Ofelia Rivas, O'odham living in O'odham territory (on the so-called US/Mexico border) responds to a reader comment at the Atlantic Free Press:
"Once again this statement proves the government mindset, they can not see beyond government policies. I have more right to say anything as a traditional person. Our ceremony the only existing one is threatened by this type of mindset. I and all the traditional elders and participants of the ceremony are ask to have a passport to re-enter the United States in 2008. We have no birth records to start the process of obtaining US passports. Our so-called government has not protected the best interest of the people in their United States mandated constitution, to safeguard our way of life. Why are we living in our own territories and required to carry another Nations passport."
Ofelia Rivas
Original article with comments:
http://www.atlanticfreepress.com/content/view/2841/81/
Latest reader response:
Article title: Mohawks Inflamed Over Tohono O'odham Tribal Council Complicity In "Border" Oppression Of Indigenous People - U.S. welcomes rich and kills the poor
Title: Indigenous
Comment: Enforce a whole region to Only buy your fish & you'll make millions!
That is a right call to, "get the country's they come from to get rid of the corruption ". Too bad the countries governments are all in on it too. Including your boss. NAFTA and other similar trade agreements create the poverty & corruption that these Refugees are Escaping.Every border has Criminal Smugglers. The elderly are concealing contraband medication to save a buck on prescriptions. US citizens smuggle between states to avoid higher taxes on cigarettes & gas. In some cases, US citizens jeopardizing indigenous sovereignty by encouraging the state to collect use fees from the Indians, rather than collect the fees from the us citizens.
Are the women, children, and men seeking a better life smuggling too? Each one that you round-up and put in a pen for a $100 a head, has some kind of contraband on their person?
Ellis Island saw Boatloads of these people; impoverished, oppressed, robbed of their rights as a human being, escaping corrupting. The only difference is no boats.. & origin.
[i]"She needs to run for office and, if she gets in, then she can speak in our behalf"[/i]So your a Top-down nation. A peoples who defer to their social betters i see. Well, some of us operate through the will of the people. Nobody has to become a big chief, or head man, to have the right to speak in public. This is the 21st century after all. That campaigning you see on the TV, that's called politics. Even the US allows free speech, lobbying, and speaking your mind. Why should your leaders suppress it?
November 20, 2007
Incoming responses: Arrests, colonization and militarization at the border
CounterPunch November 16, 2007
"Today We Experienced America" Arresting Indigenous People on the Border
By BRENDA NORRELL
http://www.counterpunch.org/norrell11162007.html
Dear Miss Norrell:
Mahalo for the article that you've written. It is such an abomination that the US conducts itself with hypocrisy, prejudice, inhumanity, and arrogance. Being insensitive and disrespectful is unconscionable as well as bigoted. This ethnocentric behaviour is just another form of genocide promulgated by their doctrines of manifest destiny, imperialism, and hegemony of the WASP racist culture and society enforced on others who have their own culture, society, and country.
We Hawaii nationals have been fighting against that for well over a hundred years. We are still working toward the deoccupation of the US belligerent occupation within our Hawaiian Kingdom. We know the USA likes to make its own rules and revise their history to "white-wash" themselves (pardon the pun). It is clear that the US makes a mockery of freedom, justice, and the concept of democracy.
I find it strange that these Christians do not live and practice their religious belief and teachings; instead they embrace their base feelings. Isn't it odd that they can forgo their spirituality to feed their materialistic covetousness? Probably, it's their lack of faith and fear that they "gate" themselves to protect themselves from their own demons and treachery.
Aloha,
Tane
Response to CounterPunch article:
I don't know if many of you have seen this or not, but if you haven't, read the attached story and I hope that you are a outraged as I am.
My reactionary instincts makes me wish that I could have been there with about 4,000 brothers and sisters. I know who I would have filled their"Cage" with. However, the Creator gave me the gift of intelligence and some kind of strategy has to be in place. What it is, I don't have a clue at this time. This is a matter where we not only have to deal with federal forces,but US Government created Indian puppet tribal councils. The mass media would love to misdirect a story about human rights to one about Indians fighting Indians.
We are living the crazy and dangerous times that our prophecy keepers and Elders have been warning everyone about. We really need to be aware of events such as these and not become numb or complacent about them. Apathy is an addictive and dangerous drug so don't become a victim of it.
Circulate this with your friends and ask them to continue to spread the news. I know some people still regard anyone living south of the imaginary line called a border as "Mexicans", but I see them as spanish speaking Indians. They are Indian people and we need to re-educate people as to who they are.
If anyone hears of future gatherings or conferences let me know about them.Time and money may prohibit me from attending, but if I can, I'd like to attend.
Thanks, Ben