August 2020

Indigenous Peoples and Human Rights

Thursday, December 3, 2020

Bioneers Conference featuring Native Women


Native women are featured speakers at this year's Bioneers Conference, online Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 5 --6, and again next weekend. Tickets are available, and podcasts will be posted afterwards. The emerging thinkers and doers include the CEO of Mother Jones and more.

Navajo Council says $300 million must revert to hardship relief -- Navajo government in chaos over unspent federal virus relief funds



Photo: Dine' volunteers Mercury Bitsuie and Uncle Andy Dann raise their own funds and  deliver firewood to Dine' in desperate need at isolated homes.

Breaking news: The Navajo Nation asked for major disaster declaration today due to uncontrolled virus spread:
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-health/2020/11/30/arizona-coronavirus-live-news-updates-covid-19-pandemic/6463069002/

CARES Act funds -- The Navajo Nation Council says $300 million in unspent federal virus relief funds must go to hardship relief, direct payments to Dine'. With time running out to spend the $714 million in CARES Act funds, the Navajo government is in chaos. At the same time, there were 310 new cases of coronavirus yesterday on the Navajo Nation. Now 658 Navajos have died from the virus. -- Censored News 

By Navajo Nation Council
December 3, 2020

Council affirms November 20 for automatic reallocation of unobligated CARES Funds for Hardship Assistance Program


WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — In response to a memorandum issued by the Navajo Nation Office of the President and Vice President on Nov. 20, Speaker Seth Damon provided further guidance on the reversion of CARES Act monies intended to be deposited into the Hardship Assistance Program established by the Navajo Nation Council.


Wednesday, December 2, 2020

Celebrating Joy: Good News from Indian Country


Navajo and Hopi Families COVID-19 Relief 
Photo by Glenda Tsosie Wheeler, delivering masks and more in Window Rock and Crownpoint this week.
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Navajo and Hopi Families COVID-19 Relief
Photo in Pinon by Racquel K. Black

Website:


Mniluzahan Camp for Unsheltered Relatives near Rapid City, South Dakota

(Above) San Xavier Farm Co-op, Tohono O'odham Nation, free lunch drive through today, Dec. 2, along southeast border of Tucson, Arizona.
https://www.sanxaviercoop.org/

(Above) Dine' Chef Brian Yazzie and team cook gourmet for Native elderly, Gathering Cafe, Minneapolis and St Paul, Minn.

Gathering Cafe, meals for elders in Minneapolis. Photos by Dine' Chef Brian Yazzie from Dennehotso, Navajo Nation.

(Above) Photo by our friend Sarah James, Gwich'in, Arctic Circle, Alaska. Every major bank has now ruled out funding Arctic drlling:


Apache Youth Naelyn Pike of San Carlos is among the featured Native speakers at this year's Bioneers Conference, online this weekend and next weekend.



Join Dine' College and speakers on weaving on Zoom on Dec. 2.



Dine' Mercury Bitsuie and his Uncle Andy Dann deliver water, food, supplies and firewood to remote areas of Navajo Nation.
Dine' Land and Water

               Photo by Mercury Bitsuie 

(Above) Bitahnii Wilson, Dine' volunteer, delivers new water barrels, water, food and supplies to Navajo and Hopi, raising his own funds. Donate at https://www.gofundme.com/f/din039e-navajo-water-for-elders-and-families


Lakota Compassion: Amazing home-cooked gourmet meals, cooked and delivered by Lakota volunteers to those in quarantine in Rapid City, South Dakota.

Meals for Relatives Rapid City COVID-19 Community Response

Photo by Lonnie Jeffries

Photo by Bobbi Jean Jarvinen


Indigenous Rights in Times of Thanksgiving
Watch on YouTube below:



Dine' Healers Relief

        Photo by Shannonlynn Chester, Dine'


Monday, November 30, 2020

Chili Yazzie 'The Averted Demise of America the Great'

 


The Averted Demise of America the Great

By Duane Chili Yazzie, Dine'

Censored News

Through Indigenous eyes. The First Peoples of the western hemisphere continue to suffer the heavy tribulation of ‘different people hatred’ and being the expendable in the enrichment of white imperialism that began in 1492. Columbus and his successors came to our lands with the authorization of the Pope to exterminate us, and to take all our possessions. 

Throughout history, great civilizations, societies, empires, dynasties, ideologies have fallen. America is not infallible. The formidable and ever-present cause for empire collapse is abuse/oppression of humanity by the elite. Causes that would trigger the crumbling of american ideology is the exponential violence perpetrated by the elite, not only on humankind but also on the life of the earth. 

The notion of white supremacy and the scorched earth methods of america’s greedy elite has come to the precipice of implosion. White supremacy flies its flag high with the blessings and exhortations from the would-be-throne-on-high. The attack to further ravage the earth has become extraordinary. The threat remains, making good on greater threats. 

The earth is alive, she suffers the abuse of the exploiter. The earth wants to live, she will defend herself. The virus must be her defense. The killing virus metastasizes through the masses aided by the ignorance of the conceited ignorant. Its timeliness is meticulous, in time to reject the ideology of greed and abuse heralded by the exploiter-in-chief.    

The promise of a new dawn is promising. We are wary of promises. We will await the clear averting of the attacks on our earth, de-escalation of abuse on humanity and a regeneration of human dignity. Then, we will know that our voice and the power of the earth is understood. Then, we will know it is not yet time for america to become history. Then we will celebrate the future that awaits our grandchildren.