As we begin our 14th year at Censored News, we share with you some of the most extraordinary news that has come our way. It is good to go through these old stories, because not only are the details often forgotten, but so is the perspective, a way of seeing the world. Here are a few highlights from Censored News.
Photos: Attacks on water protectors at Standing Rock. 1 Those responsible for attack with dogs. 2 Heath Harmon 3 US militarized law enforcement. 4. Water Protector attacked by dogs. 5. Deep cover infiltrators at Standing Rock and Iowa.
The paid FBI informant, Fusion Center, special ops military infiltrator, and US excessive force that the United States failed to mention during international human rights hearing By Brenda Norrell Censored News KINGSTON, Jamaica -- The United States failed to take responsibility for the excessive force resulting in serious injury at Standing Rock, and for placing an FBI informant in the camp of water protectors during the US testimony at the Inter-American Human Rights Commission.
Criminalizing Indigenous Peoples, Oil Companies Engineer New 'Riot Boosting' Laws after Standing Rock, Dine' Michelle Cook Testifies before Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in Jamaica By Brenda Norrell Censored News French translation by Christine Prat KINGSTON, Jamaica -- The United States engaged in the criminalization of Indigenous Peoples at Standing Rock, and continues this abrogation of human rights with new legislation engineered by the oil companies, Michelle Cook, Dine', told the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in Jamaica. The United States will tell you that the U.S. protects Indigenous Peoples, and supports the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Michelle testified. "They will talk to you about a consultation policy, in compliance with human rights." "What they won't tell you is how those rights are abrogated, extinguished and divested for private profit for oil companies like ETP (Energy Transfer Partners) and TransCanada." "I'm here to tell the Indian side of what we learned during and after the phenomenon of Standing Rock and the Dakota Access Pipeline." "In the case of the Dakota Access Pipeline, during the seven months, from September 2016 to February 2017, at least 76 law enforcement agencies and 35 federal agencies and private security firms, hired by the oil company were present at some time." "Over the seven months, law enforcement's prosecutors aggressively charged 841 water protectors exercising their Constitutional right in peaceful assembly." Many of these arrested were detained and subjected to abusive conditions. They were subjected to unnecessary strip searches and jailed hours away from camp in humiliating conditions, Michelle told the Commission. Local authorities aggressively prosecuted 841 water protectors, despite the lack of probable cause and the fact that there was no evidence in the vast majority of the cases. "The Water Protector Legal Collective is pursuing a class action lawsuit for the injuries that occurred on November 20." Now, following Standing Rock, Michelle testified that "oil and gas interests are pushing to criminalize protests against their fossil fuel projects, by engineering bills purportedly to protect against critical infrastructure sabotage." Currently there are 95 anti-protest bills being proposed in 35 states including North Dakota. Of these, 14 have passed, 24 are pending, and 55 have been expired and defeated. There are 28 currently pending in state legislatures. In Texas, House Bill 3557 would make some forms of protest a second degree felony on par with second degree murder. In South Dakota, the riot boosting act has created a fund specifically dedicated to going after groups who are not in the state, in a direct response to Standing Rock "We encourage the Commission to look at these bills and follow the recommendations of the Special Rapporteur." Michelle testified with Ofelia Rivas, Tohono O'odham testifying on militarization of border; Casey Camp Horinek, Ponca Tribal Councilwoman testifying on abusive arrest at Standing Rock; and Leoyla Cowboy, Dine' wife of imprisoned Standing Rock Water Protector Michael Little Feather Giron, Chumash. Michelle Cook, Dine' (Navajo), is a Dine' lawyer, and organizer of the women's delegation to the Commission in Jamaica. She is founder of Divest, Invest, Protect. Michelle is a commissioner of the Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission, and co-founder of the Water Protector Legal Collective at Standing Rock. As a Fulbright Scholar, she lived in New Zealand and learned of the Maori culture. She has traveled to Iran on cultural exchange, and was present at the Conference on Mother Earth in Cochabamba, Bolivia, in 2010. She is currently pursuing an advanced law degree in the Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy Program at the University of Arizona in Tucson. Read more in our series from Jamaica: Tohono O'odham Ofelia Rivas' testimony: US seeks to annihilate Indigenous Peoples. https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2019/05/us-homeland-security-aims-to-annihilate.html Live from Jamaica -- Native Women Testify: https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2019/05/live-from-jamaica-inter-american.html Water Protector Leoyla Cowboy, Dine', honors NO DAPL Political Prisoners https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2019/05/water-is-life-political-prisoners.html Tohono O'odham Ofelia Rivas delayed two days by airline, with repeated searches, after U.S. slaps SSSS status on her boarding passes following testimony in Jamaica. Ofelia testified about the militarization of the border, and abuse by the U.S. Border Patrol https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2019/05/militarization-at-standing-rock-and.html Brutalized at Standing Rock, Poisoned by Extractive Industries, Ponca Casey Camp Horinek Testifies https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2019/05/brutalized-at-standing-rock-and.html United States places blame on TigerSwan, private security, not police, for excessive force at Standing Rock https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2019/05/united-states-blames-excessive-force-at.html Donate to Censored News for travel expenses for live coverage from Jamaica https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2019/05/censored-news-fundraiser-coverage-of.html Copyright Brenda Norrell, Censored News
Ofelia Rivas with Govinda Dalton Sunday. Photo Brenda Norrell.
Native American Women Testifying in Jamaica Targeted by U.S. during Re-Entry into United States By Brenda Norrell Censored News May 12, 2019 French translation by Christine Prat TUCSON -- The militarization at Standing Rock was no different than the militarization at the border on Tohono O'odham Nation land. "They want to try and treat us like we are not human beings," Ofelia Rivas, Tohono O'odham, said on Sunday afternoon.
Rivas, returning from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights hearing in Jamaica, described the harassment and profiling she received after testifying. After the hearing in Jamaica on Friday, Rivas was targeted and delayed for two days, after an "SSSS" label was placed on her ticket in Jamaica. Tagged for constant searches, delays, and harassment in Jamaica, Miami and Dallas, Rivas said it is the same profiling, targeting and mistreatment she and other O'odham receive on a daily basis at the U.S. Mexico border in their homeland. The extreme abuse caused her and another Native woman who testified in Jamaica, to miss their flights. The journey back to Arizona from Jamaica, which should have taken hours in flying time, took two days. Rivas was tagged with "SSSS" on her ticket, a tactic by the United States government that is becoming common place for Indigenous human rights activists. Beyond Tucson, Rivas has to endure the U.S. security checkpoints. Often there are more delays, especially for Rivas and others who speak O'odham. They are often placed in secondary screening by U.S. Border Patrol agents. During an interview with Govinda Dalton at Earthcycles on Sunday afternoon, Rivas described the 500 years of genocidal practices, which continue today. Rivas said the U.S. Border Patrol, under Homeland Security, has attempted to oppress the people. At the Human Rights Hearing in Jamaica, Rivas said her purpose was to describe the militarization and the attempt to dehumanize human beings carried out by the United States government. Rivas was in a delegation of Native American women who testified on the criminalization of Native people. Testifying in Jamaica on Thursday were Michelle Cook, Dine', Leoyla Cowboy, Dine', and Casey Camp Horinek, Ponca. They told of the abuse by police at Standing Rock, and those now suffering and abused for protecting the water. "My focus there was the mindset of the United States government," Rivas said, describing the racism toward people of color in the United States. "We are under surveillance all the time." "These inhumane policies mean we are not treated equally as human beings." Rivas said "heavily armed military interrogate our elders" and they do not speak English or Spanish. They speak O'odham. The new integrated fixed towers have been approved by the Tohono O'odham Nation, Rivas said. The company, Elbit Systems of Israel, is the same company that oppresses the people of Palestine. Rivas said the targeting and delays getting home are the harassment that Palestinians and Indigenous are enduring around the world. "I endured two days, trying to get home, and I'm not home yet." "We have survived 500 years of this type of attack on our lives." "We will survive these attacks." "I feel that what has happened in Standing Rock has opened the eyes of the world to the genocidal policies that the United States has, in what they call the greatest country in the world." "It only applies to certain people, and certainly not to me." The egregious attitude of the United States toward Indigenous Peoples human rights was obvious at the hearing, when the U.S. showed no respect to the Commissioners. Rivas pointed out that during the hearing, the US delegation from the United States Embassy and State Department, told the Commission that it was "incompetent" and that the U.S. does not have to comply with these laws -- laws that govern the whole world, Rivas said. "I hope that I am able to speak on the behalf of all the animals and plants and the people that do not have a voice." Rivas said corporations fund the deep pockets and make an impact on every aspect of our lives. When the Tohono O'odham Nation approved the integrated fixed towers, (known as spy towers) they did not think of the impact on the natural world, she said. They didn't think about the bees, how they pollinate the plants, or the future generations of children, she said. Although the United States attempts to convince people that terrorists may enter from the southern border. Rivas said investigations prove otherwise. "We don't believe that garbage." At the hearing in Jamaica, Mexico told of the missing Indigenous women and children. She said this is happening to Indigenous women and children around the world. Censored News has daily live coverage of the hearing, May 8 -- 10, 2019. Please support Ofelia Rivas work: Ofelia needs new tires to continue her work, including taking O'odham elders to meetings. Donations can be sent to: Ofelia Rivas PO Box 1835 Sells, Arizona 85634
The following article is from 2015, but the spy towers are still planned. .
Breaking News Exclusive! US Israeli spy tower pact targets Tohono O'odham sacred mountain and spying on traditional O'odham By Brenda Norrell
GU-VO, Tohono O'odham Nation -- The US has targeted two traditional Tohono O'odham districts, Gu-Vo District and Chukut Kuk District, with 15 new US spy towers built by the Israeli Apartheid corporation Elbit Systems, responsible for Apartheid security surrounding Palestine.
On Tohono O'odham land, the US conceals the fact the US Homeland Security gave the spy towers contract to the Israeli corporation Elbit Systems, responsible for the Apartheid security surrounding Palestine and a manufacturer of drones.
The Gu-Vo District opposes this proposal. Gu-Vo is in the western most district of the Tohono O'odham Nation.
The Gu-Vo District said in a statement, "The Gu-Vo District opposes these proposed tower sites to protect cultural sites on the holy mountain now called the Ajo Mountain Range. The mountain holds human remains of our people and also places of our cultural practices (medicine bundles) home and home of the ceremonial deer and bighorn sheep and mountain tortoises that are protected under the Endangered Species Act."
"The United States government military forces, the border patrol, have not been forthcoming with impact information, such as health effects and have deliberately misinformed the people regarding the immediate environmental impacts such as the roads they will build on the mountain and installation of electrical power lines to the sites as well as that these proposed tower sites will have a 25-year or longer impact on the mountain, the animal and plant life and
Tohono O'odham 1916
the O'odham lives."
"The Gu-Vo District communities landscape have already been greatly impacted by numerous unauthorized roads and destruction of our mountains and hills of great significance to the O'odham way of life. Our future generations will face more restriction to live on our original lands as our rights as original Indigenous peoples continue to deteriorate."
"These U.S. proposed towers also are not on the border but in our communities and on the border of the Tohono O'odham Nation reiterating discrimination and deliberate attack on the O'odham," said Gu-Vo District.
While the US attempts to conceal who this contract has been granted to, the US border contract was celebrated in Israel.
Last year US Homeland Security gave the $145 million Integrated Fixed Tower to Elbit Systems, an Israeli defense contractor, instead of to a US corporation. Prior to this contract, Boeing spent $1 billion attempting to build spy towers before announcing that its spy towers on the Arizona border did not work.
US Border Patrol with spy cameras pointed into the home
of a traditional O'odham woman
The Israeli spy towers are the latest attack on the traditional O’odham, and a means of surveillance and oppression, for O'odham who live in their sovereign homeland. The increase of US and Israeli militarization on sovereign Tohono O'odham land has resulted in widespread human rights abuses, including rapes and murders carried out by US Border Patrol agents. US Border Patrol agents have been arrested and convicted in every region of the US border for running drugs. A Congressional hearing revealed that hundreds of US Border Patrol and ICE agents have been arrested and convicted of drug smuggling and serving as "spotters." Spotters are look-outs for the Mexican cartels and provide safe passage for the cartels to transport large loads of drugs into the US. The US government has armed the Mexican cartels since 2005 by way of the US ATF's Project Gunrunner, Wide Receiver and Fast and Furious. The US media has failed to expose how US agents are involved in drug smuggling at the southern border. The US uses the excuse of this so-called war on drugs in an attempt to justify these US Israeli spy towers, which violate all laws of privacy and human rights in the US. Meanwhile, universities have partnered with Israel to target Indigenous Peoples in the creation of drones and surveillance.
The University of Arizona in Tucson is boycotted by O'odham human rights activists for designing drones and border surveillance which target and kill Indigenous Peoples globally. San Carlos Apache also boycott the University of Arizona for taking the lead, with the Pope, in placing massive telescopes on sacred Mount Graham in Arizona.
Above: US spy tower near Sells, Arizona, on the sovereign Tohono O'odham Nation, viewed with outrage by a delegation of Mohawks, Lakota, Dine' and Pueblo during the Indigenous Border Summit of the Americas in 2007. The spy tower was located next to the "cage," constructed of a metal fence and concrete floor where migrants were detained, including Indigenous Peoples from Mexico and Central America, walking and hoping for a better life. Large numbers of Indigenous Peoples have died on the Tohono O'odham Nation of thirst and dehydration. The Tohono O'odham Nation created a law which made it a crime to give a drink of water, or aid, to migrants. This law was opposed by Tohono O'odham human rights activists who say they have been instructed by their ancestors to carry out a spiritual way of life for all of creation, the Himdaag way of life.
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Background: The IFT systems will consist of surveillance equipment (e.g., ground surveillance radars and surveillance cameras) mounted on fixed (i.e., stationary) tower(s); all necessary power generation and communications equipment to support these tower sites; and command and control (C2) center equipment (including one or more operator workstations) that are capable of displaying information received from surveillance towers on a common operating picture (COP), based on current BP AoRs. copyright, Brenda Norrell, Censored News For permission to republish: brendanorrell@gmail.com Please share our link to this article: http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2015/09/us-israeli-pact-targets-traditional.html Copyright Ofelia Rivas, Brenda Norrell, Govinda Dalton. No portion may be used without permission.
Casey Camp Horinek, Ponca. Photo Brenda Norrell in Jamaica In Jamaica, Casey Camp Horinek, Ponca, shows the number that Morton County, North Dakota,which jailers marked on her arm, when she was arrested and caged in a dog cage, Oct. 27, 2016, during prayers at Standing Rock with Water Protectors.
Water Protectors Detailed Abuse of Standing Rock Water Protectors and Abuse by U.S. Border Patrol at the Border, in Jamaica, at International Human Rights Hearinh by Brenda Norrell Censored News brendanorrell@gmail.com May 9, 2019 Updated French translation at: http://www.chrisp.lautre.net/wpblog/?p=5087&fbclid=IwAR2o9lGYYdThtc3P_VoDPkpBSx0bf3_3qLNd99LxGO2J5NJdsRrvaV_xSyQ KINGSTON, Jamaica -- The Inter- American Commission on Human Rights heard testimony from Leoyla Cowboy, Dine', as a Native women's delegation delivered powerful testimony of abuse by police and the criminalization of water protectors.
Photos by Brenda Norrell in Jamaica, Censored News
A delegation of the United States, comprised of the U.S. State Department and U.S. Embassy, failed to combat the power of testimony delivered by the Native Women's Delegation in Jamaica By Brenda Norrell Censored News KINGSTON, Jamaica -- Native Water Protectors have a place in history. Their sacrifices to protect the water, land, air and all living things is so powerful that when Native women testified in Jamaica this week, the United States sent a delegation from the U.S. Embassy and U.S. State Department in a failed attempt to protect the image of the United States and present the United States as abiding by its own laws. Read Censored News detailed coverage of the United States response to the testimony at: https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2019/05/united-states-blames-excessive-force-at.html
(Photo above) February 1, 2017, eviction of Last Child Camp at Standing Rock, ND (photo: Ryan Vizzions Standing Rock Rising)
By Water Protector Legal Collective
Censored News
BISMARCK, North Dakota – The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) recently announced that it will conduct a hearing on the Suppression of Indigenous Resistance to Extractive Industries in North America.
