By Brenda Norrell
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/
PHOENIX -- OK, so its no surprise, but it keeps happening. Reporters and editors keep asking for my comments and columns. Then those words are censored and stashed in the "Don't even think about publishing it department."
The subject this time was not a funny one. It was the ongoing torture training at Fort Huachuca in southern Arizona. Two priests, Fr. Steve Kelly and Fr. Louie Vitale, just spent five months in prison for kneeling in prayer at Fort Huachuca in opposition to US torture in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo, torture in violation of the Geneva Conventions.
A reporter for the Arizona Business Journal asked me to comment on the newest human intelligence training facility contract for Fort Huachuca, which went to Sletten Corp. of Phoenix. Here's what I said on April 7. It was chopped by the media powers that be:
"The United States government is acting like a dog gone mad with rabies. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has declared himself 'god' and voided all federal laws to build the border wall. Now, in a continuance of the practices which reflect the Nazi regime, the United States will continue to build torture training facilities at Fort Huachuca. It was here that the root of the torture manuals were produced that led to the rape, disappearance, torture and murder of an unknown number of Indigenous Peoples and innocent farmers in Central and South America, before the manual was exposed in 1996.
"The United States, in violation of the Geneva Conventions, has tortured people to death in Iraq and Afghanistan. While Americans sleepwalk, hypnotized by television and Wal-Mart shopping, their country is in ruin."As we make our way across the United States, broadcasting from the Longest Walk, we see that fear has been used to manipulate the people into building power plants and allowing oil and gas drilling on their own lands. The purpose is profiteering for corporations and their politicians. From California to Kansas, we have listened to the stories of a sinking and desperate America. The continuance of torture and torture training is another cancer in the body of America."
--Brenda Norrell
The Contract:
Sletten Companies, Phoenix, Ariz. was awarded on March 28, 2008, an $11,981.566 firm-fixed price contract for the design and construction of a human intelligence training facility. Work will be performed in Fort Huachuca, Ariz. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Work is expected to be completed by July 31, 2009. Web bids were solicited on Jan. 24, 2008, and six bids were received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles, Calif. is the contracting agency (W912PL-08-C-0008).
UNCENSORED ARTICLES
Mass Graves Revealed of Indian Children in Canadian Schools The NarcoSphere, NY - Apr 18, 2008By Brenda Norrell, The horror of the genocide in Canada's Indian Residential Schools became public, as the locations of 28 mass graves of Indian children ...
Brenda Norrell: Longest Walk offers feast to tornado devastated ... UN Observer - Apr 15, 20082008-04-15 GREENSBURG, Kansas -- The Longest Walk Northern Route offered a grand feast for the community of Greensburg, Kansas, where a two-mile wide ...
Brenda Norrell: Navajo selected as peace diplomat for delegation ... UN Observer - Apr 10, 20082008-04-10 Michelle Cook is a community worker, spiritual activist, and a recent graduate from the University of Arizona with a BA in Women's Studies and ...
Sand Creek, releasing the spirits Narcosphere
Indigenous Peoples and Human Rights
April 23, 2008
Arizona cops target people of color
DWI: Driving while Indian in Arizona
By Brenda Norrell
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/
PHOENIX -- The Arizona Department of Public Safety targets people of color, with American Indians stopped more than 3 times more often than whites, according to DPS own statistics.
For Natives who drive in Arizona, or those who ride with them, this will come as no surprise. Like South Dakota, where Indians are also targeted in traffic stops, the term DWI, "Driving While Indian," has long been a reality.
The statistics don't stop there. The traffic stops are not the only place you find Indians targeted. The jails are packed with American Indians and people of color. Military recruiters target American Indians and other people of color, making empty promises, when the reality is the risk of dying in Iraq.
DPS data shows that Arizona police target American Indians.
According to Associated Press, Arizona Department of Public Safety officers are more likely to search minorities than White people, even though on average minorities were less likely to have illegal items, according to a report released Monday.
The report is dubbed Driving While Black or Brown. It was produced for the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona by Fred Solop, director of the Social Research Laboratory at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff.
Using DPS data, Solop looked at 200,000 traffic stops on Arizona highways between July 2006 and June 2007. Of those, 13,271 resulted in searches.
The report concludes that Blacks and Hispanics were each 2½ times more likely than Whites to be searched by DPS. American Indians were about 3¼ times more likely to be searched.
The minorities were more likely to be searched although Whites were more likely to have illegal items than any other minority except for Blacks. Whites were 34 percent likely to have such items and Blacks were 38 percent likely to have them.
In comparison, Hispanics were 22 percent likely to have illegal items and America Indians were 24 percent likely to have them. Asians and Middle Easterners had comparable results.
"The true test of democracy is how we treat people who are outsiders," ACLU attorney Dan Pochoda said. "We have seen a trampling of the rights of those persons in Maricopa County and throughout the state."
A DPS spokesman wasn't immediately available to comment on the report.
DPS collected data for the report under the terms of a settlement of a 2001 class-action lawsuit.
By Brenda Norrell
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/
PHOENIX -- The Arizona Department of Public Safety targets people of color, with American Indians stopped more than 3 times more often than whites, according to DPS own statistics.
For Natives who drive in Arizona, or those who ride with them, this will come as no surprise. Like South Dakota, where Indians are also targeted in traffic stops, the term DWI, "Driving While Indian," has long been a reality.
The statistics don't stop there. The traffic stops are not the only place you find Indians targeted. The jails are packed with American Indians and people of color. Military recruiters target American Indians and other people of color, making empty promises, when the reality is the risk of dying in Iraq.
DPS data shows that Arizona police target American Indians.
According to Associated Press, Arizona Department of Public Safety officers are more likely to search minorities than White people, even though on average minorities were less likely to have illegal items, according to a report released Monday.
The report is dubbed Driving While Black or Brown. It was produced for the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona by Fred Solop, director of the Social Research Laboratory at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff.
Using DPS data, Solop looked at 200,000 traffic stops on Arizona highways between July 2006 and June 2007. Of those, 13,271 resulted in searches.
The report concludes that Blacks and Hispanics were each 2½ times more likely than Whites to be searched by DPS. American Indians were about 3¼ times more likely to be searched.
The minorities were more likely to be searched although Whites were more likely to have illegal items than any other minority except for Blacks. Whites were 34 percent likely to have such items and Blacks were 38 percent likely to have them.
In comparison, Hispanics were 22 percent likely to have illegal items and America Indians were 24 percent likely to have them. Asians and Middle Easterners had comparable results.
"The true test of democracy is how we treat people who are outsiders," ACLU attorney Dan Pochoda said. "We have seen a trampling of the rights of those persons in Maricopa County and throughout the state."
A DPS spokesman wasn't immediately available to comment on the report.
DPS collected data for the report under the terms of a settlement of a 2001 class-action lawsuit.
Swat Team Attacks Mohawks at Tyendinaga
UPDATE: OPP BRINGS IN FULLY ARMED SWAT TEAM.
MOHAWKS OF TYENDINAGA RETREAT TO QUARRY - OPP CLOSE PERIMETER AT 9:00 A.M. TUESDAY APRIL 22, 2008 OPP USING CHILDISH VIDEO GAME TACTICS 300 SWAT IN FULL GEAR, SHIELDS, ARMS AND ALL. ANOTHER 80 TO 100 OFFICER IN “GHOST CARS” AND “MARKED AND UNARKED” CARS. REAL ESTATE AGENT EMILE NIBOURG STAYS AWAY.
Choppers flying overhead. Low flights over our heads at Culbertson Track and the quarry. On the water there a dozen OPP surveillance boats.
BACKGROUND
Mohawk Nation News
Apr. 22, 2008. Last night the non-native Deseronto squatters, whose town is on Tyendinaga Mohawk land along the Bay of Quinte, made human chains along the road leading up to the demostration. They held up signs for the Mohawks to see, with messages, like “power to people [themselves]” “Remove your masks” and “You are a disgrace to your race”. Pictures available. Are they copying us or what? They get the tactics but not the principle! Band council chief R. Don Maracle distanced himself from the blockaders saying “Blockades are not the way to settle land claims. it takes time to resolve these issues. They need to remain calm to allow [me] to negotiate peacefully in a climate that is not hampered by protests and blockades”, he told the local radio station. His treasonous comments set us up for the colonial attack that followed. R.Don Maracle is wrong. One, a negotiator needs to be picked by the people for the purpose. You can’t assume the right to negotiate because you’ve been elected to a colonial band council office who function on colonial capitalist brains. You are not legal! Two, negotiations have to be in public to meet the requirements of both Haudenosaunee Law and international law. Agreements cannot be the result of the informed consent of the people if the people have not been informed. In camera closed door negotiations are not legitimate. The land in question is the Culbertson Track of 1832 which was never given up. The Ontario government knows full well that there’s a problem with squatters on the Tract since 1832. How long do they expect us to wait for them to uphold the law. The roads trespass on our land. It’s our land. It’s our business where we stand on it. The OPP, the squatters, the trucks carrying toxic waste to the quarry and the construction crews are all trespassers. The illegal colonial governments and agents defame us by accusing us of saying we’re the law breakers instead of doing their duty to protect to us from their unruly law breaking people. Why are the cops breaking the law? The squatters roamed around all night shooting verbal threats left, right and center, “You better take down your blockade or else!”, with the OPP standing behind them probably setting them up and urging them along. The OPP are following the same “Whiskey Trench” tactics used by the SQ during the Mohawk Oka Crisis of 1990 at Kanehsatake and Kahnawake. They’re just standing there watching as their citizens break the law. By doing this they are encouraging them to act like rabble. What needs to happen in a proper democracy is that the legal rights and principles have to be set out and recognized by all responsible parties. In keeping with the requirements of both international law and the Great Law of Peace/Kaianereh’ko:wa, we have set out our rights. The British Crown agreed to recognize and protect our right to our land on the Culbertson Tract. Ontario has not set out its rights. It has provided no legal authority for its claims. Instead it’s using armed force to support those who would violate the law. This is totally dishonorable behavior. This isn’t the 19th century anymore. When are Canadians going to leave colonialism behind? It’s been formally recognized as illegal for almost a century now. They should know by now that their strong arm strategy to wear us down and scare us into submission by defaming us and our ancestors just won’t work. We have been unwavering since the time of first contact. We never agreed to be British subjects. We never became Canadian citizens. We never agreed to accept the injustices that have been visited upon us. We will continue to ask questions about their illegal actions. We will overcome this nonsense. The Rotiskenekete did take down some of the blockades last night in good faith as we feel we had made our point about the fraud that is taking place. The condominium construction on the Bay of Quinte is illegal. Ontario should stop feeding into the scam artists who are trying to use us to extort cash pay outs out of them. They should simply uphold the law and evict the squatters. Succumbing to these tactics is unfair to Ontario tax payers. When the Deseronto squatters started attacking us, it was left to the Mohawks to defend ourselves and our land by putting the blockades back up. The OPP should have been cooperating with these efforts to ensure the safety of everyone. The OPP came in yesterday morning and set up a perimeter further out. This morning at 8:00 am they moved closer. The OPP came to every area where there was a Mohawk blockade pushing threats from OPP Headquarters that they are “coming in” and “taking us out”. Constables Ron Van Straalen and C. Flynn of the OPP at Napanee Detachment are in charge [613-354-3369, Fax 613-354-9183]. We had 4 sections blocked. The roads are open, #2 highway going through Deseronto to Napanee. Emile Neibourg, the real estate agent created this situation. He is trying to extort a pay out from Ontario by threatening to build condos on our land. Caught on video was the police saying, “We know that he created this to deal with this land issue”. Then he can help Canada say, “We don’t have any money to pay the Mohawks for the disruption of their land, or to relocate the Deseronto squatters. We gave it all to Mr. Neibourg. The OPP has become a tool of corporate corruption. They’ve been turned into a private army of the opportunistic scumbags who will stop at nothing to line their pockets. To our brothers and sisters, “We need help. Pressure the OPP and the governments of Ontario and Canada to stop the violence and stop the corruption on sovereign independent people. Nobody has spoken to us. They just came in and attacked. Is this the new OPP protocol? These OPP look like they are itching to converge on us at the quarry and take us out. They want to try out their new Faschist Fantino tactics. Their ultimatum is, “get out of here!!” They know we are right. They refuse to talk to us. Ontario citizens should be asking why their government is letting itself be used for this organized thuggery. Rotiskenekete 613-849-1314 – 613-827-4991 email davidrmaracle@aol.com OPP Eastern Regional Headquarters 613-284-4500 fax 613-284-4597 lg.beechey chief supt. Commander, Eastern Region, Smiths Falls . MBQ R. Don Maracle, 613-396-3089, CELL 613-391-9249 RDONM@MBQ-TMT.ORG 613-396-3424 ext. 106 info@mbq-tmt.org Jan Hill 613-396-6742 Emile Nibourg 613-561-0984 fax 613-544-7868 enibourg@sutton.com
MOHAWKS OF TYENDINAGA RETREAT TO QUARRY - OPP CLOSE PERIMETER AT 9:00 A.M. TUESDAY APRIL 22, 2008 OPP USING CHILDISH VIDEO GAME TACTICS 300 SWAT IN FULL GEAR, SHIELDS, ARMS AND ALL. ANOTHER 80 TO 100 OFFICER IN “GHOST CARS” AND “MARKED AND UNARKED” CARS. REAL ESTATE AGENT EMILE NIBOURG STAYS AWAY.
Choppers flying overhead. Low flights over our heads at Culbertson Track and the quarry. On the water there a dozen OPP surveillance boats.
BACKGROUND
Mohawk Nation News
Apr. 22, 2008. Last night the non-native Deseronto squatters, whose town is on Tyendinaga Mohawk land along the Bay of Quinte, made human chains along the road leading up to the demostration. They held up signs for the Mohawks to see, with messages, like “power to people [themselves]” “Remove your masks” and “You are a disgrace to your race”. Pictures available. Are they copying us or what? They get the tactics but not the principle! Band council chief R. Don Maracle distanced himself from the blockaders saying “Blockades are not the way to settle land claims. it takes time to resolve these issues. They need to remain calm to allow [me] to negotiate peacefully in a climate that is not hampered by protests and blockades”, he told the local radio station. His treasonous comments set us up for the colonial attack that followed. R.Don Maracle is wrong. One, a negotiator needs to be picked by the people for the purpose. You can’t assume the right to negotiate because you’ve been elected to a colonial band council office who function on colonial capitalist brains. You are not legal! Two, negotiations have to be in public to meet the requirements of both Haudenosaunee Law and international law. Agreements cannot be the result of the informed consent of the people if the people have not been informed. In camera closed door negotiations are not legitimate. The land in question is the Culbertson Track of 1832 which was never given up. The Ontario government knows full well that there’s a problem with squatters on the Tract since 1832. How long do they expect us to wait for them to uphold the law. The roads trespass on our land. It’s our land. It’s our business where we stand on it. The OPP, the squatters, the trucks carrying toxic waste to the quarry and the construction crews are all trespassers. The illegal colonial governments and agents defame us by accusing us of saying we’re the law breakers instead of doing their duty to protect to us from their unruly law breaking people. Why are the cops breaking the law? The squatters roamed around all night shooting verbal threats left, right and center, “You better take down your blockade or else!”, with the OPP standing behind them probably setting them up and urging them along. The OPP are following the same “Whiskey Trench” tactics used by the SQ during the Mohawk Oka Crisis of 1990 at Kanehsatake and Kahnawake. They’re just standing there watching as their citizens break the law. By doing this they are encouraging them to act like rabble. What needs to happen in a proper democracy is that the legal rights and principles have to be set out and recognized by all responsible parties. In keeping with the requirements of both international law and the Great Law of Peace/Kaianereh’ko:wa, we have set out our rights. The British Crown agreed to recognize and protect our right to our land on the Culbertson Tract. Ontario has not set out its rights. It has provided no legal authority for its claims. Instead it’s using armed force to support those who would violate the law. This is totally dishonorable behavior. This isn’t the 19th century anymore. When are Canadians going to leave colonialism behind? It’s been formally recognized as illegal for almost a century now. They should know by now that their strong arm strategy to wear us down and scare us into submission by defaming us and our ancestors just won’t work. We have been unwavering since the time of first contact. We never agreed to be British subjects. We never became Canadian citizens. We never agreed to accept the injustices that have been visited upon us. We will continue to ask questions about their illegal actions. We will overcome this nonsense. The Rotiskenekete did take down some of the blockades last night in good faith as we feel we had made our point about the fraud that is taking place. The condominium construction on the Bay of Quinte is illegal. Ontario should stop feeding into the scam artists who are trying to use us to extort cash pay outs out of them. They should simply uphold the law and evict the squatters. Succumbing to these tactics is unfair to Ontario tax payers. When the Deseronto squatters started attacking us, it was left to the Mohawks to defend ourselves and our land by putting the blockades back up. The OPP should have been cooperating with these efforts to ensure the safety of everyone. The OPP came in yesterday morning and set up a perimeter further out. This morning at 8:00 am they moved closer. The OPP came to every area where there was a Mohawk blockade pushing threats from OPP Headquarters that they are “coming in” and “taking us out”. Constables Ron Van Straalen and C. Flynn of the OPP at Napanee Detachment are in charge [613-354-3369, Fax 613-354-9183]. We had 4 sections blocked. The roads are open, #2 highway going through Deseronto to Napanee. Emile Neibourg, the real estate agent created this situation. He is trying to extort a pay out from Ontario by threatening to build condos on our land. Caught on video was the police saying, “We know that he created this to deal with this land issue”. Then he can help Canada say, “We don’t have any money to pay the Mohawks for the disruption of their land, or to relocate the Deseronto squatters. We gave it all to Mr. Neibourg. The OPP has become a tool of corporate corruption. They’ve been turned into a private army of the opportunistic scumbags who will stop at nothing to line their pockets. To our brothers and sisters, “We need help. Pressure the OPP and the governments of Ontario and Canada to stop the violence and stop the corruption on sovereign independent people. Nobody has spoken to us. They just came in and attacked. Is this the new OPP protocol? These OPP look like they are itching to converge on us at the quarry and take us out. They want to try out their new Faschist Fantino tactics. Their ultimatum is, “get out of here!!” They know we are right. They refuse to talk to us. Ontario citizens should be asking why their government is letting itself be used for this organized thuggery. Rotiskenekete 613-849-1314 – 613-827-4991 email davidrmaracle@aol.com OPP Eastern Regional Headquarters 613-284-4500 fax 613-284-4597 lg.beechey chief supt. Commander, Eastern Region, Smiths Falls . MBQ R. Don Maracle, 613-396-3089, CELL 613-391-9249 RDONM@MBQ-TMT.ORG 613-396-3424 ext. 106 info@mbq-tmt.org Jan Hill 613-396-6742 Emile Nibourg 613-561-0984 fax 613-544-7868 enibourg@sutton.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)