MOHAWKS INFLAMED OVER TOHONO O’ODHAM TRIBAL COUNCIL COMPLICITY IN “BORDER” OPPRESSION OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
U.S. welcomes rich and kills the poor
THE GATE, TOHONO O'ODHAM NATION
(Arizona) Nov., 8, 2007 --Indigenous delegates to the
border on Tohono O'odham Nation land were outraged
by the federal agents, hovering customs helicopter,
profiteering contractors, federal spy tower, federal
"cage" detention center and watching the arrest of a
group of Indigenous Peoples, mostly women and
children, by the US Border Patrol on an Indian Nation.
"We saw it all firsthand in America," said Bill Means,
Lakota and cofounder of the International Indian
Treaty Council on Nov. 8, when an Indigenous delegation
went to the [so-called] "US/Mexico" border here, south
of Sells, to document human rights abuses [including
murders, rapes, torture, deaths] for a report to the United Nations.
"We are going to take this wall down," Means said,
after viewing the construction of a "border vehicle
barrier" by contractors and National Guard on Tohono
O'odham land. [This wall is something to see. It is iron
posts filled with cement, sunk 5 ft. into the ground and
6 1/2 ft. high. it is going to be electrified.]
Speaking a few hours later to the Indigenous Peoples
Border Summit of the Americas II in San Xavier,
Means called for solidarity of Indigenous Peoples
throughout the world to halt the arrests of Indigenous
Peoples who are walking north in search of a better life,
and solidarity to bring down the US/Mexico border wall.
"One inch of intrusion into our land is not acceptable!"
Mohawk Mark Maracle told the Border Summit. "I
became very angry when I saw those guys rounding
up our people. It is a violation of our Great Law to witness
what we saw today and do nothing about it." [We felt so
powerless. What could be do. They had all the guns!]
The delegation included Mohawks, Oneida, Navajo,
Acoma Pueblo, Hopi and O'odham.
Near the border, at the scene of the arrests of a group
of Indigenous Peoples, Mohawks stood before US
Border Patrol agents and yelled at them about the illegality
of their actions. They held their fists high in solidarity, as the
Border Patrol packed nearly a dozen Indigenous
Peoples into one vehicle.
The delegation also viewed the federal spy tower next
to Homeland Security's migrant detention center known
as "the cage" on the Tohono O'odham Nation. The first
stop, however, was the abomination of the new wall
being constructed on O'odham land.
Kahentinetha Horn of the Mohawk Women Title
Holders said she saw the callousness of the Tohono
O'odham district official [Marla Henry Email]
standing before them and speaking in favor of the border
barrier. [Marla asked, "What people are your talking about?"
"Your People", we all said. She smiled the whole time].
"This is completely illegal," Kahentinetha said, adding
that it violates human rights and international law.
Kahentinetha was outraged at the arrests of the group
of Indigenous Peoples, who appeared to be young Mayans
from Oaxaca, Chiapas or Guatemala.
"We stood in front of the Border Patrol yelling at them,"
Kahentinetha told the Indigenous Border Summit. She
described how the Mohawks stood with fists held high
in solidarity with the Indigenous Peoples who were arrested
earlier in the day. "We tried to pass some of our strength on
to them to fight."
The Indigenous delegation documenting the abuses planned
to intervene in the arrests, but the Border Patrol crowded the
group into a vehicle and left quickly.
Mohawk warrior Rarahkwisere, among those disheartened to
see the arrest of fellow Indigenous Peoples on Indian land
with the help of Indigenous people, was shaking with anger.
He pointed out, “These brothers were not drug runners or
criminals. These were men, women and children walking in
search of a better life”. [They have the same rights as anyone
else? This fence is being erected by people who claim to
support a "free market society". They really want low labor
costs. Today some cab live well and others are pushed to starve.
These people are not just economic migrants eager to get into
the US to sponge off welfare. They are being forced to flee.
The multinational corporations are spraying toxic chemicals
on their homeland.]
Jay Johnson Castro of Del Rio Texas, leading protests against
the imprisonment of migrant children at Hutto prison in
Texas and the border wall in Texas, was in the delegation.
"I hear 'sovereign nation,' but I didn't see sovereign actions
[by the Tohono O'odham]." Castro said the buildings near the
border on the Tohono O'odham Nation are labeled "Homeland
Security and Tohono O'odham Nation. They are partners [in
crime! Partners in genocide!]
Maracle said the atrocities that the US government is falsely
accusing migrants of doing, is what the invaders did when
they arrived on Turtle Island: rape, robbery and murder.
[We do not believe that toddlers and 9 year olds are
committing such crimes].
"If we don't stop and grab hold of our destiny, there is not going
to be one for our children." Maracle said. "All the nations need to
come together and stop what is happening here. I know from
past experience with the Mohawk Warrior Society where our
power lies. It is with the people. Don't ever forget that."
Chris George, Oneida from Canada, said, "When the Border
Patrol came up, they treated us like as enemies." The
Border Patrol imemdiately asked the summit delegation
“Who authorized this delegation to be at the border and
who is your leader?” [Did they think we were a bunch of
martians or something?] "No one authorizes us to do
anything. Creation brought us there”. George warned,
“Don't let the United States government tell us
who we are. We are Haudenosaunee, People of the Longhouse."
Lenny Foster, Dine' (Navajo) and advocate for Native ceremonial
rights for inmates, said that what he witnessed was "brutal,
vicious and evil." He said Dine' know that all human beings
have five fingers. He said that he did not recognize the district
official and federal agents as having five-fingers. "They were
robots." Foster said that the Tohono O'odham district official
[Marla Henry] who led the tour was defending the [colonial]
policies of genocide.
Describing how the Indigenous Peoples were arrested and
quickly rushed into a small vehicle, Foster said, "It reminded
me of Gallup, N.M. and how they round up our people,
stacked them up like cords of wood." Foster was at the dirt
path leading to Mexico, also known as The Gate, years ago
when the American Indian Movement protested the violation
of human rights there. He remarked on the heavy buildup of
police and agents, from the BIA, Tohono O'odham Nation, US Border
Patrol, Immigration and Customs agents and the National
Guard. They were all working with the contractors constructing
the wall, while a white customs' helicopter hovered menacingly
overhead.
At the same time, on the Mexico side [of the “imaginary line”],
two men sat under a tree. An attorney for the O'odham in
Mexico was prevented from crossing into the United States
portion of Tohono O'odham land by the US Border Patrol.
This man held a letter from Tohono O'odham Nation Chairman
Ned Norris requesting to meet with him today. Norris stated
that the attorney could enter the Nation by way of “The Gate”
that we were at.
The Border Patrol officer at the scene refused to allow the
attorney to enter, over-ruling Chairman Norris. He said
the attorney must have a US visa and not just a letter from
Norris. [This goes to show how some Indians are letting
themselves be puppets of the low ranking "foot soldiers"
of the U.S. government.] The attorney waited there in the
company of a Tarahumara who held a US visa.
Foster pointed out that the Mexican federales or police,
who arrived on the other side, could do anything with the
two people who were left there. "They could even be
torturing them now."
Means also pointed out that the delegation was "tailed" or
followed from the tribal capitol of Sells. Means also said that
the Berlin Wall had come down, but now there are other
walls to divide the people [that are being built all over the world].
At the border wall, Means said one of the workers announced
proudly, "The Israelis are helping us put up the wall." Border
wall contractor Boeing has hired a subcontractor, Elbit Systems,
an Israeli defense contractor, who helped build the Apartheid
Wall in Palestine.
Means said the U.S. "gated communities" have expanded
into a "gated country" where the government welcomes the
rich [and kills the poor]. [We were down there during the
"Remembrance Day" weekend. Is this the world the soldiers
sacrified for?]
Posted by Brenda Norrell at 9:01 PM
MNN Note: An international summit must be called
immediately. These kinds of borders are allegedly being
planned worldwide. We've been informed that a wall is being
planned on the "imaginary line" known as the Canada-U.S.
border. This is a violation of Indigenous law, human rights and
international law. This plan to control all of mankind and
the natural world must be stopped immediately!
Direct your criticisms to: Marla Henry
Verlon Jose, Chairman of Tohono O’odham Legislative Council
Box 837, Sells, Arizona 85634
Verlon Jose, Chairman and to your local
Congressmen, Senators, media, file international complaints.
To help, contact: Mike Flores
MNN Mohawk Nation News Mohawk Nation News
Kahentinetha
and Kahentinetha
Special thanks to Glenn Welker, Indigenous Peoples Literature for the lead. Indigenous Peoples Literature Messages
MTBW NOTATION: In November 2004, my husband and I took a cross country trip and spent time in Arizona, where we lived for several years. We went to the San Xavier Mission, where they were having a Remembrance Ceremony for all the Indigenous people who had died, in an attempt to cross the desert looking for work and a better life.
There were crossed laid out on the ground, representing many of those who never made it, but whose lives ended in the desert. For that report see San Xavier - November 2004
There was a report made that year about Mexican Migrants who risked death to cross the border and there was talk about "The Gate."
Henry Ramon, who was Vice Chairman of the Tribal Council at that time stated:
"Operation Gatekeeper is the policy of death," Tohono O'odham Vice Chairman Henry Ramon said of the effort that has made the border almost impenetrable in populated areas, pushing migrants into more dangerous terrain.
"We are very opposed to any kind of policy that would cause harm toward human beings," said Ramon, adding that his tribe has lived in the Sonoran Desert since before there was a Mexico or a United States.
"Our people do not recognize this imaginary line that is an international boundary," he said.
To read this report in its entirety click HERE
It appears that there has been quite a change in attitude since 2004 about the people who are crossing through the "Gate." Perhaps those tribal members who seem to favor the wall that is being constructed should re-read his words and remember that we are all related. As the Mohawk people say again and again, in unity there is strength and yet, so many remain blind to that fact, or someone has met their price. Nothing can be worse than to be betrayed by your own.
Jeanne Svhiyeyi Aga Chadwick
Publisher/Editor - MTBW
November 20, 2007
Contents
November 2007 News Reports
Last updated on Nov 20, 2007