Censored News Most Censored April 2014

By Brenda Norrell
Censored News

Censored News photo collage

The most censored issues are at the US Mexico border where US Border Patrol agents continue to smuggle drugs and "spot" for the cartels to bring their loads across. The mainstream media continues to ignore the arrests of Border Patrol agents for drug smuggling and the fact that the agents are literally getting away with murder as they shoot migrants and teens on both sides of the border.

It is also here on the border that US Border Patrol agents continue their violent crimes against Indigenous Peoples. As Tohono O'odham Mike Wilson points out, the Tohono O'odham Nation and tribal police are complicit in these crimes and are not to be trusted. Wilson said the tribal government and police are failing to protect O'odham at the border, as evidenced in the ongoing violence by Border Patrol agents on tribal land.

The mainstream media has largely ignored the fact that US Homeland Security did not grant the mega border contract to a US company, but gave it instead to an Israeli defense contractor, Elbit Systems. Elbit is also responsible for the Apartheid security surrounding Palestine. As a result, Elbit now has the contract to build US spy towers on Tohono O'odham land.

Meanwhile, it is interesting how the media avoids talking about the Ho-Chunk Inc.'s military and intelligence contracts in Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Afghanistan. Little attention was given to this fact when the Ho-Chunk's CEO was invited to the White House. Ho-Chunk Inc. also owns the online indianz.com website.

The question remains who is actually doing the work under these US government contracts in Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Afghanistan. 
http://www.hochunkinc.com/hochunkdivisions/hochunkdivisions.html

The military and intelligence contracts of the Ho-Chunk's All Native Systems, which has a satellite office in Arlington, Va., provides telecommunications to the US Strategic Command, Navy, and State Department. That's just one of the contracts. http://www.omaha.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011704079917

Update: Ho-Chunk gets $80 million security contract for domestic and international security, with Pentagon office. They own the website indianz.com http://siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/state-department-awards-ho-chunk-division-million-contract/article_20a58d37-5aae-52c3-8043-b492a1878e64.html

Meanwhile, in related security news, Condolezza Rice joined the board of Dropbox: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20140410/07181926866/adding-condoleeza-rice-to-dropboxs-board-seems-incredibly-tone-deaf-following-nsa-concerns.shtml

Finally, the current most censored issues include the militarization of police, and reckless murders by police without cause, in the US. The ongoing protests in Albuquerque, New Mexico, exposed this militarization as police fired tear gas at protesters demanding an end to police violence. The murder by police of a homeless man camping was caught on police video tape.

The good news is that the resistance to the Keystone XL tarsands pipeline led by Lakotas in South Dakota is no longer censored by the mainstream media. The media is also exposing US torture and torture sites around the world, along with Edward Snowden's exposures of US spying on diplomats, human rights workers and everyone's e-mails.

Read more at Censored News: www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com

Mike Wilson: US Border Patrol shot Tohono O'odham at border

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Mike Wilson, Tohono O'odham

Mike Wilson: Tohono O'odham government and police corruption perpetuates US Border Patrol violence

By Brenda Norrell
Censored News

SAN MIGUEL, TOHONO O'ODHAM NATION -- Mike Wilson, Tohono O'odham, said the US Border Patrol shot two Tohono O'odham at the border, one in the face. The Border Patrol claims O'odham side-swiped its vehicle in San Miguel, "The Gate," on Tohono O'odham land at the US Mexico border.
However, Wilson points out in the video below that the Tohono O'odham government, Tohono O'odham police, and US Border Patrol can not be trusted.
Wilson said that neither the Tohono O'odham government nor police have taken steps to ensure the safety of O'odham when faced with the US Border Patrol. He said these human rights violations by the US Border Patrol inflicted on O'odham have been going on for more than 10 years and the Tohono O'odham Nation has done nothing to halt this.
Further, Wilson expresses his concern over the Tohono O'odham Nation government's efforts to disable the new district of Hia-Ced on the western portion of the Tohono O'odham Nation near Ajo, Arizona. He said even though the Tohono O'odham Nation initially approved of the new district, it is now doing everything in its power to ensure that the new district fails.
Wilson has put out water for years for migrants, over the objections of the Tohono O'odham government, and his life-saving water containers were vandalized. Wilson's water stations have been in the area of the Tohono O'odham Nation with one of the highest rates of death. Wilson has also aided humanitarian groups searching for the bodies of missing migrants on the Tohono O'odham Nation.
Meanwhile, the Tohono O'odham Nation has been able to control and silence much of the mainstream media. The Tohono O'odham police have threatened and stalked O'odham human rights activists to silence them.
Now, the US Homeland Security has given the US southern border contract to an Israeli company, Elbit Systems, which is also responsible for Apartheid security surrounding Palestine. Elbit Systems now has the contract to construct US spy towers on Tohono O'odham land. Read article at Censored News:
http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2014/03/apartheid-israeli-company-receives-us.html
The Tohono O'odham Legislative Council approved the construction of the 15th spy tower on sovereign O'odham land, according to the May 7, 2013 resolution, despite O'odham protests over the militarization of their lands. Read article at Censored News:
http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2013/07/tohono-oodham-council-approves-15th-us.html
While most Tohono O'odham live in desperation for jobs and housing, and even clean water and food, the Tohono O'odham Nation spent $1.4 million on casino lobbyists in 2013. The Desert Diamond Casino continued to funnel profits to non-Indians:
http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2014/03/non-indian-attorneys-bedrock-of.html





Below: The Tohono O'odham Legislative Council's resolution regarding removal hearing of Hia-Ced District officials, to be held April 15-17, 2014.

Dutch translation by NAIS, thank you!

http://www.bloggen.be/natam/

Tohono O’odham vechten tegen de misbruiken van de VS grenspatrouilles en het falen van de Tohono O’odham overheid en politie om de O’odham te beschermen.

Door Brenda Norrell – Censored News: www.bsnorrel.blogspot.com

Nederlandse vertaling A.Holemans voor de NAIS Gazette: www.bloggen.be/natam

San Miguel, Tohono O’odham natie

Mike Wilson, Tohono O’odham, vertelde dat de VS grenspatrouille twee Tohono O’odham beschoten hebben, een van hen recht in het gezicht.

De Grenspatrouille verklaarde dat zij door een O’odham wagen bijna zijdelings werden aangereden aan de “Gate” op Tohono O’odham land aan de VS grens.

Hoe dan ook, Wilson wijst erop dat de Tohono O’odham overheid, Tohono O’odham politie en de VS grenspatrouille niet te vertrouwen zijn.

Wilson zei dat noch de Tohono overheid, noch de politie stappen hebben ondernomen om de veiligheid van O’odham te verzekeren wanneer ze oog in oog komen te staan met de grenspatrouilles. Hij zegt dat tegen de schendingen van mensenrechten door de VS Grenspatrouilles ,die de O’odham nu reeds meer dan 10 jaar moeten ondergaan, de Tohono Natie niets gedaan heeft om het te doen stoppen.

Verder drukt Wilson zijn bezorgdheid uit over de inspanningen van de overheid van de Tohono O’odham natie om het nieuwe district van Hia-Ced, op het westelijke deel van de Tohono O’odham natie, nabij Ajo, Arizona, onmogelijk te maken.

Ondanks dat de Tohono O’odham natie aanvankelijk het nieuwe district goedkeurde, doen ze nu alles aan om te zorgen dat het nieuwe district faalt.

Reeds jarenlang zorgt Wilson, ondanks de bezwaren van de Tohono O’odham overheid, voor watervoorziening voor de migranten, en zijn levensnoodzakelijke water containers worden gevandaliseerd. Wilson’s water stations stonden in het de Tohono O’odham gebied met de hoogste dodencijfers.

Wilson hielp ook humanitaire groepen naar het zoeken van lichamen van vermiste migranten op het land van de Tohono O’odham Natie.

Ondertussen is de Tohono O’odham natie erin geslaagd om de massamedia te controleren en monddood te maken. De Thohono O’odham politie heeft mensenrechten activisten bedreigd en vervolgd om hen stil te houden.

Nu, heeft de VS Homeland Security het US southern border contract aan Elbit Systems gegeven, een Israëlische compagnie die ook verantwoordelijk is voor de Apartheid security rond Palestina.

Elbit Systems heeft nu het contract om VS spionnentoren op te richten op Tohono O’odham land.

Lees artikel in Censored News:  http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2014/03/apartheid-israeli-company-receives-us.html 

Volgens een resolutie van 7 mei 2013 keurde de ‘Tohono O’odham Legislative Council’ de constructie van de 15^de spionnentoren goed, ondanks het felle protest van de O’odham tegen de militarisering van hun land.

Lees het artikel in Censored News: http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2013/07/tohono-oodham-council-approves-15th-us.html

Terwijl de meeste Tohono O’odham wanhopig op zoek zijn naar werk en behuizing, zelfs zuiver water en voedsel, spendeerde de Tohono O’odham natie in 2013 , $1.4 aan casino lobbyisten. Het Desert Diamond Casino schuift de winsten nog steeds door naar niet-indianen:

Lees het artikel in Censored News : http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2014/03/non-indian-attorneys-bedrock-of.html

Waking up in the Sonoran Desert

Photo Thomas Wiewandt, Desert Dreams

By Brenda Norrell
Censored News

Waking up in the Sonoran Desert is a profound experience. It is silence as never experienced before. Before dawn the Morning Dove is the only sound in a silence that can only be described as delicious. At sunrise, the noisy Gila Woodpecker starts making its noise. Somewhere out there, cactus are bursting into bloom, and the javalena, bobcats and desert tortoise are searching for breakfast in one of the world's greatest ecosystems and mysteries.

This desert runs right up to the ocean, the mighty Pacific Ocean, and this water also flows into the Gulf of California off the coast of Sonora, Mexico. This area of the Pacific is where the whales travel to each year from Alaska to have their babies. It is where the desert meets the sea.

Once desperate to explore this region, I waited at midnight for an inexpensive luxury bus to take me from the seaport town of Puerto Penasco, Sonora, to the coastal peninsula of Baja. A large group of Mexican soldiers showed up, dressed in camouflage, to wait for the bus as well. They were carrying long metal poles.

With my limited Spanish, I couldn't understand what they were up to. All I knew I was going to be on a bus, suspiciously under-priced, all night with the Mexican military to Baja. There was a layover in Tijuana, already a pretty scary idea, especially for reporters and especially for a gringa reporter traveling alone ten years ago. As it turned out, it was a luxury bus, with spacious seats, and sandwiches and cold drinks served by a hostess. All night I watched the Mexican soldiers with their long metal poles. To keep my level of terror under control, I convinced myself they were part of a movie crew.

Finally, in the dark night, with the moon shining brightly over the grand Sonoran Desert near Calexico, I understood what they were doing. They said they were the Mexican Navy, Armada de Mexico, going to measure the ocean depth with these poles. Whether that is true, I don't know. At least we made it safely to Tijuana. I reached Baja and traveled by cheap bus down the coast. With limited money and limited Spanish, I couldn't find a way out to the coast where the whales have their babies. The Mexican military disappeared into Tijuana.

On other journeys, I was in the presence of whales off the coast of San Diego, as they made their journey a little further south into the birthing waters off the coast of Mexico. As the whales travel this route each year, there comes the life-affirming assurance that comes from the cycles of life: Even mountains move, the desert blooms and whales travel 10,000 miles, the distance to the moon and back, to have their babies. In the Sonoran Desert -- where the desert meets the sea -- life continues to offer its awe-inspiring lessons and legacy.

Photo top: During the recent Agua Caliente Native Film Fest, which honored Tantoo Cardinal, the film 'Desert Dreams: Five Seasons in the Sonoran Desert,' was screened. http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2014/03/tantoo-cardinal-receives-agua-caliente.html

Article copyright Brenda Norrell, for permission to repost brendanorrell@gmail.com
Please share the link!
http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2014/04/waking-up-in-sonoran-desert.html

Snowden: US spied on human rights workers

By Luke Harding

The Guardian

The US has spied on the staff of prominent human rights organisations, Edward Snowden has told the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, Europe's top human rights body.

Giving evidence via a videolink from Moscow, Snowden said the National Security Agency – for which he worked as a contractor – had deliberately snooped on bodies like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

Read article at The Guardian http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/08/edwards-snowden-us-government-spied-human-rights-workers

WATCH VIDEO of Snowden's testimony: 

http://clients.dbee.com/coe/webcast/index.php?id=20140408-1&lang=en

Leonard Peltier's statement on passing of Peter Matthiessen

Statement on the passing of his dear friend and supporter Peter Matthiessen from Leonard Peltier:

By Leonard Peltier

Censored News

Greetings my friends, relatives, and supporters:

4/6/2014 8:34 a.m. 

The other day Peter Matthiessen came into my thoughts, I thought I better call him and see how he is doing. Since I knew he was sick, I did not want to concern or disturb him with my problems, as he had enough to be worried about. Today I received word from Indigo that my friend had passed on.

Man, I thought he was going to live forever. Peter was one-of-a-kind. Truly --ONE that will go down in history. He fought for the poor and the weary, the sick, and anyone who had problems that were brought to his attention. He took time from his own life to try to help them in whatever way he could. He ALWAYS gave freely when someone needed anything, fought for those who were being mistreated. I mean, this man's life was like a movie script. Not to mention the great books he wrote. Some of them are mind blowing. This man had the kind of talent that we may never see again. One story he told me was about his Grandfather when he was mayor (or was it governor) of N.Y.? He always had Indians hanging around the mansion so the conservatives and wealthy were always giving him problems about that; they did whatever they could to discredit his administration. These people made some very racist statements about him being an “Indian Lover” and so on. Native People need to know, we owe a great debt to this man, Peter Matthiessen. He was a very brave man, a true warrior. He battled HARD for us as a people. He fought tirelessly for my freedom.

He was one of the very few who did not care if his career was destroyed, which the F.B.I. tried to do when he tried to help me. Yes, he told me they threatened his career and even his very life. I know this to be true, and he was not the only one they did this to.

When he wrote his book about my case and conviction “IN THE SPIRIT OF CRAZY HORSE," the F.B.I. first tried to ruin his career by filing false, multi-million-dollar libel suits against him and his publishing company, also effectively BANNING the book during the lawsuits. When that did not work, they threatened his life and the lives of his family. In true warrior form, Peter told them to get off of his property. Peter told me “Sure I was concerned," but his beliefs in the Constitution and his belief in America were stronger than any fear they could put on him.

Others who were threatened and became afraid, burned thousands and thousands of copies of our book; yes!… in modern times they burned In the Spirit of Crazy Horse.

Governor Bill Janklow threatened all of the book stores in South Dakota to BAN the book. This is all just part of the thousands of pages of documentation that surrounds my case.

All I want to say is that it was a great honor for me to have lived in the same world Peter lived in as a human being on Earth.

Thank you Peter, for your brotherhood and love.

I believe we (all peoples) owe this man SO MUCH! There is so much to say about him as a human, a man, a writer and yes, he WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST forefathers in this century, of the Environmental Movement. WE should lobby for the highest award the United States can give to him. This should have been done before he passed away, at the very least from Native Nations.

He deserved an apology from the F.B.I who are employees of the American People.

We should lobby Hollywood to do a movie about his courageous life and his contributions to mankind, the wild animals such as the glorious Snow Leopard, birds, the fish, and the very earth we live in.

Hollywood needs some REAL heroes, not the fake ones you see everyday in movies. Peter Matthiessen was a REAL HERO.

Peter, if you are looking down on us; you can see ME as I'm writing this.
MY eyes are not clear and I miss you already.
I asked you in our last phone conversation to please not leave me here.
Wait for me. I know in my heart you tried.
I Love you and I will miss you terribly.
I will see you soon, my brother, as my time is coming.

To Peter’s family, please accept my deepest gratitude for every single moment Peter gave to me, that you as a family sacrificed for me, fought for me and worked so diligently all these years for myself and my people. My most sincere condolences. I wish I was there to cry and mourn with you. The ancestors have a special spot in the Tipi for Peter.

I send all my love to you all.
Hold closely those true friends that fight and sacrifice for what is right.

TRULY; In the Spirit Of Crazy Horse
Doksha
Leonard Peltier

www.leonardpeltier.info

Dutch translation by NAIS, thank you!

http://www.bloggen.be/natam/

Brief van Leonard Peltier over het heengaan van Peter Matthiessen, zijn goede vriend en supporter.

Door Leonard Peltier

Censored News : www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com

Vertaling Nederlands A.Holemans voor de NAIS Gazette: www.bloggen.be/natam

Gegroet vrienden, verwanten en supporters:

Onlangs dacht ik eraan om Peter Matthiessen nog eens op te bellen om hem te vragen hoe het met hem ging.

Sinds ik wist dat hij ziek was wou ik hem zo weinig mogelijk lastig vallen met mijn eigen problemen, hij had zelf genoeg om zich zorgen over te maken.

Vandaag kreeg ik het nieuws dat mijn vriend heengegaan is.

Man, ik heb steeds gedacht dat hij onsterfelijk was.

Een uniek mens. Een die vast en zeker geschiedenis gemaakt heeft. Hij heeft gevochten voor de armen en de zwakken, de zieken en iedereen waarvan hij wist dat ze in de problemen zaten. Een groot deel van zijn leven spendeerde hij om hen te helpen waar hij maar kon. Hij gaf altijd wanneer hij wist dat men het nodig had, vocht voor diegenen die slecht behandeld werden. Ik bedoel maar dat het leven van deze man las zoals een film script.

En dan heb ik het nog niet over de prachtige boeken die hij geschreven heeft. Sommigen zijn absoluut fenomenaal. Deze man had een talent dat we niet vlug meer gaan zien.

Hij vertelde mij een verhaal over zijn grootvader toen die burgemeester (of was het gouverneur?) van New York was. Er hingen altijd indianen rond zijn huis wat de conservatieven en de rijken niet in dank afnamen; zij deden wat zij konden om zijn beleid in diskrediet te brengen. Dat volkje heeft een paar zeer racistische verklaringen over hem verspreid, zij noemden hem een “Indian Lover”, en nog meer.

Natives moeten beseffen dat wij Peter Matthiessen veel verschuldigd zijn. Hij was een zeer dapper man, een ware krijger, hij vocht hard voor ons volk. Hij vocht onvermoeibaar voor mijn vrijheid.

Hij was een van de weinigen die er niet om gaf dat zijn loopbaan in gevaar kwam. Want dat was het wat het FBI probeerde te doen toen hij mij wou helpen. Ja, zij bedreigden zijn carriére en zelfs zijn leven. Ik weet dat hij de waarheid sprak want hij was niet de enige.

Toen hij “ In the Spirit of Crazy Horse” schreef, een boek over mijn zaak en veroordeling heeft het FBI zijn loopbaan proberen te breken door hem en zijn uitgeverij voor de rechtbank te sleuren wegens laster en eerroof. Tijdens de duur van het proces werd zijn boek verbannen.

Toen dat niet werkte hebben zij het leven van hem en zijn familie bedreigd. In ware ‘warrior’ stijl heeft peter hen gezegd dat zij moesten ophoepelen. Peter zei me: “ Natuurlijk was ik bang”, maar zijn geloof in de grondwet en in Amerika was sterker dan eender welke angst zij hem konden inboezemen.

Anderen die werden bedreigd en bang werden hebben duizenden copies van ons boek verbrand; Ja! In deze moderne tijden verbranden zij 'In the Spirit of Crazy Horse'. Gouverneur Bill Janklow oefende druk uit op de boekhandels in Zuid Dakota om het boek te verbannen. Dit is slechts een klein deel van de duizenden documenten die mijn zaak omringden.

Alles wat ik wil zeggen is dat het een grote eer was om in dezelfde wereld geleefd te hebben waarin Peter geleefd heeft als een ‘mens’ op de aarde.

Dank u Peter, voor jouw broederschap en liefde.

Ik geloof dat wij (alle mensen) deze man zoveel verschuldigd zijn!

Er is zoveel te zeggen over hem als mens, man, schrijver en ja, hij was een van de grootste voorvaders in deze eeuw, van de milieu- beweging.

Wij zouden moeten lobbyen voor de hoogste prijs die de Verenigde Staten kan uitreiken. Dit zou reeds gedaan moeten zijn voor hij stierf, toch zeker door de Native naties.

Hij verdiende een verontschuldiging van het FBI, die de dienaars zijn van het Amerikaanse volk.

Wij zouden Hollywood moeten lobbyen om een  film te maken over zijn moedig leven en zijn bijdragen aan de mensheid, wilde dieren zoals het prachtige sneeuwluipaard, vogels, vissen en de aarde waarop we leven.

Hollywood heeft echte helden nodig, niet de nephelden die je in elke film ziet. Peter Matthiessen was een ware held.

Peter wanneer jij op ons neerkijkt; dan kan je me dit zien schrijven. Mijn ogen zijn niet meer helder en ik mis je reeds. Ik heb je in ons laatste telefoongesprek gevraagd om mij hier niet achter te laten. Wacht op mij. Ik weet diep in mijn hart dat je het geprobeerd hebt. Ik hou van jou en ik zal je vreselijk missen. Ik zal je spoedig weerzien, broeder, mijn tijd nadert.

Aan de familie van Peter: aanvaard mijn diepste dankbaarheid voor ieder moment dat Peter mij gegeven heeft, en dat jullie als familie hebben opgeofferd ,dat hij voor mij al die jaren zo ijverig gevochten heeft, voor mijzelf en mijn volk.

Mijn innige deelneming. Ik wou dat ik bij jullie kon zijn om samen met jullie te wenen en te rouwen.

De voorvaders hebben een speciale plek voor Peter in de teepee.

Ik zend jullie al mijn genegenheid.

Hou de ware vrienden die vechten en opofferen voor rechtvaardigheid dicht bij je.

Werkelijk; In the Spirit of Crazy Horse.

Doksha

Leonard Peltier

Mohawk Nation News 'Historic Mohawk-Russian Relations'

HISTORIC MOHAWK-RUSSIAN RELATIONS

Posted on April 5, 2014

Please post and distribute. Nia:wen.

MNN. Apr. 5, 2014. Mohawk Nation members are looking for the Two Row Wampum/Guswentha belt. In 1710 at the World’s First International Peace Conference our Haudeonsaunee chiefs presented this belt to the 13 monarchies of Europe and to explain the Great Law of Peace.