Tiokasin's Guest on First Voices Radio: Ofelia Rivas, O'odham Rights

First Voices Radio -- Ofelia Rivas, Guest

Listen Now

https://radiokingston.org/en/broadcast/first-voices-radio/episodes/ofelia-rivas-guest

Ofelia Rivas, Tohono O'odham, speaks with First Voices Radio host Tiokasin Ghosthorse, Lakota. Ofelia describes how the U.S. Border Patrol murdered her friend Raymond Mattia, Tohono O'odham, at his home on the Tohono O'odham Nation.

Ofelia shares how Ray's father was her spiritual mentor and taught her about O'odham ceremonies. "Raymond is my ceremony brother, and I have a lot of respect for him."

Ofelia describes the moments leading up to Ray's murder when about 25 U.S. Border Patrol trucks arrived. After murdering Raymond, Ofelia could hear the U.S. Border Patrol agents laughing about murdering him. The gunfire included two shots from the back, and U.S. Border Patrol agents bashed in Raymond's body after he was shot and dying.

"He died such a painful death," Ofelia said. "He was unarmed."

Ofelia filed a civil rights complaint which was denied by the U.S. Justice Department. A Tohono O'odham Nation police officer, a non-tribal member, who had continually harassed Raymond, led the U.S. Border Patrol to Ray's home that night.

Ofelia said this tribal police officer's actions are a hate crime.

Raymond Mattia

Read more:

Tohono O'odham Nation police officer's vendetta revealed in murder of Raymond Mattia

Censored News: 

The vendetta of a Tohono O'odham Nation police officer is revealed by attorneys for the family of Raymond Mattia, Tohono O'odham, who was murdered when Tohono O'odham police and U.S. Border Patrol agents fired 38 shots at him, striking him with nine bullets, in front of his home.

“I don’t know exactly where that motherfucker's at," a Tohono O'odham Nation police officer told U.S. Border Patrol agents as they met shortly before Raymond was murdered. The officer is a non-tribal member, hired by the tribal police department.

"During a series of interviews between 2011 and 2013, on the border in Raymond's community, Ali Jegk, Raymond told Censored News that he videotaped U.S. Border Patrol agents escorting Mexican cartels bringing drug loads across the border. When Raymond submitted the evidence, it vanished."

Continue reading:

https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2023/12/tohono-oodham-police-vendetta-revealed.html

Civil Rights complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Justice for justice for Raymond Mattia on Nov. 7, 2024, by Ophelia Rivas, O'odham Voice Against the Wall

https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2024/11/us-justice-department-complaint-filed.html

The Intercept: Arizona prosecutor fails to charge Border Patrol agents in Mattia's death

https://theintercept.com/2023/10/11/border-patrol-raymond-mattia/

First Voices Radio

Tiokasin’s guest this week is our friend Ofelia Rivas. Ofelia says this on her website (oodhamrights.org): “The O’odham way of life is based on the land that has held the remains of our ancestors since the creation of this world. The O’odham did not migrate from anywhere according to our oral history.  Our creation tellings record our history and teach the O’odham the principles of life. The survival of O’odham today is our him’dag.” Ofelia can be reached at her email address: 4oodhamrights@gmail.com

Support Ofelia's human rights work on her website, O'odham Rights

https://www.oodhamrights.org/

Tiokasin Ghosthorse joins Owe Aku Board

Owe Aku International Justice Project Owe Aku Bring Back the Way

Tiokasin Ghosthorse joins Owe Aku IJP Board Owe Aku is a grassroots organization of Lakota people and our allies founded to promote the protection of sacred water and preservation of our territorial lands.  Our actions for environmental justice rely upon cultural revitalization as our major tool in achieving our goals.  The principle location from which are operations are based are on Lakota territory along Wounded Knee Creek on what is called the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation .  More information on our work can be found atwww.oweakuinternational.org Owe Aku IJP is pleased to announce that Tiokasin Ghosthorse has agreed to join our board and be a part of Owe Aku’s work in protecting the Lakota homeland and preserving SacredWater. "We have to stop with the idea of creating peace on earth and begin with creating peace with Mother Earth. We've tried the first alternative for thousands of years, but look where that has led us, now is the time of the Original Ways, the Native ways, after all ... it is coming this way - that we all must make peace with Mother Earth - there is no more altering the native way.”  [Tiokasin Ghosthorse] Tiokasin’s work in media, as a musician, a poet, philosopher and an artist, will be a great addition to our board and though he has been a hard-working supporting of all our work for years, it is now our privilege and honor to have him join us in this capacity.  Wopila! Tiokasin Ghosthorse is from the Cheyenne River Lakota (Sioux) Nation of South Dakota and the bands of Itazipco/Mnicoujou and Oglala. He is the host of First Voices Indigenous Radio on WBAI NY - Pacifica Radio. Tiokasin has been described as “a spiritual agitator, natural rights organizer, Indigenous thinking process educator and a community activator.” One reviewer called him “a cultural resonator in the key of life.” Tiokasin Ghosthorse is also a master musician and one of the great exponents of the ancient red cedar Lakota flute, and plays traditional and contemporary music, using both Indigenous and European instruments. He has been a major figure in preserving and reviving the cedar wood flute tradition and has combined “spoken word” and music in performances since childhood. Tiokasin performs worldwide and has been featured at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, Lincoln Center, Madison Square Garden, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and at the United Nations as well as at numerous universities and concert venues. You are receiving this email because you are an ally in our struggle to preserve sacredwater Our mailing address is: Owe Aku International Justice Project 720 W. 173rd St., #59 New York, NY 10032 Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences

You are receiving this email because you are an ally in our struggle to preserve sacredwater Our mailing address is: Owe Aku International Justice Project 720 W. 173rd St., #59 New York, NY 10032 Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences