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| Ofelia Rivas, Tohono O'odham Nation. Photo by Jason Jaacks |
In Defense of the Sacred
Ofelia Rivas
O’odham Traditional and Ceremonial Leaders from O’odham Lands
Censored News
Years of defending our homelands and ways of life, continue today with the United States Commander in Chief leading the attack. This is a strategy to continue the legacy of the United States government.
As original peoples of Turtle Island it is not in our human concept and humanity to disturb human remains and human historical ancient communities for extractive industries gains.
The lands have been greedily pillaged and raped for silver, gold, coal, uranium, lithium, borax, oil, and numerous other natural elements for the production of so-called human evolution.
The atrocity of death of whole societies of original people, and the torture and dehumanizing of original people on Turtle Island, is the genocidal history the United States government.
In the O’odham historic ancient community Oak Flat region, there is the latest attack. It is an attempt to erase the existence of an advanced and extensive culture that existed for many thousands of years, before carbon testing, and long before anthropologists and all its subcategories, and ethnologists' theories, on human cultures on Turtle Island.
In this 21st century, world organizations recognize, and world states and local governments have created written laws and regulations with protocols, to protect places of historic significance and ancient burial places.
The mining company Resolution Copper of Australia plans to cover up an ancient O’odham historic cultural community with mining tailings.
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| Huhu-k'am Platform Mounts |
In this century, the United States and Mexico border contractors dug up O’odham human remains to erect the vehicle barrier in 2006. In 2021, Elbit Systems spy towers were constructed and erected ignoring opposition from the descendants, traditional and ceremony O’odham to protect an ancient community and burial place.
As well, the City of Phoenix is removing over 700 O’odham ancestral remains to build an apartment complex. A united effort stopped Canadian Rosemont Copper from the destruction of our ancient cultural site 30 miles southeast of Tucson.
This is evidence that state governments -- which include partnering countries, the United States and local governments -- have manipulated written protective laws for the benefit of industries, and continue the legacy concept of neo-capitalism.
Today, I stand to defend all life, plants, animals, water, and air to say stop Resolution Copper from destroying 14,218 acres of land.
Today, again I stand with the Elders and ceremonial people to say we oppose Resolution Copper's mining plans to destroy and erase our historic ancient proof of our united and vast societies of O’odham. We are the descendants of the Greater Huhukam culture.
O’odham Traditional and Ceremonial Leaders from O’odham Lands
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Apache Stronghold presented its case to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco this week for rehearing the case to protect Oak Flat from Resolution Copper's planned copper mine on ceremonial land at sacred Oak Flat. The Biden Administration, in disregard for Native American Religious Freedom laws, opposed rehearing the case. The U.S. Justice Department urged the federal court to proceed with the copper mine on sacred land. Apache Stronghold is now awaiting the court's decision. -- Censored News, Sept. 8, 2022
Copyright Ofelia Rivas, Censored News, no portion may be used without written permission.
