Native radio journalists call for Bush war crimes tribunal

Native radio journalists urged a war crimes tribunal for Bush and immediate withdrawal from Iraq

By Brenda Norrell
Censored News
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/

LOS ANGELES -- On American Indian Airwaves, Native American radio hosts Kehaulani Kauanui, Kanaka Maoli/Native Hawaiian, and James Brown, Elm Pomo Nation, called for a tribunal to hold President Bush responsible for war crimes, during a panel discussion by distinguished Indigenous journalists and scholars.
“I think we need to pursue trying George Bush and company for war crimes related to this illegal and unlawful occupation in Iraq,” Kauanui said.
“We need to have a war crimes tribunal and bring all these people in,” Brown added. Both Kauanui and Brown called on President elect Obama to initiate immediate withdrawal from Iraq upon entering office.
During the panel on KPFK Radio Los Angeles/Santa Barbara today, Suzan Harjo joined James Brown, producer of “Tribal Voices Radio” on KPFZ, and Tiokasin Ghosthorse, Lakota Nation. Ghosthorse serves as host of “First Voices Indigenous Radio,”at WBAI in New York. Kehaulani Kauanui, an associate professor and producer of "Indigenous Politics: From Native New England and Beyond," on WESU, in Middletown, Conn., completed the panel.
Today's show demonstrated Indigenous programming and shared the history, girth and diversity on Pacifica since the 1960s, according to American Indian Airwaves cohosts Marcus Lopez (Chumash Nation) and Larry Smith (Lumbee Nation.)
James Brown, Pomo, spoke about Rattlesnake Island and the incompetence of the BIA. “Our so-called protectors can not be trusted with the land,” Brown said. The BIA sold off Pomo land for mercury mining in the 1940s, leaving the tribe with only 50 acres of land, located 100 miles north of San Francisco.
"We have all our Creation stories here. We were basically fishing villages," he said.
Brown said Pomo is a matriarchal society, which resulted in the strength of the culture which has lasted so long. Earlier, Pomo fought Boise Cascade and prevented Rattlesnake Island from being subdivided for condominiums. Now, a wealthy businessman, John Nady, is attempting to build a mansion on their sacred mound and burial grounds at Rattlesnake Island.
"We may end up occupying this island to help preserve it this coming summer," Brown said.
Harzo praised President elect Obama for promising to protect Native American sacred places. Harzo said Native Americans have no way of protecting their “churches,” or sacred places because of the lack of legislation. Harjo, now president of the Morning Star Institute, said she was a WBAI broadcaster for "Seeing Red" in the 60s and 70s.
“We have hundreds and hundreds of sacred places being desecrated as we speak,” Harjo said.
Native American radio hosts described the desecration of sacred places, including San Francisco Peaks, and how US courts have closed the door to Native Americans protecting their sacred places.
Kauanui pointed out that the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is allowing “sewage to be turned into snow so the rich can ski” on San Francisco Peaks. However, countries in South America have made strides in Indigenous rights.
Harjo said the Bush administration has not honored federal laws regarding the protection of endangered species or of Native peoples' human remains. Harjo said this sent a signal that it was "open season" on Native remains.
Brown said Obama's appointment to head the Interior, Ken Salazar, is a disappointment. Describing Salazar as a "cowboy," Brown said a Native American should have been appointed to head the Interior. "Let's light a fire under Obama," Brown said. Brown said he supported the Green Party and Cynthia McKinney, who has a better understanding of Native Americans.
Brown also pointed out that universities, including UC Berkeley, are violating the Native American Graves Protection Repatriation Act.
Tiokasin Ghosthorse, Lakota Nation, said he is watching to see what Obama will do once in office. Ghosthorse said there is a “mystical” feeling that something is going to change, but he wants to wait and see. Ghosthorse said Native Americans must dictate their own sovereignty and not allow the seizure of their lands for energy development.
“We have to see past the system that depleted us of our spiritual values,” Ghosthorse said, adding that countries in South America are now stating the rights of nature within their laws. He said the treaties have not been honored in the United States. Further, the United States and New Zealand still have not signed the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Kauanui urged the Obama administration to honor the petition from the Lipan Apache women to halt construction on the US/Mexico border wall and stop the forced removal of Indigenous individuals and communities. Kauanui said Obama should take a stand on the state sponsored terrorism and attacks on Palestine and the issue of colonialism. She said there must be careful watch to make sure the US does not “start aggravating in Iran.”
Kauanui said US universities can lose all federal funding if they do not comply with NAGPRA laws. But the problem is the Bush administration has not gone after the violators.
“Obama needs to turn this around,” she said. She urged Obama to oppose the Native Hawaiian Reorganization Act, also known as the Akaka bill, which does not ensure Native Hawaiian rights.
After the show, she explained that the problem with the bill is that it is being sold as federal recognition and therefore packaged as a solution for Native Hawaiians. But it actually states that any future Native Hawaiian governing entity would be subject to both state civil and criminal law.
"We Native Hawaiians have sovereignty claims that the US government already recognizes and exceed US federal policy regarding tribal nations. This bill is about setting up a 'reorganized' Hawaiian government that would settle un-adjudicated land claims to 1.8 million acres, the same lands recognized in the Apology Resolution," she explained.
Kauanui said Obama must honor the apology resolution of 1993, US Public Law 103-150, which states "the indigenous Hawaiian people never directly relinquished their claims to their inherent sovereignty as a people or over their national lands to the United States, either through their monarchy or through a plebiscite or referendum."
She said the Akaka Bill undermines this resolution.
On the radio show, Ghosthorse said there must be withdrawal from Iraq and soldiers must have a way to come home, without bringing the violence with them.
“Instead of honoring the killing, they have to reinstate their relationship with the Creator," Ghosthorse said.
Harjo said there are cleansing ceremonies for soldiers returning home.
Ghosthorse said Pacifica radio and pirate radio stations have helped counter the mainstream media and more needs to be accomplished to reveal the truth from Israel and Palestine.
Ghosthorse has served as host of "First Voices Indigenous Radio,"at WBAI in New York since 2002, after beginning with KAOS in Olympia, Washington in 1992.
"Other Indigenous radio stations in South America have formed a broadcasting relationship with First Voices Indigenous Radio largely due to their participation at the United Nations' Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues," Ghosthorse said.
Today's show will be available later in archives at: http://www.kpfk.org/

Cynthia McKinney's account of attack on Free Gaza ship

Former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney was the Green Party candidate for President in 2008. Ms. McKinney traveled aboard the boat “Dignity”, which tried to bring doctors and medical supplies to Gaza, as a humanitarian response to the recent bombing of the Gaza Strip by the Israeli government.The Dignity is a project of www.freegaza.org. Ms. McKinney writes:

December 30, 2008: Oh What a Day!
By Cynthia McKinney
I’m so glad that my father told me to buy a special notebook and to write everything down because that’s exactly what I did.
When we left from Cyprus, one reporter asked me “are you afraid?” And I had to respond that Malcolm X wasn’t afraid; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wasn’t afraid. But little did I know that just a few hours later, I would be recollecting my life and mentally preparing myself for death.
When we left Cyprus, the Mediterranean was beautiful. I remember the time when it might have been beautiful to look at, but it was also filthy. The Europeans have taken great strides to clean it up and yesterday, it was beautiful. And the way the sunlight hit the sea, I remember thinking to myself that’s why they call it azure. It was the most beautiful blue.
But sometimes it was rough, and we got behind on our schedule. We stayed on course, however, despite the roughness of the water and due to our exquisite captain.
There were no other ships or boats around us and night descended upon us all rather quickly. It was the darkest black and suddenly, out of nowhere, came searchlights disturbing our peace. The searchlights stayed with us for about half an hour or so. We knew they were Israeli ships. Who else would they be?
They were fast, and they would come close and then drop back. And then, they’d come close again. And then, all of a sudden there was complete blackness once again and all seemed right. The cat and mouse game went on for at least one half hour. What were they doing? And why?
Calm again. Black sky, black sea. Peace. And then, at that very moment, when all seemed right, out of nowhere we were rammed and rammed again and rammed again the last one throwing me off the couch, sending all our food up in the air; and all the plastic bags and tubs–evidence of sea sicknesses among the crew and passengers–flew all over the cabin and all over us. We’d been rammed by the Israelis. How did we know? Because they called us on the phone afterwards to tell us that we were engaging in subversive, terroristic activity. And if that if we didn’t turn around right then and return to Larnaca, Cyprus, we would be fired upon. We quickly grabbed our lifevests and put them on. Then the captain announced that the boat was taking on water. We might have to evacuate. One of my mates told me to prepare to die. And I reflected that I have lived a good and full life. I have tasted freedom and know what it is. I was right with myself and my decision to join the Free Gaza movement.I remembered my father’s parting words, “You all will be sitting ducks.” Just like the U.S.S. Liberty. We were engaged in peaceful activity, a harmless pleasure boat, carrying a load of hospital supplies for the people of Gaza, who, too are sitting ducks, currently being bombarded in aerial assault by the Israeli military.
It’s been a long day for us. The captain was outstanding. Throughout it all, he remained stoic and calm, effective in every way. I didn’t know how to put my life jacket on. One of the passengers kindly assisted me. Another of the passengers pointed out that the Israeli motors for those huge, fast boats was U.S. made–a gift to them from the U.S. And now they were using those motors to damage a pleasure boat outfitted with three tons of hospital supplies, one pediatrician, and two surgeons.
I have called for President-elect Obama to say something. The Palestinian people in the Gaza strip are seeing the worst violence in 60 years, it is being reported. To date, President-elect Obama has remained silent. The Israelis are using weapons supplied to them by the U.S. government. Strict enforcement of U.S. law would require the cessation of all weapons transfers to Israel. Adherence to international law would require the same.
As we are about to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, let us remember that he said:
1. The United States is the greatest purveyor of violence in the world, and
2. Our lives begin to end the day we remain silent about things that matter.
I implore the President-elect to not send Congress a budget that contains more weapons for Israel. We have so much more to offer. And I implore the Congress to vote “no” on any budget and appropriation bills that provide more weapons transfers, period.
Israel is able to carry out these intense military maneuvers because taxpayers in the U.S. give their hard-earned money to our Representatives in Congress and our Congress chooses to spend that money in this way. Let’s stop it and stop it now. There’s been too much blood shed. And while we still walk among the living, let us not remain silent about the things that matter.
We really can promote peace and have it if we demand it of our leaders.

Censored Readers: Worst Company in the World is US

The United States was voted the Worst Company in the World, followed by Monsanto, Peabody Energy Corp. and Barrick Gold

By Brenda Norrell
Censored News
PHOTOS: Barrick Gold Pascua-Lama mine protest in Chile/ Indymedia
Monsanto protest/Organic Consumers Association
Hopi and Navajo protest of Peabody Coal/Mano Cockrum
Western Shoshone protest of Barrick Gold on Mount Tenabo/Lisa Wolf
Navajos Dooda Desert Rock protest/ Dooda Desert Rock
Photo of Arizona border wall with deer halted/Daniel Patterson
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/

Censored News readers selected the United States as the “Worst Company in the World,” in a reader poll that ended today. Readers, primarily Indigenous Peoples, voted Monsanto as the second Worst Company in the World. Peabody Energy Corp., recently granted a life-of-mine permit to expand coal mining on Navajo and Hopi lands, was voted the third Worst Company in the World.
Barrick Gold Corp., which began the destruction of the Western Shoshone’s Mount Tenabo region during Thanksgiving, was voted the fourth Worst Company in the World. Blackwater Worldwide, responsible for murders and brutality worldwide, was voted the fifth Worst Company in the World. GEO Group, Inc., formerly Wackenhut, profiteering from the misery of migrants and people of color in prisons, was voted the sixth Worst Company in the World.
Cameco uranium mining and Sithe Global/Navajo Nation, tied for the seventh Worst Company in the World. Israel’s Elbit Systems and Raytheon tied for eighth place. Boeing, constructing the US/Mexico Apartheid Border Wall, followed in ninth place. Newmont Mining was voted the 10th Worst Company in the World by the readers of Censored News blog, which focuses on the censored news of Indigenous Peoples and international human rights.
The United States emerged in truth as one of the worst violators of international human rights during the Bush regime, with torture, kidnappings and secret renditions in violation of the Geneva Conventions. The bogus war in Iraq resulted in the widespread murder and displacement of Iraqi people. Corporations seized the freefall of US democracy, with mercenaries, private prison profiteers and war manufacturers reveling in their profits. During the Bush regime, the United States ceased to be viewed as a democracy by many US citizens, who now view the United States as a company comprised of select individuals seeking corporate gain and control.
It was not just the US corporations that benefited. In the corporate get-rich schemes to construct the US/Mexico border wall, the contractor Boeing subcontracted Israel’s Apartheid border wall builder, Elbit Systems, for the multi-million dollar dysfunctional debacle of the US border spy towers. While xenophobia and racism toward migrants ruled in US television news, Wackenhut, owned by G4S in England and Denmark, seized the opportunity to profiteer from a Homeland Security contract for the transportation of migrants from the US/Mexico border.
Monsanto, in second place, continued to threaten the future of humanity with genetically altered seeds. Depleting the world of a rich diversity of seeds and crops, Monsanto continues to destroy sustainable systems of food production around the world. Monsanto was the primary supplier of Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. Even Prince Charles exposed Monsanto recently, revealing that thousands of farmers have committed suicide in India because of Monsanto’s promise of riches. Those promises only resulted in failed crops and a flood of debt in India’s “Suicide Belt” after switching to genetically modified seeds.
Navajos and Hopis united and protested a life of the mine permit for Peabody coal mining on Black Mesa. However, the US Office of Surface Mining approved the permit in December, continuing the US genocide on Black Mesa, where more than 14,000 Navajos have already been relocated to make way for coal mining. The so-called Navajo Hopi land dispute was orchestrated by Peabody Coal.
The Navajo Nation Council's 88 members receive their salaries and travel expenses primarily from energy leases, while many Navajos live without running water and electricity.
Klee Benally, Navajo, said the US permit was a blatant act of US genocide.
Calvin Johnson, Navajo, said, “Our local leaders, including the president of the Navajo Nation, continue to pursue this senseless plan to give Peabody a life of mine permit and continue using pristine water for coal operations without the impacted resident’s decision, which continues to be ignored. When will our leaders stand up and fight for us?”
Vernon Masayesva, Hopi, said the US permit, "The decision was announced during the Hopi Soyalung ceremonies throughout our villages. Soyalung is when Hopis plant their prayers for the coming year. It is a time the priests carry out sacred rituals to renew the earth, and pray for peace and harmony throughout the world. It is similar to the Jewish Chunaka observance, of bringing light to darkness.This is the ancient ritual the Office of Surface Mining has rudely interrupted. It is a blatant action sanctioning Peabody to exploit our natural resources for the benefit of its wealthy owners, officers and stockholders."
Barrick Gold, responsible for the deaths of Indigenous Peoples around the world, began its onslaught on the sacred lands of the Western Shoshone at Mount Tenabo during the Thanksgiving holidays. Before leaving office, President Bush Sr. made it possible for Barrick to lease lands for gold mining in Nevada. Once out of office, Bush Sr. went to work for Barrick as a senior consultant.
In Australia, DR Congo, Ghana, Tanzania and New Guinea, Indigenous Peoples are fighting Barrick’s destruction in solidarity with the Western Shoshone. They are fighting the coring out of mountains for minute particles of gold and the poisoning of water with cyanide leaching.
Carrie Dann and other Western Shoshone grandmothers said the United States is trespassing on Western Shoshone treaty land, destroying mountains, trees, food and medicine, while leaving dirty polluted water ponds for birds and animals.
“Why doesn’t the mining company go dig up the Vatican or the Mormon Tabernacle instead of Western Shoshone lands, I’m sure they will find gold there,” said Mary McCloud, Western Shoshone grandmother, mourning the bulldozing of the pines near the ceremonial grounds on Mount Tenabo in November.
Near the Porgera mine in New Guinea, Jethro Tulin of the Akali Tange Association, told Barrick Gold, “Your security guards have been shooting and killing our people and raping, even gang-raping, our women with impunity for years now."
Another Canadian gold mining corporation, Goldcorp Inc., is destroying communities in Guatemala. Antonio Morales, Maya Mam, Guatemalan indigenous leader was assassinated on August 7, 2008, as he returned to his home in Colotenango, Guatemala. Morales was a national leader in three of Guatemala's most important Indigenous organizations which have actively opposed large scale mining projects, including Montana Exploring, a subsidiary of Goldcorp.
GEO Group, formerly Wackenhut, and other private prisons continued to profiteer from the orchestrated hysteria against migrants and people of color at the southern border, gaining lucrative US and state prison and detention contracts from California to Texas. GEO was recently named in charges filed in Texas, in an attempt to prosecute Vice President Dick Cheney and former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales for private prison profiteering, resulting in the death of at least one inmate.
A second private prison profiteer, Corrections Corp of America, imprisons and abuses migrant women and children at the T. Don Hutto Residential Center in Taylor, Texas.
Cameco is the Canadian company which purchased the mysterious shipment of 500 tons of yellowcake uranium from Iraq, transported by the US to Montreal in July of 2008. Cameco continues to push for uranium mining on Lakota lands, resulting in the poorest of the poor struggling to fight the world’s largest uranium mining company in court in Nebraska. In Australia, Aboriginals at Alice Springs continued their protests of Cameco, while research studies in Port Hope, Canada, show the people are being poisoned by Cameco’s uranium mining.
“The result of testing conducted on a small group of residents of Port Hope has found contamination by uranium of military or industrial origin. Four of nine people tested had unusual types of uranium in their bodies, including one who carried measurable quantities of depleted uranium, which is used to make armour-piercing weapons, and another who had uranium at levels about three times higher than average concentrations of the element,” according to the Globe and Mail.
Sithe Global, in a relationship with the Navajo Nation elected government, is pushing to build a coal fired power plant, Desert Rock, on Navajo lands in New Mexico. Grassroots Navajos at Dooda Desert Rock continue to fight the power plant, which would be the third power plant in the area, where the air, land and water are already poisoned by unreclaimed uranium tailings from the Cold War and widespread oil and gas wells. Sithe Global’s financier is Blackstone Group, cofounded by Steve Schwarzman of the Bush elite Skull and Bones secret society based at Yale University.
Israel’s Elbit Systems, a producer of Apartheid spy and border wall systems in Israel, continued to gain US contracts, including Boeing’s subcontract for the border wall. Raytheon Missiles continued to be protested in Tucson for its weapons production and contamination. Raytheon has a manufacturing plant on the Navajo Nation’s commercial farm of Navajo Agricultural Products Industries, where potatoes, corn and other crops are produced with Monsanto’s genetically-modified seeds.
Boeing continued to build the US/Mexico border wall, as Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff waived all federal laws to build the border wall, including the laws designed to protect endangered species and the graves of Native Americans. On the Tohono O’odham Nation, Boeing dug up the graves of the Tohono O’odham ancestors in 2007. In Arizona, border wall construction endangered the jaguar, Sonoran pronghorn and other species in violation of all federal laws. Further, Indigenous Peoples traveling in their own territories on the border are harassed, threatened and treated as criminals by the US Border Patrol.
Tohono O’odham human rights activists continued to be targeted as they defined their homeland as an occupied militarized zone.
The poorest of the poor in America used their last dollars in 2008 to fight the United States construction of the US/Mexico border wall and seizure of their lands, including the Lipan Apache in Texas who are in court to protect their lands from seizure by Homeland Security for the border wall.
At the northern border, the United States pushed for more militarization of the region.
Kahentinetha Horn, publisher of Mohawk Nation News, is among the authors published in Censored News. Kahentinetha was beaten by Canadian border guards on June 14, 2008 and suffered a heart attack as border police tightened a stresshold. Mohawk Nation News editor Katenies was also beaten and jailed. Kahentinetha is recovering and the two Mohawk grandmothers have filed suit.
In recent articles, the Mohawk Nation News exposed the fact that carbon market scams seek the seizure of Indigenous Peoples forests for corporate profiteering and the fact that Canadian officers are being trained in Israel, where the border has become a militarized war zone. The carbon credit scam, profiteering for the World Bank and private corporations, is one of the most censored stories worldwide.
Throughout the United States, the poorest of the poor fought for justice during the Bush regime, often resulting in arrest or imprisonment. While the US and multi-national corporations received millions, billions and trillions in bailouts, widespread unemployment and hunger increased in the US.
While the US spy factory vaporized rights guaranteed by the US Constitution, the US media gave up the fight.
While the corporate seizures of lands was dismal during the Bush regime, Indigenous elders spoke of a time of cleansing and regeneration.
"We will outlive their ways. Our ways will outlive America's ways. It is because we regard the earth as sacred," said Floyd Red Crow Westerman said before his passing to the Spirit World.
In the Censored News poll, one-half of those voting chose the United States as the Worst Company in the World (50 percent.) The other percentages of total votes were: Monsanto (30 percent) Peabody Coal (26 percent) Barrick Gold (20 percent) Blackwater (17 percent) GEO (15 percent) Cameco and Sithe Global/Navajo Nation tied (14 percent) Raytheon and Israel’s Elbit Systems tied (12 percent) Boeing (11 percent) and Newmont Mining Corp (9 percent.)

More corporations and politicians were responsible for the deaths of Indigenous Peoples and destruction of Indigenous lands and communities worldwide than could be published in one article. Read more articles at Censored News http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/