.comment-link {margin-left:.6em;}

American Indian Movement of Colorado

Spirituality • Self-determination • Solidarity • Sobriety
Colorado AIM home page

Monday, May 15, 2006

Mapuche suspend hunger strike

Jailed Mapuch activists have agreed to suspend their hunger strike.
After 63 days on hunger strike, four jailed Mapuche rights activists agreed to temporarily suspend their protest on May 14 after reaching an agreement with Chilean legislators. In exchange for an end to the fast, the government promised to give urgent attention to a proposed law allowing supervised release, introduced by Socialist Party (PS) senator Alejandro Navarro. Navarro and fellow PS senator Jaime Naranjo helped broker the agreement, with mediation from Temuco bishop Manuel Camilo Vial and from lonko (Mapuche community leader) Jose Cariqueo. full report

Surprise, surprise-natives back protest

This from the National Post.
Canada's Aboriginals overwhelmingly back the long-running Six Nations demonstration in Caledonia and predict the number of similar land-claims protests is about to rise, a new survey has found.

According to a poll conducted for the National Post, 62% of natives believe protesters in the Hamilton bedroom community and in eastern Ontario -- where natives briefly blocked a rail line in sympathy last month -- were right to demonstrate. That compares with just 12% who said the demonstrators were wrong.

"We're talking about a margin of 5-1 and civil disobedience is involved," said Conrad Winn, president of polling firm Compas full article

The support for the Six Nations and reclamation actions in general is most likely higher than this poll indicates.

Protect Bear Butte-new website

There is a new website to support the efforts to protect Bear Butte. There are suggested actions and an address for those who want to make donations. Pay a visit to the site and help protect Bear Butte. Protect Bear Butte

Friday, May 12, 2006

Six Nation profiles

There are hundreds of people who are helping to resist further erosion of the Six Nation traditional territory. Some have been at the camp for months while others come and go. The Hamilton Spectator profiles 4 of the Six Nation Defenders. The 4 are Clyde Powless, Michael Laughing, Hazel Hill and Janie Jamieson.

Clyde Powless
""I'm looking at the long run. Maybe my grandchildren won't have to do this," he says, in his matter-of-fact style."

Michael Laughing
"I've learned I can lead people."

Hazel Hill
"We could hand out fliers every day and we'd never get any response," she said. "Canada has a history of only responding when action is taken -- peaceful action ... Canada always resorts with guns."

Janie Jamieson
She says police helicopters fly over her house but it will take more than that to scare her off."They don't know what I've endured. They'll have to come up with more than that." full article

This encampment has been sustained for 3 months. For an encampment to continue this long, community support is a necessity. These are but 4 people who are a part of a greater movement that is supported not only by their community and nation, but by native nations across turtle island.

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Cafe Cultura-Friday May 12.

The second friday of the month has arrived and you know what that means. Come support Red and Brown Unity.

Café Cultura (www.myspace.com/cafecultura)
Feature: Debajo del Agua

Open Mic Night, Spoken Word, Hip Hop, Visual Arts, Poesia/Poetry FREE!!!!

Red and Brown Unity

WHEN: 2nd Fri. of every month @ 7:30 pm (May 12th, June 9th)
WHERE: Denver Inner City Parish-9th Ave & Galapago St.(2 blks east of Santa Fe on the NE corner)
WHAT: All ages Open Mic Night

June: Day Acoli
Come express yourself creatively or just chill with your people
Everyone is welcome!
For more info: cafe_cultura@yahoo.com; 720-436-1830
Cafe Cultura

Six Nation News and perspectives

Audio and Video reports
Auto_sol has an audio report from CKUT that features interviews with defenders of the Six Nations and their allies. Go to their site to listen- Auto_sol

They are also carrying video footage from a Toronto rally in support of the Six Nations. To view, click on the following links-Toronto Rally

Solidarity Actions
Ontario
Mother's Day Rally & Ride for Six Nations
The Kitchener-Waterloo Solidarity Association for International Liberation Struggles (SAIL) presents...

MOTHER'S DAY RALLY 'N' RIDE 4 6 NATIONS!

Come to hear speaker Jacqueline House, spokesperson for Six Nations land rights regarding Douglas Creek Lands (near Caledonia), and then hop on a bus for a short day trip to Caledonia to peacefully show our support for the Six Nations in their struggle!

Where? Speaker's Corner (corner of Benton and King Street, downtown Kitchener)

When? Sunday, May 14th, at 12pm (the bus will leave at 12:30pm). (We are flexible to pick people up on the way in Guelph, Hamilton, and other cities on the way - please let us know). SSIS for more info

Ottawa
March on The Governor General’s May 13th!

When: 12 Noon, Saturday May 13th
Meet at RiverRain Parc
New Edinburgh
(Near St. Patrick’s Bridge and the Vanier Parkway)

=====> Restore Land Rights Across Canada!

In solidarity with the people of Six Nations and in struggle with all First Nations across Turtle Island, the people of Ottawa are going to the Queen’s representative to demand an immediate solution to land rights disputes everywhere.

Treaties made between the Six Nations and the British Crown are being trampled by governments that didn’t exist. Neither the Federal nor Provincial governments have jurisdiction on Six Nations land near Caledonia. click here for more info

News
The first talks dealing with Six Nations land rights began today with provincial and federal officials across the table from Confederacy Council chiefs to find a solution to the Douglas Creek lands that could be used as a model for dealing with Six Nations land rights issues up and down the Grand River, said Mohawk chief Allen MacNaughton.

The talks, aimed at ending the now 72-day old reclamation of Six Nations lands on the outskirts of Caledonia under development for a 600 unit subdivision, got underway with provincial representative and former Minister of Indian Affairs, Jane Stewart and former cabinet Minister Barbara MacDougall Provincial appointee former premier David Peterson is expected to leave the team today.full article-Gathering Place

"Trespassing" documents nuclear industry effects on Native Peoples

Brenda Norrell writes about the making of Trespassing, a documentary that focuses on the destructive practices of the nuclear industry.
When filmmaker Carlos DeMenezes filmed the Colorado River Indian Tribes and Fort Mojave Tribe's successful fight to halt the proposed Ward Valley nuclear waste dump, another reality was revealed: the cruel legacy of how American Indians were targeted by the nuclear industry.

The filmmaker's journey began when he left his native Brazil and came to Los Angeles to study film in 1982.

After gaining his degree and experience as a filmmaker, he searched for meaning in the industry: ''I did not want to only make money; I wanted to make something that means something.''

DeMenezes began researching the nuclear industry in books and film and soon found his way to Ward Valley, where American Indians and environmentalists joined together to fight the proposed nuclear waste dump. full article

The Ward Valley campaign is one of the actions covered in Trespassing. The Colorado Native Nations Alliance was instrumental in the success of the campaing.
It took 113 days and nights, risking arrest, and braving harsh weather, government threats and intimidation, but the long occupation of the proposed nuclear waste dump site at Ward Valley by Indian Nations and environmental supporters has ended in a major victory.

On February 12, 1998, hundreds of tribal members and supporters took over "ground zero" to defend the land and the desert tortoise from test drilling planned by federal and state governments as part of the dump project.

The Fort Mojave, Chemehuevi, Quechan, Cocopah and Colorado River Indian Tribes had vowed to defend Ward Valley against the test drilling which would have further desecrated their sacred land.

The Colorado River Native Nations Alliance hailed as a huge victory the announcement by the U.S. Department of the Interior that the controversial test drilling was canceled and that virtually all work on the dump project was being halted. The Interior Department had continued to insist that the Tribes and supporters leave "ground zero" in exchange for the canceling of the test drilling, but the Tribes refused to compromise. On June 5th, the Interior Department rescinded the eviction notice issued to the Tribes on February 14th, completing the victory for the occupation. full article located here

Trespassing recently received the Trustee Award at the Arizona International Film Festival. This was quite an achievement because the film has been refused screenings at numerous film festivals because it is deemed to "controversial".
''Trespassing,'' by Red Umbrella Productions, captured the Trustee Award at the 15th Arizona International Film Festival April 28, an award based on merit, which is not given out annually.

In the United States and worldwide, however, the film has been rejected by more film festivals than it has been accepted.

DeMenezes, in an interview with Indian Country Today, discussed the rejections.

''There are two kinds of film festivals: true independent film festivals and those who sell their souls to the studios and corporations,'' DeMenezes said after the well-received screening at the Arizona International Film Festival.

''Trespassing'' was rejected at every film festival in Canada, France, Germany, Denmark, Portugal, Australia, Brazil and Argentina.

''Sundance Film Festival rejected it twice,'' DeMenezes said. The film was rejected at some of the leading festivals: Los Angeles International Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, Hot Docs International Film Festival, Margaret Mead Film and Video Festival and the York Film Festival. Comments from these festivals' organizers were not received by press time.

The Barcelona Human Rights Film Festival in Spain was the only festival in Europe to accept the film. It received a standing ovation. full article

Click on the following link to visit the Trespassing website- Trespassing

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

"Divine Strake" postponed

As this Spectrum article notes, there have been conflicting reports over whether or not the "Divine Strake" bombing was going to happen on June 2. Government officials had been denying it was going to be postponed but now they have confirmed it.

After conflicting reports over the weekend about whether the June 2 Divine Strake test would be postponed, various federal agencies have acknowledged the large bomb blast will not go forward until June 23 at the earliest.

However, late Tuesday night a Defense Department spokeswoman said that a study of a revised environmental assessment of the blast resulted in a finding of "no significant impact" to the human environment.

Darwin Morgan, a public information officer for the Nevada Test Site, confirmed Tuesday that the 700-ton ammonium nitrate-fuel oil blast has been postponed for at least three weeks. The Defense Threat Reduction Agency and the National Nuclear Security Administration proposed the test 150 miles west of St. George to gather data about the effects of both large conventional weapons and low-yield nuclear weapons. full article


For more information visit the Western Shoshone Defense Project website

Stop Niocan Mine-Demonstration at shareholders meeting

This was sent via email and is being reprinted in full.

STOP NIOCAN’S PROPOSED NIOBIUM MINE ON KANIEN’KEHAKA TERRITORY!

Demonstrate at Niocan’s Annual General Meeting of Shareholders-Montreal

***********************
WHEN: May 18th, 2006, 9:30am
WHERE: Best Western Hotel, 3407 Peel (corner Sherbrooke)
WHAT: Demonstrate Against Niocan’s Annual General Shareholder’s Meeting ***********************

Refuse Niocan! Resist Environmental Racism! Reject Canadian Colonialism!

Niocan Inc., a Montreal-based mining corporation, is nearing the final stages of approval for their "Oka Project", a toxic niobium mine to be developed within traditional Kanien’kehaka (Mohawk) territories.

Community members have taken a clear stance on this issue - they said the destructive project would not be tolerated! In addition to the outright violation of the centuries old claim the Kanien’kehaka people have to this land, the mine also poses serious environmental threats - the release of ionizing radiation which will contaminate the air, soil and water.

Niocan assured their shareholders they only invest and develop in politically stable regions. In solidarity with the Haudenosaunee Peoples from Six Nations to Kanehsatake, we gotta let the investing-class know: "The myth of political stability is over!" Investing in developments on stolen native lands has a price - and that price is the risk of bankrupcy Henco Industries is currently facing. The decolonization movement is growing and coast-to-coast People will rise up in solidarity with Kanehsatake!

*****************
bring noisemakers, placards, banners and your anti-colonial determination!
*****************

BACKGROUNDER:

Last May, Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks Thomas Mulcair announced that Montreal-based mining company Niocan Inc. would have to provide more substantive environmental study results before he would issue the necessary certificate of authorization to move ahead with the company's niobium mining project on unceded Kanien:keha'ka (Mohawk) territory.

In a letter to shareholders on November 30, 2005, Niocan stated that the company is "reassess[ing] the hydrogeological studies to date and to propose a plan of action to provide answers to the questions raised by the professionals at the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parcs (MDDEP)." The report also reiterated Niocan's commitment to "move ahead with vigor and determination on the Oka Project."

The report to shareholders cited the recent Oka municipal elections as proof of community support for the project, stating: "the mayor and four councilors that support the Oka Niobium Project have been re-elected. This is further evidence of the support of area residents for the project." This, despite a press release issued last May 16th by the Bureau d'audiences publiques sur l'environnement (BAPE) stating: "the commission learned through the public consultation process that the land on which the mine is located is subject to claims... [and] most public consultation participants are very concerned about the mining project, to which they did not consent."

Niocan’s former Chairman and CEO René Dufour said "the Mohawks have nothing to do with this." But Dufour couldn't be more wrong. The land on which the proposed mine would be built has never been surrendered to the Canadian government, and thus neither Niocan nor the Quebec (an equity investor in the project to the tune of $427,000) have any legal right to continue with this environmentally devastating project. This is yet another gross example of the blatant violation of Native sovereignty in Canada. More studies and assessments will mean nothing. They simply cloud the real issue, which is one of violation of Mohawk land claims by the governments of Canada and Quebec and the huge corporations they keep close to them.

Currently, Niocan is awaiting a certificate of authorization from Claude Bechard, the newly-appointed Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment & Parks to give the project the go ahead. Niocan is confident the certificate will be granted.

If you can not attend the May 18th demo, please phone/fax or email your objections to Claude Bechard at:

Phone: (418) 521-3911
Fax: (418) 643-4143
E-Mail: ministre@mddep.gouv.qc.ca

Monday, May 08, 2006

Carrie Dann on Native America Calling today

Today, Carrie Dann will be on Native America Calling to discuss the Pentagon plan to detonate a 700 ammonium nitrate bomb on Western Shoshone territory. The bombing is being dubbed "divine strake". Several organizations (co aim included)are sponsoring a day of action on May 28. To learn more about this, listen to NAC online and pay a visit to theWestern Shoshone Defense Project

Support the Indigenous Peoples Power Project(IP3)

What is the Indigenous Peoples Power Project? Find out by going to their site. Indigenous Peoples Power Project(IP3)

Sunday, May 07, 2006

Other voices

Other members of Colorado AIM will begin posting under their own chosen handles. The coloradoaim handle will still be in use but we'll be adding other members to this blog who will have the same posting privileges. The views expressed by the new posters may not necessarily reflect the views held by all CO AIM members and thus should not be considered to be the official position of CO AIM.

Saturday, May 06, 2006

Photos from Vancouver rally and bridge blockade

These photos were taken on April, 25, 2006, and were sent by our friends in Vancouver.

Members of the Squamish Nation drum on stage.

Two unidentified Native Rebels

Native woman waits for the march to begin

Native youth member holds the warrior flag
Native Youth members show support

After the rally, the march begins.

We'll post more photos later.

Thursday, May 04, 2006

Support the Stop the Violence March

Check out the Stop the Violence March
The March
 
A growing group of young Nuu-chah-nulth people and supporters are organizing a march/walk throughout all the Nuu-chah-nulth territories, beginning May 5th in the Pacheedaht community of Port Renfrew. The purpose of this march is to raise awareness and to announce our collective intent to stop the violence in our communities. We will visit all 15 of the Nuu-chah-nulth communities on Vancouver Island. The march was inspired by the initial efforts of the Tla-o-qui-aht women in 2004 and it is there that we plan to finish the walk on May 14th, Mother’s Day.
 
We are observing traditional protocols by seeking the permission of our hereditary leaders when possible and appropriate. We wish to acknowledge the elected leadership and staff as members of our communities who are committed to healthy Nuu-chah-nulth Nations. In addition to encouraging safe, open discussion, accountability and a healthy adherence of Nuu-chah-nulth laws and values we wish to leave a gift in each community.

To learn more about the march and how to support it, please visit the following website Stop the Violence

Bear Butte update:Meade County Commission-liquor license will stand

On Tuesday, May 02, the Meade County Commission approved a second liquor license for another bar near Bear Butte. Bear Butte defenders wanted the issue put to a vote and collected the necessary amount of signatures for a county wide referendum. Their petition was presented to the Meade County Commission.
The Meade County Commission has received a stack of petition signatures and two court challenges, all seeking to overturn the commission’s decision to grant a beer license to the new Broken Spoke Saloon and Sturgis County Line campground.

The new Sturgis motorcycle rally venue is under construction a couple of miles north of Bear Butte.

Another venue, Rock’n the Rally at Glencoe CampResort, received a full liquor license from the county Tuesday.

Both moves have been greeted with outrage by American Indian groups, who hold Bear Butte as sacred and see the raucous rally moving closer to the mountain. In addition, some rural Meade County ranchers also decried the rally’s eastward expansion from Sturgis.

Ken Chleborad, deputy state’s attorney in Meade County, confirmed Wednesday that the court challenges were filed in 4th Circuit Court on Tuesday afternoon.

One was filed by Rapid City attorney Bruce Ellison on behalf of rural Meade County Jesse Levin and six others.

The other challenge was filed by Tom Van Norman, attorney and state legislator from Eagle Butte, on behalf of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe.

In addition, petitioners gathered 756 verified signatures seeking to refer the Sturgis County Line beer license to a countywide vote. They needed 745 valid signatures.

Chleborad said the petitions have been forwarded to the Meade County Commission. Commissioners have scheduled a meeting for 9:30 a.m. today to decide how to proceed. full article

The Meade County Commission met and announced their decision this afternoon.
A beer license issued for a new campground near Bear Butte won't be going to a public vote in Meade County.

The county commission decided unanimously Thursday that its granting of the license to Jay Allen is an administrative decision that can't be referred to a public vote. Petitions calling for the vote were submitted this week.

The Meade County deputy state's attorney said two challenges to the license have been filed in circuit court - one on behalf of several rural Meade County residents, and the other on behalf of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. full article

The 2 challenges are still in play but might not stand much of a chance at reversing the license approval.

Various native nations, allied organizations and Meade County citizens have gone through the necessary channels to protect Bear Butte. At this point, those paths have turned into dead ends and recourse is seemingly hard to find.

Unbeknownst to the Meade County Commission, there is a growing grassroots mobilization of native communities to protect sacred sites in general and Bear Butte in particular. More and more, it looks as if the Meade County Commision will see the result of this mobilization this summer.

EZLN issues red alert

From Narco News
Zapatista Red Alert: The Other Mexico on the Verge of an Explosion from Below
The Story Behind the Zapatista Red Alert as the Other Campaign Arrives at Zero Hour

By Bertha Rodríguez Santos and Al Giordano
The Other Journalism with the Other Campaign in Mexico City

May 3, 2006

MEXICO CITY: From his first statements early this morning on Mexico City’s historic Alameda, Zapatista Insurgent Subcomandante Marcos was clearly informed about — and visibly bothered by — the police riot underway in the nearby city of Texcoco, where 800 heavily armed riot cops stormed the local flower growers’ market in the dawn’s early light, leading to a violent nationally televised standoff between the firearms of above and the worktools of below. By the afternoon — after “Delegate Zero” traveled through downtown Mexico City by foot, by subway and by motorcycle, through its most working-class neighborhoods, listening to the grievances of the people — he exploded in the Plaza of the Three Cultures: The Zapatistas have gone on Red Alert, the Other Campaign is suspended, and Marcos is heading to the scene of the crime to confront the Mexican State.

“To the death, if that’s what it takes,” as he said two days ago during a mass meeting in front of the national palace.

And now, the Red Alert…

The first clue came at 10 a.m. During a gathering with “sexual dissidents” — gays, lesbians, transvestites, “other loves” and sexual workers who have adhered to the Zapatista “Other Campaign” — on the historic central park of this metropolis known as La Alameda Marcos referred to the police raid underway in Texcoco: “If those above think that they are going to continue repressing us, they are mistaken. The Other Campaign is not just a movement of words. It is also a movement of action.” He announced that meeting with campaign adherents in downtown Mexico slated for six o’clock would be suspended to deal with the conflict underway, less than an hour from Mexico City.

After all, the compañeros and compañeras in the line of fire in Texcoco were the Other Campaign adherents of San Salvador Atenco, where, in 2001 and 2002, they chased out the federal government with machete swords and defeated an international airport imposed on their farmlands. These are men and women that Marcos visited on April 25 and 26 and urged to come to the aid of their neighbors; to show the rest of Mexico how to stand up for, and win, its rights and autonomy. This morning the men and women of Atenco went to nearby Texcoco and, together with the local people, drove out the invading police. The government response: to send more police, and thus what the TV news called a riot (in fact, a police riot) ensued. full article

For more information go to ezln.org the other campaign
The Tryworks blog has more links Try-works
For more native commentary, check out Angry Indian's blog
Angry Indian

Mohawk Nation News-

Mohawk Nation News has their own website but these bulletins are currently being sent out on their email list. We are reprinting the email bulletins in their entirety until they are posted on the MNN site.

SIX NATIONS WILL NOT NEGOTIATE WITH TERRORISTS

MNN. May 4, 2006. We are the victims. Our land has been stolen. Canada claims it’s there to protect us. So, why are we under siege? It’s like a bank robbery, but instead of running off with the loot, the thieves took over the whole building and sold it to somebody else. While they were gone, we sneaked in the back door and mounted a guard to keep out the people who had taken over the stolen goods. They were in the process of fencing it to someone else. That’s when the original crooks sent in their armed forces and attacked us and then held us hostage.

Then while they put their guns to our heads, they demanded to negotiate with us. For what? They want all the jewels and money in the bank vault and the bank too. Then they say they’ll let us go. This is terrorism! No one should negotiate with terrorists, we heard.

The robbers are sending a patsy in to “negotiate” with us, to tell us about the cement shoes that await us if we don’t tow the line. He’s bringing us the message from the liars, embezzlers and thieves. He wants us to take down our protective barricades. Are we crazy or what? People all over the world are watching this hostage taking and putting pressure on Canada. Canada is trying to stop getting the information out.

We know a thing or two about robbers and thieves. We can’t put our guard down. Canada’s got a stakeout with yellow tape around us telling everybody to stay away so they can make a secret deal with an imposter. They took him out to a steak dinner and to a hockey game hoping he would sign a surrender on our behalf. We won’t go along with that. We can get by on baloney. That’s all we’ve had to eat for the last 200 years. No offence to the people of Bologna Italy. This colonial idiom has nothing to do with their food. “Get your gun toting goons out of here”, that’s all we want right now. If Canada is going to refuse to protect us, the least it can do is to stop backing thievery.

We want their “Big Don” – whoever is running their gang - to tell them to back off.

We heard that there is a big law somewhere out there that is supposed to protect us. The big Don knows about this. A long time ago to keep the peace they agreed to this pact. We want everyone to shame the big Don and his gang into obeying the big laws.

We can’t negotiate with these gangsters. We just want these bullies to give us back our property and to stay away from us.

If the Don doesn’t go along with this, we’ll have to send for our ‘family’ to come and help us. They don’t like anyone picking on us. You never know. There might be repercussions all over the place if something happens to us. Now they’re getting all our neighbors to gang up on us too. They used to bitch and complain about us but they always traded with us without any trouble. They didn’t have the nerve to come in and kill us because they know that we will do whatever we have to do to defend ourselves. The next thing they did was to hire some thugs from far away to hang around outside and scream and threaten us. They want us to react to this so they can finish us off.

In the meantime the gangsters are creating all kinds of diversions to take everybody’s mind off what’s really happening. They don’t want to give us back our goods and to release us. They want us to shut up about it and go away. Where? Farther down the rabbit hole where they are always trying to shove us?

We have to stay focused. We have to hang on for the sake of our kids and their kids and so on. This is not a weekend picnic. If we are attacked, what will we do? Some of our people might get hurt or killed, but this is no reason for us to give in. We will fight in the best way we know how. We really don’t have the right to give up.

Hey, you guys in that big criminal organization in Ottawa, we know you’ve given us the “kiss of death". We’ll turn around and show you where to place your kiss!

Kahentinetha Horn
MNN Mohawk Nations News
kahentinetha@mohawknationnews.com

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Second liquor license approved for Bear Butte bar

Nick Tilsen, at right behind the podium, directs a question to Gary Lippold, seated on the left, during Tuesday’s Meade County Commission meeting. When a commissioner tried to stop Tilsen from talking, he responded, “We’re going to talk, and you’re going to listen,” and continued. (Don Polovich, Journal staff)
From the Rapic City Journal.
Groups vow protests during motorcycle rally

STURGIS — American Indian groups vowed Tuesday to stage daily demonstrations in Sturgis during the 2006 motorcycle rally to protest the event’s continuing eastward expansion toward Bear Butte, a sacred site to a number of tribes.

However, Carter Camp of the Intertribal Coalition to Defend Bear Butte and Jay Red Hawk of the Bear Butte International Alliance both emphasized Tuesday that the demonstrations will be peaceful.

In addition to the rally week protests, the groups are organizing a large, summerlong gathering at Bear Butte. It could draw as many as 10,000 people, Camp said.

Camp said the groups will ask bikers to voluntarily honor a buffer zone around Bear Butte, staying away from the rally campgrounds, saloons and concert venues east of Fort Meade Veteran’s Affairs Hospital. He believes some bikers will side with the groups.

“We’re not trying to shut down the rally,” Camp said. “We know the rally has an economic impact on the state; we just want a buffer around Bear Butte.”

The vow to protest came amid a tense, sometimes confrontational meeting of the Meade County Commission on Tuesday morning in Sturgis.

Despite pleas from the crowd, commissioners voted 5-0 to approve a liquor license for Gary Lippold’s new concert venue south of Bear Butte, Rock’n the Rally at Glencoe CampResort. full article

Over the past few months, native organizers have been mobilizing their communities, in the Plains region and western states, to travel to South Dakota in the summer. The hope was that Meade County would deny these liquor licenses. Now that they have approved them, the defense of Bear Butte has taken on even more of an urgency.

Six Nation solidarity actions and updates

SUDBURY, ONTARIO-RALLY AND MARCH IN SUPPORT OF THE SIX NATIONS
Submitted by scap on Fri, 2006-04-28 16:59. Event

RALLY AND MARCH IN SUPPORT OF THE SIX NATIONS STRUGGLE AND FIRST NATIONS STRUGGLES MORE GENERALLY.

Provincial Building (Larch and Paris) 4pm Thursday May 4th, 2006 Rally followed by a march to the office of Sudbury MP Diane Marleau

Initiated by the Hunger Clinic Organizing Committee and other social justice activists. full entry

Courtenay,BC: Six Nations solidarity rally

There will be a solidarity rally in Courtenay, "British Columbia" on Saturday May 06th. We want to let the Six Nations People know that they are not alone. Meet in front of the Public Library at 11 AM. Families welcome. After a short march we will share some food together. The rally will end at 1 PM. Link to site with comprehensive Six Nation News

"Over and over, I'll be a fool for you" - KKK Marches into Caledonia to solve "Indian Problem" at Six Nations

MNN. May 2, 2006.

Things are on schedule! The flyers in the hands of Caledonia residents, Ontario Provincial Police and a few Six Nations people reads:

Citizens of Caledonia –

Meeting tonight – 7:00 Sharp! (no location, no date)

Agenda: Discussion of the “Indian Problem”. “What is the final solution?”

Full dress meeting. Wear your sheets. (This is no joke. This is what the flyer actually says. This ain’t the movies, folks. This is real life).

Special Speaker – all the way from Burning Cross Mississippi, Bobby Lee Raspmas, Veteran of the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s.

Hear about the “Final Solution”. (How come Canada is letting him in and they won’t let Indians cross the border to support us?)

Three-fourths of the flyer has a picture of a KKK meeting with sheets on.

We were waiting for this one! This flyer was given out for last Friday’s rally and march onto the barricades at the site of the illegal housing project that the Six Nations People are trying to stop. It’s being given out again for the Friday, May 5th rally at 7:00 right at the barricades this time. full article


And finally, we leave you with these words of wisdom-in regards to the Six Nations-courtesy of the Angry Indian. Please visit his website at The Angry Indian Blog
My congrats to all the bloggers Native and Non who kept up the pressure. This blog and podcast certainly tried to do its best and we all should feel proud for what we do.

Alas, the Native Media in the U.S. still needs to learn this lesson, Indian people MUST speak on behalf of Indian people, issues and causes. Not sitting in editorial offices wringing their hands about how to address Indian stories that may offend White society. The Six Nations are sitting in the cold. - The Angryindian

Six Nation the focus of Native America Calling

Today's edition of Native America Calling will feature guest from the Six Nations. The program airs at 1pm EST today. To listen to the program, follow this link and choose one of the stations. NAC Online

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Tohono O' odham mother seeks justice

A thanks to one of our readers for sending us this story.

Tohono O'odham seeks justice for her son run over by border patrol
Posted: May 01, 2006
by: Brenda Norrell / Indian Country Today
Click to Enlarge

Brenda Norrell Indian Country -- Angie Ramon's son, 18-year-old Bennett Patricio Jr., Tohono O'odham, was run over and killed by a Border Patrol agent as the youth walked home one night on tribal land in 2002. Incidents surrounding her son's death produced more questions than answers and resulted in a civil lawsuit filed by Ramon and other family members in federal court. The case is now on appeal.
SELLS, Ariz. - Tohono O'odham Angelita Reino Ramon is fighting a lonely battle as she seeks justice for her son, 18-year-old Bennett Patricio Jr., who was run over and killed by U.S. Border Patrol Agent Cody Rouse on April 9, 2002.

In the beginning, Ramon was prepared to accept her son's death as an accident and she waited for the Border Patrol to come to her home and apologize.

The apology never came. Instead, there were more questions than answers as to what really happened in the desert that night.

Ramon and family members filed a civil suit in U.S. District Court in Tucson and alleged that Rouse was negligent. However, in February, the court ruled in favor of the United States. Ultimately, even the Tohono O'odham Legislative Council failed to support the family when it requested funds for an attorney to file an appeal.

''No one is helping us,'' Ramon told Indian Country Today.

The U.S. District Court ordered the family to pay $6,254 for court costs, documents and mileage. Even Ramon's own attorney urged her to accept the federal government's deal to waive court costs in exchange for the family agreeing not to appeal the case.

However, against all odds, Ramon refused the deal, found another attorney and filed an appeal in federal court. full article

Monday, May 01, 2006

Photos and CO AIM speech from "We are America" March

Colorado AIM has a decades long alliance with the Chicano Community of Denver. The alliance was first formed by the late Corky Gonzales and continues to this day. Colorado AIM was invited to particpate in the We are America march and we were honored to march and stand in solidarity with over 75,000 our long time allies and relatives.

Here are a few photos from today's march

The marchers at Viking Park prepare to start.

The siren sounds and the march begins

Security leads the marchers down Speer Boulevard

The Marchers pass under Speer Boulevard bridge

A crowd is already at the capitol and cheer as the marchers approach

Former mayor, Federico Pena, rallies the crowd

Performers from Su Teatro take the stage.

Glenn Morris delivers speech on behalf of Colorado AIM

Colorado AIM members stand on stage as Glenn Morris delivers speech.

Speech given by Glenn Morris at May Day March

There has been a lot of talk lately about what America is, and who is an American. Let's be clear, America stretches from the Arctic to Argentina, and, as indigenous peoples of this land, we have something to say about who an American is. A friend of ours from Ghana was in town last week and he passed along one of their proverbs – we provide it especially for Tom Tancredo and for all of his invader friends. The proverb says that "a visitor doesn't get to lock the gate." Tancredo is not only a visitor to our land, but he is an unwelcome, racist visitor, and he does not get to decide when the gate gets to be locked.

There has also been a lot of talk lately about flags. That stars and stripes flag, that doesn't represent us or this land. THIS (holding up an eagle feather staff) is the first flag of our homeland. We ask people when they wave that (U.S.) flag to be
conscious of not only what it has stood for, but what it can stand for.

When we say that WE ARE AMERICA, we all must make a choice. That choice is between
embracing what that flag has meant, THE OLD AMERICA, with its invasion, and Manifest Destiny, and broken treaties and lies, or to embrace THE NEW AMERICA – an America of equality and justice, of rights for native peoples, for workers, for elders and for children, and for a clean environment.

If people want to come to our homeland to embrace the OLD AMERICA, we cannot support that, but if people want to come to build a NEW AMERICA, we are with you. This movement for a NEW AMERICA is real, it is emerging right before us, it is rising, it is standing and it is on the move – from Evo Morales in Bolivia to the
Zapatistas and Andres Lopez-Obrador in Mexico, it is moving. From the Mohawks resisting the militarization of the US-Canada border to the Tohono-O'odham resisting
the militarization of the US- Mexico border, it is moving. From Hugo Chavez in Venuzuela, and Ollanta Humala in Peru, to the tens of thousands of us right here in Denver, it is moving.

We can realize a NEW AMERICA, based on mutual respect and cooperation, based on human rights and economic justice – it can happen, it must happen. We are making it happen, and we must not stop; for our future generations, we cannot stop. The future does not belong to fear and hate and xenophobia; it belongs to hope and to
justice -- it belongs to us. ¡Adelanate! [Forward!]