January 30, 2020

Indigenous Women File OECD Specific Instance Against Credit Suisse for Rights Violations Regarding Pipeline Financing

Michelle Cook, Dineh

Indigenous Women File OECD Specific Instance Against Credit Suisse for Rights Violations Regarding Pipeline Financing

Thursday, January 30, 2020
Media contact Katherine Quaid

WECAN International, katherine@wecaninternational.org
Censored News

Joint press release in collaboration with Divest Invest Protect and The Women's Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN) International

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, California (January 30, 2020) – Divest Invest Protect (DIP), the Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN) International, and the Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy (IPLP) Program at the University of Arizona are announcing the filing of a “Specific Instance” with the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) regarding Credit Suisse and adverse impacts to Indigenous peoples and environment through continued corporate finance to firms that built the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) and Bayou Bridge Pipeline (BBP).

Western Shoshone Ian Zabarte. Photos courtesy Ian Zabarte in New York.

Photos courtesy Ian Zabarte

Western Shoshone Ian Zabarte in New York: " Shoshone bear the burden of US nuclear weapons testing'

Photos by Ian Zabarte
Article by Brenda Norrell
Censored News

NEW YORK -- Western Shoshone Ian Zabarte urged New York to divest in nuclear weapons on Wednesday.

"The Western Bands of the Shoshone Nation of Indians bear the burden of US nuclear weapons testing in Shoshone homelands at the Nevada National Security Site. Over 1,000 weapons tests have spread radiation across Shoshone country defined by the 1863 Treaty of Ruby Valley (Consolidated Treaty Series Vol. 127-1863)."

"We have had to find our own ways to address the adverse health consequences known to be plausible from exposure to radiation if radioactive fallout."

Newsflare reports, "Protesters in New York City gathered on Tuesday (January 28) centering around two pieces of disarmament legislation that instruct the Comptroller of New York to divest the city's pensions and finances from nuclear weapons producers, which will affirm that NYC remains a nuclear-weapons-free zone."

More than 500 New Mexicans attend Environmental Day at the Roundhouse

Photo Beata Tsosie-Peña , Rachele Agoyo and Elisa Lucero.

500-plus New Mexicans attend Environment Day at the Roundhouse

By Sierra Club

Censored News

More than 500 environmental activists descended on the New Mexico Roundhouse on Tuesday to learn about critical climate, air, land and wildlife legislation, get tips on lobbying their elected representatives and hear heartbreaking testimonials of those living with the everyday consequences of oil, gas and coal extraction.

“I don’t feel safe in my own home,” said Penny Aucoin, who was at home near Carlsbad last week when a nearby WPX pipe burst and showered Aucoin and her husband as well as their animals with fracking wastewater. “I did not ask for this. I signed no contracts warning me about this risk. Where is the advocacy and help for families who become victims? Protocol needs to be put into place so that this doesn’t not happen to anyone else ever.”

Lisa DeVille: Opposing Gutting the National Environmental Policy Act

Lisa DeVille: Opposing Gutting the National Environmental Policy Act

Letter to the Editor

By Lisa DeVille, Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara

Mandaree, North Dakota

January 28, 2020

Native communities have very few opportunities to voice our concern about major projects such as drilling, highways, pipelines right-of-ways, and industrial waste sites in our backyard. Yet the Trump Administration is trying to remove the few opportunities we do have by gutting the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). I stand in strong opposition to the proposed changes, which will without a doubt add poison to our air, dirty our water, and impact our health for generations. Gutting the 40-year-old NEPA regulations will result in less public comment, companies writing their own environmental reviews, bulldozed burial sites. We cannot afford to lose our voice in what happens in Fort Berthold and beyond.

Apache Annual March to Oak Flat, February 19-23, 2020

Download flyer at Apache Stronghold

6th Annual March to Oak Flat, February 19-23, 2020

We hope you can join us in solidarity with our spiritual journey of prayer and ceremony in protection of Chi'Chil Bildagoteel (Oak Flat). Each year hundreds of people have walked together for the 45 miles from the San Carlos reservation, through the mining towns of Miami and Globe, up to Oak Flat. Everyone is invited! This walk is of spiritual importance to the Apache Stronghold and a way for us all to commit to the protection of Oak Flat each year that the mine has still not been built!

Shoshone to address New York City Council divestiture from nuclear weapons

Shoshone to address New York City Council divestiture from nuclear weapons

January 28 Hearings on Disarmament

1. INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY

Hadrien Coumans, Lenape

Ian Zabarte, Western Bands of the Shoshone Nation of Indians

Border Wall: United States government destroying O'odham burial place

Photos above of O'odham land in A'al Vi'pia site (Quitobaquito.)
Photo below on the Tohono O'odham Nation, Highway 86.

United States government and contractors destroying O'odham burial place and sacred lands

Update Feb. 10, 2020: Contractors now blasting area of burial place of O'odham ancestors. Read more here

Photos copyright Ofelia Rivas

Article by Brenda Norrell

French translation by Christine Prat

Censored News
January 26, 2020

A'AL VI'PIA, O'odham Land -- Ofelia Rivas, Tohono O'odham, describes the destruction to O'odham lands, as the United States government and its contractors destroy burial places, sacred land and migration routes of endangered species for a piecemeal border wall on O'odham lands.

Human remains, dating between 300 and 1500, Classic Hohokam who are O'odham ancestors, were found in this area in the spring and fall of 2019. The U.S. government and the contractors knew they were violating state and federal laws by digging up graves in an area known as a sacred and ceremonial place of O'odham, and kept this secret until January of 2020.

"These contractors are responsible for speeding trucks, bulldozing our relatives and plants, destroying animal habitat, and natural animal and plant migration," Rivas told Censored News on Sunday.

Rivas is founder of O'odham Voice against the Wall and has spent her life speaking out against the U.S. Border Patrol and militarization of O'odham lands.

The United States government has violated all state and federal laws protecting Native American burial places; endangered species; migration routes and the water, land and air, to construct this illegal border wall.

The destruction affects O'odham who live on their land in communities on both sides of the so-called border in Arizona and Sonora, Mexico.

Although human remains were found in the spring and fall of 2019, the information was not made public until January 2020 after much destruction was already carried out. More destruction is now underway.

Rivas said, "The wall is piecemeal -- a systematic government policy. I wonder if this is an opportunity to generate controversy to distract the focus on other things going on behind the public eye."

Rivas also points out that Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument officials have long violated O'odham rights.

"The Organ Pipe authorities have long restricted access to A'al Vi'ai O'odham to conduct time immemorial ceremonies at the burial places and sacred springs."

"Tribal authorities have not only neglected these original homelands in their conscious but have continued their repetitious rhetoric trying their best to continue to conform to foreign capitalistic ideologies -- very damaging to O'odham obligations as original people of these lands with original mandates to live in balance with all nature."

"Our children and future generations are being robbed of an equitable life," Rivas told Censored News.

Rivas said the fast-tracked environmental assessment for the border wall shows the irresponsibility of the State of Arizona and United States federal government.

"Tribal governments have long been subjected to cut-and-paste environmental statements. Tribal governments have done a shoddy exercise of sovereignty for the protection of Indigenous cultural rights and protection of the people," Rivas said.

This week, a second truck loaded with border wall materials crashed on Arizona State Highway 86 near the site where the previous truck crashed loaded with border wall construction materials in October. Both trucks crashed on the Tohono O'odham Nation.

"The border wall contractors Southwest Valley Constructors of Albuquerque, and all the other contractors, are speeding from the border to Ajo, Arizona. The trucks speeding on Highway 86 are endangering people on the road."

"The State government is being irresponsible endangering not just local O'odham, but also endangering local tourist citizens and winter visitors. The main traffic is on Highway 86."

"The State must reconsider this traffic route for the safety of all. A petro truck crashed on this highway last year."

Rivas said, "I am an original person of these lands. I have long strived to be a voice for the plants and animals, the water and mountains, and honored O'odham that have survived since the beginning of time to continue our honored sacred obligations to live here."

"I am a witness to the outright ethnocidal manipulation of our people in writing, in an adverse foreign language, to distort and change our people who are in so-called authority."

"I am a witness to physical and psychological war tactics, attacks on O'odham. I have witnessed the commodification and commercialization of our ancient knowledge from our land, knowledge of our ceremonial and our hunting and tracking knowledge, and to our food knowledge."

"It is this neglect that has affected our people by diminishing women's knowledge and men's responsibilities, and knowledge of the responsibilities of our future generations," Rivas said.

Copyright Ofelia Rivas, Censored News

may not be used without permission

O'odham Voice against the Wall, O'odham Solidarity Project
http://www.solidarity-project.org/

In the news:

(Arizona Central) "Regardless that it isn't within our reservation boundaries anymore, but it's clear, we have inhabited this area since time immemorial," Chairman Ned Norris Jr. said. "They're our ancestors. They're our remnants of who we are as a people, throughout this whole area. And it's our obligation, it's our duty to do what is necessary to protect that."

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/pinal/2020/01/21/tohono-oodham-historic-sites-risk-over-border-wall-construction/4527025002/

(National Park Service) Three bone fragments were found atop the ground during work last spring and fall close by Quitobaquito Springs near the southwestern corner of the monument, Marco De Leon, chief of public affairs for the Park Service's Intermountain Region in Colorado, said Tuesday in an email. The fragments are suspected to be of the Classic Hohokam Period," said De Leon. That period dates to between 300 and 1500 AD.

https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2020/01/bone-found-organ-pipe-cactus-national-monument-could-be-human

(Censored News) In October, when these photos were taken, Southwest Valley Constructors of Albuquerque was bulldozing protected Saguaro Cactus for the border wall in Arizona. They dug up human remains of O'odham ancestors from a grave near the sacred spring at Organ Pipe. It was kept secret until January. The U.S. government and the contractor knew it was violating all state and federal protection laws. Human remains were also dug up in the spring of 2019 here, according to the National Parks Service, in an e-mail made public in January. https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2019/10/border-wall-trumps-bulldozers-killing.html

Zapatistas: Community Radio Member, River Protector, Arrested

Communique Denouncing the Illegal Arrest of CNI Compañero Miguel López Vega

To the people of Mexico:
To the Networks of Resistance and Rebellion:
To the Sixth in Mexico and abroad:
To the press:
The National Indigenous Congress, Indigenous Governing Council, and Zapatista Army for National Liberation denounce the cowardly arrest of our compañero Miguel López Vega, CNI delegate, member of the Zacatepec community radio and of the People’s Front in Defense of the Land and Water of Puebla, Morelos, and Tlaxcala. This arrest was carried out by armed members of the bad government who, without identifying themselves, detained Miguel on a supposed arrest warrant.
The kidnapping of our compañero outside Government Secretariat Offices today, January 24, at 2:30 pm, is the response of those who say they govern this country to the originary people’s determination to prevent the destruction and industrial contamination of the Metlapanapa River. This repression is their answer to being confronted with life where they only saw money soaked in the pain of our people.
As peoples of the CNI-CIG, we voice our opposition to the destruction and privatization of the Metlapanapa River which, along with the other megaprojects of death, aims to subjugate our country with mourning and war.
We demand immediate freedom for our compañero Miguel López Vega.
Sincerely,
January 2020
Never Again a Mexico Without Us
National Indigenous Congress
Indigenous Governing Council

Note: At least 20 companies intend to divert their toxic waste to the river Metlapanapa according to those who defend the river.

https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/30102019-defenders-of-the-river-metlapanapa-in-zacatepec-puebla

January 25, 2020

Mohawk Nation News 'Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? Not I!'

WHO’S AFRAID OF THE BIG BAD WOLF? NOT I!

Posted on January 23, 2020

Mohawk Nation News

MNN. 23 Jan. 2020. The new Minister of Indigenous Services, Marc Miller, is a Cabinet minister who is also an army reservist of the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command. Indian Affairs is a department of the army. Turtle Island is illegally occupied by a foreign military force.

Read article at Mohawk Nation News:

http://mohawknationnews.com/blog/2020/01/23/whos-afraid-of-the-big-bad-wolf-not-i/

January 24, 2020

Police ban legal observers from Wet'suwet'en

Canadian police, RCMP, caught on video

Watch video of RCMP telling attorney he will not be allowed back in:

https://www.facebook.com/WaterProtectorLegal/videos/2565988930392019/

Breaking News: Police Ban Legal Observers from Wet’suwet’en
In this video, Canadian Police tell Water Protector Legal Collective (WPLC) Co-Director Carl Williams that he is banned from re-entering Unist’ot’en Camp, after he conducted three legal observer trainings at the request of the camp. According to police, any lawyers not licensed in “British Columbia,” will not be allowed to pass roadblocks. This is a clear effort to target, harass, and intimidate international human rights and legal workers and observers, and to strip Wet’suwet’en people of their access to human rights legal support in their effort to protect their land from pipelines that could carry tar sands gas and oil to the Pacific Coast. Part of the ongoing legacy of settler colonialism, these efforts by police (RCMP) to control who can and cannot enter Wet’suwet’en land is a flagrant violation of their sovereignty and right to control their own land. We ask you to support Unist’ot’en Camp, in particular, their legal support fundraising efforts.
#unistoten #wetsuwetenstrong #WPLC #humanrights

Donate Now to the Unist’ot’en Legal Fund!
https://actionnetwork.org/fundraisi…/unistoten2020legalfund/
Unistoten Supporter Toolkit: http://unistoten.camp/supportertoolkit2020/

For News and Updates Follow:
@Unistotencamp
@Gidimten
@WaterProtectUs

For More Information on Unistoten:
https://unistoten.camp/
For more Information on WPLC:
https://waterprotectorlegal.org/
https://www.facebook.com/WaterProtectorLegal/

January 23, 2020

Mohawk Nation News 'Fight against illegal pipelines continues'

FIGHT AGAINST ILLEGAL PIPELINES CONTINUES

Posted on January 22, 2020

Mohawk Nation News

MNN. 22 Jan. 2020. The cana’jon [canadians] have once again brought worldwide attention to their criminality and theft of onkwehonweh land and resources. Warrior societies of turtle island are on alert. In 1990 the military surrounded the kanienkehaka Mohawks, stopped all communication, cut off food and supplies and surrounded the community with over 5000 heavily armed soldiers with weapons of war.

Read article at Mohawk Nation News:

http://mohawknationnews.com/blog/2020/01/22/fight-against-illegal-pipelines-continues/

January 22, 2020

Rally to Support Indigenous Youth Arrested in Support of Wet’suwet’en

Indigenous Youth Arrested in Support of Wet’suwet’en

Watch video: "We have a sacred responsibility to the land.
Youths arrested and released: Indigenous youths shaken up after being arrested, chant: "When Indigenous youths are under attack what do we do?"
"Stand up fight back."
https://www.facebook.com/indigenousclimateaction/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 22, 2020

WHAT:
Yesterday, Indigenous Youth of Nuuchahnulth, Tla’amin, Sto:lo, Namgis, Heiltsuk,, Lil’wat, Xwlemi, Qayqayt, Lue Chogh Tue, Shishalh and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Nations occupied the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources in solidarity with Wet’suwet’en, amplifying the demands of the Wet'suwet'en hereditary leadership for the RCMP to stand down and remove their blockade on the Wet'suwet'en yintahs and for Premier Horgan to meet directly with hereditary leaders.

The youth locked themselves together, surrounded by their medicines, at 11 AM PST, January 21. Throughout the course of the day, the Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum, Michelle Mungal, refused to meet with the youth to receive a letter that included a list of four demands made by the Hereditary Chiefs of the Wet’suwet’en Nation. Around 5 AM PST on January 22, arrests of the youth began. While being forcibly removed from the device, many of the youth were in pain and felt trauma both by the police presence and the touching of their regalia.

Today at 8 AM PST, a snap rally will occur to Support Indigenous Youth for Wet'suwet' in Solidarity. This will occur at the Ministry of Energy & Mines (1810 Blanshard St Fl 6TH, Lekwungen Territory (Victoria), British Columbia V8T 4J1).

WHO:

Indigenous Youth for Wet’suwet’en

WHERE/WHEN:

11:00 AM PST, January 22, 2020

Ministry of Energy & Mines

1810 Blanshard St Fl 6TH

Lekwungen Territory (Victoria), British Columbia V8T 4J1

This event will be livestreamed from the Indigenous Climate Action Facebook (@indigenouscliamteaction)

MEDIA CONTACT:

Lindsey Bacigal, Director of Communications

lindsey@indigenousclimateaction.com

WhatsApp: 613.875.3267

January 21, 2020

Runners arrive in Window Rock honoring Missing and Murdered Indigenous People

Photos by Western Shoshone Carl Bad Bear Sampson
Sunrise Prayer Run, Flagstaff to Window Rock
Runners ran through the drizzling rain and snow today for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People