Mohawks urge Tohono O'odham to blockade border wall construction and offer help

Mohawk Warrior Society flags at a rail blockade on the tenth day of demonstration in Tyendinaga, near Belleville, Ont., Sunday, Feb. 16, 2020. Mohawks are in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs opposed to the Coastal GasLink pipeline in northern British Columbia. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Lars Hagberg

Mohawks urge Tohono O'odham to blockade border wall construction and offer help

Tohono O'odham urged to blockade border wall construction without fear

By Brenda Norrell
Censored News
French translation by Christine Prat

Mark Maracle of the Mohawk Warrior Society said Tohono O'odham should shut down construction of the border wall. Maracle said Mohawks stand ready to help them and fear should not control their minds.

"They should blockade the fence," Maracle told Censored News today, Thursday.

"If our people up in the north can blockade railroads, they can blockade that fence too."

"The support has grown all across Turtle Island."

"When we were down there, we told them if they want to do something we would be supportive," Maracle said of a large delegation of Mohawks to the Tohono O'odham Nation during the Indigenous Peoples Border Summit.

"They have to take the initiative down there to do it on their own."

"They should have no fear when the truth is on their side."

Meanwhile, Wet'suwet'en Hereditary Chiefs plan to meet with Tyendinaga and Kahnawake Mohawks.

Although the RCMP says today it will leave the land of the Wet'suwet'en, Maracle said, "They speak with forked tongues."

Maracle said Tohono O'odham should not allow fear to control their minds. "All it takes is a couple of people, and for them to put up the Mohawk flag."

During the Indigenous Peoples Border Summit in 2007, Mohawks were on the border on the Tohono O'odham Nation south of Sells, Arizona. They saw U.S. Border Patrol agents arresting Indigenous women and children and jumped from their cars on the road and ran to rescue those being arrested. The U.S. Border Patrol agents, shaken and afraid rushed away with the young women and children in the federal paddy women on the Tohono O'odham Nation.

Mohawks asked why the Tohono O'odham allows this to happen. They asked why the Tohono O'odham Nation government allows the U.S. Border Patrol on their lands and the abuse of Indigenous Peoples on their land. After seeing a U.S. spy tower south of Sells, they asked how could this happen on sovereign Tohono O'odham land. The spy tower was next to a large chain-link cage used to imprison migrants, many of whom were Indigenous. They said the cage was no more than a dog pen.

Already on Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument on the Arizona border, located near the western edge of the Tohono O'odham Nation, the Trump administration and contractors, Southwest Valley Constructors, have blasted into Monument Hill, an area where human remains were found during the border wall destruction. The area was a burial place for the ancestors of Tohono O'odham.

Trump waived all federal laws to build the border wall, including laws protecting Native American sacred places, Native American burial places, endangered species and those protecting the land, water and air. Some of these endangered species live no place else in the world but here in the Sonoran Desert.

Meanwhile, rail blockades are expanding in Canada, with support pouring in from as far away as London and Paris today. A sit-in in London is currently underway. Back in Canada, RCMP said they will serve an injunction on the rail blockade near Edmonton. A lockdown was underway in San Francisco in support, and earlier trains were blocked in Seattle. The international borders and gateways to New York have also been blocked for periods of time.

In Canada, Via Rail said it shut down all its nationwide trains. CN rails said it shut down its railroads in the eastern part of Canada due to the blockades.

The Mohawks at Tyendinaga and Kahnawake continue their rail blockades today. They said they will continue the blockades until the Wet'suwet'en Hereditary Chiefs are satisfied.

(Below) Today, Thursday: RCMP to female: "I'm pretty sure if we go through your car we could find some reason for impounding it." (Threatened, handcuffed and released today while gathering needed firewood. Video: https://twitter.com/i/status/1230555179885350912

Below: Breaking News from Neskonlith

https://cfjctoday.com/2020/02/20/wetsuweten-supporters-block-rail-tracks-on-neskonlith-land-east-of-kamloops/

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is along the western edge of the Tohono O'odham Nation on the Arizona border south of Phoenix, and southwest of Tucson.
                     

Actions spread through the U.S. and the world in support of Wet'suwet'en. Below, an action in Idaho.

Copyright Brenda Norrell, Censored News. For permission to repost, contact brendanorrell@gmail.com

Facebook blocks Wet'suwet'en supporters, as San Francisco Indigenous Youths Lock Down

Indigenous youths locked down said, "Come join us! Indigenous youth have locked down to the Chase Operations HQ on Mission St, in SF, Ohlone territories, in solidarity with the Wet'suwet'en. Come down and chant with us and support our comrades!!!! #Wetsuwetenstrong #UnistotenCamp #EndPoliceTerror #NoTrespass #ProtecttheYintah #NoPipelines #RCMPSTANDDOWN #LandBack #ShutDownCanada

By Brenda Norrell
Censored News

Indigenous youths locked down in San Francisco in solidarity with Wet'suwet'en Hereditary Chiefs on Wednesday. The youths were still locked down Wednesday night after 8 hours at the Chase Headquarters at 560 Mission Street.

At the same time, posts in support of Wet'suwet'en were locked on numerous Facebook accounts, preventing others from viewing.

Meanwhile, in Canada, a new rail blockade was established near Edmonton, as Wet'suwet'en Hereditary Chiefs reaffirmed that RCMP and Coastal GasLink must leave their territories in B.C. On the eastern side of the country, Mohawks at Tyendinaga and Kahnawake continued their blockades.

On Wednesday, posts in support of Wet'suwet'en were blocked from veiw on many user accounts. The privacy setting on the posts was changed from public to only me without the user's knowledge. 

On Wednesday, posts about Wet'suwet'en were blocked by the security setting being changed, and posts about Julian Assange and another from AIM West, on this author's posts.

The posts blocked from view on Facebook were selective. A post showing a Saguaro Cactus killed by border wall contractors was not blocked from view.

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(Above) Trump and border wall contractors murdered this Saguaro Cactus today,

 after blasting through this burial place of Tohono O'odham ancestors.

TODAY:  MEDIA ADVISORY OF PRESS CONFERENCE: Wet’suwet’en, BCCLA and UBCIC Release CRCC Chairperson Response Regarding RCMP Exclusion Zone

WHAT: Citing significant public interest in the matter, the Chairperson of the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission (CRCC) for the RCMP, Michelaine Lahaie, has issued a response to Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs, Union of BC Indian Chiefs, and BC Civil Liberties Association’s call for an investigation regarding the improper and unlawful actions of the RCMP in in Wet’suwet’en territory. The hard-hitting response by Michelaine Lahaie will be released to the media and addressed by the speakers.


DATE: Thursday February 20, 2020

TIME: 9:00 a.m. PST

LOCATION: UBCIC Boardroom- 312 Main Street, 4th floor, Vancouver (entrance on Cordova)

SPEAKERS:

Molly Wickham Sleydo’, Wet’suwet’en Gidimt’en Clan spokesperson via call-in
Delee Alexis Nikal, Wet’suwet’en Gidimt’en Clan, one of the complainants to the CRCC
Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond Akikwe: Director of UBC’s Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre, Professor at UBC Allard School of Law, served as Provincial Court Judge for 20 years.
David Suzuki: Broadcaster, Cofounder of David Suzuki Foundation, Order of Canada
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip: President, Union of BC Indian Chiefs
Harsha Walia, Executive Director, BC Civil Liberties Association
Ta’Kaiya Blaney, Indigenous Youth for Wet’suwet’en
LIVESTREAM: https://www.facebook.com/UBCIC/

MEDIA PHONE IN AVAILBLE:
Outside of Vancouver: 877-385-4099
Lower Mainland: 604-899-2339
Access code: 40316#

Media contact:

Ellena Neel, 778-866-0548, eneel@ubcic.bc.ca

Tohono O'odham Sacred Region Blasted for Border Wall

Photo by Laiken Jordahl

Censored News

Laiken Jordahl said that the Tohono O’odham Tribal Chairman and the National Park Service formally asked ⁦the Dept. of Homeland Security to avoid ground-disturbing activities at sensitive cultural sites in the Roosevelt Reservation near Quitobaquito Springs.

"What did DHS do?"

"They bulldozed the whole thing."

Human remains were found in this region prior to the blasting that contractors just carried out.

Paris, France Stands with Wet'suwet'en

Paris, France Stands with Wet'suwet'en
Photo by Christine Prat

Shut Down Canada -- Prime Minister meeting today to address rail blockade

Breaking News Monday: Thousand Islanda Bridge Closed to United States, in Solidarity with Wet'suwet'en More here. 
https://globalnews.ca/news/6560481/thousand-islands-bridge-blocked-kingston-wetsuweten-protests/

Tyendinaga Mohawk rail blockade

By Brenda Norrell

Censored News

Monday, Feb. 17, 2020

Prime Minister Trudeau met Monday morning, to address rail blockade and Shut Down Canada. Trudeau canceled a trip to Barbados, part of his ongoing global lobbying for Canada to have a seat on the United Nations Security Council.

After the meeting, Trudeau said, “I understand how worrisome this is for so many Canadians,” said Justin Trudeau after his meeting about the protests and blockades. “We are going to continue to focus on resolving this situation quickly and peacefully.”

CANADA: Rail Blockade in Second Week in Solidarity with Wet'suwet'en

Kahnawake Mohawk Rail Blockade: Red Dresses for Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women
Photo Mohawk Nation News

Tyendinaga Mohawk Rail Blockade photo by Christi Belcourt.

TOWetsuwetenSolidarity said, "Check out the huge crowd now present at the Vaughan Rail Blockade (just north of Toronto) in solidarity with #WetsuwetenStrong. Almost 2 hours in, blocking all trains going west to Hamilton, London, New York and Michigan."

Shut Down Canada is in the second week, with trains shut down and ports stalled

Article by Brenda Norrell

Censored News

Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020
Updated Feb. 16, 2020

Rail blockades across Canada are now in the second week. VIA Rail announced it has shut down its nationwide system because of the blockades. Tyendinaga and Kahnawake Mohawks said the rail blockades near Toronto and Montreal will continue until Canadian police, RCMP, and Coastal GasLink leave the land of the Wet'suwet'en on the western side of the country.

After days of arrests with high-powered weapons, dogs and helicopters, resulting in the arrest of a small group of women in prayer, RCMP dismantled camps and attacked peaceful land defenders of the Wet'suwet'en protecting their homes and homeland from the destruction of the gas pipeline and its toxic man camps.

"There’s still a heavy cop presence on the territory. Multiple cop vehicles patrolling a 40km stretch of logging road leading to Unistoten. They’re stopping all vehicles except for industry. Govt doesn’t seem to hear the Wet’suwet’en. All Rcmp off the territory," Rob said on Twitter this morning.

Christi Belcourt reports this morning from the frontline of the Tyendinaga Mohawk blockade. The federal Indigenous Services Minister met at the tracks on Saturday morning with Mohawks.

Kanenhariyo Seth LeFort said, “Words are powerful but actions are meaningful. Your country hasn’t treated us well. There is a suspicion that there will be a trick here. That what you say will be different than what you do. Your ancestors came here and were not in a position of power. When they met us we gave them medicine. We helped them. There is a want or desire to pretend you came here and dominated us but that isn’t true. There was a time when we were strong and you were weak. I don’t mean to highjack you. But we’re concerned there will be a trick. There will be an attempt that so says the Indians aren’t being fair.”

“The foundation of our relationship is based on this. We are in our ship and all our ways are there. You are in your ship with your customs. And your courts and laws over yourselves. And we were not supposed to steer each other’s vessel. You stole our children to wipe our mind so they didn’t remember about this. But for 100 years you did the same thing to your own children. You wiped their minds of our relationship. If we are to continue forward we can only do that on the basis of the relationship our ancestors had with each other. And if we can’t respect that relationship with each other then we can’t talk. Because we will be dominated and we are small. It’s our treaty together. All of us. Together. And the animals. We are not separate. You too.”

Listen to Christi Belcourt live this morning.

MLT Blog Kahnawake Rail Blockade near Montreal

Kahnawake Rail Blockade Ready for the Long Haul

MLT Blog reports, "As land protectors continue to come out in support of the Wet'suwet'en people of British Columbia, Canada has been paralyzed. After the RCMP began making arrests to break up blockades of worksites for the Coastal GasLink pipeline, which would pass through unceded territory, groups took up in protest across the country. Now, new blockades have managed to indefinitely suspend rail services in several provinces, in addition to all but two VIA Rail train lines.

https://www.mtlblog.com/news/canada/qc/montreal/wetsuweten-solidarity-protest-in-kahnawake-ready-for-the-long-haul-photos

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Listuguj First Nation holds strong in support of Wet’suwet’en

Residents of the Mi'gmaq First Nation of Listuguj, in Quebec’s Gaspé region are holding strong in support of the Wet’suwet’en.
"About five or six people from the Mi'kmaq community of Listuguj, about 525 kilometres northeast of Quebec City by the New Brunswick border, have set up a campsite a few feet away from the tracks, said Eric Dube, president of the Chemin de fer de la Gaspesie." More here.

RCMP sniper during arrest of Wet'suwet'en from video by land defender.

RCMP also confirm that one of their officers used a rifle scope to observe members of the Wet’suwet’en and their supporters at one of the occupation camps. Read more.

Prime Minister Trudeau in Germany says he will not force RCMP to end rail blockades, but leaves it up to RCMP.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged those demonstrating in solidarity with hereditary chiefs of Wet’suwet’en Nation to ease up blockades along rail lines on Friday, but motioned that the federal government does not have plans to order RCMP action.“We are not a country where politicians can order the police to do something, we are a country that has confidence in its police forces and allows them to do their work in the scope of these blockades,” Trudeau said, while speaking to reporters in Germany." Read more.

Meanwhile, Ricochet reports today that Sol Zanetti, Quebec Solidaire member of the National Assembly for Jean-Lesage, said in a press release that Zanetti is joining the solidarity rally with the Wetsuweten in front of the National Assembly today. The issue is picking up in francophone Quebec."

Read more:

More than 60 shipping vessels stalled off B.C. coast due to rail blockades

Previous story at Censored News:
Censored News: Rail Blockades Shut Down Train System in Canada