Dakota women arrested countering genocide

Article by Brenda Norrell

Photo by Tom Cherveny/West Central Tribune

Winuna of Granite Falls is taken into custody shortly after her mother, Dr. Angela Wilson or Waziyata Win, was also taken into custody.

UPPER SIOUX AGENCY STATE PARK, Minn. -- Dakota women were arrested on Saturday, August 16, 2008 during a counter genocide protest. Dakotas from the Yellow Medicine Dakota Community, with their allies, countered the Upper Sioux Agency State Park's program. The genocide celebration was part of the Sesquicentennial of the state of Minnesota, portraying the 1858 1st Regiment.
Chris Mato Nunpa, retired Dakota professor, said, "My daughter, Waziyata Win, and my grand-daughter, Winuna were arrested. Fortunately, they both were released later in the day.
"It was incredible the amount of armed law enforcement personnel that were there. We had no guns, clubs, knives, etc. We were peaceful and non-violent. To me, it just illustrates the level of racial hatred and fear of the Dakota and of Indigenous Peoples that is present here in southwestern Minnesota and elsewhere throughout the U.S.
"Again, it shows how we as Indigenous Peoples are living in oppression, in this case we are oppressed by their law, their legal ideology which is used to enforce the exploitation and continued oppression of the Indigenous Peoples. They have the guns and the men to enforce their law, even though we were on Dakota land," Mato Nunpa wrote.
"They, the wasicu, have the forums and and freedom of expression. We express our views, the TRUTH, and we get arrested."
Dr. Mato Nunpa, Ph.D., retired, was an associate professor of Indigenous Nations and Dakota Studies at Southwest Minnesota State University Marshall.
Mato Nunpa said the state's celebration reveals nothing about the massive land theft, broken treaties or genocide perpetrated on the Dakota by the Euro-Minnesotans. The state's celebration does not reveal the bounties, mass executions, forced marches and forced removal of the Dakota People from their ancient homelands in Minnesota.
Video of arrest of Dakota women:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wcTPQLKGz4

West Central Tribune: 'Re-enactment leads to arrests'

http://www.wctrib.com/articles/index.cfm?id=40485&section=news
Chris Mato Nunpa: "Dakota exercised their fishing rights on Sunday, July 20, 2008 on Lake Harriet, a lake in the ceded area of our Treaty of 1805."
Video of treaty fishing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5kgLcC7afQ
or
http://www.youtube.com/user/alliesms
More by Chris Mato Nunpa on Minnesota's genocide and concentration camps:
http://censored-news.blogspot.com/2008/08/chris-mato-numpa-minnesotas-genocide.html

Reader comment, published with permission:

Hi Brenda,

As I read the story and watched the video of the confrontation last weekend at the Upper Sioux Agency it became crystal clear that white Minnesota cannot deal with the truth and reality of its history. It's pathetic that not only did white Christian Minnesota lie, coerce, swindle, and kill the Dakota people, but also goes to great lengths including arresting minors to shut them up and keep them from revealing the true history. Once again, only the conqueror's version of history prevails and can be told. How utterly pathetic. I also read the posted comments pertaining to the video and was appalled at the racist and imbecilic remarks that were directed at Chris and his family, and at the Native American people in general. Maybe the comedian Ron White is correct when he says "Ya can't fix stupid."

In the Spirit and the Struggle,

Dave Murray

US/Mexico border wall causes flooding O'odham territory

US/Mexico border wall increases risk to lives of Tohono O'odham during monsoon flash floods

Flash floods damage businesses and government offices in Arizona and Mexico after Homeland Security flaunts federal laws and builds border wall
By Brenda Norrell
LUKEVILLE, Ariz. - The risk to the lives of Tohono O'odham and other residents living on the Arizona and Sonora border due to monsoon flash floods has increased because of a newly constructed border wall. Homeland Security flaunted federal laws and the laws of nature to build the border wall in 2008.
In a report made public this week, the National Park Service details the ecological and infrastructure damage in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument caused by flood obstruction and debris accumulation along recently constructed portions of the border wall. Tohono O'odham and others reside in the area on both sides of the international border.
The report points out that the border wall resulted in the flooding of private businesses and government offices in both Lukeville, Arizona and the adjacent Sonoyta, Mexico.
The NPS report describes flash flooding from the July 12, 2008 monsoon thunderstom.
"Headquarters Wash flowed over 200 feet to the east along the pedestrian fence and through the international port of entry. It caused flood damage to private property, government offices and commercial businesses in Lukeville, Arizona, and Sonoyta, Sonora, Mexico," the report states.
The NPS report describes how the faulty border wall design has increased flash flooding.
Flash floods during the monsoon season, July to September, claim lives as fast falling rain in thunderstoms skirts across the surface of the dry baked earth and causes fast and dangerous flooding each summer.
The NPS report states the damage was foreseen and Homeland Security was warned of the outcome. It states that, as predicted, the damage includes severe erosion and infrastructure damage. The damage included the movement of floodwaters and drainages behind debris obstructions into adjacent deserts and, in one case, through a border-crossing station.
Robin Silver at the Center for Biological Diversity said that an environmental analysis conducted by the Department of Homeland Security in 2007 concluded that the fence would "...not impede the natural flow of water." It would be "...designed and constructed to ensure proper conveyance of floodwaters and to eliminate the potential to cause backwater flooding on either side of the U.S.-Mexico border."
Further, Customs and Border Protection would "...remove debris from the fence within washes/arroyos immediately after rain events to ensure that no backwater flooding occurs."
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has since exempted the border wall from all environmental laws.
"The callousness displayed by Homeland Security in ignoring warnings to damage a national treasure is mind-boggling," Silver said.
"The border wall does not stop humans, but it will stop jaguars and other wildlife. It is already wreaking havoc on the southern part of Oregon Pipe National Monument."
"The contrast between the report findings and the environmental assessment displays the Bush administration's wholly meaningless approach to environmental analysis," Silver said. "The administration essentially did no analysis at all."
The Park Service report shows several instances in which debris collected in flash floods in south-flowing drainages caused natural resource and infrastructure damage and states that National Monument resources and infrastructure will continue to be impacted, as well as resources and infrastructure on neighboring lands in the United States and Mexico. The report anticipates the following short- and long-term impacts:
Accelerated scour below the pedestrian fence will damage the structural integrity of the vehicle barrier along the U.S./Mexico boundary unless continued maintenance occurs.
Floodwaters will flow laterally along the pedestrian fence and on the patrol road. These flows will result in erosion and scour above and below the foundation wall of the fence, including areas hundreds of feet outside existing drainage channels. As a consequence, the need for routine maintenance and repairs of the patrol road and vehicle barrier will increase..
"While the Bush administration may claim it's taking environmental impacts of the border wall into consideration, building wire mesh fences across washes prone to debris-laden floods is fundamentally flawed," Silver said. "It's time for Homeland Security to lift its embargo on environmental laws. The border fence does not stop humans. Now we have more proof if the wall's destruction of our national treasures.
The National Park Service said short- and long-term impacts expected due to the pedestrian fence include the following:
Accelerated scour below the pedestrian fence will damage the structural integrity of the vehicle barrier along the U.S./Mexico boundary unless continued maintenance occurs.
Floodwaters will flow laterally along the pedestrian fence and on the patrol road. These flows will result in erosion and scour above and below the foundation wall of the fence, including areas hundreds of feet outside existing drainage channels. As a consequence, the need for routine maintenance and repairs of the patrol road and vehicle barrier will increase.
The patrol road associated with the pedestrian fence will change vegetation in OPCNM by changing rainfall retention or runoff along the northern road edge.
Riparian vegetation will change in response to increased sedimentation.
Channel morphology and floodplain function will change over time.
Channelized waters will begin a gullying process that has the potential to transform land surfaces in the affected watersheds.
Read report at:
http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/borderlands_and_boundary_waters/pdfs/Flood_Report_July_2008.pdf Arizona Daily Star: Faulty Design turned Border Wall into Dam
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/printDS/252889

Photo Credits: National Park Service/Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument flood report 2008

Behind the Razor Wire

Behind the Razor Wire

Incoming message to Censored News, published with permission:
Razor Wire n Walls Bro'z request other reports concerning the Ohio incident. "What I know is what I read out of Indian Country Today (ICT) newspaper. They covered some of the incident in Ohio. But I always like receiving all information about the People. As I was and still concerned about the People." This came from an old Friend from a California prison. I did the cut and paste project to get most of the Censored News concerning the smack down in Columbus, Ohio. Another Bro behind the walls at Salem, Oregon sends this message. "Ive been thinking about this Censored News stuff. They do put out a lot of good news we sure wouldn't see otherwise. Their coverage of the Long Walk Two was pretty extensive. I know that we probably wouldn't see this type of news they provide. Because the "United Snakes" and corrupt america doesn't want to show us that there are still major problems and issues. That People are willing to stand up for. Most of the news we see today in my opinion is tainted by the government and "our sponsers!"
I'm glad to see somebody is out there showing the other side of the stories.
Justin

Note from Censored News: After receiving this request, Censored News gained permission from Michael Lane to publish his official statement to authorities on the attack by Columbus, Ohio police. Earlier, Indian Country Today published an article on the Columbus police attack by relying on the police claims. Although the newspaper quoted one of the victims of the Columbus police attack, Luv the Mezenger, Luv said the newspaper never contacted him. Listen to Earthcycles for Longest Walk Talk Radio interviews with Luv, Michael Lane and Marie Littlemoon, who photographed and video taped the incident. Unprovoked, Michael had a taser pointed at his forehead, from three feet away. Luv was slammed to the concrete face down and tackled by police. Luv was cited and placed in the paddy wagon. Marie's arms were bruised by the police who grabbed her as she documented the attack.

Protest EPA's environmental racism

US EPA’s Administrator Stephen Johnson Is Coming to San Francisco!
PROTEST US EPA’S ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM, INJUSTICE AND
PRO-POLLUTER POLICIES THAT THREATEN THE HEALTH OF
OUR COMMUNITIES AND OF THE PLANET

From Bradley Angel, Greenaction:

Let’s tell this friend of polluters that he’s not welcome & should resign!
PROTEST FRIDAY, AUGUST 22, 2008
US EPA Headquarters, 75 Hawthorne, San Francisco
(between 2nd/3rd Streets and Folsom/Howard)
9:30 a.m. Bring Banners and Signs About EPA’s Crimes
Noon: Rally for Environmental Justice and the Planet
Join in Solidarity with the people of Bayview Hunters Point, Navajo communities, Colorado River Indian Tribes, Kettleman City & communities across the U.S. and the world that are being harmed by US EPA policies
Protest EPA’s veto of California’s attempt to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cars
Protest EPA’s approval of the proposed Desert Rock Coal-Fired Power Plant on the Navajo Nation in a community already harmed by two dirty coal plants
Protest EPA’s failure to ensure a full and safe cleanup of the toxic and radioactive contamination at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in Bayview Hunters Point, San Francisco
Protest EPA’s proposed approval of more PCB and hazardous waste dumping in the San Joaquin Valley farmworker community of Kettleman City
Protest EPA’s failure to close the Siemen’s toxic waste plant on Colorado River Indian Tribes land in Arizona, where EPA has allowed this polluter to operate for almost two decades without proper permits, emitting toxic pollutants and desecrating a sacred mountain.
Protest EPA’s approval of the deadly poison Methyl Iodide as a large scale pesticide fumigant
Sponsored by: Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice * Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment * Dine CARE * Dooda Desert Rock * El Pueblo Para El Aire y Agua Limpio/People for Clean Air and Water * Mohave Cultural Preservation Program * Indigenous Environmental Network * Huntersview Mothers Committee for Health and Environmental Justice * Healthy San Leandro *Global Community Monitor * Californians for Pesticide Reform* Pesticide Action Network* International Indian Treaty Council * Youth United for Community Action * PODER *
Just Transition Alliance * Data Center * POWER * Stop Lennar Action Movement *
For more information contact Greenaction (415) 248-5010
www.greenaction.org greenaction@greenaction.org