Tohono O'odham Ofelia Rivas with Extinction Rebellion in New York

Singer and actress Melba Moore (left) with Ofelia Rivas in New York.
Photo courtesy Ofelia Rivas

Photo by Ofelia Rivas

Photo Ofelia Rivas

Photo Ofelia Rivas

Tohono O'odham Ofelia Rivas with Extinction Rebellion in New York

Consumerism driven by the corporate system threatens Mother Earth -- Ofelia Rivas

Article by Brenda Norrell
Censored News
French translation by Christine Prat

NEW YORK -- Tohono O'odham Ofelia Rivas spoke to a gathering of Extinction Rebellion in New York on Black Friday, sharing the need to protect Mother Earth.

Ofelia Rivas said she "shared the message for people to consider a personal conscious choice to end consumerism driven by this corporate system."

"The message from Indigenous Peoples is to protect Mother Earth. They are here taking this action, and it is a sign that people have heard our message," Rivas told Censored News.

In New York, Rivas opened the 20 Million Women Strong organization event in the East Village.

While in New York, Rivas provided a prayer song for Bolivians at the "Impunity with the Aymara Community of Bolivia," gathering of The Center for Constitutional Rights and Harvard Law.

At the Concerned Citizens for Change meeting at Manhattan College, Rivas also delivered a presentation.

The Extinction Rebellion action in New York was part of planned Black Friday protests around the world, with activists blockading shopping malls in Paris, Montreal and Madrid, calling for an end to consumerism.

Rivas is founder of O'odham Voice against the Wall and has lived her life on her homeland, battling the U.S. Border Patrol who sit outside her home. One U.S. Border Patrol Special Operations Agent from El Paso pulled a gun on her as he was stalking her at her gate. 

After testifying before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in Jamaica in May on the militarization of her homeland, and abuses by U.S. Homeland Security and its Border Patrol on the Tohono O'odham Nation, Ofelia was delayed two days returning home after being targeted by U.S. Homeland Security with repeated searches because of her testimony.

Currently, protected Saguaro Cactus and endangered species are being destroyed near Rivas' home on the Tohono O'odham Nation. At the nearby Organ Pipe National Monument, construction of a border wall segment, now endangers a sacred spring. The border wall construction all along the Arizona border is now blocking the migration paths of jaguar, pronghorn and other rare and endangered species.

The border wall has already proved worthless, as an eight-year-old climber scaled a mock wall in seconds. On the California border recently, the border wall was cut open and a truck driven through it. 

Previously Rivas and O'odham elders returned the remains of their ancestors to their resting place after they were dug up by the United States' construction of a border vehicle barrier on the Tohono O'odham Nation.

Now, the human rights violator Elbit Systems, an Israeli defense contractor responsible for Apartheid security in Palestine, is constructing spy towers on the Tohono O'odham Nation. These integrated fixed towers, contracted by U.S. Homeland Security in remote O'odham communities will continue the spying and stalking of O'odham, which is already underway by the U.S. Border Patrol.

On Friday, at least 27 members of the Extinction Rebellion were arrested in New York.

“This is a real crisis. It’s a moral crisis. We’re in a very sad place,” said Manhattan resident Sarah Kollodny, 80, reports The New York Post.

“We really want to draw attention to what’s happening in the world. Black Friday is a day of strong consumerism,” she added, urging people to “reflect on our resources and consumerism.”

Extinction Rebellion members carried signs calling for “Empathy, humility, frugality” and declaring a “climate emergency,” caused by what they said were carbon emissions from excessive consumption.

Photos copyright Ofelia Rivas
Article copyright Ofelia Rivas, Brenda Norrell, Censored News

VIDEO Indigenous Women Land Defenders at U.N. New York

Tokata Iron Eyes, 14-year-old Dakota, is among youths who first brought attention to Dakota Access Pipeline threatening Standing Rock. "We are the new generation."
"We are going to change the world."
"The only enemy that we have is ignorance."

"No one knows what they are doing right now, because they will hide it from us." LaDonna BraveBull Allard.

"We must empower ourselves. We have a right to live."

"It is about the right of our Mother Earth. It is about the Spirit of the Water."


"What is happening is ethnic cleansing." Michelle Cook, Dine' "We have all been lied to."

"We are not going to be lied to anymore."


"We are using and abusing the land." -- Kandi Mosset, Hidatsa, Mandan, Arikara, urging alternative energy. Corporations are not providing the alternatives the people are demanding.

https://www.facebook.com/WECAN.Intl/videos/2099351246760114/

Watch live below:

FEATURING:
Kandi Mossett (Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara; Lead Organizer on the Extreme Energy and Just Transition Campaign with the Indigenous Environmental Network)
Michelle Cook (Diné; human rights lawyer)
Gloria Ushigua (Sápara; President of the Association of Sápara Women, Ecuador)
LaDonna BraveBull Allard (Lakota historian, member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and founder/landowner of Sacred Stone Camp, North Dakota)
Tokata Iron Eyes (Hunkpapa and Oglala Lakota from the Standing Rock Reservation; Youth Advisor for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe; Youth Advisor for Sacred Stone Village; Administrator for Last Real Indians)
Thilmeeza Hussain (Former Deputy Ambassador to the UN from the Maldives; WECAN Advisory Council Member; Founder of Voice of Women, Maldives)
Event moderator, Osprey Orielle Lake (Founder and Executive Director, Women's Earth and Climate Action Network, WECAN International)
ABOUT: As a result of the dangerous intersection of colonialism, racism and patriarchy, Indigenous women around the world are impacted first and worst by the effects of environmental destruction and a rapidly changing climate. However despite all odds and against great challenges, it is these very same Indigenous women who are rising up, challenging the status quo, holding a vision, and taking action to build the vital solutions needed for a just and livable future.
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International Panel, Second Panel on the Livestream

Mirian Cisneros (President of the Kichwa Pueblo of Sarayaku, Ecuador) "This struggle is about the women." "Those who began the struggle are no longer with us, but their spirits are with us." Mirian is speaking of the transnational companies, the extraction, oil, mining, and logging, endangering the Amazon. 
Thilmeeza Hussain (Former Deputy Ambassador to the UN from the Maldives; WECAN Advisory Council Member; Founder of Voice of Women, Maldives) She describes how climate change is impacting her island. "It is climate genocide."
Gloria Ushigua (Sápara; President of the Association of Sápara Women, Ecuador) Gloria said she is not afraid to fight Ecuador. Her people are being killed quietly in the Amazon. 

Sheriffs at Door: Enbridge trying to shut down environmental group, seize assets

Now! Enbridge trying to shut down environmental group and seize assets

Update at 1 p.m. local time: Enbridge appears to have backed down following widespread exposure today.
Enbridge said on Twitter just now, "We have asked the Sheriffs not to seize any assets of Stand.earth and we will not be pursuing the matter further."
Check back for updates.

Press statement by Stand.earth 
October 17, 2017
Censored News
Watch video now: "It is an attempt to intimidate us and bully us. We will not be bullied," Stand member says of Enbridge, after Sheriff said they are seizing their computers, and will return with a moving truck. https://www.facebook.com/standearth/

VANCOUVER, BC - At this moment sheriffs are waiting outside the Stand.earth office at 207 W Hastings on Enbridge's orders to seize all assets of the organization.
This morning our staff was served a notice of writ of seizure and sale, and two sheriffs showed up at our door, demanding to take all of our assets.
This because Stand.earth stood up to the National Energy Board under Harper to fight against inadequate public consultation for Tar Sands pipelines in 2014 and now Enbridge is trying to shut down the organization in order to pay their court costs.
"This is an outrageous act of bullying by Enbridge", says Campaigns Director Karen Mahon. "Enbridge is a massive corporation that earned $4.6 billion last year, yet is demanding Stand.earth pay their court costs, even though time has proven them wrong."
Enbridge sees that Stand.earth is a threat, and is thus trying to stop our work.

One day after we won against forestry giant Resolute in court, pipeline giant Enbridge is shamelessly trying to intimidate us by threatening to seize our computers and furniture. This is pathetic and we won't be intimidated.

Since Monday, Enbridge has been in major headlines three times. 1 The global newspaper The Guardian featured Secwepemc Warrior Kanahus Manuel speaking out against Enbridge on tour in Europe. 2. Enbridge sent Sheriffs to seize the computers and assets of a small environmental group, Stand.earth, in Vancouver B.C., this morning. Enbridge backed down today after a major backlash. 3. On Monday, Trump approved Enbridge's tarsands Alberta Clipper Line 67 pipeline expansion to double in size at the US crossing at Neche, North Dakota. 
-- Censored News

Update Monday, Oct. 23, 2017 by Censored News
Stand.earth didn't back down when the sheriffs came to their door last week with a court order from the bully Enbridge, who wanted to squash this small environmental group. Sheriffs said they were going for a truck to haul away their computers and assets. Thanks to swift intervention by Stand and allies, the monster of dirty crude oil pipelines -- with a Trump card in its pocket -- was slain this time. Here's Stand's latest post: Stand writes, "Did you know that Royal Bank of Canada gave $341 million to finance the Dakota Access Pipeline?"

Tell the world's largest banks to stop financing climate disasters now – www.stand.earth/equadorbanks

Kanahus speaks out in Europe, featured in The Guardian:
https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2017/10/secwepemc-warrior-kanahus-manuel-in.html

Trump approves tar sands oil pipeline expansion at North Dakota border:
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/355706-trump-approves-oil-pipeline-expansion-across-canadian-border?amp

'Water is Life' Standing Rock and French Guiana Speak Out in Paris, Photos by Christine Prat

Cannupa Hanska Luger, Hidatsa/Arikara/Mandan/Lakota born in Standing Rock

Delegation from French Guyane (Guiana), to show French people that there are Native Americans in "France" too

Tara Houska, Honor the Earth

Cedar, Kanahus and Annie of CSIA

Cedar George, also struggling against Kinder Morgan

Mika Sommer, Indigenous Youth of French Guyane

Ricardo Alvaro, representing Congresso Nacional Indigeno in France

Edith (president) and Sylvain (vice-président) of CSIA

Yanuwana Tapoka (Christophe Pierre) Indigenous Youth of French Guyane
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Solidarity Committee with American Indians in France hosts Earth Defenders in Paris, October 2017Water is Life Tour in Europe
Photos by Christine Prat
Censored News
Thank you for sharing with Censored News


Copyright Christine Prat, Censored News

Pipeline Fighters 'Giving KXL the Boot' in Nebraska Photos

Greg Grey Cloud said,  "Sungwatogda at the NoKXL rally in Lincoln NE! Our warriors are holding it down and representing well" Photo credit Shannon Graves.

                                                                Photo by Christine Nobiss

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Photo by MK seedingsovereignty.org

                                                              Photo by Christine Nobiss

Joye Braun, Cheyenne River Lakota. Photo by Christine Nobiss

Photo by Christine Nobiss

Pipeline Fighters Giving KXL the Boot in Nebraska Photos

Heather Pearson and Christine Nobiss at rally

By Christine Nobiss

Censored News 

I'm at the "Give KXL the Boot" Pipeline Fighter Summit in Lincoln, NE. It's a diverse mix of activists/organizers and I'm happy to see a lot of Native faces.
Glad to see Joye Braun and so many youth. Glad to see Native women up at the front talking. Glad to see how proudly our men carry themselves.
Together we can can do this. This is not just about "another pipeline", this is about our future. As John Schmidt, from The Climate Reality Project just said to me, "The only thing worse than a leaking pipeline is a working pipeline. We need to protect the unborn."
It made me pause.
Not only do we need to protect the water and our sovereignty, but we need to transition as soon as possible to renewables. This is not impossible. We need to force our governments to listen to us and make them sever their corrupt ties with these corporate conglomerates and revamp this entire economy.
We rely on fossil fuels for essentially all that we do and make. Everything is made of plastic. We use, oil, natural gas and coal to power our homes, infrastructure and our means of travel. It's insidious. But it's not impossible to untangle ourselves from it. We just need to work together.

#NoKXL #NoDAPL #SeedingSovereignty #IndigenousIowa #LittleCreekCamp

More photos of the rally at Censored News
http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2017/08/nebraska-theyre-back-ready-to-stop.html

Native American Water Protectors Begin European Tour in Paris

Native American Water Protectors Begin European Tour in Paris

More photos at:

 http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2017/05/photos-standing-rock-water-protectors.html?m=0

In Paris, water protector Juan B. Mancias
Tribal Chairman at 'Carrizo/Comecrudo Tribe of Texas

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"Yesterday we were welcoming the Water Protectors from USA, Rachel Heaton, Nataanii Means, Wasté Win Young, Rebekah Hinojosa, Juan B. Mancias and Rafael Gonzalez, with some first actions." Photo courtesy Stand Up with Standing Rock.

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Solidarity with Water Protectors in Paris yesterday.

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Rachel Heaton, Muckleshoot

Rachel Heaton, member of the Muckleshoot Nation in Washington State, said of the photo above, "Some of the awesome organizers we get to tour around with.. it is the work of 24 organizations that got us Water Protectors here. Upon arriving in Paris we went right into actions. There is so much organizing going on here in Europe and it's exciting being a part of it." Photo by Rachel Heaton.

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Nataani Means, Dineh

Nataani Means, Dine' from Chinle on the Nation Nation, said, "We're about to hit an eleven city tour in Europe. Doing divestment work, as well as performing music in each city of the tour. We're gonna continue waking people up to what's going on not only with the destruction of Mother Earth but educating about our communities, what we go thru. And what we're still facing on our nations. When I started doing music this is what I wanted to do it for. Educate people about who we are in the 21st century. Prayers to everyone traveling, it's gonna be tough cause I really haven't been home in a minute and we just finished a two month tour here on turtle island. Myself and these beautiful people will do our best to represent in a powerful way."

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 Waste Win Young, Dakota from Standing Rock

has just arrived in Paris. Young was among those camped and resisting the Dakota Access Pipeline.

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Water Protector Rafael Gonzales

Four additional cities are joining the Tour ! Water Protectors will come in Paris, Brussels, the Netherlands, Köln, Geneva, Barcelona, Madrid, Bilbao, Bologna, Rome and Naples. Be ready friends ! Quatre villes s'ajoutent à la Tournée des Défenseur.e.s de l'eau. Ils passeront donc à Paris, Bruxelles, les Pays-Bas, Cologne, Genève, Barcelone, Madrid, Bilbao, Bologne, Rome et Naples. Soyez prêt.e.s les ami.e.s !

Standing Rock Water Protector European Tour and Schedule

From May 20th till June 14th, some activists of the Standing Rock’s movement will come to Europe for a solidarity tour called “Stand Up With Standing Rock”.

In Standing Rock, North Dakota, United States, the so called “water protectors” fought against the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). Thanks to months of non-violent resistance gathering people from all over the country and from various backgrounds, they put a stop to the project during the Obama administration. But as Trump got the presidency, he decided to defend his own financial interest by sending the army to evacuate the Oceti Sakowin camp, build in the pipeline route. One month after, the oil was flowing inside the pipeline. But the fight is not over, as the water protectors took care of spreading it all over the Turtle Island (North America) and are now willing to spread it all over the world.

O'odham and Dineh Women Seek Sponsors to Cochabamba Climate Conference 2015

Michelle Cook, Dineh (Navajo) and Ofelia Rivas,
O'odham, make plans for Cochabamba.
Photo Brenda Norrell Sept. 2015

Update Oct. 9, 2015: Sadly, there was no response for travel sponsors for these incredible grassroots women.
By Brenda Norrell

Censored News

Sept. 25, 2015

English and Dutch

Dutch translation by Alice Holemans, NAIS at:

http://www.denaisgazet.be/nieuws/o-odham-en-dineh-vrouwen-zoeken-sponsors-om-de-chochabamba-klimaat-conferentie-2015-bij-te-wonen

TUCSON -- Tohono O'odham Ofelia Rivas and Dineh Michelle Cook hope to return to Cochabamba, Bolivia, in October and continue the work that they began five years ago when President Evo Morales hosted the World Peoples Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth. 

Bolivia is hosting the World Peoples Conference on Climate Change and Defense of Life, October 10--12, 2015, and the women who facilitated the Indigenous Working Group at the 2010 Conference in Cochabamba hope to be there.

Ofelia Rivas, outspoken human rights defender living on the border in her homeland, on the Tohono O'odham Nation, is founder of O'odham Voice against the Wall. Ofelia co-chaired the Indigenous Working Group in Cochabama in 2010. 

"Everyone had a voice," Ofelia said, remembering the gathering in Cochabamba.

Michelle Cook, Dineh (Navajo) flew into Cochabamba from New Zealand in 2010 and assisted Ofelia with the work of the Indigenous Working Group in Cochabamba. Since then, Michelle received her masters degree as a Fulbright scholar in New Zealand, in Maori and Pacific Development, and completed law school at the University of New Mexico. Michelle is currently in the Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy Program at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

Snowden docs: US spying on Copenhagen thwarted change Indigenous hoped for

US spying on Copenhagen climate summit was aimed at halting real climate solutions

By Brenda Norrell

Censored News

Copenhagen 2009 by Ben Powless, Mohawk, IEN

The latest documents released by Edward Snowden reveal that the US engaged in spying on other countries at the Copenhagen climate summit in order to support American interests and prevent any real climate solutions.

The US is historically the largest carbon emitter, which includes the coal-fired power plants on the Navajo Nation and elsewhere in Indian country.

Rallying in defense of Mother Earth in Copenhagen were large delegations of grassroots Native Americans and First Nations, along with Indigenous Peoples from around the world, working for real climate solutions.

Copenhagen become "Hopenhagen" with new hope for climate solutions and protection of the planet. Carrying forward this hope, Indigenous Peoples gathered in Cochabamba, Bolivia, with President Evo Morales the following year in 2010 for the Protection of Mother Earth Conference, which ignited the movement for the defense of the Rights of Nature, with the release of the Universal Declaration on the Rights of Mother Earth.

The documents leaked by Snowden were made public on Wednesday night by the Danish daily Information. The Danish Information reports:

"At the Copenhagen Climate Summit in 2009, the world's nations were supposed to reach an agreement that would protect future generations against catastrophic climate change. But not everyone was playing by the rules. A leaked document now reveals that the US employed the NSA, its signals intelligence agency, to intercept information about other countries' views on the climate negotiations before and during the summit."

"... the document suggests that the NSA's actual focus in relation to climate change was spying on other countries to collect intelligence that would support American interests, rather than preventing future climate catastrophes. It describes the US as being under pressure because of its role as the historically largest carbon emitter."

In the mountains of Bolivia
President Evo Morales 2010
Photo Brenda Norrell

After the failure of the Copenhagen climate summit, Bolivian President Evo Morales called for the summit in Cochabamba, Bolivia.

"Those most affected by climate change will be the poorest in the world who will see their homes and their sources of survival destroyed, and who will be forced to migrate and seek refuge," President Morales said.

President Morales pointed out that 75 percent of historical emissions of greenhouse gases originated in the countries of the North that followed a path of "irrational industrialization."

"Climate change is a product of the capitalist system," President Morales said. While citing regret at the failure of the Copenhagen Climate Conference, he said the so-called developed countries failed to recognize their climate debt to developing countries, future generations and Mother Earth.

Previous documents leaked by Snowden reveal that the NSA spied on the climate negotiations in Bali, which also attracted Native American delegations, including the Indigenous Environmental Network.

The Guardian reported, "Australian spy agency the Defence Signals Directorate worked alongside America’s National Security Agency in mounting a massive surveillance operation on Indonesia during the United Nations climate change conference in Bali in 2007." http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/02/nsa-australia-bali-conference-spy-indonesia

Read more: US spied on negotiators at Copenhagen climate summit

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/29/snowden-nsa-surveillance-_n_4681362.html?1391048276

Article copyright Brenda Norrell, photo copyright photo one Ben Powless, photo 2 Brenda Norrell