>>>let this message spread like fire - distribute widely
Native Youth Movement Confront Olympic Torch in Secwepemc Nation January 27, 2010
The Olympic torch was confronted by Secwepemc and their supporters in the Secwepemc Nation, in the invader (settler) town of Chase, so-called british kkkolumbia, KKKanada. With the message "Secwepemc Say No Olympics" and "Olympic Torch Not Welcome in Secwepemc Nation"
Secwepemc have a long standing fight with the government of KKKanada and british kkkolumbia because of the fight for Secwepemc Land and Freedom. Secwepemc have never signed treaties or they have never ceded or surrendered their Secwepemc Nation. Secwepemc say NO to the BC treaty process, the modern day treaty wants get rid of the Native Peoples and take control of the last remaining lands and water (so-called resources) from their Territory.
Historic Dispute with Olympics
Secwepemc Land and Freedom Fighters travelled to Europe in 2002 to hand deliver a formal submission to the International Olympic Committee and let the IOC and the World know that the Olympics is not welcome here in so-called KKKanada, because of the long standing Indigenous land dispute and continued violations of Indigenous and Human Rights. KKKanada does not permission to be here and is currently illegally occupying Indigenous Nations.
Where ever the Olympics sets foot they wage war on the Earth and the Indigenous Peoples. No Olympics On Native Land.
Native Youth Movement Says:
The Olympics and KKKanada is using it's global spotlight to market our Indigenous Territories for sale, but we want the World to know "OUR LANDS ARE NOT FOR SALE." KKKanada is here illegally and "This is all Native Land". This is simply not just another "issue", We are fighting for our Freedom to continue to exist and live as true Secwepemc on our Lands without any foreign invader occupation on our Lands. Major corporate sponsors like Coca-cola and RBC (Royal Bank of Canada) are destroying Indigenous Territories all over the World, including the Tar Sands (the most destructive project in the history of humanity). We are now in the IV World War, the war against the Earth itself.
We stand in solidarity with all Indigenous Peoples fighting for their Lands and Freedom Worldwide.
Defend the Earth. No Olympics on Native Land. No Trans Canada Hwy expansion through Secwepemc Nation. No CP Rail expansion through Secwepemc Nation.
Shut Down the Tar Sands. Solidarity with the Zapatista. Solidarity with the Mapuche. Get the Shell Out of Sacred Headwaters -Tahltan Nation.
Native Youth Movement
Dear Members of the Melbourne Anti-Intervention Collective, TransVic, Loophole, Anarchist Black Cross, 3CR, Asylum Seekers Resource Centre, Done-By-Law, Indigenous Social Justice Association, Decarceration Network, Police Issues Working Group of the Federation, Musicians Against Police
Violence, Eastern and Western Suburbs Youth workers, Community Legal Centres, Fitzroy Legal Service, PILCH, Homeless Persons Legal Clinic, Flemington & Kensington Community Legal Centre, Youthlaw, Darebin CLC, Western Suburbs CLC, Footscray CLC, Essendon CLC, VALS, Melbourne Copwatch, African Think Tank, MAYSAR, Federation of Indian Students of Australia, CHRIP, Lost Boys of Sudan, the African Youth Group, Food Not Bombs, A world without, other community organisations, and concerned friends.
You are invited to attend a special Roundtable meeting on Thursday 18th February to be held at Maysar in Fitzroy.
The Roundtable aims to provide an opportunity for our many groups to share information and explore opportunities for collaboration on tactics, strategies and campaigns on police-related issues in Victoria.
You will be aware that, despite lobbying and campaigning, Victoria passed new search, move on and public drunkenness powers passed into law in 2009. You will also be aware that three deaths in police custody occurred in December 2009 and that in each case, it is the police who are investigating these deaths. You will also be aware that that Victoria Police is failing to adequately train its members in safety first and de-escalation principles and that police brutality against people including women and children continues in this State. You will also be aware of increasing incarceration rates of Indigenous and migrant youth and the failure of the police (and government) to acknowledge the racist attacks that are occuring against Indian, Sudanese and other people of colour.
All of us are working on the collective tragedy of a State Government and police force which is doing nothing to realistically to end racism, deaths in police custody, stop police assaults on Indigenous, Migrant, homeless and mentally ill people and where the evidence of the failure in police accountability is available in numerous official reports.
In order in increase our individual and collective capacity to creatively and effectively work and mobilise on these issues, Melbourne Copwatch invites you to a community roundtable to explore opportunities for collaboration and share information about the vital work we are all doing.
We ask that you send one or more of your members to the Community roundtable which we propose will operate as Spokescouncil. We are grateful to Anthony Kelly for agreeing to faciliate this event.
The Community Roundtable will be at Maysar 184-186 Gertrude St Fitzroy between 6-8pm on Thursday 18 February 2010.
Please bring information about your organisation and information on the campaigns you are working on to share with others.
To obtain further information, to RSVP or to join Melbourne Copwatch, please contact Melbourne.Copwatch@gmail.com
Copwatch acknowledges the Wurundjeri, the traditional owners of this country and is grateful to the Melbourne Aboriginal Youth, Sport and Recreation Centre for donating the space for this event.
(Marianas Variety)
By Ben Pangelinan
Over 3,600 years before the lost European Ferdinand Magellan ascended into our small island chain, 3,830 years before my grandmother was born and 3,887 years ago before I was born —the Chamorro people sailed the oceans and lived on this land they called Guahan.
While we may assume that all was well, there was turmoil and fights among the natives, as territories were established, villages were staked out and boundaries were defended. Then in 1668 they came to settle, bringing their own social and religious systems, work, faith and institutions to make our heathen lives civilized and whole.
Some of the natives succumbed and converted. Maga lahis Hineti, Ayihi, So’on and Odo fought on the sides of the occupiers and were rewarded with title and status. Hurao, Ahgao, Hula, Chaifi, Mata’pang and Tolahi and many others resisted and fought these outsiders. They resisted and waged fierce battles to preserve our land, sea, and the fruits and bounties that were ours.
They believed it was more important to live as we knew how and to serve our wants and needs as we saw fit. (I Manmanaina-ta: I Manmaga’lahi yan I manma’gas; Geran Chamoru yan Espanot 1668-1695. Ed Benavente 2007).
The resistance lasted for over 27 years and resulted in bloodshed. From the very beginning, the people strongly resisted and would not abandon their ancient customs or bow to the authority of the Spaniards. Governor de la Corta wrote in his Memoria “one does not know which to admire most, whether the tenacity of the Spaniards in conflicts with the elements against a cunning and treacherous people during no less than 20 years of resistance, or that of the natives pursuing such a cruel and prolonged war which could only end in their annihilation and ruin.”
The truth of these words, “annihilation and ruin” is reflected in the “reduccion” which sought to convert the natives. Beginning in 1668, marked by the killing of Pale Diego de San Vitores in 1672 and ending in 1698, it saw the reduction of the Chamorro people from the estimated 60,000 to 100,000 at the time of discovery to just 3,678, according to the 1710 census, a mere 12 years after the end of the war. (The Marianas Islands 1884-1887 Random Notes. Francisco Olice y Garcia. Translated and Annotated by Marjorie G. Driver. Second Edition 2006).
Insight to the determination of the Chamorros to defy the occupiers in the face of certain annihilation and ruin is most clearly articulated by Chief Hurao:
“The Europeans would have done better to remain in their own country. We have no need of their help to live happily. They take away from us the primitive simplicity in which we live. They dare to take away our liberty, which should be dearer to us than life itself. They try to persuade us that we will be happier, and some of us had been blinded into believing their words. But can we have such sentiments if we reflect that we have been covered with misery and illness ever since those foreigners have come to disturb our peace? For what purpose do they teach us except to make us adopt their customs, to subject us to their laws, and lose the precious liberty left to us by our ancestors?
We are stronger than we think! We can quickly free ourselves from these foreigners! We must regain our former freedom.” (Speech by Chief Hurao. Dated: 1671).
But heart and determination was not enough to overcome the resources and the advance weapons of the occupiers. For the next 200 plus years, the people lived under the control and domination of this outside metropolitan government. Then in 1898, as part of the spoils of the Spanish-American War, a new domination was begun. This time it was under the United States of America. While the Spanish used force, faith and bullets to impose their will, this new power was more beguiling using seduction and law to get their way.
An interesting fact of the event of this war, which placed Guam under the United States, was that it was declared after the passage of the Tellar amendment to ensure that the United States would not establish permanent control over Cuba following the cessation of hostilities with Spain. The amended resolution demanded the Spanish withdrawal and authorized the President to use as much military force as he thought necessary to help Cuba gain independence from Spain. Of the four territories taken by the United States because of the war, Cuba, the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Guam, Puerto Rico and Guam continue to be under the administrative control of the United States.
While the new occupier had a different approach towards the natives, they had one thing in common with the old—they imposed a government upon us, not of our own choosing. 1898 did not only bring a new occupying government over the people of Guam, it also brought a new occupant to Guam and that was my grandmother who was born on this island.
For the next four decades, the United States wielded its authority over the people, making decisions, which suited their needs and determined for us, the natives, what our needs were. Once again, the native leaders rose up to regain our rights, as a people in our own land..
Using reason and law, the weapons of the new occupiers, instead of sword and violence of the old, our leaders fought for our rights to govern ourselves and determine for ourselves what is best for our people. Once again, the occupier’s resources overwhelmed the meager resources of our people. We petitioned the Congress and even walked out of an institution they said gave us democracy and self-government when it was obvious they only did it to appease us. They continued to deny our right to self-determination and to our sisters in waiting—Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Philippines.
Once again, war came and the geopolitical events affecting independent states brought us a short era of foreign domination and occupation of a new power as Japan invaded Guam. Again, our people resisted and fought, while the United States left the Chamorros behind to deal with the invading enemy. The need for a base of operations to defeat the Japanese saw the return of the Americans, as she reclaimed her lost territory to serve as the launching point to end the war. As part of the structure of the new world order, the states of the world organized as a Union Nations dedicated to resolving future disputes in a peaceful manner and recognized the need to respect and honor the rights of those peoples liberated from domination and war.
The signatory states of the United Nations Charter freely agreed to obligate themselves and accept responsibility for the “administration of territories whose people have not yet attained a full measure of self-government recognize the principle that the interests of the inhabitants of these territories are paramount … and to this end they would seek to develop self-government, to take due account of the political aspirations of the people, and to assist them in the progressive development of their free political institutions, according to the particular circumstances of each territory and its people and their varying stages of advancement.” (Chapter X1, Article 73 (b). United Nations Charter).
At the signing of the United Nations Charter, nearly 100 nations were voluntarily placed on the list of non-self governing territories by the signatory states which held these places before World War II and entrusted to them the administration of the affairs to be governed according to the Charter. The United States as part of this event, accepted the obligation over Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (Micronesia).
Since the establishment of the list, over 80 of the territories from the original list of non-self governing territories have been herded by their administrative authority through the process of self-determination, attaining the free expression of the people, their ultimate desire. Despite this progress, by 1960 the General Assembly believed that the pace of decolonization of the non-self governing territories, which still included Guam was too slow and adopted two landmark resolutions.
The Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples marked the shift from the “principle of self determination for these territories” to “all peoples have the right to self-determination.” It further states that, “All people have the right to self-determination by virtue of that right, they freely determine their political status and pursue their economic, social and cultural development” (Resolution 1514(XV).
A component of that Declaration of Colonial People, Resolution 1514 set forth three ways in which these territories can attain a full measure of self-determination as envisioned in the Charter.The first option is Free association with an independent State as a result of the voluntarily choice expressed through an informed and democratic process. The second option is through Integration with an independent State based on complete equality between the peoples of the non-self governing territory and the independent State. And the third option was Independence. Whatever the option chosen by the people of the non-self governing territory, it must be the result of the freely expressed wishes of these peoples.
As of today, there remain 16 non-self governing territories from the original list of close to 100 who have yet to exercise self-determination and freely express their choice. Guam, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa, all administrated by the United States are part of the last remaining 16. There have been attempts by administrating authorities to redefine not only the process of self-determination and decolonization, but the status of self government as well. Decolonization is what happens when one exercises self-determination. It is direct democracy and affirmative action freely expressed by the people themselves, clearly a right inherent in the people of Guam and clearly remains unexercised to this date.
With the signing of the Treaty of Paris on April 11, 1899 between Spain and the United States, Guam’s status as a territory under the sovereignty of the United States was cemented in law with the ratification of the treaty. While we may not accept it, Guam and its people became the property of the United States and the governing of the people of Guam and their rights fell to the Congress. Article IX of the Treaty of Paris declared, “The civil rights and political status of the native inhabitants… shall be determined by the Congress.”
The subsequent placement of Guam on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories by the United States effectively transferred the purview and process of determining the civil rights and political status for the people of Guam to the United Nations. The ratification and the acceptance of the United Nations Charters and Resolutions by the United States now governs the processes for granting the rights of the people of Guam to freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development, in my opinion, confers upon the people of Guam the rights contained in the applicable United Nations process.
The petition for citizenship and the subsequent granting of such citizenship by the Organic Act is consistent with the responsibility of the United States as the administrating authority over Guam to “provide progressive development of their free political institutions” in no way can be defended as the free expression of the people of Guam. Acceptance of such incremental development and the improvement in such status is not the free exercise of choosing such status and most certainly not the will of the people. It is still a will imposed upon the people—no matter how generous, no matter how benevolent, no matter how good the administrating authority is. The true test of their goodness is when we decide on our own what we want for ourselves and they support it. Unfortunately, they have not been good.
When we talk about self-determination, one of the key elements of this exercise is the free and educated expression of the people’s right in determining their political status for themselves. As the administrating authority, it is the responsibility of the United States to fund the education process, so that the status option, whichever one is selected is not the status offered by those who have the most money to present their case.
An educated choice is the essential element in the exercise of self-determination and the people must be educated on the promise and the reality of each option to ensure a free choice.
Who are the people vested with the right of self-determination? It is clear that these people are the native inhabitants of a territory who are living under a political status or part of a political relationship with another state without their free expression to do so. These are the people to which the United Nations Charter speaks to as the colonial peoples of the non-self governing territories. Beginning with the Guam Legislature’s empanelling of the Political Status Commission in 1973, the struggle by the people of Guam to exercise their right to self-determination as recognized under the international law was initiated. A special Commission on the Political Status of Guam followed leading to Guam’s first political status plebiscite in 1976. The plebiscite was open to all the voters of Guam with a majority selecting the option of improved status quo.
In 1977, the federally sanctioned Constitutional Convention resulted in the draft of a constitution that was approved by the Congress but ultimately rejected by the people of Guam. The constitution was still subject to a status imposed upon the people, not of their own choosing. With a new Commission on Self-Determination in 1980, another status plebiscite, opened to all registered voters was approved. The plebiscite was held in 1982 with seven available status options. When none received a majority, a run off was held with the choice of commonwealth status eclipsing statehood by a three to one margin. For the next fifteen years, Congress and the President deferred any concrete action to approve the Guam Commonwealth Act.
The Commonwealth Act provided for Chamorro self-determination, mutual consent and immigration control, agreed to by the United States in the Covenant with the Northern Marianas. In 1997 during a congressional hearing before the House Resources Committee, it became clear that federal officials would not support these provisions in Guam’s Commonwealth Act.
With the continued inaction by the United States, the people of Guam and the leaders of Guam turn to the international basis of the right of the people of Guam to self-determination as embodied by the acceptance of the United States of the United Nations Charters and Resolutions which clearly outline the process for the decolonization of a people who remain under the list of non-self governing territories. This foray into accepting a constitution, drafting a constitution, voting on a constitution without the freely expressed wishes of the people as to the political status upon which this constitution will be used to govern, is what is missing.
From that failure, the direction has changed. It is now the policy of the people of Guam to seek first the expression of our right to self-determination through the freely exercised vote on a plebiscite for the statuses available to us under the United Nations articles and resolutions. No granting of any amount of internal self-governance without the people of Guam first freely voting on the political status that frames such self-governance can be interpreted as an expression and the fulfillment of the right of the people of Guam to self-determination.
We look forward to this continued effort, this continued quest of the people of Guam – the colonized people of Guam to exercise and make their fully educated choice on the options presented to us under the UN Charter and UN Resolution to fulfill the right of self-determination inherent in a people subjugated and dominated by administrating powers over the last four hundred years.
Kisha Borja Quichocho responds at the Mangilao public hearing. She addresses those who believe that Guam may become like Hawaii. She explains that the development that has taken place in Hawaii did not benefit Hawaiians. She warns that Chamorros and Guamanians, if they do not speak up, will have a similar fate. She warns that development will help an elite portion of the local community and outside developers or contractors.
by Dead Pez
(Lyrics)
[Chairman Omali Yeshitela]
You have the emergence in human society
of this thing that's called the State
What is the State? The State is this organized bureaucracy
It is the po-lice department. It is the Army, the Navy
It is the prison system, the courts, and what have you
This is the State -- it is a repressive organization
But the state -- and gee, well, you know,
you've got to have the police, cause..
if there were no police, look at what you'd be doing to yourselves!
You'd be killing each other if there were no police!
But the reality is..
the police become necessary in human society
only at that junction in human society
where it is split between those who have and those who ain't got
[Dead Prez]
I throw a Molotov cocktail at the precinct, you know how we think
Organize the hood under I Ching banners
Red, Black and Green instead of gang bandanas
F.B.I. spyin on us through the radio antennas
And them hidden cameras in the streetlight watchin society
With no respect for the people's right to privacy
I'll take a slug for the cause like Huey P.
while all you fake niggaz {*UNNNGH*} try to copy Master P
I want to be free to live, able to have what I need to live
Bring the power back to the street, where the people live
We sick of workin for crumbs and fillin up the prisons
Dyin over money and relyin on religion for help
We do for self like ants in a colony
Organize the wealth into a socialist economy
A way of life based off the common need
And all my comrades is ready, we just spreadin the seed
(Chorus: Dead Prez)
The average Black male
Live a third of his life in a jail cell
Cause the world is controlled by the white male
And the people don't never get justice
And the women don't never get respected
And the problems don't never get solved
And the jobs don't never pay enough
So the rent always be late; can you relate?
We livin in a police state
[Dead Prez]
No more bondage, no more political monsters
No more secret space launchers
Government departments started it in the projects
Material objects, thousands up in the closets
Could've been invested in a future for my comrades
Battle contacts, primitive weapons out in combat
Many never come back
Pretty niggaz be runnin with gats
Rather get shot in they back than fire back
We tired of that - corporations hirin blacks
Denyin the facts, exploitin us all over the map
That's why I write the shit I write in my raps
It's documented, I meant it
Every day of the week, I live in it; breathin it
It's more than just fuckin believin it
I'm holdin them ones, rollin up my sleeves an' shit
It's cee-lo for push-ups now, many headed for one conclusion
Niggaz ain't ready for revolution
(Chorus: Dead Prez)
{*police siren wails*}
[Fred Hampton]
I am.. a revolutionary
and you're gonna have to keep on sayin that
You're gonna have to say that I am a proletariat
I am the people, I'm not the pig
[another speaker]
Guiliani you are full of shit!
And anybody that's down with you!
You could man-make things better for us
and you cuttin the welfare
Knowin damn well when you cut the welfare,
a person gon' do crim
Melvin Won Pat-Borja, representing the community organization "We Are Guahan" presents his official testimony against the U.S. Military's plans to transfer thousands of marines from Okinawa to Guam. The Department of Defense has published a draft of the Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) detailing their plans. The DEIS is about 11,000 pages long, and the public only has until February 17, 2010 to submit comments on the document.
"We Are Guahan" is a group of community members dedicated to reading and disseminating information in the DEIS to the public, including details of the devastating effects of the military buildup on the island's culture, water sources, coral reefs and marine habitats, family lands, historical and archeological sites, and social environment. Furthermore, despite common belief that the buildup will benefit Guam's economy, the DEIS reveals that majority of new jobs and contracts will be given to off-island workers and companies.
Most importantly, the U.S. military's decision is a blatant violation of human rights for Guam's residents, who have not been allowed to participate in any aspect of the buildup plans. "We Are Guahan" encourages everyone, in and outside of Guam, to stay informed about the military buildup! Read the EIS and make your voice heard! You can submit comments online, by mail, or in person at public hearings.
Emory Douglas first served as the art director for the Black Panther Partys newspaper, and later served as Minister of Culture until 1980. Throughout these years, Douglas iconic artwork was published in the BPP newspaper and beyond. His artwork is featured in the new book entitled Black Panther: The Revolutionary Art of Emory Douglas.
Douglas was interviewed in San Francisco by Angola 3 News in October 2009. This is the second segment of our interview to be released.
All artwork featured in this video is made by Emory Douglas. The artwork has been used by Angola 3 News with the permission of Emory Douglas, who retains the copyright on all images.
All photographs featured in this video are taken by Roz Payne, who is the editor of the 12-hour DVD release entitled "What We Want, What We Believe: The Black Panther Party Library" (AK Press, 2006). The photographs have been used by Angola 3 News with the permission of Roz Payne, who retains the copyright on all images.
Angola 3 News is an official project of the National Coalition to Free the Angola 3.
Kanaka Maoli Standing Up For Their Rights, Claiming what was always Theirs!
Today mark your calendars I will enter the Battle of this Century between an Indigenous Hawaiian Woman and the entity of the Mormon Church, Hawaii Reserves Incorporated. Adverse Possession is the filthy word among Indigenous Hawaiians, homeless, strangers in their land. It should not be but AMERICAN THIEVES attempted to usurper our land from under us by DISGUISE AND THEIR PERVERTED LAW. While I prepare for the BATTLE OF MAHUNALII AND KAUAIOMANO I have DEEDS, MAPS, SURVEYS etc. I am doing this because the BONES OF MY ANCESTORS are buried there. The SPIRITS OF MY ANCESTORS COMPEL me to do what is right protect, preserve, perpetuate their history, culture and way of life. May the BONES of all our indigenous ancestors rise up from this day forward and compel their descendants to do the same. Mahalo...
