Ofelia Rivas, Tohono O'odham, with website creator Jeff Hendricks |
O'odham Solidarity website creator journeys to Spirit World
By Ofelia Rivas
Censored News
To all our Friends and Supporters,
My dear friend and honorable warrior Jeffery D. Hendricks took his journey to the infinite spirit world on January 13, 2021. In his memorial my family honors him with words from my daughter, “It’s hard to put into words the kind of person he was. He was all the good things a man should be but how difficult it is to be that man. One so sensitive and can see the dark side of people, but strong and will stand up and be a fighter." Jeff was surrounded by a diverse wealth of people with long time memories with him.
These are a few of my memories:
Jeff was the reserved presence at California punk rock venue as Resistance Culture takes stage and he escorted me through the sea of powerful anarchist people to give my talk on human rights violations on O’odham lands.
Jeff made his commitment to protect a sacred place, as he walked with us for 2 days on a prayer walk for 6 years. His mild nature, with integrity to protect the Elders identities, he blended in with the ceremonial people and Elders. He was also the fun, stealth chuckwalla hunter on the lava fields near the ocean and the barefoot walker through sands at the sea.
Jeff without intrusion on my integrity used his skills to “fix” the written language on O’odham VOICE Against the WALL posters and statements, official legal documents and especially the Standing Rock support statement, 16 years worth of O’odham resistance words.
In O’odham culture we prepare and bury our loved ones in four days and we mourn for one year.
With difficulty, it has become necessary to address some issues related to Jeff's support website O’odham Solidarity Project.org. Jeff created and managed this website for support to O’odham VOICE Against the WALL, a grassroots group of ceremonial and traditional leaders existing on both sides of the International border. O’odham VOICE Against the WALL was founded by myself, Ofelia (Ophelia) Rivas in 2003 to bring awareness to human rights violations and the increasing militarization of O’odham lands along the United States and Mexico border.
Today the PayPal account connected with O’odham Solidarity Project.org is illegally still functioning. I have requested of the family to add a notice on the website and close the PayPal account and also to begin to dismantle the website. I have also requested that any recent donations be returned to donors.
We want to direct our long time friends and supporters to the new website to continue the work of O’odham VOICE Against the WALL.
The new website is www.oodhamrights.org
I am still at 4oodhamrights@gmail.com and at P.O. Box 1935 Sells, Arizona 85634
We miss and will always love Jeffery D. Hendricks
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