe Crow Girls – Sleep is the Ocean
BEST FEMALE ARTIST Fara Palmer – Phoenix Nicole – Deep Dreams Pura Fe’ – Hold The Rain Radmilla Cody – Precious Friends Star Nayea – Silenced My Tongue Tracy Bone – No Lies (2)BEST FOLK RECORDING Blue Moon – Terri Rivera Piatt & Lancy Goodman Nikawiy Askiy – Sandy Scofield Red Lodge – Danielle Egnew Where The Green Grass Grows – The Crow Girls (2) Wind of the North – Violet Naytovhow Wolfgirl – Arlette
FLUTIST OF THE YEAR Jan Michael Looking Wolf – Unity JJ Kent – I Am Red Moontee Sinquah – Freedom Tim Yett – Creating Sacred SpaceTommy Wildcat – Red Fire People Xavier Quijas Yxayotl – The Color of Morning
BEST GOSPEL/INSPIRATIONAL RECORDING Heartbeat of the Creator – Kelly Montijo FinkI’ve Come Too Far To Look Back – Thelma Emerson Journeys Through The Mist – The Blessed Blend Precious Memories – Cherokee National Youth ChoirRise Up & Dance – Rain Song: Terry & Darlene Wildman Singing Heavenly & Free – Joe Tohonnie Jr
GROUP OF THE YEAR Blackfire – (Silence) Is A WeaponBrule’ & AIRO – Live At Mt. Rushmore Eagle & Hawk – Red Road Stories Native Roots – Celebrate Primeaux & Mike w/Xavier Quijas Yxayotl – The Color of Morning The Red Corn Band – Still No Good (2)
BEST HISTORICAL RECORDING Chief Seattle Speaks 1854 – Red Hawk Journeys Through The Mist – The Blessed Blend (2) Oklahoma Style – Walter Ahhaitty & Friends Omeigwessi Reel Metis: A Tribute To Walter Flett – Omeigwessi Ensemble Precious Memories – Cherokee National Youth Choir
BEST INSTRUMENTAL RECORDING
Dream Scape: Spirit Maiden – Dream Scape Mirror Lake – Golana Sacred Land – Johnsy G The Whisper Spirit Progression – Larry Redhouse Unconquered – Injunuity York Boats & Legends – Ryan D’Aoust
BEST MALE ARTIST Clinton Denny – Prayers For My Father Edmund Bull – Follow Your Dreams Exitwound: The Native Axeman – After The Storm J.C. Campbell – Lazy James Johnny Mike – My Spirit Soars Ken Quiet Hawk – The Story Tellers
BEST NATIVE AMERICAN CHURCH RECORDINGA Vision of Spiritual Blessing – Merlinda Woody First Light – Cheevers Toppah & Kevin Yazzie Humble Prayers – Denise Becenti Mourning Praise Unto Our Creator – Meewasin Oma New Beginning – Janelle Turtle The Four Directions – Delbert Blackhorse (2)
BEST NEW AGE RECORDINGA Crown of Stars – Blue Feather, Dunlap & Henke Deep Dreams – Nicole (2) Homeland Security – Carroll Medicine Crow (2) Kokyo – Devin Village Stone /KiwamuraPoints of Origin – Anthony Wakeman & Mr Soon Voyagers – R Carlos Nakai, Udi Bar - David, Will Clipman
BEST POP RECORDING Eye of the Tiger – Tiger Tiger In The Blood – Robert MirabalLove Birds – Archie Cavanaugh Phoenix – Fara Palmer The Outsiders – RezhogsTribal Trance – Socie Saltwater
BEST POW WOW RECORDING 5 Bucks Gas – 191 N. (2) Blue Scout – Tha Tribe Hear The Beat – Blackfoot Confederacy Honoring Women Veterans – Zotigh Singers Oklahoma Style – Walter Ahhaitty & FriendsThe Elk Way – Elk Soldier
BEST PRODUCER Adrian Brown, Tim Sampson, Jonathon Joss – Still No GoodDouglas Blue Feather – A Crown Of Stars Ed Stasium – (Silence) Is A Weapon JC Campbell, Tracy Bone, DJ St Germain- Lazy James Kelly Parker – Follow Your Dreams R. Carlos Nakai, Udi Bar- David, Robert Doyle – Voyagers
BEST RAP HIP HOP RECORDING Blest With Skills – Blest One I Am Universal – Buggin Malone Loved & Hated – Nightshield Native American Hustle – Dago Braves Paranormal: The War Within – Maniac The Siouxpernatural Rez Life – Blu (2) RECORD OF THE YEAR (Silence) Is A Weapon – Blackfire Calling All Dancers – Northern Cree & Friends Express Yourself – Thee Express Mirror Lake - GolanaLive At Mt. Rushmore – Brule’ & AIRO Train Train – Blackfoot
BEST ROCK RECORDING (Silence) Is A Weapon – Blackfire Blues To Bluegrass – Jim Boyd Learning To Fly- Medicine Dream The Sun & The Earth – Stevie Salas Train Train – Blackfoot Wanted Alive –
XIT SONG/SINGLE OF THE YEAR All Colors Together – Rain Song Terry & Darlene Wildman Broken Dreams – Nightshield Going To Gathering – The Blessed Blend Hey Cuzzin’! – Cheryl Bear Sleep Is The Ocean – The Crow Girls Way of the Warrior – Medicine Dream
SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR Alex E Smith, Cheevers Toppah, Nitanis “Kit” Landry – Harmony NightsDerek Mortland, Michael Joseph – Sketches In Time Lee & Stephen Tiger – Eye of The Tiger Michael Jeans – Leather & Feathers Star Nayea – Silenced My Tongue Vince Fontaine, Lawrence Mullhall – Red Road Stories
BEST SPOKEN WORD RECORDING Artificial Red – Randy Kemp Chief Seattle Speaks 1854 – Red Hawk Distant Drums – Red Feather WomanTales From The Lodge – Debra Morningstar The Story Tellers – Ken Quiet Hawk
BEST TRADITIONAL RECORDING Brand New Day – Tanya Brown My Father’s Fire Dance Songs – Mary SmithPo’li – Clark Tenakhongva Rezmerized – Ryon Polequptena Traditional Navajo Shoe Songs –Gilbert Begay Sr Waiting With The Cellular – Navajo Nation Singers
BEST SHORT FORM MUSIC VIDEO Brave New World – Robert Mirabal Dirty Water – Michael Bucher Drinking Song – Rezhogs The Enlightened Time – JanaTimes We’ve Had – NDNVision Quest -
AIROBEST LONG FORM MUSIC VIDEO Eye of the Tiger – Tiger TigerLive At Mt Rushmore: Concert For Reconciliation of the Cultures – Brule’ & AIRO Live In Concert – Michael Searching Bear Our Land Our Life- Joanne Shenandoah The 8th Fire – Andy Pickard, Cindy Pickard, Tom Bee Train Train – Blackfoot
BEST WORLD MUSIC RECORDING Celebrate – Native Roots Dream Scape: Spirit Maiden – Dreamscape Going Home – The Gathering Journeys Through The Mist – The Blessed Blend Sketches In Time – Derek Mortland, Michael Joseph Sounds of Beauty – Estun – Bah
NATIVE HEART Ed Stasium – (Silence) Is A Weapon Jeff Ball – Shape of Light Jonny Lipford – Transitions: Out of the Flames & Into The Wind Peter Kater – Sacred Earth: Wind of the North Richard Stepp – The Sacred Journey William Hoshal – A Rumor of the Sun
Friday, August 22, 2008
Denver Political Prisoner March, Monday, August 25, 2008
Political Prisoner March, Monday, August 25th
Freedom March — Civic Center Park, August 25, 9 am
Join supporters of Leonard Peltier, Mumia Abu Jamal, The Cuban Five, and other political prisoners for the Freedom March and Rally! After serving 33 years in prison for a crime that he did not commit, Leonard Peltier's parole hearing will take place in December, 2008. Do not forget that in 2001, the Clintons left Leonard in prison, after promising to grant him clemency. Free Mumia, the Cuban Five, the Guantanamo detainees, and others. The march will begin at Civic Center Park and end with a rally at the Federal Court House.
Hear a personal recording specific for this protest and the DNC from Mumia and written statement from Leonard PeltierCall for the Freedom of Mumia and the Cuban Five
Call for an end to Human Rights abuses
Speakers (Alphabetical):
Pamela Africa - MOVE Organization
American Indian Movement Spokesperson Leonard Peltier Defense Committee - Ben Carnes, with a message from Leonard, direct from Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary
Rosa Clemente - United States Vice Presidential Candidate for the Green Party
Kathleen Cleaver - The Panther Nine from San Francisco
King Downing - National Coordinator of the ACLU's Campaign Against Racial Profiling
Jenny Esquiveo - Spokesperson for Eric McDavid (Political Prisoner)
Chairman Fred Hampton Jr. - Prisoners of Conscience Committee
Mumia Abu Jamal - Current Political Prisoner (Recorded from Death Row)
Cha Cha Jimenez - Founder of the Young Lords (Puerto Rican Resistance Prisoners)
Ricardo Romero - National Coordinator for the Mexican National Liberation Movement (MLNM) Natsu Saito - Author, Activist, and Human Rights Scholar (Guantanamo Inmates)
Spokesperson for the Cuban Five Special Musical Performance by THE SAVAGE FAMILY http://www.myspace.com/savagefamily01
Freedom March — Civic Center Park, August 25, 9 am
Join supporters of Leonard Peltier, Mumia Abu Jamal, The Cuban Five, and other political prisoners for the Freedom March and Rally! After serving 33 years in prison for a crime that he did not commit, Leonard Peltier's parole hearing will take place in December, 2008. Do not forget that in 2001, the Clintons left Leonard in prison, after promising to grant him clemency. Free Mumia, the Cuban Five, the Guantanamo detainees, and others. The march will begin at Civic Center Park and end with a rally at the Federal Court House.
Hear a personal recording specific for this protest and the DNC from Mumia and written statement from Leonard PeltierCall for the Freedom of Mumia and the Cuban Five
Call for an end to Human Rights abuses
Speakers (Alphabetical):
Pamela Africa - MOVE Organization
American Indian Movement Spokesperson Leonard Peltier Defense Committee - Ben Carnes, with a message from Leonard, direct from Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary
Rosa Clemente - United States Vice Presidential Candidate for the Green Party
Kathleen Cleaver - The Panther Nine from San Francisco
King Downing - National Coordinator of the ACLU's Campaign Against Racial Profiling
Jenny Esquiveo - Spokesperson for Eric McDavid (Political Prisoner)
Chairman Fred Hampton Jr. - Prisoners of Conscience Committee
Mumia Abu Jamal - Current Political Prisoner (Recorded from Death Row)
Cha Cha Jimenez - Founder of the Young Lords (Puerto Rican Resistance Prisoners)
Ricardo Romero - National Coordinator for the Mexican National Liberation Movement (MLNM) Natsu Saito - Author, Activist, and Human Rights Scholar (Guantanamo Inmates)
Spokesperson for the Cuban Five Special Musical Performance by THE SAVAGE FAMILY http://www.myspace.com/savagefamily01
Stop Ottawa's warmongers show
Please sign the online PETITION now:
http://prax.ca/coat/No-Arms-Shows
" Stop Ottawa's Arms Shows!"For the first time in almost 20 years -- since ARMX '89 -- the City of Ottawa is hosting arms bazaars at municipally-funded facilities.We stopped them before, we can stop them again! Please join us!
Online Petition: Sign it Now! Whether you live in Ottawa or elsewhere in Canada, please sign this online petition telling Ottawa politicians to respect City Council's 1989 commitment to stop using municipally-funded facilities for international arms trade exhibitions! (Here's a hard copy of the petition that can be printed out for signing offline at meetings and other events, etc.)
Spread the word! After signing this Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade (COAT) petition online, please encourage others to do likewise. Circulate this notice to friends, colleagues, list serves and post the petition link to as many web pages as possible.
EMAIL! Tell the Mayor, City Council and Staff what you think!Click above to send a preset message to Mayor O'Brien, Ottawa Councillors and Staff. Send it as is, or -- better yet -- modify the subject line and rewrite text to emphasize your own specific concerns. (This link will also let you know how to contact City Council by phone, fax and regular post.)
Protest! If the so-called "Secure Canada 2008" and "U.S. Embassy Defense and Security Exhibition" (Sept.30-Oct.1) go ahead, we will be organising peaceful protests to express our opposition to these manifestations of the international arms trade. Please join us in our non-violent opposition to the warmongers and merchants of death who will be flogging their deadly wares in Ottawa! (Please do whatever you can to encourage progressive organizations to endorse COAT's campaign to expose and oppose these blatant manifestations of the international arms trade.)
More Information! For many more details about the arms bazaars and exhibitors scheduled to showcase their deadly products at Ottawa's Lansdowne Park, please visit the COAT website.
Keep informedIf you aren't already on the "COAT email list," you can join here.
Thanks!
Your support in signing the COAT petition, contacting City Council and encouraging others to do likewise is greatly appreciated! Click here to see how else you might help.
http://prax.ca/coat/No-Arms-Shows
http://prax.ca/coat/No-Arms-Shows
" Stop Ottawa's Arms Shows!"For the first time in almost 20 years -- since ARMX '89 -- the City of Ottawa is hosting arms bazaars at municipally-funded facilities.We stopped them before, we can stop them again! Please join us!
Online Petition: Sign it Now! Whether you live in Ottawa or elsewhere in Canada, please sign this online petition telling Ottawa politicians to respect City Council's 1989 commitment to stop using municipally-funded facilities for international arms trade exhibitions! (Here's a hard copy of the petition that can be printed out for signing offline at meetings and other events, etc.)
Spread the word! After signing this Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade (COAT) petition online, please encourage others to do likewise. Circulate this notice to friends, colleagues, list serves and post the petition link to as many web pages as possible.
EMAIL! Tell the Mayor, City Council and Staff what you think!Click above to send a preset message to Mayor O'Brien, Ottawa Councillors and Staff. Send it as is, or -- better yet -- modify the subject line and rewrite text to emphasize your own specific concerns. (This link will also let you know how to contact City Council by phone, fax and regular post.)
Protest! If the so-called "Secure Canada 2008" and "U.S. Embassy Defense and Security Exhibition" (Sept.30-Oct.1) go ahead, we will be organising peaceful protests to express our opposition to these manifestations of the international arms trade. Please join us in our non-violent opposition to the warmongers and merchants of death who will be flogging their deadly wares in Ottawa! (Please do whatever you can to encourage progressive organizations to endorse COAT's campaign to expose and oppose these blatant manifestations of the international arms trade.)
More Information! For many more details about the arms bazaars and exhibitors scheduled to showcase their deadly products at Ottawa's Lansdowne Park, please visit the COAT website.
Keep informedIf you aren't already on the "COAT email list," you can join here.
Thanks!
Your support in signing the COAT petition, contacting City Council and encouraging others to do likewise is greatly appreciated! Click here to see how else you might help.
http://prax.ca/coat/No-Arms-Shows
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Dooda Desert Rock: US EPA fails the Navajo people
DOODA DESERT ROCK COMMITTEE
Elouise Brown, President
P.O. Box 7838
Newcomb, Navajo Nation
(New Mexico) 87455
(505) 947-6159
August 16, 2008
Stephen Johnson, Administrator
Environmental Protection Agency
Ariel Rios Building
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20460
Dear Mr. Johnson:
You have failed your duty to protect the environment therefore I am telling you that you are not welcome and you should resign. Approving the air quality permit for the proposal of desert rock energy project was a total disrespect and deadly wrongful to the environment. While perhaps I would feel better to vent in a letter to you, I will save the venting for August 22nd. I write to tell you precisely why you will not be welcome and why you should resign — if for no other reason than to acknowledge the injustice being done to grassroots Navajos.
There are many reasons to oppose the proposed Desert Rock coal-fired, mine-mouth power plant. The obvious health reasons are that there are already two of the dirtiest power plants in the United States near the Four Corners, and there are other polluting plants in our area. Ozone emissions from the existing plants are already at the highest permissible level. Added to the mix is dust from uranium sites that United States failed to monitor. The U.S. is still in the process of cleaning up that hazardous waste.
We object because your agency is not following its own policy on environmental justice in compliance with Executive Order 12898 and the guidelines of the Council on Environmental Policy. More particularly, there are two specific issues I will raise in this letter: The first is the violation of the principle that EPA should consider relevant public health and industry data on the potential for multiple or cumulative health risks. The second is the obviousness that the plant will not benefit the people who live in the area.
Frankly, it is a no-brainer that public health data should have been gotten by the author of the draft environmental impact statement — the URS corporation of San Francisco. The data is available at the Indian Health Service in Shiprock, NM, but URS was all too-industry friendly.
URS also ignored the principle of Executive Order 12989 that impacts on poor people and minorities in the area must be examined. The environmental justice discussion in the EIS was poor and it did not measure the true economic and cultural impacts. I live in the area myself, and my neighbors are the targets of environmental injustice.
The Interior Department notice for comments on EIS and the recent EPA press release (in the style of a member of the Bracewell & Giuliani law firm) both tout the economic benefit of the plant. Let’s separate issues — employment and economic benefit to the locality.
It may be true that there will be construction and operations employment. However, no one is acting like that is the fact. That is, there is nothing being done to improve local infrastructure (housing, roads and highways, shopping, etc.) to accommodate large numbers of workers. Why is that?
It is that — like other Navajo Nation economic ventures — the workers will live off reservation because they will have no choice. They will spend their paychecks off reservation too. While some workers will share some of their pay with family, many won’t. There is no direct benefit from jobs to the area as a whole.
On the economic issue, there will be no trickle-down from Window Rock. There are no-profit or tax-sharing agreements in place with the local governments (called chapters) and there are no arrangements to pay for impacts on local infrastructure. The money will be used to feed a centralized bureaucracy, the Interior, the EPA and to the central government of the Navajo Nation is — Navajos call it dola bichaan (the s h _ t it belongs to the bull — B S).
Your people were or should have been aware of these issues. I raised them in a January 24, 2008 letter to the NEPA coordinator in the Navajo Regional Office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and our lawyer raised them again in our June 21, 2008 comments on the consent decree with the developers.
We are again being subjected to environmental injustice and discrimination, and we intend to raise the matter with the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination because the U.S. is again in violation of its international treaty obligations.
Sincerely,
Elouise Brown
Elouise Brown, President
P.O. Box 7838
Newcomb, Navajo Nation
(New Mexico) 87455
(505) 947-6159
August 16, 2008
Stephen Johnson, Administrator
Environmental Protection Agency
Ariel Rios Building
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20460
Dear Mr. Johnson:
You have failed your duty to protect the environment therefore I am telling you that you are not welcome and you should resign. Approving the air quality permit for the proposal of desert rock energy project was a total disrespect and deadly wrongful to the environment. While perhaps I would feel better to vent in a letter to you, I will save the venting for August 22nd. I write to tell you precisely why you will not be welcome and why you should resign — if for no other reason than to acknowledge the injustice being done to grassroots Navajos.
There are many reasons to oppose the proposed Desert Rock coal-fired, mine-mouth power plant. The obvious health reasons are that there are already two of the dirtiest power plants in the United States near the Four Corners, and there are other polluting plants in our area. Ozone emissions from the existing plants are already at the highest permissible level. Added to the mix is dust from uranium sites that United States failed to monitor. The U.S. is still in the process of cleaning up that hazardous waste.
We object because your agency is not following its own policy on environmental justice in compliance with Executive Order 12898 and the guidelines of the Council on Environmental Policy. More particularly, there are two specific issues I will raise in this letter: The first is the violation of the principle that EPA should consider relevant public health and industry data on the potential for multiple or cumulative health risks. The second is the obviousness that the plant will not benefit the people who live in the area.
Frankly, it is a no-brainer that public health data should have been gotten by the author of the draft environmental impact statement — the URS corporation of San Francisco. The data is available at the Indian Health Service in Shiprock, NM, but URS was all too-industry friendly.
URS also ignored the principle of Executive Order 12989 that impacts on poor people and minorities in the area must be examined. The environmental justice discussion in the EIS was poor and it did not measure the true economic and cultural impacts. I live in the area myself, and my neighbors are the targets of environmental injustice.
The Interior Department notice for comments on EIS and the recent EPA press release (in the style of a member of the Bracewell & Giuliani law firm) both tout the economic benefit of the plant. Let’s separate issues — employment and economic benefit to the locality.
It may be true that there will be construction and operations employment. However, no one is acting like that is the fact. That is, there is nothing being done to improve local infrastructure (housing, roads and highways, shopping, etc.) to accommodate large numbers of workers. Why is that?
It is that — like other Navajo Nation economic ventures — the workers will live off reservation because they will have no choice. They will spend their paychecks off reservation too. While some workers will share some of their pay with family, many won’t. There is no direct benefit from jobs to the area as a whole.
On the economic issue, there will be no trickle-down from Window Rock. There are no-profit or tax-sharing agreements in place with the local governments (called chapters) and there are no arrangements to pay for impacts on local infrastructure. The money will be used to feed a centralized bureaucracy, the Interior, the EPA and to the central government of the Navajo Nation is — Navajos call it dola bichaan (the s h _ t it belongs to the bull — B S).
Your people were or should have been aware of these issues. I raised them in a January 24, 2008 letter to the NEPA coordinator in the Navajo Regional Office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and our lawyer raised them again in our June 21, 2008 comments on the consent decree with the developers.
We are again being subjected to environmental injustice and discrimination, and we intend to raise the matter with the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination because the U.S. is again in violation of its international treaty obligations.
Sincerely,
Elouise Brown
Ben Carnes: Peltier, justice and fearlessness
By Ben CarnesChoctaw columnist
.
His name is Leonard Peltier
As most everyone knows I have been a spokesperson for Peltier in the past. Recently, I was asked by David Hill to help with organizing some events.
Yesterday, David was returning to Oklahoma after visiting with Leonard at the prison he assigned to in Lewisburg, PA. He said that Leonard really needs help right now and that he wanted see if I could come up with some ideas to focus attention on the injustices of his case. So I may find myself involved again, and I am hoping that many others will renew their involvement with his case.
One way to do something right now is to join Peltier’s’ branches of support. You can sign up at
As most everyone knows I have been a spokesperson for Peltier in the past. Recently, I was asked by David Hill to help with organizing some events.
Yesterday, David was returning to Oklahoma after visiting with Leonard at the prison he assigned to in Lewisburg, PA. He said that Leonard really needs help right now and that he wanted see if I could come up with some ideas to focus attention on the injustices of his case. So I may find myself involved again, and I am hoping that many others will renew their involvement with his case.
One way to do something right now is to join Peltier’s’ branches of support. You can sign up at
http://www.whoisleonardpeltier.info/branches.htm
And then network with your friends, campus organization, peace/social justice groups and so on.
Leonard’s 64th birthday will be on Sept. 12th, and September 6 will mark 32 and half years he will have been held captive for something the government c
an no longer prove.
His case has generated support from the entertainment industry, religious/world leaders, 55 members of congress, numerous human rights groups, such as Amnesty International, and other respected national organizations. There has been over 25 million letters written on his behalf. U.S. Presidents have patronized his supporters and then ignored his appeal for justice.
Attempts to initiate congressional hearings have been blocked, and the judicial system seems to withhold justice they would have granted to others. After being released from prison after evidence of his innocence was presented, Geronimo Ji-jaga Pratt expressed astonishment that Peltier was still be held and with more proof and support on his side.
There have been several agents of the FBI who have said that it doesn’t matter if Peltier is guilty or not. He will never be freed. The FBI will make sure of that and to me that sounds like a threat. It was the FBI who threatened the life of Anna Mae Aquash if she didn’t cooperate in their investigations of who killed the agents. Standing Deer was also threatened with the loss of his life if he revealed the assassination plot in 1978. When Standing Deer was released and became involved with working for Peltier’s’ freedom, he was murdered in his Houston home in 2003.
In Aquash's case, it seems strange that al of a sudden the Justice Department and FBI are being cast as hero’s in solving the case. But from so many of the sources, it is highly questionable that Looking Cloud got a fair trial and that Graham will probably be expected to see anything better. So if Graham is convicted, then will the case be over for Indians? Will ‘justice’ be served on a plate of BS greedily devoured by anti-AIM rhetoric’s and the media?
Will former federal agents, David Price, William Wood, Norman Zigrossi, and Richard G. Held ever be tried for their roles in the deaths of AIM activists or the traditional people who supported them? Several women and children were murdered, some viciously, and the FBI did nothing to prosecute.
The federal agents will never stand a day in their court. It isn’t going to happen and never will. I say that because we have not secured a new trial or the release of Leonard Peltier.
With Grahams’ trial coming up on October 6th, 2008 in Rapid City, S.D., it is an opportune time to remind people about who the thugs were that perpetuated the Oglala Civil War of the 1970’s. The government has the capability and experience in fabricating their records and evidence. They gained experience from their mistakes.
When Bob Robideau and Dino Butler were found not guilty by reason of self-defense, Leonard would have been freed also, but he was in Canada and was tried before a different judge. The FBI learned after the Robideau and Butler case where their trial strategy failed and then shopped for a different Judge. The FBI created a climate of fear among the jurors and courtroom attendees, with SWAT teams covering their every move.
They made Leonard out to be a very dangerous man in the minds of the jurors and the judge refused to allow Leonard to present the same evidence and testimony as his co-defendants. With the court ruling against his defense, he had no defense at all. And years after his conviction, evidence surfaced that would have brought him a new trial. But the rules had changed a few months earlier on what standards would have resulted in a new trial through prosecutorial misconduct, such as with holding of evidence that would have proved his innocence.
This information and so much more I have spoken of since I became involved in 1991, and I’ve seen a groundswell of support rise and then fade away. There have been several changes in the leadership of the defense committee; others have misused his name for their own gain. The coordinator for the committee is his younger sister, Betty.
Through their website, you can find resources to educate yourself on Peltier’s’ case. If you are a student, than write a research paper on the very criminal justice system within the colonial occupying government called America, using Peltier as an example. Obtain handouts on the chronology of his case, and then purchase products to keep Leonard’s name and his case in the public mind.
We have held major benefit concerts, spoken at colleges/universities, held mass demonstrations; signed petitions and many other activities have been held around the world. What is it going to take to free him I really wished I had an answer for you, and especially Peltier.
I know that a movement doesn’t exist unless we are in a state of motion. We have to be doing something everywhere. Maybe we will need to have cross-country horse rides to publicize Peltier’s case, hold spiritual fasts, or other activities to draw people’s attention. I will see what I can come up with and if anything develops, we can get the word out
Maybe write letters and hold public demonstrations to bring an investigation into the FBI’s activities of the Counterintelligence Program (COINTELPRO) that targeted Martin Luther King, the Kennedy’s and so any activists. The FBI is responsible for the false imprisonment of so many people and the murders and assassinations of so many others. In the era of homeland security, we may receive a visit from the suits and dark glasses threatening to have us taken in because we might be homegrown radicals and violent terrorists. If we are terrorists, then we stand the risk of being detained alongside Al-Qaeda and other people who may or may not be innocent.
It could be something to fear, but I know there was many nameless people who stood with that same fear against the federal government and they called themselves the American Indian Movement. And we have one who is falsely imprisoned and his name is Leonard Peltier.
And then network with your friends, campus organization, peace/social justice groups and so on.
Leonard’s 64th birthday will be on Sept. 12th, and September 6 will mark 32 and half years he will have been held captive for something the government c
an no longer prove.His case has generated support from the entertainment industry, religious/world leaders, 55 members of congress, numerous human rights groups, such as Amnesty International, and other respected national organizations. There has been over 25 million letters written on his behalf. U.S. Presidents have patronized his supporters and then ignored his appeal for justice.
Attempts to initiate congressional hearings have been blocked, and the judicial system seems to withhold justice they would have granted to others. After being released from prison after evidence of his innocence was presented, Geronimo Ji-jaga Pratt expressed astonishment that Peltier was still be held and with more proof and support on his side.
There have been several agents of the FBI who have said that it doesn’t matter if Peltier is guilty or not. He will never be freed. The FBI will make sure of that and to me that sounds like a threat. It was the FBI who threatened the life of Anna Mae Aquash if she didn’t cooperate in their investigations of who killed the agents. Standing Deer was also threatened with the loss of his life if he revealed the assassination plot in 1978. When Standing Deer was released and became involved with working for Peltier’s’ freedom, he was murdered in his Houston home in 2003.
In Aquash's case, it seems strange that al of a sudden the Justice Department and FBI are being cast as hero’s in solving the case. But from so many of the sources, it is highly questionable that Looking Cloud got a fair trial and that Graham will probably be expected to see anything better. So if Graham is convicted, then will the case be over for Indians? Will ‘justice’ be served on a plate of BS greedily devoured by anti-AIM rhetoric’s and the media?
Will former federal agents, David Price, William Wood, Norman Zigrossi, and Richard G. Held ever be tried for their roles in the deaths of AIM activists or the traditional people who supported them? Several women and children were murdered, some viciously, and the FBI did nothing to prosecute.
The federal agents will never stand a day in their court. It isn’t going to happen and never will. I say that because we have not secured a new trial or the release of Leonard Peltier.
With Grahams’ trial coming up on October 6th, 2008 in Rapid City, S.D., it is an opportune time to remind people about who the thugs were that perpetuated the Oglala Civil War of the 1970’s. The government has the capability and experience in fabricating their records and evidence. They gained experience from their mistakes.
When Bob Robideau and Dino Butler were found not guilty by reason of self-defense, Leonard would have been freed also, but he was in Canada and was tried before a different judge. The FBI learned after the Robideau and Butler case where their trial strategy failed and then shopped for a different Judge. The FBI created a climate of fear among the jurors and courtroom attendees, with SWAT teams covering their every move.
They made Leonard out to be a very dangerous man in the minds of the jurors and the judge refused to allow Leonard to present the same evidence and testimony as his co-defendants. With the court ruling against his defense, he had no defense at all. And years after his conviction, evidence surfaced that would have brought him a new trial. But the rules had changed a few months earlier on what standards would have resulted in a new trial through prosecutorial misconduct, such as with holding of evidence that would have proved his innocence.
This information and so much more I have spoken of since I became involved in 1991, and I’ve seen a groundswell of support rise and then fade away. There have been several changes in the leadership of the defense committee; others have misused his name for their own gain. The coordinator for the committee is his younger sister, Betty.
Through their website, you can find resources to educate yourself on Peltier’s’ case. If you are a student, than write a research paper on the very criminal justice system within the colonial occupying government called America, using Peltier as an example. Obtain handouts on the chronology of his case, and then purchase products to keep Leonard’s name and his case in the public mind.
We have held major benefit concerts, spoken at colleges/universities, held mass demonstrations; signed petitions and many other activities have been held around the world. What is it going to take to free him I really wished I had an answer for you, and especially Peltier.
I know that a movement doesn’t exist unless we are in a state of motion. We have to be doing something everywhere. Maybe we will need to have cross-country horse rides to publicize Peltier’s case, hold spiritual fasts, or other activities to draw people’s attention. I will see what I can come up with and if anything develops, we can get the word out
Maybe write letters and hold public demonstrations to bring an investigation into the FBI’s activities of the Counterintelligence Program (COINTELPRO) that targeted Martin Luther King, the Kennedy’s and so any activists. The FBI is responsible for the false imprisonment of so many people and the murders and assassinations of so many others. In the era of homeland security, we may receive a visit from the suits and dark glasses threatening to have us taken in because we might be homegrown radicals and violent terrorists. If we are terrorists, then we stand the risk of being detained alongside Al-Qaeda and other people who may or may not be innocent.
It could be something to fear, but I know there was many nameless people who stood with that same fear against the federal government and they called themselves the American Indian Movement. And we have one who is falsely imprisoned and his name is Leonard Peltier.
.
Photo: Longest Walk northern route walks the prayer in Lewisburg, Penn., to the federal prison where Peltier is incarcerated. The walk and 24-hour vigil in June was for all Native prisoners.
Photo Brenda Norrell
Indian Uprising Radio: Price of tar sands oil
KFAI's Indian Uprising, August 24, 2008 from 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. CDT #279
Daryl Sager (Turtle Mountain Ojibwe), Energy Justice Program Associate, Fresh Energy, Inc. Fresh Energy of St. Paul, Minnesota is an organization leading the transition to a clean, efficient and fair energy system. Its goals are: Healthy Economies, Healthy People, Healthy Environment and Energy Independence. Fresh Energy focus areas are: Clean Electricity, Energy Efficiency, Transportation Policy, Global Warming Solutions and Energy Justice. www.fresh-energy.org "Fresh Energy is the only nonprofit in Minnesota whose sole focus is a clean, just energy future for the Upper Midwest. Often, the economically disadvantaged are the most adversely affected by energy decisions. The Energy Justice program at Fresh Energy works to pass policies that help build the capacity of low-income individuals to have a strong voice in those decisions."
Tom Goldtooth (Dine’/Dakota), Director, Indigenous Environmental Network, Bemidji, Minnesota
IEN (nonprofit) is a network of grass-roots Indigenous Peoples empowering Indigenous Nations and communities towards sustainable livelihoods, demanding environmental justice and maintaining the Sacred Fire of cultural traditions. IEN is dependent on private foundations and individual donations but does not solicit for federal grants. www.ienearth.org
One immediate concern, says Goldtooth, is the proposed 36-inch diameter tar sand oil pipeline cutting through northern Minnesota running almost 1,000 miles, from Alberta, Canada, to Superior, Wisconsin, dubbed the Alberta Clipper.
"The Real Price of Tar Sands Oil - Enbridge, a Canadian company, seeks to build a pipeline to carry synthetic crude oil from Alberta, Canada, into southern Illinois. Of the many problems with this project, the greatest one stems from the energy approach driving its construction: bitumen extraction from Alberta's tar sands.
Tar sands oil is produced through a destructive process that has deplorable consequences. Extraction and processing of just one barrel of synthetic crude oil from bitumen requires up to five barrels of fresh water and 1,000 cubic feet of natural gas. The gasoline yield from that single barrel is only enough to fill a Chevrolet Avalanche's tank three-quarters full.
The environmental impact is severe. In 2007, greenhouse gas emissions from tar sands plants were roughly equivalent to the annual emissions of 27 million American passenger vehicles. High levels of carcinogens in fish, water and sediment have been found downstream from tar sands areas.
Meanwhile, annual production of tar sands oil from Alberta is expected to at least triple by 2015, fueled principally by U.S. demand.
While no one enjoys reliance on OPEC oil, the alternative of a pending environmental catastrophe is intolerable." – Brian P. Granahan, Staff Attorney, Environment Illinois Research and Education Center (washingtonpost.com, Jan. 2008).
* * * * Indian Uprising is a KFAI Public & Cultural Affairs program relevant to Native Indigenous people, broadcast each Sunday on 90.3 FM Minneapolis and 106.7 FM St. Paul. Volunteer producer & host is Chris Spotted Eagle. Note: Chris is taking a leave of absence for five months, starting September 1st.
For internet listening, visit www.kfai.org <http://www.kfai.org/> , click Play under ON AIR NOW or for listening later via their archives, click PROGRAMS & SCHEDULE > Indian Uprising > STREAM. Programs are archived for two weeks.
Daryl Sager (Turtle Mountain Ojibwe), Energy Justice Program Associate, Fresh Energy, Inc. Fresh Energy of St. Paul, Minnesota is an organization leading the transition to a clean, efficient and fair energy system. Its goals are: Healthy Economies, Healthy People, Healthy Environment and Energy Independence. Fresh Energy focus areas are: Clean Electricity, Energy Efficiency, Transportation Policy, Global Warming Solutions and Energy Justice. www.fresh-energy.org "Fresh Energy is the only nonprofit in Minnesota whose sole focus is a clean, just energy future for the Upper Midwest. Often, the economically disadvantaged are the most adversely affected by energy decisions. The Energy Justice program at Fresh Energy works to pass policies that help build the capacity of low-income individuals to have a strong voice in those decisions."
Tom Goldtooth (Dine’/Dakota), Director, Indigenous Environmental Network, Bemidji, Minnesota
IEN (nonprofit) is a network of grass-roots Indigenous Peoples empowering Indigenous Nations and communities towards sustainable livelihoods, demanding environmental justice and maintaining the Sacred Fire of cultural traditions. IEN is dependent on private foundations and individual donations but does not solicit for federal grants. www.ienearth.org
One immediate concern, says Goldtooth, is the proposed 36-inch diameter tar sand oil pipeline cutting through northern Minnesota running almost 1,000 miles, from Alberta, Canada, to Superior, Wisconsin, dubbed the Alberta Clipper.
"The Real Price of Tar Sands Oil - Enbridge, a Canadian company, seeks to build a pipeline to carry synthetic crude oil from Alberta, Canada, into southern Illinois. Of the many problems with this project, the greatest one stems from the energy approach driving its construction: bitumen extraction from Alberta's tar sands.
Tar sands oil is produced through a destructive process that has deplorable consequences. Extraction and processing of just one barrel of synthetic crude oil from bitumen requires up to five barrels of fresh water and 1,000 cubic feet of natural gas. The gasoline yield from that single barrel is only enough to fill a Chevrolet Avalanche's tank three-quarters full.
The environmental impact is severe. In 2007, greenhouse gas emissions from tar sands plants were roughly equivalent to the annual emissions of 27 million American passenger vehicles. High levels of carcinogens in fish, water and sediment have been found downstream from tar sands areas.
Meanwhile, annual production of tar sands oil from Alberta is expected to at least triple by 2015, fueled principally by U.S. demand.
While no one enjoys reliance on OPEC oil, the alternative of a pending environmental catastrophe is intolerable." – Brian P. Granahan, Staff Attorney, Environment Illinois Research and Education Center (washingtonpost.com, Jan. 2008).
* * * * Indian Uprising is a KFAI Public & Cultural Affairs program relevant to Native Indigenous people, broadcast each Sunday on 90.3 FM Minneapolis and 106.7 FM St. Paul. Volunteer producer & host is Chris Spotted Eagle. Note: Chris is taking a leave of absence for five months, starting September 1st.
For internet listening, visit www.kfai.org <http://www.kfai.org/> , click Play under ON AIR NOW or for listening later via their archives, click PROGRAMS & SCHEDULE > Indian Uprising > STREAM. Programs are archived for two weeks.
Mato Nunpa challenging censorship of genocide
Chris Mato Nunpa, Dakota and retired professor of Indigenous Nations and Dakota Studies, challenges the censorship of a previous letter to the editor by the Granite Falls Tribune Mato Nunpa's daughter and granddaughter were arrested last Saturday protesting Minnesota's genocide:
Hi Dave,
I noticed that my letter was edited and my statement re: "I come from a people who were the victims of genocide. Terri comes from a people who perpetrated the genocide of Indigenous Peoples" was omitted. Also, my statement re: Terri's "white supremacist attitude" will work well with most white people" which was after I had said that "Terri should resign and be transferred elsewhere in the DNR system, preferably, where she can work with white people only."
Most U.S. Euro-Americans shy away from the term "Genocide" especially when it's connected to genocide of the Indigenous Peoples of the U.S, even U.S. Euro-American genocide scholars shy away from the term. My friend and strongest supporter of my program and of me at SMSU was Dr. Eric Markusen, a genocide scholars. For several years, he talked about the "mistreatment" of Indigenous Peoples. However, even he had to succumb to the overwhelming documentation that it was more than just "mistreatment." It was GENOCIDE!
I talk about the topic of "Genocide and the Indigenous Peoples of the U.S." around the world: Kigali, Rwanda; Galway, Ireland; Copenhagen, Denmark; Mumbai, Indian; Sydney, Australia; Buenos Aires, Argentina; etc. as well as at universities in the U.S.: Yale University, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY; University of Minnesota; University of Kansas; Arizona State University; Worcester College, Worcester, MA; etc.
However, I do understand the U.S. Euro-Americans' reluctance to talk about genocide of the Indigenous Peoples of the U.S., or specifically, the genocide of the Dakota People of Minnesota perpetrated by the Euro-Minnesotan citizenry. No one wants to be considered a "bad person." People who perpetrate genocide are "bad people." So, in order to silence the talk, the perpetrator uses various techniques; suppress the talk of genocide (so, it's not mentioned in the Minnesota History Textbooks or in the U.S. History textbooks); don't give the victims a forum (e.g., Terri's USASP program, letters to the editor, etc.) to talk about the genocide. And, if these don't work, the perpetrator resorts to more drastic and lethal measures to suppress the talk of genocide, like arresting the individual, or killing the individual. All of these techniques that are employed by the perpetrator of genocide or of a crime against humanity, etc. are mentioned in Judith Herman's book TRAUMA AND RECOVERY.
Bounties, concentration camps (2 or them in Minensota), mass executions (the hanging of the 38 Dakota in Mankato, MN on December 26, 2008); forced marches (the 150 mile forced march of 1,000 Dakota women, children, and elders; forced removal, or ethnic cleansing, of the Dakota People from their ancient homaland, Minnesota; cries of "extermination or removal" from Govern Ramsey right on down to the common white man on the street; the term "extermination" used by General Pope, Govern Ramsey, and soldiers, legislators, the Euro-Minnesota citizenry, and in the newspapers of the day the ads for bounties on the scalps of Dakota People: in Winona, Red Wing, St. Paul, Farribault, St. Cloud, Mankato, etc. I will send you an ad for bounties on Dakota scalps from one of the Minnesota newspapers, the Winona Republican, September 23, 1863.
Also, I will send to you a picture of the scalp of Little Crow for whom the State of Minnesota paid the killer $500. The remains of Little Crow were kept and displayed at the Minnesota Historical Society for 108 years before Little Crow was finally buried in 1971 in Flandrea, South Dakota. What I have mentioned above is just a smattering of the documentation of the GENOCIDE of the Indigenous Peoples by the United States government and by its Euro-American citizenry (or white people).
When U.S. Euro-Americans apply the terms such as "butcher," or "murderer," or "criminal," to Hitler, or to Saddam, or to Stalin, or to Milasovic (sp.?), et. al., they conveniently forget their own history of genocide and atrocities against the Indigenous Peoples of the U.S. and against the Dakota People of Minnesota. They, too, would be "butchers," "murderers," and "criminals." The U.S. Euro-Americans are afraid that the people of the world might say that the U.S. and its citizenry are not better than Hitler, or Stalin, et. al. One can teach several semesters re: this topic of Genocide against the Indigenous Peoples of the U.S.
Thanks for listening!
Chris Mato Nunpa, Ph.D.
West Central Tribune: Re-enactment leads to arrests
http://www.wctrib.com/articles/index.cfm?id=40485§ion=news
Hi Dave,
I noticed that my letter was edited and my statement re: "I come from a people who were the victims of genocide. Terri comes from a people who perpetrated the genocide of Indigenous Peoples" was omitted. Also, my statement re: Terri's "white supremacist attitude" will work well with most white people" which was after I had said that "Terri should resign and be transferred elsewhere in the DNR system, preferably, where she can work with white people only."
Most U.S. Euro-Americans shy away from the term "Genocide" especially when it's connected to genocide of the Indigenous Peoples of the U.S, even U.S. Euro-American genocide scholars shy away from the term. My friend and strongest supporter of my program and of me at SMSU was Dr. Eric Markusen, a genocide scholars. For several years, he talked about the "mistreatment" of Indigenous Peoples. However, even he had to succumb to the overwhelming documentation that it was more than just "mistreatment." It was GENOCIDE!
I talk about the topic of "Genocide and the Indigenous Peoples of the U.S." around the world: Kigali, Rwanda; Galway, Ireland; Copenhagen, Denmark; Mumbai, Indian; Sydney, Australia; Buenos Aires, Argentina; etc. as well as at universities in the U.S.: Yale University, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY; University of Minnesota; University of Kansas; Arizona State University; Worcester College, Worcester, MA; etc.
However, I do understand the U.S. Euro-Americans' reluctance to talk about genocide of the Indigenous Peoples of the U.S., or specifically, the genocide of the Dakota People of Minnesota perpetrated by the Euro-Minnesotan citizenry. No one wants to be considered a "bad person." People who perpetrate genocide are "bad people." So, in order to silence the talk, the perpetrator uses various techniques; suppress the talk of genocide (so, it's not mentioned in the Minnesota History Textbooks or in the U.S. History textbooks); don't give the victims a forum (e.g., Terri's USASP program, letters to the editor, etc.) to talk about the genocide. And, if these don't work, the perpetrator resorts to more drastic and lethal measures to suppress the talk of genocide, like arresting the individual, or killing the individual. All of these techniques that are employed by the perpetrator of genocide or of a crime against humanity, etc. are mentioned in Judith Herman's book TRAUMA AND RECOVERY.
Bounties, concentration camps (2 or them in Minensota), mass executions (the hanging of the 38 Dakota in Mankato, MN on December 26, 2008); forced marches (the 150 mile forced march of 1,000 Dakota women, children, and elders; forced removal, or ethnic cleansing, of the Dakota People from their ancient homaland, Minnesota; cries of "extermination or removal" from Govern Ramsey right on down to the common white man on the street; the term "extermination" used by General Pope, Govern Ramsey, and soldiers, legislators, the Euro-Minnesota citizenry, and in the newspapers of the day the ads for bounties on the scalps of Dakota People: in Winona, Red Wing, St. Paul, Farribault, St. Cloud, Mankato, etc. I will send you an ad for bounties on Dakota scalps from one of the Minnesota newspapers, the Winona Republican, September 23, 1863.
Also, I will send to you a picture of the scalp of Little Crow for whom the State of Minnesota paid the killer $500. The remains of Little Crow were kept and displayed at the Minnesota Historical Society for 108 years before Little Crow was finally buried in 1971 in Flandrea, South Dakota. What I have mentioned above is just a smattering of the documentation of the GENOCIDE of the Indigenous Peoples by the United States government and by its Euro-American citizenry (or white people).
When U.S. Euro-Americans apply the terms such as "butcher," or "murderer," or "criminal," to Hitler, or to Saddam, or to Stalin, or to Milasovic (sp.?), et. al., they conveniently forget their own history of genocide and atrocities against the Indigenous Peoples of the U.S. and against the Dakota People of Minnesota. They, too, would be "butchers," "murderers," and "criminals." The U.S. Euro-Americans are afraid that the people of the world might say that the U.S. and its citizenry are not better than Hitler, or Stalin, et. al. One can teach several semesters re: this topic of Genocide against the Indigenous Peoples of the U.S.
Thanks for listening!
Chris Mato Nunpa, Ph.D.
West Central Tribune: Re-enactment leads to arrests
http://www.wctrib.com/articles/index.cfm?id=40485§ion=news
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
O'odham Voice Against the Wall: Celebrating halting a toxic dump in Quitovac
O'odham VOICE Agains the Wall
O'odham Rights and Cultural and Environmental Justice Coalition
By Ofelia Rivas
The Centro de Gestion Integral de Residuos S.A. (CEGIR) proposal to build a hazardous dump site in Quitovac has been defeated by Traditional O’odham communities and local State of Sonora, Mexico communities
We would like to send our sincere appreciation to all of you, Greenaction our main advisor and the 569 international organizations and individuals that supported our efforts to have this hazardous dump have canceled especially everyone who signed our online petition. We would also like to thank the 21 original organizations that signed our letter to the Environmental and Natural Resources Department of Mexico (SEMARNAT). The great thanks to support efforts of Jeff Hendricks of Tiamat Publications and all of Resistant Culture.
The O’odham VOICE Against the WALL and the O’odham Rights Cultural and Environmental Justice Coalition have worked for a number of years to maintain the integrity of Quitovac, an O’odham sacred site, while at the same time building an international coalition to stop this proposed hazardous dump.
Our coalition represents thousands of people in diverse communities across Mexico and the United States spanning many different ethnic and economic backgrounds. Our coalition will remain diligent in maintaining watch on CEGIR and other companies invading O’odham traditional lands and local communities.
The attempt by CEGIR to build this toxic dump was in total violation of the Human Rights of O’odham Indigenous communities. If this dump had been built, it would have been in a violation to the O’odham integral right to protect their traditional homelands and their continued responsibility to conduct their traditional way of life through ceremonies that have been held at Quitovac since time immemorial.
This would have been yet another devastating episode in the ongoing destruction of the culture, traditions, and spiritual well-being of the O’odham people in both Mexico and the US which has been being carried out by the occupation governments of Mexico and the United States for many years.
The proposed facility would have exposed nearby communities to dangerous toxins released in the land and the air. The proposed hazardous waste facility would have received large amounts of hazardous waste materials annually, including radioactive materials, explosives, aliphatic peroxides, compressed gasses, polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) wastes, dioxins, and infectious biological wastes. Such contaminates would have contaminated the underground well water the community of Quitovac depends on.We strongly urge the Mexican government – just as we urge the United States government – to deal with hazardous waste issues in a manner that protects the environment and does not harm the lives, culture, traditions and sacred sites of Indigenous peoples. CEGIR violated the La Paz Agreement between Mexico and the United States which requires that official notification be given to stakeholders of the proposed site region. These stakeholders include the traditional O’odham communities in Mexico and the local community of Quitovac.
The exclusion of the O’odham and the residents of Quitovac in the decision-making process for the planning of the CEGIR hazardous dump was an intentional injustice.
Contact
Ofelia Rivas, O’odham VOICE Against the WALL & O’odham Rights Cultural and Environmental Justice Coalition
(520) 471-3398 uyarivas@hotmail.com
www.tiamatpublications.com/odham_solidarity_project.html
Bradley Angel
Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice
(415)248-5010
greenaction@greenaction.org
http://www.greenaction.org/
O'odham Rights and Cultural and Environmental Justice Coalition
By Ofelia Rivas
The Centro de Gestion Integral de Residuos S.A. (CEGIR) proposal to build a hazardous dump site in Quitovac has been defeated by Traditional O’odham communities and local State of Sonora, Mexico communities
We would like to send our sincere appreciation to all of you, Greenaction our main advisor and the 569 international organizations and individuals that supported our efforts to have this hazardous dump have canceled especially everyone who signed our online petition. We would also like to thank the 21 original organizations that signed our letter to the Environmental and Natural Resources Department of Mexico (SEMARNAT). The great thanks to support efforts of Jeff Hendricks of Tiamat Publications and all of Resistant Culture.
The O’odham VOICE Against the WALL and the O’odham Rights Cultural and Environmental Justice Coalition have worked for a number of years to maintain the integrity of Quitovac, an O’odham sacred site, while at the same time building an international coalition to stop this proposed hazardous dump.
Our coalition represents thousands of people in diverse communities across Mexico and the United States spanning many different ethnic and economic backgrounds. Our coalition will remain diligent in maintaining watch on CEGIR and other companies invading O’odham traditional lands and local communities.
The attempt by CEGIR to build this toxic dump was in total violation of the Human Rights of O’odham Indigenous communities. If this dump had been built, it would have been in a violation to the O’odham integral right to protect their traditional homelands and their continued responsibility to conduct their traditional way of life through ceremonies that have been held at Quitovac since time immemorial.
This would have been yet another devastating episode in the ongoing destruction of the culture, traditions, and spiritual well-being of the O’odham people in both Mexico and the US which has been being carried out by the occupation governments of Mexico and the United States for many years.
The proposed facility would have exposed nearby communities to dangerous toxins released in the land and the air. The proposed hazardous waste facility would have received large amounts of hazardous waste materials annually, including radioactive materials, explosives, aliphatic peroxides, compressed gasses, polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) wastes, dioxins, and infectious biological wastes. Such contaminates would have contaminated the underground well water the community of Quitovac depends on.We strongly urge the Mexican government – just as we urge the United States government – to deal with hazardous waste issues in a manner that protects the environment and does not harm the lives, culture, traditions and sacred sites of Indigenous peoples. CEGIR violated the La Paz Agreement between Mexico and the United States which requires that official notification be given to stakeholders of the proposed site region. These stakeholders include the traditional O’odham communities in Mexico and the local community of Quitovac.
The exclusion of the O’odham and the residents of Quitovac in the decision-making process for the planning of the CEGIR hazardous dump was an intentional injustice.
Contact
Ofelia Rivas, O’odham VOICE Against the WALL & O’odham Rights Cultural and Environmental Justice Coalition
(520) 471-3398 uyarivas@hotmail.com
www.tiamatpublications.com/odham_solidarity_project.html
Bradley Angel
Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice
(415)248-5010
greenaction@greenaction.org
http://www.greenaction.org/
Uncensored: Dakota genocide
Chris Mato Nunpa, Dakota and retired professor of Indigenous Nations and Dakota Studies, points out how "genocide" is censored by newspapers
From Chris Mato Nunpa,
Below is my letter to the editor which was printed in this week's edition of the Granite Falls Advocate Tribune, Thursday, August 21, 2008. It was edited, for example my statement, "I come from a people who were the victims of genocide. Terri comes from a people who were the perpetrators", was omitted. This is so typical. Most U.S. Euro-Americans shy away from the term "GENOCIDE". The thought of this is so horrible and paints the U.S. Euro-Americans in a very bad light. If they talk about genocide of the Indigenous Peoples of the U.S., people of the world might say that U.S. Euro-Americans are like Hitler and his Nazis. Anyway, if you get a hold of my edited letter to the editor in the paper and compare with my letter, you will find the differences. Thanks.
In Struggle,
Chris
--------------------------------------------------------------------
LIES, TRUTH, AND CLASH OF PERSPECTIVES
This past Saturday and Sunday, August 16 & 17, 2008, some of us Dakota People and our allies/supporters had a counter event to the Upper Sioux Agency State Park program initiated by Terri Dinesen. We did this because we thought that Ms. Dinesen was perpetuating lies, and, also, had not consulted with the Yellow Medicine Dakota Community. On Saturday, 8/16, my younger daughter, Waziyata Win, and my granddaughter, Winuna, were arrested by the Yellow Medicine County Sheriff's department. I wish to offer several comments and impressions about this weekend's events.
First, I was absolutely amazed at the number of armed personnel - so many guns and police cars - from the Yellow Medicine County Sheriff's department and from the Department of Natural Resources. It seemed like overkill, figuratively speaking. We had no weapons - guns, clubs, knives, etc. - yet the white law enforcement authorities were there in force. We know that they were not there for our protection but protection for Terri and the rest of the white people. In fact, one of our community members said something to the effect that "they were there to shoot us or beat us up." To me, this over-reaction demonstrated a high level of racial hatred and fear of the Dakota People, specifically, and of Indigenous Peoples, generally, on the part of the white folk here in southwestern Minnesota. We had gathered peaceably, with our posters, banners, and educational materials to be distributed to the interested white folk.
Secondly, there were many discriminatory aspects of the event. One aspect was the presence of so many law enforcement personnel. They were there so that they could bash Native heads. Several of these officers even had bulletproof vests. Another aspect involved a cousin's husband who is terminally ill. My cousin was not allowed to drive her husband up to where our group had gathered so that he would not have to walk so far. Later, a white lady, who has a husband, who, also, is terminally, ill, was able to drive right up to where we were and the husband could then join us. In my mind, this was discrimination on the part of Terri and her DNR guardians and, also, it was a violation of the federal disabilities act. Terri even asked the white woman, "are you with them," referring to us Dakota People. Lastly, when our people were arrested, the sons who were minors (and who were, also, deeply impacted by their mother's arrest) could not check on their mother and the husband could not check on his wife. The sheriff's deputies forcibly blocked them. However, we saw several white women who were allowed to go to the sheriff's car and see those who were arrested. Some of these things were videotaped and are now on YouTube for viewing both nationally and internationally.
There are so many things to say but in the interest of space, I will make one more comment re: Terri Dinesen. I perceive her as acting very unprofessionally and disrespectfully with the Dakota Community. According to one of her emails, Terri said she was taking the criticisms of her personally and it may well be that she, personally, ordered the arrest of Waziyata Win. I suspect that, in the future, there will not be too much cooperation between Ms. Dinesen/DNR and the local Dakota community because of her bull-headedness in NOT cancelling the event. One council (Board of Trustees) member indicated that she might introduce a resolution banning Terri Dinesen from the reservation. I, myself, think Terri should resign and be transferred elsewhere in the the DNR system. preferably, where she can work with white people only. She seems to have a white supremacist attitude and this would work well with white people.
Lastly, a comment re: perspective. I come from the perspective of a people whose lands were stolen. Terri comes from a perspective of the people who stole the lands. I come from a people whose treaties were violated and she comes from a people who violated the treaties. I come from a people who were the victims of genocide and Terri comes from a people who perpetrated the genocide. It's extremely difficult to reconcile these two diametrically opposed perspectives and world-views. White Minnesotans would have to admit the TRUTH! One thing that Terri could have done with her event would have been to include both the Dakota and wasicu (white man) perspective, not just the wasicu point-of-view. Let the public be exposed to both views, especially to the Dakota view. The public can, then, make up its own mind.
Chris Mato Nunpa, Ph.D.
Member, Upper Sioux Community
matonunpa@earthlink.net "
Retired Former Associate Professor
Indigenous Nations & Dakota Studies (INDS)
Southwest Minnesota State University
Marshall, Minnesota 56258
From Chris Mato Nunpa,
Below is my letter to the editor which was printed in this week's edition of the Granite Falls Advocate Tribune, Thursday, August 21, 2008. It was edited, for example my statement, "I come from a people who were the victims of genocide. Terri comes from a people who were the perpetrators", was omitted. This is so typical. Most U.S. Euro-Americans shy away from the term "GENOCIDE". The thought of this is so horrible and paints the U.S. Euro-Americans in a very bad light. If they talk about genocide of the Indigenous Peoples of the U.S., people of the world might say that U.S. Euro-Americans are like Hitler and his Nazis. Anyway, if you get a hold of my edited letter to the editor in the paper and compare with my letter, you will find the differences. Thanks.
In Struggle,
Chris
--------------------------------------------------------------------
LIES, TRUTH, AND CLASH OF PERSPECTIVES
This past Saturday and Sunday, August 16 & 17, 2008, some of us Dakota People and our allies/supporters had a counter event to the Upper Sioux Agency State Park program initiated by Terri Dinesen. We did this because we thought that Ms. Dinesen was perpetuating lies, and, also, had not consulted with the Yellow Medicine Dakota Community. On Saturday, 8/16, my younger daughter, Waziyata Win, and my granddaughter, Winuna, were arrested by the Yellow Medicine County Sheriff's department. I wish to offer several comments and impressions about this weekend's events.
First, I was absolutely amazed at the number of armed personnel - so many guns and police cars - from the Yellow Medicine County Sheriff's department and from the Department of Natural Resources. It seemed like overkill, figuratively speaking. We had no weapons - guns, clubs, knives, etc. - yet the white law enforcement authorities were there in force. We know that they were not there for our protection but protection for Terri and the rest of the white people. In fact, one of our community members said something to the effect that "they were there to shoot us or beat us up." To me, this over-reaction demonstrated a high level of racial hatred and fear of the Dakota People, specifically, and of Indigenous Peoples, generally, on the part of the white folk here in southwestern Minnesota. We had gathered peaceably, with our posters, banners, and educational materials to be distributed to the interested white folk.
Secondly, there were many discriminatory aspects of the event. One aspect was the presence of so many law enforcement personnel. They were there so that they could bash Native heads. Several of these officers even had bulletproof vests. Another aspect involved a cousin's husband who is terminally ill. My cousin was not allowed to drive her husband up to where our group had gathered so that he would not have to walk so far. Later, a white lady, who has a husband, who, also, is terminally, ill, was able to drive right up to where we were and the husband could then join us. In my mind, this was discrimination on the part of Terri and her DNR guardians and, also, it was a violation of the federal disabilities act. Terri even asked the white woman, "are you with them," referring to us Dakota People. Lastly, when our people were arrested, the sons who were minors (and who were, also, deeply impacted by their mother's arrest) could not check on their mother and the husband could not check on his wife. The sheriff's deputies forcibly blocked them. However, we saw several white women who were allowed to go to the sheriff's car and see those who were arrested. Some of these things were videotaped and are now on YouTube for viewing both nationally and internationally.
There are so many things to say but in the interest of space, I will make one more comment re: Terri Dinesen. I perceive her as acting very unprofessionally and disrespectfully with the Dakota Community. According to one of her emails, Terri said she was taking the criticisms of her personally and it may well be that she, personally, ordered the arrest of Waziyata Win. I suspect that, in the future, there will not be too much cooperation between Ms. Dinesen/DNR and the local Dakota community because of her bull-headedness in NOT cancelling the event. One council (Board of Trustees) member indicated that she might introduce a resolution banning Terri Dinesen from the reservation. I, myself, think Terri should resign and be transferred elsewhere in the the DNR system. preferably, where she can work with white people only. She seems to have a white supremacist attitude and this would work well with white people.
Lastly, a comment re: perspective. I come from the perspective of a people whose lands were stolen. Terri comes from a perspective of the people who stole the lands. I come from a people whose treaties were violated and she comes from a people who violated the treaties. I come from a people who were the victims of genocide and Terri comes from a people who perpetrated the genocide. It's extremely difficult to reconcile these two diametrically opposed perspectives and world-views. White Minnesotans would have to admit the TRUTH! One thing that Terri could have done with her event would have been to include both the Dakota and wasicu (white man) perspective, not just the wasicu point-of-view. Let the public be exposed to both views, especially to the Dakota view. The public can, then, make up its own mind.
Chris Mato Nunpa, Ph.D.
Member, Upper Sioux Community
matonunpa@earthlink.net "
Retired Former Associate Professor
Indigenous Nations & Dakota Studies (INDS)
Southwest Minnesota State University
Marshall, Minnesota 56258
Biological and chemical warfare toxins on Indian lands
Toxic cleanup inventories reveal biological and chemical warfare agents on and near Indian lands in Canada and US
Special thanks to John Hummel for sending the information on biological and chemical warfare on Canada's First Nations lands to Censored News. These agents are revealed on toxic inventories. In the US, similar research using toxic cleanup inventories shows the biological and chemical warfare agents adjacent to the Skull Valley Goshute, at the US military Dugway Proving Grounds in northwest Utah, and more secret sites, such as an unidentified project on the western portion of the Navajo Nation in Arizona. The information on the Navajo Nation site came from DOD's Native American Environmental Tracking System site. The Navajo area site was listed as “Nauaya Gra Res AX” on Department of Defense cleanup data. The site is listed with "no information," located on or near the Navajo Nation, with impacts unknown. (After first publishing the original information in 1995, a notice was posted on the NAETS website that NAETS has been decommissioned.) The only other US reference to "Nauaya Gra Res AX" comes from a DOD Arizona toxic cleanup citation stating the Nauaya Gra Res AX site is in Coconino County, Ariz. It states there are "no records," and there was a clean
up cost of $15 million. This web page also lists multiple Prisoner of War camps in Arizona as former Department of Defense sites for cleanup. (The Prisoner of War camps include Eloy I, Eloy II, Florence, Duncan, Maricopa County, Continental, Cortaro, Queen Creek and Safford.) The state of California has the most toxic sites, including five Prisoner of War camps.
Former DOD sites in Arizona:
http://www.gao.gov/gao-01-1012sp/AZ.html/
Toxic sites on First Nations Canada
http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2008/08/biological-and-chemical-warfare-agents.html
US map of DOD contaminated sites. Click on each state:
http://www.gao.gov/gao-01-1012sp/app1.htm
--Brenda Norrell, Censored News
Special thanks to John Hummel for sending the information on biological and chemical warfare on Canada's First Nations lands to Censored News. These agents are revealed on toxic inventories. In the US, similar research using toxic cleanup inventories shows the biological and chemical warfare agents adjacent to the Skull Valley Goshute, at the US military Dugway Proving Grounds in northwest Utah, and more secret sites, such as an unidentified project on the western portion of the Navajo Nation in Arizona. The information on the Navajo Nation site came from DOD's Native American Environmental Tracking System site. The Navajo area site was listed as “Nauaya Gra Res AX” on Department of Defense cleanup data. The site is listed with "no information," located on or near the Navajo Nation, with impacts unknown. (After first publishing the original information in 1995, a notice was posted on the NAETS website that NAETS has been decommissioned.) The only other US reference to "Nauaya Gra Res AX" comes from a DOD Arizona toxic cleanup citation stating the Nauaya Gra Res AX site is in Coconino County, Ariz. It states there are "no records," and there was a clean
up cost of $15 million. This web page also lists multiple Prisoner of War camps in Arizona as former Department of Defense sites for cleanup. (The Prisoner of War camps include Eloy I, Eloy II, Florence, Duncan, Maricopa County, Continental, Cortaro, Queen Creek and Safford.) The state of California has the most toxic sites, including five Prisoner of War camps.Former DOD sites in Arizona:
http://www.gao.gov/gao-01-1012sp/AZ.html/
Toxic sites on First Nations Canada
http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2008/08/biological-and-chemical-warfare-agents.html
US map of DOD contaminated sites. Click on each state:
http://www.gao.gov/gao-01-1012sp/app1.htm
--Brenda Norrell, Censored News
Berkeley City Council continues opposition to US/Mexico Apartheid Wall
( Please double click to enlarge) Berkeley City Council reception of Apache from Texas and Arizona on Thursday, August 28, 2008.
Ottawa refuses to halt warmongers trade show
Incoming message:
HERE'S THE RESPONSE TO OUR EFFORTS TO CANCEL THE WARMONGERS TRADE SHOW. NO SURPRISE. NOW IT'S LOOKING LIKE PROTESTS WILL BE NECESSARY. MEANWHILE, MORE MESSAGES TO LET THEM KNOW THIS DRIVEL IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE ANSWER.
STOP THE MILITARY TRADE SHOW
Aug 19, 2008
Sent on behalf of, Larry O'Brien, Mayor, City of Ottawa
Thank you for your email dated July 30, 2008. Mayor O'Brien has asked that I contact you on his behalf, to let you know that a number of inquiries have been received regarding a City of Ottawa motion dating back to 1989 whereby "Lansdowne Park and other city facilities not be leased to ARMX or other such arms exhibitions", and asking how that motion relates to the US Embassy Defense and Security Exhibition contracted to take place in the Exhibit Hall at Lansdowne Park, September 30 - October 1, 2008.
Staff consulted with Legal Services regarding the prohibition on hosting arms exhibitions that was approved by Ottawa City Council in 1989. The advice from Legal Services was that the previous motion by Council is no longer applicable, since Lansdowne Park was sold to the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton on December 31, 1999. The transfer agreement between the City of Ottawa and the RMOC did not provide any obligation for the continuation of such then-City policies by the Region at Lansdowne Park.
You may wish to know that Secure Canada 2008 focuses on technologies and products used for security, public safety and to a lesser degree, defence applications, including secure communications, surveillance, and command and control requirements and unmanned systems technologies for security operations - everything from critical infrastructure protection to border patrol and port security and first responder requirements.
The Mayor's Office has been reassured by the show manager that weapons and firearms are not included in these exhibits. It is the opinion of staff that given the range of products and services being marketed during this event, it does not meet the test of what one would reasonably expect to find in an "arms exhibition".
In furtherance of its due diligence, staff also consulted with both Corporate Security and the Ottawa Police Service for insights regarding the operation of these types of shows, and the feedback was very positive in terms of minimal threat to public safety and security.
Based on this due diligence, staff determined that there was no impediment to hosting these types of events, while recognizing the degree of sensitivity regarding activities that focus primarily on armaments and various weapons.
Accordingly, Lansdowne Park has contracted for Secure Canada 2008 as well as CANSEC 2009, a similarly themed exhibition of security and defence technologies.
It should be noted that both of these events have been successfully staged at the Ottawa Congress Centre in recent years. The imminent closure and reconstruction of that facility has forced its clientele to seek out alternate venues, even if only for the duration of new construction. There is an expectation that both of these events are likely to return to the brand-new convention centre when it opens, a project that includes a funding contribution of $40,000,000 from the City of Ottawa."
Should you have additional questions regarding this exhibit, please feel free to contact Doug Moore, Manager, Venture Properties, Business Transformation Services at (613)580-2424 ext. 41301 (office) or by e-mail douglas.moore@ottawa.ca.
Thank you for contacting Mayor O'Brien with your concerns.
Regards,
Colleen Gareau
Constituency Assistant
Mayor's Office110 Laurier Avenue
West Ottawa (Ontario) K1P 1J1
Tel : 613-580-2496Fax: 613-580-2509
Email: colleen.gareau@ottawa.ca
READ MORE: Mohawk Nation News: Sicko: Ottawa hosts warmonger trade show
http://www.mohawknationnews.com/news/singlenews.php?en=en&layout=mnn&newsnr=640&backurl=%2Fnews%2Fnews3.php%3Flang%3Den%26layout%3Dmnn%26sortorder%3D0&srcscript=/news/news3.php
HERE'S THE RESPONSE TO OUR EFFORTS TO CANCEL THE WARMONGERS TRADE SHOW. NO SURPRISE. NOW IT'S LOOKING LIKE PROTESTS WILL BE NECESSARY. MEANWHILE, MORE MESSAGES TO LET THEM KNOW THIS DRIVEL IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE ANSWER.
STOP THE MILITARY TRADE SHOW
Aug 19, 2008
Sent on behalf of, Larry O'Brien, Mayor, City of Ottawa
Thank you for your email dated July 30, 2008. Mayor O'Brien has asked that I contact you on his behalf, to let you know that a number of inquiries have been received regarding a City of Ottawa motion dating back to 1989 whereby "Lansdowne Park and other city facilities not be leased to ARMX or other such arms exhibitions", and asking how that motion relates to the US Embassy Defense and Security Exhibition contracted to take place in the Exhibit Hall at Lansdowne Park, September 30 - October 1, 2008.
Staff consulted with Legal Services regarding the prohibition on hosting arms exhibitions that was approved by Ottawa City Council in 1989. The advice from Legal Services was that the previous motion by Council is no longer applicable, since Lansdowne Park was sold to the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton on December 31, 1999. The transfer agreement between the City of Ottawa and the RMOC did not provide any obligation for the continuation of such then-City policies by the Region at Lansdowne Park.
You may wish to know that Secure Canada 2008 focuses on technologies and products used for security, public safety and to a lesser degree, defence applications, including secure communications, surveillance, and command and control requirements and unmanned systems technologies for security operations - everything from critical infrastructure protection to border patrol and port security and first responder requirements.
The Mayor's Office has been reassured by the show manager that weapons and firearms are not included in these exhibits. It is the opinion of staff that given the range of products and services being marketed during this event, it does not meet the test of what one would reasonably expect to find in an "arms exhibition".
In furtherance of its due diligence, staff also consulted with both Corporate Security and the Ottawa Police Service for insights regarding the operation of these types of shows, and the feedback was very positive in terms of minimal threat to public safety and security.
Based on this due diligence, staff determined that there was no impediment to hosting these types of events, while recognizing the degree of sensitivity regarding activities that focus primarily on armaments and various weapons.
Accordingly, Lansdowne Park has contracted for Secure Canada 2008 as well as CANSEC 2009, a similarly themed exhibition of security and defence technologies.
It should be noted that both of these events have been successfully staged at the Ottawa Congress Centre in recent years. The imminent closure and reconstruction of that facility has forced its clientele to seek out alternate venues, even if only for the duration of new construction. There is an expectation that both of these events are likely to return to the brand-new convention centre when it opens, a project that includes a funding contribution of $40,000,000 from the City of Ottawa."
Should you have additional questions regarding this exhibit, please feel free to contact Doug Moore, Manager, Venture Properties, Business Transformation Services at (613)580-2424 ext. 41301 (office) or by e-mail douglas.moore@ottawa.ca.
Thank you for contacting Mayor O'Brien with your concerns.
Regards,
Colleen Gareau
Constituency Assistant
Mayor's Office110 Laurier Avenue
West Ottawa (Ontario) K1P 1J1
Tel : 613-580-2496Fax: 613-580-2509
Email: colleen.gareau@ottawa.ca
READ MORE: Mohawk Nation News: Sicko: Ottawa hosts warmonger trade show
http://www.mohawknationnews.com/news/singlenews.php?en=en&layout=mnn&newsnr=640&backurl=%2Fnews%2Fnews3.php%3Flang%3Den%26layout%3Dmnn%26sortorder%3D0&srcscript=/news/news3.php
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