Indigenous Peoples and Human Rights

June 29, 2015

Renzi resurfaces: Censorship of Apache elders voices

The voices of Apache elders, including the late great Ola
Cassadore Davis, were among those censored by Indian Country Today in 2004.
By Brenda Norrell
Censored News

While I was a staff reporter at Indian Country Today, many important articles were censored during the two years before I was terminated with no cause given. One of these censored articles was an Apache protest of Arizona Congressmen Richard Renzi in 2004. Among the Apaches censored was the late, great Ola Cassadore Davis.
Sen. McCain is a member of the
Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs.
Photo by Sandra Rambler, San Carlos Apache
Renzi emerged again today in a US Supreme Court ruling regarding his conviction from a land swap where he funneled money to himself.
This news comes as Apache are preparing to lead a national caravan to DC to demand repeal of the Oak Flat land swamp, where Arizona Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake gave Apache sacred land to the foreign corporation Resolution Copper for copper mining.
Renzi's resurfacing is a powerful reminder of censorship, and a reminder that the national news in Indian country has collapsed.
When the casino industry took control of the national American Indian news, reporters were replaced by paid stay-at-home plagiarizers and re-writers who now profiteer from others hard work.
Today, there are no reporters in DC serving as watchdogs for Indian country, making it possible for Senators McCain and Flake, and fellow corporate criminals, to seize land and water rights and sneak riders into bills, as they did with the theft of Oak Flat.
Now, with the flash of plagiarism, re-writes and fluff online, the Congressmen and the corporate criminals work together with impunity with the aid of the bought-and-sold media.
Now, 11 years later, I'm posting the article below, with the voices of Apache elders that Indian Country Today censored in 2004.

CENSORED by Indian Country Today: Sept. 2004

Apaches protest Congressional hearing to dilute environmental laws

Congressmen want to bypass environmental protection laws

By Brenda Norrell

SAFFORD, Ariz. – San Carlos Apache protested outside a Congressional field hearing and accused Congressman Rick Renzi, R-Ariz., of attempting to water down environmental protection laws aimed at protecting the red squirrel and other species in the fragile environment of sacred Mount Graham.
Ola Cassadore Davis, chair of the Apache Survival Coalition, said Renzi was promoting unprincipled developers like the University of Arizona astronomers, at the expense of Apache religious life and Apache family values.
Davis criticized Renzi’s efforts to remove endangered species protections from the Mount Graham Red Squirrel and to thin and clear-cut the summit forest surrounding the Mount Graham International Observatory. The University of Arizona's $120 million Large Binocular Telescope is nearing completion, despite Apache protests and lawsuits.
 “How would Congressman Renzi like to have the hair on the top of his head thinned and parts of his hair chopped out. That’s a pretty sacred place to him, I would guess. But he disrespects places that are sacred to us,” Davis said.
“Renzi should see the fire on top of Mount Graham in July as a warning from God,” she said, referring to the summer wild fires on Mount Graham caused by lightning.
Renzi and U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., are promoting the Mount Graham Sky Island Demonstration Project, which would allow tree thinning on about 2,000 acres on the mountain. The Congressmen said the aim is to protect 21 areas on the mountain from wildfires.
However, the proposal would exempt the project from the required environmental-impact statement, which Renzi and others have said is overly time-consuming.
Federal lawmakers held a formal hearing on the Endangered Species Act Endangered Species Act in Thatcher on Sept. 20. Members of the House Resources Committee said they would accept testimony only from subpoenaed individuals at Eastern Arizona College.
Renzi claimed environmental protection laws prevented forest thinning and contributed to the Nuttall and Gibson fires, charring 29,400 acres last summer.
Davis, however, said the wildfires are being used as a ploy by the Congressmen and greedy developers to washout environmental laws.
 “Congressmen like Renzi would sacrifice sacred places in order that developers can destroy the forests, rivers, mountains and special places of this country.  The reason our endangered fish and wildlife animals are now endangered is because unscrupulous developers backed by people like Renzi.”
Davis, among the Apaches making statements to protest, said they should look at the Earth to see what is happening.
“Renzi and the astronomers on Mt. Graham look up at the stars, but they don’t look down at their feet to see what they have destroyed on the earth beneath them.” 
Raleigh Thompson, retired San Carlos Apache Tribal Council member, said it demonstrates how Congressmen serve the rich and powerful.
“As long as Congressmen like Renzi are around to serve rich and powerful developers by attacking the country’s cultural and environmental protection laws, endangered species problems will continue.
“How would Renzi like us to go to his Church and set up a rodeo or casino beside it or put an Indian crafts shop on top of his Church’s high altar? What he is doing to our mountain and its endangered red squirrel is no different.
“This disregard for people and animals is the way the white man has treated Indians since the 19th century.”
Thompson said Dzil Nchaa Si An (Mt. Graham) has been part of Apache tribal homeland for centuries.
“It was also part of the original reservation land given to us in 1871. But when early settlers and squatters came into our rich lands, they convinced the federal government to take Dzil Nchaa Si An away from us. They wanted it for its water, lumber and other resources.
“They took our fertile Gila River valley from us too, a place where the reports of the early federal Indian Agents said we grew corn and other crops for as far ‘as the eye could see.’ Congressmen just like Renzi have since 1871, on five separate occasions, dismembered about two-thirds of our original Apache reservation’s acreage. 
“No wonder we are poor.  They stole the best parts of our land. Congressmen like Renzi don’t care if we go extinct any more than they care if the Mount Graham Red Squirrel goes extinct.” 
San Carlos Apache elder Erwin Rope said projects such as these get approval because they promise jobs, which never arrive.
“While the $200,000,000 taxpayer financed telescope project creates some temporary jobs, it creates very few permanent jobs,” Rope said.
Rope pointed out that according to the official Forest Service’s Arizona Department of Transportation studies, the most jobs created would be 33 in Tucson and 30 in Safford.
“That is an extremely inefficient and wasteful way for anybody to help local communities,” he said.
Mike Davis, Apache Survival Coalition member and American Indian, said Apaches must speak up to protect the small creatures.
“We Indians respect and honor the intent of our Great Spirit, -- for animals to live on this planet.  It is wrong to abandon endangered animals that need our help as desperately as the Mount Graham Red Squirrel.”
Ola Cassadore Davis pointed out that Mount Graham has more vegetation life zones than any other mountain in North America, and that the forest at the summit is the southernmost spruce-fir forest in North America.
“We Apache also know this place is unique. It has been spiritually a part of us for centuries. But people like Renzi don’t care about anything except the money that can be made from those places. 
“Look at the severely endangered animal like the Mount Graham Red Squirrel, now down to just a few hundred individuals before the recent fire.”
Apache protesters, which included elderly, said it was inappropriate for police to watch over their protest at the hearing with a police attack dog.
Davis said the Congressmen want to make the living creatures go extinct so the University of Arizona can build a city of telescopes on the mountain.
“If it hadn’t been for the squirrel, the University of Arizona would have by now built a city of telescopes all over the summit of this sacred mountain.”

The League of Conservation Voters recently named Renzi to its "dirty dozen" list of lawmakers which the group considers to have anti-environmental voting records.


June 29, 2015 update: Renzi Resurfaces
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected an appeal by former Arizona Congressman Richard Renzi seeking to challenge his 2013 conviction stemming from a proposed federal land swap deal the Republican pushed when in office. 

Raw Story reports, "Renzi was convicted on charges stemming from coercing an investment group in 2005 to buy land from former business partner Sandlin, who then funneled corporate checks to Renzi. Renzi, who represented Arizona’s 1st congressional district from January 2003 until he left office in 2009, was also convicted of funneling funds from an insurance company he managed into personal and campaign accounts." http://www.rawstory.com/2015/06/u-s-top-court-rejects-convicted-congressman-renzis-appeal/

Brenda Norrell, publisher of Censored News
Brenda Norrell has been a reporter in Indian country for 33 years, beginning at Navajo Times during the 18 years that she lived on the Navajo Nation. She served as a stringer for AP and USA Today on the Navajo Nation before joining the staff of Indian Country Today. After serving on the ICT staff for most of the years between 1995 and 2006, she was censored and terminated. As a result, she began Censored News, now in its 9th year with more than 4 million pageviews and without advertising or grants.

Occupy Oak Flat Rally Tucson June 30, 2015


By Sandra Rambler, San Carlos Apache
Censored News

OCCUPY OAK FLAT! Rally tomorrow in Tucson. Prayer call for all those that will participate in the annual Dzil Ncha Si An (Mountain Graham) sacred run which will end at Chi'Chil'Bilda'Goteel (Oak Flat) and continue to Washington, D.C. Arrival date is July 30 and the big rally will be at Capitol Hill on July 31st. Call for all Warriors!(Photo: Apache tribal leaders from Jicarilla (NM), Mescalero (NM), Yavapai-Apache, Tonto Apache, White Mountain Apache, San Carlos Apache, sending a message to the world, "SAVE OAK FLAT!"

Dine' Walkers: American Imperialism, Abandoned Uranium Mines on Navajoland


By Nihigaal bee lina
Censored News
In the first week of our journey to Dibé Ntsáá, we traveled through the western region of Nihikéyah that is heavily contaminated by decades of uranium mining, with over 100 abandoned uranium mines centered around the Cameron area. In some places, the radiation is so high that it can't be measured and is at least 4 times more radioactive than what was emitted by the Fukashima disaster. Very little has been done about these mines - this warning sign at an abandoned mine behind the Cameron chapter house is the only one that is up in the entire region. Just east of Tuba City is a old uranium mill that received all the uranium from mines in the region and is a contamination threat to the aquifer.
What is even more alarming is the realization that this uranium was mined for the purpose of building bombs and America's nuclear arsenal. This is a legacy that our people live with everyday with the cancers and sickness caused by exposure. As we approach the 4th of July we ask that our people reflect beyond blind patriotism and see the reality that our people and our land are sacrificed to this day to further American imperialism.

June 28, 2015

Israeli Navy Seizes Freedom Flotilla III to Gaza


According to Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s latest contact with the “Marianne” at 2AM (Gaza time), the boat is aproximately 105 nautical miles and continues on its course towards the Palestinian territorial waters and the port of Gaza. It is expected to reach its destination during the next 24 hours.

As the “Marianne” enters the final segment of its trip, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition has decided to reveal its strategy. At this moment the three sailing boats accompanying and supporting the “Marianne” (“Rachel”, “Vittorio” and “Juliano II”) are changing their course and will be heading back to their ports of origin.  Political representatives, journallists, peace activists on board, a total number of 29 sailors, have assisted the Marianne and its people towards their long and difficult journey, which has always remained to end the illegal and inhumane blockade of Gaza.
We demand that our respective governments act with humanity and to ensure the safety of all of the delegates on board the “Marianne”. We call once again on the government of Israel to finally lift the blockade on Gaza and let the peaceful ship, the “Marianne”, reach its destination in order to deliver its cargo of dignity and hope. We urge all international organizations to work towards opening the port of Gaza to let people and products travel freely to the world. Our destination remains the conscience of humanity.
For further updates please visit ff3.freedomflotilla.org, as also official FFC social media accounts (FacebookTwitter)

Apache Stronghold Rally Tucson June 30, 2015

Apache Stronghold Rally in Tucson June 30 
Caravan to Washington, D.C. Begins July 5 with Mount Graham Sacred Run

By Indigenous Alliance Without Borders
Censored News

Tucson, AZ – Tuesday, June 30, 2015, at 7 pm, Apache Stronghold will hold a rally to support the efforts to protect Oak Flat, a sacred Apache site located on the Tonto National Forest which is threatened by a proposed copper mine. Apache Stronghold will begin a caravan to Washington D.C. the following week and will rally in the Nation’s capitol to ask the U.S. government and the public to support the Save Oak Flat Act, a bill introduced by Congressman Raul Grijalva in mid-June.
 The rally is sponsored by Indigenous Alliance Without Borders and Tucson Supports Oak Flat to promote Apache Stronghold in their effort to restore this land to the people. Donations for the caravan will be accepted and information about how to get involved in this historic movement will be available.
 Oak Flat, or Chi’chil Bildagoteel, has been protected from mining since 1955, when President Eisenhower recognized the importance of this site and used an Executive Order to permanently protect the cultural and natural resources for future generations. Senator John McCain, Senator Jeff Flake, Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick, and Congressman Paul Gosar used late-night political maneuvering to trade away this sacred land to a foreign mining company by attaching the land swap to a must-pass defense spending bill in December of last year.
“Once again the U.S. government has turned its back on promises made to Indian people. We are left with no choice but to take our fight to this nation’s capital” said Jose Matus, Director of Indigenous Alliance Without Borders, adding “We need to show our elected officials that the people of Arizona want sacred tribal sites protected and to let Congress know they cannot get away with giving away public lands to corporations. If Oak Flat can be traded away to a mining giant, no sacred site is safe.”
 Support for Apache Stronghold and Oak Flat has been growing steadily since February 2015, when members of the San Carlos Apache tribe began an encampment at Oak Flat to protect the site. Mainstream media has taken note with articles appearing in the New York Times, and on MSNBC. Thousands of people have signed petitions to repeal the land exchange or have the site nominated as a National Monument. Recently, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named Oak Flat as one of America’s 11 most endangered historic places.
 The rally will include music and members of the San Carlos Apache Tribe will be available for interviews.

When: Tuesday, June 30, 7:00pm-9:00pm
Where: Global Justice Center, 225 E. 26th Street
Why: Rally support for Apache Stronghold caravan to Washington, D.C. and generate support for the Save Oak Flat Act.

Mohawk Nation News 'Fall of the Roman Vampire'

FALL OF THE ROMAN VAMPIRE

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MNN. JUNE 28, 2015. The City of London controls all Admiralty courts worldwide. It forces its laws, commercial, political, language and culture on people globally at our peril. Red-X, the inter-dimensional ongwe’hon:weh being, looks out for us. He says that the phrase “the empire on which the sun never sets” was stolen from us. Our worldly purpose of the Great Peace was perverted.
Test your media savvy!The powers-that-be feed off of negative emotions promoted through their ownership of mass media. Media acts as their food production plant. They will starve without it. They promote fear, anger and hatred in everyone of their news stories to get the masses wound up emotionally. This is the fuel for their male hierarchy. Red-X tells us, “Many ongwe’hon:weh are murdered to feed this beast. The more blood, killings and suicides, the better for them”.
Red-X warns us, “The vampires exist only from negative emotion. Through their Babylonian divide and conquer strategy, they expect total domination of all people for their new world order. The vampiric control grid consists of the banksters, Free Masons, Illuminati and all the other esoteric hierarchical groups. The vampires enjoy flaunting their wealth and their assumed status amongst the regular populace they feed off of.
They try to scare us by telling us, “I have magic which will hurt you” to keep alive their collective negative man-eating energy. Their institutions put their instruments of fear in our minds. Red-X knows their cheap tricks. Like the magician, they make a great gesture with their left hand. With the right hand they pick our pockets and stab us.
"Quick! Run! The tekaneronkwatsera is gonna get us!"
“We’re hungry! Maybe there’s fear this way, honey!”
When the people use the strongest medicine in the world, tekaneron’kwa:tserah, [the true one love] the vampires will wither and die. Peace will follow. Red-X asks, “Are you going to let their collective destructive thoughts come into your mind?” Our earliest ongwe’hon:weh were kidnapped and taken to Europe. They saw dirty, unhealthy, starving people in a living hell. The vampires always will be searching for more blood. They still want our land, resources, and to kill us. Red-X says, “We can overcome them with knowledge and speed of thought”.
Look at yourself and your family. Our intelligence is activated by the great medicine,tekaneron’kwa:tserah.
Red-X mounted his silver bird, “I will come back and enter our minds when I am needed to remind us not to stray, forget our wisdom for our children, carry out good actions and for everyone to nurture the Great Peace”.
pontiacThe vampires greatest victory is to have you believe they do not exist. Red-X gives the solution: “Keep a good mind by allowing no fear. Stay on the path that leads to the Peace. The vampires will starve to death”.
As Jace Everett sings“When you came in, the air went out. And every shadow filled up with doubt. I don’t know who you think you are. But before the night is through, I wanna do bad things to you!” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0eQL5R3bw4
MNN Mohawk Nation News kahentinetha@mohawknationnews.com more news, books, workshops, to donate and sign up for MNN newsletters, go tomohawknationnews.com  More stories at MNN Archives.  Address:  Box 991, Kahnawake [Quebec, Canada] J0L 1B0 thahoketoteh@mohawknationnews.com For original Mohawk music visit thahoketoteh.ws

June 27, 2015

Winnemem Wintu to Protest Exclusion from California Water Summit June 29, 2015

Winnemem Wintu and Allies to Protest Exclusion of California Indians from Gov. Brown’s California Water Summit
Winnemem Wintu Chief Caleen Sisk
Censored News

The Winnemem Wintu tribe, allies and other tribal representatives will be rallying and waving signs outside the 2nd California Water Summit this Monday, June 29, at the Westin Sacramento to protest Gov. Jerry Brown’s efforts to exclude California tribes, environmentalists and other important stakeholders in this public meeting about massive state water infrastructure projects.
The summit is being advertised by the Brown administration as a conference to discuss the “latest developments including project selection for the $7.5 billion water bond” that is now available after the passage of the Water Quality, Supply and Infrastructure Act of 2014.
Registration for the summit is nearly an astounding $1,500 per person, and there have been no efforts to include tribal representatives, environmentalists or anyone who is advocating for sound water policy that will benefit future generations, local ecosystems and salmon and other fisheries.
No mention of tribal water rights is listed on the agenda, and it seems the only people attending will be water districts’ staff, government scientists, corporate representatives and other advocates for Governor Brown’s pet water projects like the Shasta Dam raise and the twin Delta Tunnels, both of which would be devastating for salmon and tribal cultural resources and sacred sites.
“Most of the California Indians who are working on tribal water rights and for healthier rivers can’t afford a $1,500 registration fee,” said Winnemem Wintu Chief and Spiritual Leader Caleen Sisk. “This is clearly an effort by Governor Brown to exclude the tribal voice, shove out anyone who disagrees with his destructive water plans and provide an opportunity for government and the big water power brokers to collude behind closed doors.”
Though California is suffering through five years of drastically low rainfall, Chief Sisk said the water problems are all man-made, due to poor management and greed. As the low rainfall puts a stress on California’s boondoggle of a water system, it has never been more important for the indigenous perspective to be heard and for tribal water rights to be acknowledged and upheld. The Winnemem Wintu have an especially important stake in the bond funds as many think they could be used to support the Shasta Dam raise to enlarge Shasta Lake’s capacity, which in turn would flood or damage about 40 sacred sites vital to the Winnemem’s religion and cultural practices.
“This is a summit that is meant to help these people peddle Brown’s projects that will benefit his buddies: agri-business and water sellers in Southern California,” Sisk said. “They are not interested in what’s best for the people of California and their children.”
All supporters are invited to join the Winnemem and their allies at the Westin Sacramento, 4800 Riverside Boulevard, at 7 a.m. Monday June 29. Please bring signs and any other items to ensure Gov. Brown hears our message loud and clear: He can no longer ignore the indigenous people of California!

Mohawk Nation News: BABYLONIAN MONEY MAGIC

BABYLONIAN MONEY MAGIC

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MNN. June 27, 2015. The CROWN put Joe Norton back in as chief of Kahnawake. The previous chief did not deliver the goods on time. In the pretend democracy the incorporated band councils, also called “hang around the fort INDIANS”, obey the CROWN that makes the rules and decisions. The bankers out of London have been running a Ponzi scheme ever since they got here. They lend money to their carpetbaggers to come here and steal what they can from us. The bankers get a return on their money that should have been paid to us for our resources. The illegal Vatican monetary/military matrix was set up to create classes of haves and have-nots. They stole through every means possible with nothing to back it up but force, intimidation and genocide. The band council INDIANS are set up to help them.
He owes us?
He owes us!
The colonial matrix is the protection racket. The loan sharks lend money at high interest or a promise to protect us from them. Their military collection agency has been collecting from us by threatening to break our legs, burn down our homes or murder us.
The CROWN wants to remove Kahnawake as a tax free zone. Norton and his backers made previous attempts to bring in a casino and taxation. The people said “No” twice. In the casino matrix, controlled by Canada, the workers don’t pay taxes at first. After 15 to 20 years, the tax department comes in and demands taxes for the past years. 100% of the profits go to a small group of sell-outs and the corporate government. If we don’t pay them, our land, homes and resources are confiscated. We are arrested or removed.
Norton & friends: "We have to do it our way!"
Norton & friends: “We’re gonna  have to do it our way!”
In the Akwesasne people’s casino issue, the outside white population saw our prosperity. They pressured Albany and then Washington to shut us down and pass laws restricting all our economic growth. For us Ono’ware:geh land, waterways and airways are tax free zones.

Our people are given the idea that our education, health and social services are being given to us by the colonial settlers. It is our funds being doled out to us. All Ponzi schemes collapse when the resource owners start resisting. There is only one business here for the CROWN on ono’ware:geh/Great Turtle Island, that is the theft of our resources based on genocide. The ongwe’hon:weh are exposing and resisting the “bag men” who try to collect the CROWN’S “protection” debts.
With the help of the incorporated band council INDIANS, the CROWN plans to exterminate us and control all our businesses through removing our clans and the law of the land, kaia’nereh:kowa. Many of our business people with their outside backers violate our sovereignty by going to Ottawa and Washington to beg for permission to set up businesses. Nations don’t do that! The CROWN is at our door. Every ongwe’hon:weh knows who owes who!
custer sawAs Floyd Red Crow Westerman sang: “For the lies that were spoken, For the blood we have spilled, For the treaties that we broken, For the leaders you have stilled. Custer died for your sin.” 
MNN Mohawk Nation News kahentinetha@mohawknationnews.com more news, books, workshops, to donate and sign up for MNN newsletters, go tomohawknationnews.com  More stories at MNN Archives.  Address:  Box 991, Kahnawake [Quebec, Canada] J0L 1B0 thahoketoteh@mohawknationnews.com For original Mohawk music visit thahoketoteh.ws
CROWN

Four boats set sail on Freedom Flotilla III


boat logo
 Freedom Flotilla III Sets Sail
Today, June 27th 2015, at 4AM Gaza time, four boats of the 2015 the Freedom Flotilla III set sail from their final European points of departure. Through nonviolent resistance they will challenge the illegal blockade of the Palestinian Gaza strip, which is running on its 9th year, sailing as always from international waters directly into Palestinian waters.
The Flotilla is due to reach Gaza in just a few days. Participants on board include 48 human rights activists, journalists, artists, and political figures representing 17 countries. This is the third Freedom Flotilla to sail, in addition to nine single boats that have undertaken to sail to Gaza, beginning in 2008 when several voyages reached Gaza City harbor and returned to Europe from their mission of bringing supplies and solidarity to the people of Gaza.

A converted fishing trawler, the 'Marianne of Gothenburg'  left Sweden in May to join the flotilla and has made numerous stops along its journey around Europe. Marianne is carrying solar panels that would help alleviate the serious problem of electricity in Gaza, as well .as medical equipment. Three other sailing vessels (Rachel, Vittorio and Juliano II) are accompanying Marianne in its mission to break the blockade of Gaza, in solidarity to the 1.8 million Palestinians in Gaza. With different strategies and different itineraries, we will continue to sail until the blockade is lifted and Gaza's port is open.
Dr. Basel Ghattas, a member of the Israeli Knesset, is on board the ships, as well as Dr. Moncef Marzouki, former President of Tunisia, the first president after the 2011 popular uprising. Members of parliament from Spain, Jordan, Greece and Algeria are also on board together with members of European Parliament. Former US Army Col. Ann Wright and USS Liberty veteran Joe Meadors are on board. Ten participants and crew have been on previous missions. Media outlets on board the flotilla are Al Jazeera, Euronews, Maori TV (New Zealand), Al-Quds TV, Channel 2 TV (Israel) and Russia Today TV, as well as several independent print journalists.
Over 100 European Parliamentarians have signed a letter to the EU's High Representative, Federica Mogherini, in support of the Freedom Flotilla and calling for an end to the blockade of Gaza. It's time to say enough is enough, and that the international community stands in solidarity with the Palestinians of Gaza.
A full list of participants will be available soon at https://ff3.freedomflotilla.org/
Tracking the Marianne Va Goteborg is available at