San Francisco Honors Indigenous Peoples, Dumps Columbus Day

November 1969 Occupation of Alcatraz, San Francisco

By AIM-WEST

Censored News
Audio of Board Meeting

San Francisco, the newest city today(!) along with Berkeley (the US first in 1992) Seattle, Los Angeles, St. Paul, MN, Eugene, Oregon, and 49 other cities across the US; plus four states such as Alaska, South Dakota, Vermont and Minnesota, (and eleventh cities in California!) to have joined by adopting “Indigenous Peoples Day” the second Wednesday in October!  (Hear the vote at City Hall recorded today)

This is an historic occasion to briefly summarize the determined progression led by Indigenous peoples throughout the Western Hemisphere to challenge, reverse, and shatter the myths of the explorer and mercenary Cristobal Colon depicted as some sort of a glorified savior.

Since the beginning of 1492-1992, which marked 500 Years of Indigenous Peoples De-Colonization of the Americas, a Summit was held in Quito, Ecuador in 1990 to develop a strategy to begin to reverse Colonization.  It resulted in a Declaration with resolutions to change the image the media and western society have portrayed and romanticized Cristobal Colon.

That time has finally arrived in San Francisco today!  (The SF School District dropped Columbus Day from their calendars replaced instead with “Indigenous Peoples Day” last year).

The US recognized Columbus Day as a federal holiday since 1934. It is time to lend support within the US Congress starting among the Italian-American legislators to also consider replacing Columbus Day in the near future.  

This is an educational moment, too, for organizing an effort in your communities to remove Columbus Day and celebrate it instead with “Indigenous Peoples Day.”  Organize a Big Time!

The annual Bay Area Alcatraz Island Sun-Rise Gathering held each year on Monday, October (8), will indeed, be a glorious celebration of Indigenous Peoples Day!

Aho!

All My Relations!

Tony Gonzales
AIM-WEST director
www.aim-west.org
415-577-1492
www.aimovement.org
www.whoisleonardpeltier.info

LISTEN TO SAN FRANCISCO BOARD MEETING:

Sacred Stone Village -- Video Report from Red Fawn in Court

.

Watch video below, listen as LaDonna describes Red Fawn enter courtroom shackled and shaking.

Video link:

https://www.sacredstonevillage.net/news/

By Sacred Stone Village
Censored News
French translation by Christine Prat at:
http://www.chrisp.lautre.net/wpblog/?p=4414

Red Fawn Fallis Plea Agreement
January 22nd, 2018

Walking up to the Federal Court house in Bismarck, ND a knot began to form in my stomach. Since the stand at Standing Rock, over 800 water protectors have been charged and 6 face felony charges in Federal Court. Red Fawn Fallis is one of those who have been unrightfully imprisoned and charged of 3 felonies over the last year. Because of the corruption and the looming possibility of facing life in prison for standing up for our water, Red Fawn Fallis decided to sign a plea agreement and plead guilty on 2 of her 3 counts. She was preparing to plead guilty to felony counts of civil disorder and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. Her plea agreement will dismiss her most serious charge, discharge of a firearm in relation to a felony crime of violence, and recommend no more than seven years at sentencing, as well as no fine or restitution.

Red Fawn entered the court in shackles and orange striped prison attire to a somber crowd of 20-30 familiar faces in the court room. Many supporters were turned away though there was more than enough seating. Red Fawn's attorney made a request to Judge Hovland that she be unshackled for the trial, the US Marshal agreed and she was unchained. She was shaking but stood strong as the judge asked the questions he was required to ask by law. He explained everything to her to make sure she understood the plea completely, his disposition was much more civil than the judge we had seen sentence Mary Redway. Tears began to well as the judge prepared to ask Red Fawn how she plead to the first count of civil disobedience. Red Fawn paused for a few moments- I thought for a second she was going to stand up and shout Mni Wiconi! However, with a shaky broken voice she sputtered out, "guilty." I looked around and saw tears running down the cheeks of some of the strongest women and men of the movement as they sat in support. The second felony count was read and again, "guilty" echoed through the chamber.

Judge Hovland explained what would happen next, an in depth interview would be done with Fallis in the next month or so and a report would be finalized. He said that he would take the letters of support into high regard. It is the best way, he said, to truly understand a defendants character and find out how they contribute to society as a whole. Red Fawn's lawyers then asked if they could submit a petition to release her from detention. She is being held at the Burleigh-Morton County Detention Center, and admitted to the pretrial release violation. Hovland said she was unaccounted for an entire day from the halfway house where she has resided since October. When asked if she wanted to explain herself, through tears she said,

“I don’t want to offer any excuses, but I hold the court in the highest regard. With the trial coming up I needed some time to sit and think. It’s hard being up here with no family or anyone to talk to. I apologize.”

Judge Hovland agreed that if this was even going to be considered she would have to have GPS tracking until the sentence date which will take place in 3-4 months. Defense attorney Bruce Ellison said Red Fawn's legal team will call a number of witnesses at sentencing and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Delorme said he may call on a few as well. Red Fawn's attorneys have advised a sentence of 21 to 27 months, while the federal prosecutors may recommend 46 to 57 months.

It was hard to sit and watch someone who stands for Mother Earth and our water have to face such extreme penalties from our "justice" system. It makes you wonder about the word justice and what that means for Natives versus the Bundy family. We will continue to stand with all the water protectors who put their life on the line for our Mother. Thank you Red Fawn for what you stand for and continue to stand for.

For more information on Red Fawn and where you can write go to http://indi.com/freeredfawn

For more updates on Federal cases go to https://waterprotectorlegal.org/federal-cases/

U.S. Border Patrol Continues Destroying Life Saving Water for Migrants -- New Report 2018

Updates: The Intercept reports 9 volunteers have been arrested for giving humanitarian aid to migrants on southern Arizona border.
.https://static.theintercept.com/amp/no-more-deaths-arizona-border-littering-charges-immigration.html

Volunteer at No More Deaths arrested hours after the group released this report. Read article in The Guardian.

.https://amp.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jan/22/arrest-no-more-deaths-border-patrol-water-sabotage-migrants?__twitter_impression=true

U.S. Border Patrol has been accused of destroying food and water left in the Arizona desert for migrants. Above, a still from a video of an agent pouring water bottles out 

French translation by Christine Prat
https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2018/01/us-border-patrol-continues-destroying.html

By No More Deaths

Dear friend of No More Deaths,

Today, No More Deaths, in collaboration with La Coalición de Derechos Humanos, is releasing Interference with Humanitarian Aid: Death and Disappearance on the US–Mexico Border. This report is the second installment of a three-part report series entitled Disappeared: How US Border-Enforcement Agencies Are Fueling a Missing-Persons Crisis. In part 2, we detail the intentional destruction of over 3,000 gallons of water left out for border crossers, implicating the US Border Patrol in the majority of this destruction.

Dineh Marcus Mitchell 'Morton County shot out my eye at Standing Rock'

By Marcus Mitchell, Dineh

Censored News

Published with permission

Good morning everyone, it is a beautiful morning. I had a dream about what is to come last night. The time has come for all of us to go after North Dakota law enforcement.

The events that have affected all of us are for life.

We pray to our ancestors, the mountains, the trees, the birds for guidance.

I ask my relatives for their aid, everyone that was on the Backwater Bridge on Highway 1806 on January 18, 2017, the day I was shot, to help me collect videos and photos of that night.

The time is now, we can no longer wait for something to happen, you can go to the Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission and file a complaint with them about your human rights that were violated at Standing Rock.
The damages I received, some can be permanent. The loss of sight in my left eye, loss of feeling on parts of my face, my taste is affected as well, as my hearing.

The photo was taken January 24, 2017 at the United Nations hearing at Prairie Knights Casino.

I put down my corn pollen and my medicines, l, make my offering. Now we must hunt these monsters and bring them to justice.

The time is now. If we are to beat this we must do this together, for our kids and their children.
Mni wiconi and always and forever NODAPL as the drum beats louder, you can see.
#WATERISLIFE
#NODAPL
#JUSTICEFORMARCUS