Indigenous Peoples and Human Rights

December 31, 2019

Hopi Messenger Thomas Banyacya speaks on keeping nature in balance


Hopi Messenger Thomas Banyacya 
speaks on keeping nature in balance

Article by Brenda Norrell
Video by Sacred Land Film Project 
Censored News

Hopi Messenger Thomas Banyacya, Sr., speaks of his seven years in prison for declining to sign up for the U.S. military draft and be an instrument of war. Choosing the path of peace, Banyacya speaks of the choice of mankind now, as to whether to destroy Nature or care for the Earth. He describes the United States killing of people in other countries, and describes the U.S. nuclear bomb "burning everything to ashes."
"This comes from my heart and I'm going to stand on it. This is not our war," Banyacya says of choosing peace over fighting World War II.
"I spent almost seven years in prison trying to be a good Hopi."
Describing the uranium used to produce the first atomic bombs, Banyacya said someone came without the Hopi elders' permission and took the uranium from the land, and took it to New Mexico, then threw that bomb on the people Hiroshima.
Banyacya points out that all this war and killing with bombs will come with a cost, just as the destruction of Nature will come with the cost of ultimate destruction unless we begin to care for Nature.
Banyacya, born in 1909, passed to the Spirit World in 1999.
Listen to Banyacya's words.
Watch below the most viewed video production of the Sacred Land Film Project.

December 29, 2019

Oomaka Tokatakiya Ride photos by Ken Marchionno


(Above and below) From the fourteenth day of the 2019 Oomaka Tokatakiya:Red Owl Springs to Wounded Knee. Photo by Ken Marchionno, published with permission at Censored News.

December 26, 2019

Oglala Proclamation Honoring Dakota Hanged in Mankato


 From the eleventh day of the 2019 Oomaka Tokatakiya: Badlands National Park to Red Water.
 Photos by Ken Marchionno, published with permission at Censored News. 




Mauna Kea Protectors Stand Strong Regardless of Threat of Removal

Live from Mauna Kea. Screenshot from video today.


Pu'uhonua o Pu'uhuluhulu Maunakea

WE ARE COMMITTED AND WE WILL NOT LEAVE MAUNAKEA UNTIL THE TMT LEAVES HAWAI‘I

MAUNAKEA ACCESS ROAD, 12/26/19 - Today, we received written assurances from Mayor Harry Kim that construction of the TMT will not proceed until the end of February at the earliest and that law enforcement will stand down for the duration of that time. In response to the mayor's commitment, the kūpuna will open the road for safety reasons. They will remain in place alongside Maunakea Access Road with the full support of the Pu‘uhonua and will be prepared to respond to any threat of construction by TMT in the future.
We'd like to thank the hundreds of kia‘i who responded to the Hawai‘i island kāhea today and were on hand to hear from the kūpuna directly. We would like to remind everyone to remain vigilant and steadfast, as Aunty Noe Noe reminded us today, "if there are any signs of construction, we'll be right back in the middle of the road."
We are committed and we will not leave Maunakea until the TMT leaves Hawai‘i.Live from Mauna Kea today,

Watch live the video: https://www.facebook.com/kakoohaleakala/videos/475968993115048/

"We stand in unity.

"Don't forget us."

"We are going to carry on."

"We're going to stand from the mountains to the sea."

"We rise, then we breathe, so we can stay in the longterm."

                                                         Below: Screenshot from live video now.


The following posted by the Mayor on Twitter
   
County of Hawai‘i  
Office of the Mayor  
25 Aupuni Street, Suite 2603      Hilo, Hawai‘i 96720     (808) 961-8211      Fax (808) 961-6553  
KONA:  74-5044 Ane Keohokālole Hwy., Bldg C      Kailua-Kona, Hawai‘i 96740  
(808) 323-4444     Fax (808) 323-4440  
  
December 26, 2019  
  
NEWS RELEASE  
  
Maunakea Access Road Temporarily Closed to the Public   
  
Mayor Harry Kim announced on Thursday that the Maunakea Access Road is  
temporarily closed to the public as the road is being cleared to make it completely  
accessible to the public.   
  
Under an agreement with the protectors, the clearing operation will involve the  
collaborative efforts of State and County agencies working together with the protectors.   
  
During the road closure, access will be limited to telescope personnel, ranchers,  
conservation workers, hunters and cultural practitioners, as previously arranged, the  
Mayor said. The County of Hawai‘i appreciates everyone’s cooperation and  
understanding of the temporary closure.  
   
The road will reopen to the general public on Saturday, December 28.  This date  
coincides with the reopening of the Hale Pohaku Visitor Center.  
  ==
  
'Like a Mighty Wave: A MaunaKea Film'

December 24, 2019

Zapatistas Program for Defense of Territory and Mother Earth





THE FORUM IN DEFENSE OF TERRITORY AND MOTHER EARTH

Statement, Program and Video

Statement of the 4 National Assembly of the CNI-CIG
To the people of Mexico
To the peoples of the World
To the Sixth National and International
To the Resistance and Rebellion Networks
To the media

Brothers Sisters

From the Zapatista Caracol Jacinto Canek, at CIDECI- UNITIERRA, in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, on December 18 and 19, 2019, to celebrate the 4th National Assembly of the National Indigenous Congress and the Indigenous Council of Government the peoples Afromexicano, Binizaa, Chinanteco, Chol, Chontal, Comca'ac, Hñahñu, Kumiai, Mam, Maya, Mayo, Mazahua, Me´phaa, Mixe, Mixteco, Nahua, Náyeri, Purépecha, Quiche, Rarámuri, Téenek, Tepehuano, Tohono Oódam , Tojolabal, Totonaca, Tzeltal, Tzotzil, Wixárika, Yaqui, Zoque, Chixil, Cañari and Castellano, from 24 states of the republic, as well as guests from Guatemala, Ecuador, El Salvador and the United States, we meet to listen, to see in the companion that in collective we are peoples, nations and tribes.

December 22, 2019

Navajo Elders Object to Snowbowl Chairlift on Sacred Mountain


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Navajo Elders Object to Snowbowl Chairlift on Sacred Mountain
Threatened plant, the San Francisco Ragwort, which grows no where else in the World except on the San Francisco Peaks is in the way of Arizona Snowbowl’s new gondola style lift.

Contact: Shawn Mulford
Censored News

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — Coconino National Forest Supervisor Laura Jo West has approved a new gondola style chairlift at Arizona Snowbowl indicating it would cause No Significant Impact. The Dine’ Medicine Men Association objected to this finding by stating, “based on our review of this proposal and the current Coconino National Forest Supervisor Laura Jo West’s Finding No Significant Impact, we see nothing has changed, our rights continue to be violated and the Creator’s Creation continues to be destroyed.”

HAWAII: Mauna Kea Protectors Targeted for Arrest on Dec. 26, 2019



Update Dec. 26:
https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2019/12/mauna-kea-protectors-stand-strong.html

HAWAII: Law enforcement told Mauna Kea Protectors they will be arrested Dec. 26, 2019. This comes after the Governor used false PR as a tactic, promising to withdraw law enforcement. A similar tactic was used against Standing Rock Water Protectors in 2016, when they were told, 'It's all over, go home.' 


Article by Brenda Norrell
Censored News

On Thursday, Day 160 of protecting Mauna Kea, Protectors said in a video address that the Governor is making contradicting statements to the public. Protectors said the Hawaiian government is attempting to diminish their strength with a false narrative in the media.

December 21, 2019

Tribes Win KXL Order in Rosebud Sioux Tribe v. Trump

Tribes Win KXL Order in Rosebud Sioux Tribe v. Trump



On Friday, December 20, 2019, NARF and their clients, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe and the Fort Belknap Indian Community (the Tribes) received some great news from a Montana court. The federal court denied the United States federal government’s and the TransCanada’s (TC Energy) efforts to dismiss the Tribes’ case against the KXL Pipeline (Rosebud Sioux Tribe v. Trump).

NARF Staff Attorney Natalie Landreth praised the decision, “The court’s decision means that ALL of the tribes’ claims on the current permits will proceed. The only claims dismissed are the ones that the Tribes conceded should be dismissed because they were based on an old permit. So this is a complete win for the tribes on the motions to dismiss. We look forward to holding the Trump Administration and TransCanada accountable to the Tribes and the applicable laws that must be followed.”

NARF Staff Attorney Matthew Campbell also reacted to the news, “Of course, the treaties were agreed to by the president of the United States and ratified by the Senate, so the treaties clearly apply. The court rightly found that today.”

#HonorTheTreaties


December 20, 2019

Bolivia: Evo Morales rejects Interpol notice sent against him



Update Dec. 20, 2019

Argentina will not hand over Evo Morales to coup
Argentinian President Alberto Fernandez announced Thursday that his government "will not hand over for any reason" the former president of Bolivia Evo Morales who is in Buenos Aires under refugee status and who on Wednesday received an arrest warrant by the Bolivian Prosecutor’s Office, which accuses him of sedition and terrorism. -- 
TeleSur
https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Argentinian-Govt-We-Will-Not-Deliver-to-Evo-Morales---20191219-0020.html?fbclid=IwAR2TsWIMRXBOt2jDhHSr-P-O6rfXXjxmVQBzlw3lIe1nXH3vMy-hCKhF8yk

Canadian police want to 'shoot to kill' Indigenous activists

Photo: Heavily armed RCMP officers arrived in January to shut down Indigenous checkpoints blocking a natural gas pipeline. Photo by Michael Toledano.



Canadian police wanted to shoot and kill Indigenous activists

Investigative reporters Jaskiran Dhillon and Will Parrish at The Guardian report:

Notes from a strategy session for a militarized raid on ancestral lands of the Wet’suwet’en nation show that commanders of Canada’s national police force, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), argued that “lethal overwatch is req’d” – a term for deploying snipers.

The RCMP commanders also instructed officers to “use as much violence toward the gate as you want” ahead of the operation to remove a roadblock which had been erected by Wet’suwet’en people to control access to their territories and stop construction of the proposed 670km (416-mile) Coastal GasLink pipeline (CGL).
In a separate document, an RCMP officer states that arrests would be necessary for “sterilizing the site”. 

Read artilce:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/dec/20/canada-indigenous-land-defenders-police-documents

Manitoba Chiefs alarmed:
Treaty One Territory, Manitoba – Grand Chief Arlen Dumas of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) expressed alarm and concern on recent media reports that the RCMP was prepared to use lethal force on Wet’suwet’en people who have been defending their ancestral lands from devastating effects of resource extraction.
In an exclusive article published by The Guardian on December 20, 2019, documents on RMCP strategy described a militarized raid at the Wet’suwet’en blockade in northern BC. This included a plan to maintain a “lethal overwatch”, to “use as much violence toward the gate as you want” and to “sterilizing the site.”

December 17, 2019

O'odham Voice against the Wall: Thanks for Holiday Toy Donations


Photo by Jason Jaacks

Message from Ofelia Rivas
O'odham Voice against the Wall
Censored News

O'odham VOICE Against the WALL deeply appreciates the generosity of people with compassion to support children in O'odham communities in  Mexico.

As people might not be aware that all tribal support stops at the border, including all federal, state and state compact gaming funds.

My brother and I have worked independently for over 30 years to support our families and communities in Mexico.

We continue our Food Drives and annual Holiday Toy Drive besides all our other efforts to continue to protect sacred places and our way of life.

The toys are going to Ho'da-i K'uk / Schu'k Doag Sonora, Mexico Communities.

Many Thanks to Censored News for committed effort in providing a news outlet for grassroots peoples and complete investigative reporting on world affairs.

Donate for ongoing projects:
http://www.solidarity-project.org/


Follow Brenda Norrell, Censored News on Facebook, for more news and links:
https://www.facebook.com/brenda.norrell.90

Blood Memory Rising, Book Review of Standing with Standing Rock





Blood Memory Rising, Book Review of Standing with Standing Rock

by Brenda Norrell
Censored News

Standing with Standing Rock is more of an encyclopedia than a book. The pages of references are a sort of road map, not just of a roadmap through the book, but a road map through time, and specifically through the time when Standing Rock camps were alive, pulsing with life, and giving birth to revolution and movement.

The details of the movement flow in these references like arteries. The words, stories, and news that followed Standing Rock are arteries of this mighty heart of Standing Rock, and those that preceded the camps were veins, carrying lifeblood to the heart of this movement.

December 16, 2019

Trial Set, Flagstaff Indigenous Peoples’ Day Demonstrators Denounce Political Attack and State Surveillance

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Trial Set for Flagstaff Indigenous Peoples’ Day Demonstrators Organizers Denounce Political Attack and  State Surveillance

Contact: Klee Benally
Censored News

FLAGSTAFF, Arizona — Three social and environmental justice advocates, calling themselves the “Indigenous Peoples’ Day Three” or IPD3, will be going to trial on January 16th, 2020 from 8:30am - 4:30pm and Friday, January 17th 1:30pm - 4:30pm at the Flagstaff Municipal Court (15 N Beaver St, Flagstaff, AZ 86001) for charges resulting from a 2018 Indigenous Peoples’ Day demonstration held in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Mohawk Nation News 'O Cana'jon' the Revised Anthem'

CHILE -- Video: Lawyer for Acquitted Mapuche Goldman Prize Winner Speaks About Case

This video includes many of my photographs – Orin Langelle
This video was shot over the week of 25 November, during the trial of Mapuche Lonko Alberto Curamil over manufactured charges that he was involved in a robbery.
Lonko Alberto Curamíl during court hearings in Temuco, Chile               photo: Orin Langelle/GJEP
In fact, his arrest and subsequent year and a half in jail awaiting trial are understood to have been retribution for his role in leading a campaign that stopped two hydroelectric projects on the Rio Cautín, a sacred river to the Mapuche, the headwaters of which start in the snowfields of the Lonquimay volcano.

In the video, his attorney Rodrigo Román speaks about the case and the greater issue of state repression against Mapuche people, whose land has long been the target of expropriation for industrial timber plantations.  As another Mapuche Lonko explained, “first they stole our land, now they want to steal our rivers.”


December 14, 2019

Mapuche Lonko Alberto Curamíl Acquitted of All Charges


2019 Goldman Environmental Prize winner to walk out a free man

Lonko Alberto Curamíl during court hearings in Temuco, Chile               photo: Orin Langelle/GJEP
Temuco, Chile – On 13 December the Court of Temuco acquitted Lonko Alberto Curamíl and Werken Álvaro Millalén of all charges, allowing the Goldman Environmental Prize winner to walk out a free man.
His daughter Belén Curamil said, “I am very happy because we knew they were innocent, both the lonko Alberto Curamil and the werken Álvaro Millalén. If they were in prison for so long, it is because they raised their voices and fought for our territory, for the freedom of our Mapu, the freedom of our rivers and the freedom of the people and the Mapuche people.”  Belén Curamil accepted the Goldman Prize on behalf of her father, because he was imprisoned awaiting trial.


Another Day in the Chilean Uprising




Santiago: where militancy, music and art meet and complement each other
Copy and all photographs by Orin Langelle

Protesters tear up the sidewalk to make projectiles for later street fight with the Carabineros (national police)
Santiago, Chile – Last night, 13 December, thousands of people took to the streets lengthening the almost daily protest to almost two months. Plaza de la Dignidad was filled and overflowing down side streets in what was reportedly one of the biggest turnouts to date in the mobilization. It appears unless the government backs down and organizes a constitutional assembly, the protests promise to keep going.