This blog has been moved to Stronholdz Media.org
The new Strongholdz media page has all of the old posts as well as updated pages for the Zines and Videos. If you have linked to this page please switch your link to the new strongholdz page, thank you.
Video prior to the march
Border Patrol Headquarters Occupation Protesters Found Not Guilty
Reaffirms Call to End Border Militarization
Chuckson (Tucson), AZ – The six protesters who locked-down and occupied the United States Border Patrol (BP) – Tucson Headquarters on May 21, 2010 were found not guilty on the remaining count of a disorderly conduct “with serious disruptive behavior” charge.
For past press releases and additional resources please see the
AGAINST BORDER MILITARIZATION page
Since the creation of the current U.S./Mexico border, 45 O’odham villages on or near the border have been completely depopulated.
According to the migrant support group No More Deaths, from October 2009 to Sept. 2010 there have been more than 250 deaths on the Arizona border alone.
….Calls for Further Action Against Border Militarization
Actions toward ending border militarization and the decriminalization of
our communities:
– Immediately withdraw National Guard Troops from the US/Mexico border
– Immediately halt development of the border wall
– Immediately remove drones and checkpoints
– Decommission all detention camps and release all presently held
undocumented migrants
– Immediately honor Indigenous Peoples rights of self-determination
– Fully comply with the recently signed UN Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples
– Respect Indigenous People’s inherent right of migration
– End NAFTA, FTAA and other trade agreements
– Immediately repeal SB1070 and 287g
– End all racial profiling
– No BP encroachment/sweeps on sovereign Native land
– No raids and deportations
– Immediate and unconditional regularization (“legalization”) of all people
– Uphold human freedom and rights
– Support dignity and respect
– Support and ensure freedom of movement for all people
Put this message in action and help end the attack on Indigenous and migrant communities. Take these messages to the street where you are.
For past press release’s and additional resources please see the
AGAINST BORDER MILITARIZATION page
Banner Hang today!
Early this morning ALEC resistors suspended banners at two different locations.
Please help us resist!
AZ Resists Alec!
Call for Indigenous Convergence to Resist ALEC! – November 29-December 3 – Onk Akimel O’odham Lands (Scottsdale, AZ)
Un-occupy Our Lands!
Indigenous Peoples 
Gathering in Resistance to Corporate & State Terrorism
Tues. Nov. 29, 6PM – 9:30PM
At Serena Padilla Residence
Onk Akimel O’odham Nation (Salt River)
9312 E. Thomas Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85256
For more information and to see the entire invite please visit: AZ Resist Alec
Greetings.
My name is Serena Padilla. I live in Occupied Onk Akimel Jeved, now known as the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community.
I am in support of an Indigenous convergence before and during the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) conference, scheduled for November 30-December 2, in hopes to share, connect and build solidarity amongst all the Indigenous Nations that are affected by ALEC.
At this time, I am opening my grounds to accommodate all Indigenous participants coming to our territory due to the ALEC Conference. I am opening my grounds for camping and access to my outside kitchen.
I hope this gathering will strengthen our connections as Indigenous Peoples, now and for the future generations to come. AZ Resists ALEC!
de-occupy! PRESS RELEASE
Dry River Collective Press Release
For Immediate Release: November 27, 2011
Media Inquiries: Dan Todd, 520-982-1835, langgore.dt@gmail.com
Ofelia Rivas, 520-395-7910, aliJegos@gmail.com
Additional Information: http://www.dryriver.org; www.solidarity-project.org
Noted Writers and Academics to Speak at Benefit
For Traditional O’odham Resistance and Anarchist Collective
Activist and scholar Ward Churchill, writer and speaker John Zerzan, and Professor of Religious Studies/Classics at the University of Arizona Dr. Julian Kunnie will speak at the Dry River Radical Resource Center on December 10, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. to benefit O’odham VOICE Against the WALL, which since 2003 has organized and advocated for the traditional O’odham leaders and O’odham communities, and the Dry River Collective, a center for anarchist organizing in Tucson for almost seven years. The event, “De-Occupy O’odham Lands!”, is a reminder that O’odham remain on only a third of their original lands and remain in resistance to the illegal occupation of O’odham lands by the United States and Mexico.
Ward Churchill is a prolific American Indian writer, a member of the Rainbow Coalition Council of Elders, and on the leadership council of the American Indian Movement of Colorado. In addition to his numerous works on indigenous history, he has written extensively on U.S. foreign policy and the repression of political dissent. Five of his more than 20 books have received human rights writing awards. Former Chair of the Ethnic Studies Department, until July 2007 Ward Churchill was a tenured full Professor of American Indian Studies at the University of Colorado/Boulder, where he received numerous awards for his teaching and service. In April 2009 a jury unanimously found that he had been fired by CU in retaliation for his observations on 9/11 and in violation of the First Amendment. Professor Churchill is currently litigating to have that verdict upheld.
John Zerzan has been active in the anti-authoritarian movement from the ‘60s on and has articulated a critique of technology and civilization that has deepened and sharpened hostility to capitalism. In recent years he has been published in the theory journal TELOS, the Detroit publication Fifth Estate, Eugene’s Green Anarchy, and Species Traitor (an anarcho-primitivist journal). His books include Elements of Refusal (1988, 1998), Future Primitive (1994), Against Civilization (1999), Running on Emptiness (2002), Twilight of the Machines (2008), and Origins: A John Zerzan Reader (2010). Future Primitive Revisited will appear in Spring 2012. His weekly Anarchy Radio broadcast streams live on KWVA radio, Eugene. Oregon, USA; past shows are available at www.johnzerzan.net.
Julian Kunnie is a Professor of Religious Studies/Classics at the University of Arizona He is the author of numerous articles in various internationally recognized journals and books. His books include Indigenous Wisdom and Power: Affirming our Knowledge Through Narratives (2006), Is Apartheid Really Dead? Pan Africanist Working Class Cultural Critical Perspectives (2000), and Models of Black Theology; Issues of Class, Culture, and Gender (1994). His forthcoming book is Globalization and Its Victims: Wars Against the Earth and the Impoverished of the World (Rowman & Littefield). He is currently working on a prison research project that interrogates issues of race, class, and gender and is geared toward preventing the incarceration of youth, particularly those of color, entitled Enchained Humanity: A Comparative Study of the Infliction of Incarceration on Persons in United States and South African Prisons.
The event will be held at Dry River, 740 N. Main (University and Main). It is open to the public. A delicious vegetarian meal will be served at 6:00 p.m. and speakers will begin at 7:00. Donations of $10 to $20 are requested, but no one will be turned away. The Dry River Radical Resource Center is a community space offered by anarchists for live music, free services from clothing to computer access, and fundraising for a wide array of popular causes. Since 2005 it has hosted musicians, filmmakers, writers and political organizers from all over the world. Run by volunteers, it is sustained entirely by donations.
PDF of Anti-Colonial Thanksgiving Dinner
Anti-Colonial Thanksgiving Dinner pamphlet 2008
This is a zine from the Guelph Anarchist distro Mounting Bedlam Distro. It is from an annual dinner that where Anarchists host Indigenous folks to share their stories of resistance. It has spoken to me for along time sine i found a copy of it at the Taala Hooghan Infoshop. If you get a chance download the PDF and give it a read.
The ACT dinner is a yearly event that brings speakers from Indigenous communities including Six Nations and Tyendinaga, to discuss anti-colonial struggle.
This zine is transcripts from the speakers:
Dan Doreen from Tyendinaga, Boots and Skyler from Six Nations, Jackie from the Missasaugas of New Credit, and Sarah Dover an anti-colonial lawyer.
O’odham Sacred Site of Quitovac once again under threat from US Gold Mining Company Silver Scott Mines
Many of you may remember the recent victory of saving Quitovac to a proposed toxic waste dump. Well Again this Sacred site is under siege. Now to the threat of a gold mine… This is a Resolution from Traditional O’odham elders in opposition to the proposed mine that was recently posted from the O’odham Solidarity Project Blog:
Traditional O’odham Leaders
Traditional O’odham Governors of O’odham Communities
Sonora, Mexico
Whereas, the Traditional O’odham Leaders represent O’odham communities of northern Sonora, Mexico, and are recognized as the official representatives sanctioned by the community members and recognized by the state and federal government of Mexico, and,
Whereas, the Traditional O’odham Leaders have discussed the proposal of Silver Scott Mines, Inc., to conduct open-pit mining operations near the community of Quitovac, Sonora, Mexico and,
Whereas, the Traditional O’odham Leaders, as the official recognized representatives of the O’odham community of Quitovac, Sonora, Mexico are outraged that the Mexican Government has not properly informed the affected region of their plans to consider the proposal of Silver Scott Mines, Inc., and,
Whereas, the Traditional O’odham Leaders are opposed to any disturbance of land within close proximity to the O’odham ceremonial grounds in Quitovac, Sonora, Mexico
Now Therefore be it Resolved, that the Traditional O’odham Leaders, after discussing the proposal of Silver Scott Mining, Inc., and after considering the damaging impacts the mining operations will cause to the environment and ecosystem, are strongly opposed to the operation proposal of Silver Scott Mines, Inc., and,
Be it Further Resolved, that the Traditional O’odham Leaders charge the Mexican Federal Government and the Government of the State of Sonora to enforce the existing cultural and environmental protections laws of Mexico, and to conduct a transparent Impact Assessment and a Cultural and Environmental Impact Study, so as to allow the community of Quitovac and its representatives to make an informed decision regarding the proposal and,
Be it finally Resolved, that the Traditional O’odham Leaders also charge the Mexican Government, both Federal and State, to honor its responsibility to facilitate open communication with the O’odham representatives in the State of Sonora, Mexico, and to support decisions in the best interest of the O’odham, the Original people of the Land.
Resolution officially adopted on November 7th, 2011 at official meeting of the Traditional O’odham Leaders
held in Sonoyta, Sonora, Mexico.
Also From O’odham Solidarity Project:
For Immediate Release September 30, 2011
Silver Scott announces 12,000 Hectares Acquired by the Company adjacent to the Quitovac
Mine area, Sonora Mexico
Hilton Head, SC – Silver Scott Mines, Inc. (OTC: SILS.pk) is pleased to announce it has increased its mineral concession holdings in the Quitovac Mine area in northern Sonora state.
The Company had previously announced the acquisition of the Quitivac Mine concessions (Feb.10, 2011). The Quitovac mine area previously acquired consists of 13 older concessions totaling about 2500 hectares covering more than a 3 km. long zone of shear related gold mineralization. Previous property operators have calculated shallow drill hole based historic resources ranging from a low of 112,000 ounces gold in a resource averaging 3.14 grams Au per tonne (Technical Report, 2002) ranging up to 325,560 oz. Au in a resource averaging 1.35 grams per tonne.
The new 12,000 hectare concession acquired by the Company covers a large area south and west of the older concessions but on trend of the gold mineralization from the mine area. Much of the new concession area is pediment gravel covered. The previously mined La Choya gold mine operated by Hecla Mining Co. is located about 8 km southeast of the Quitovac mine and 2 kms east of the new concession. Paved highway, electric power, and water are available within 3 km of the project site.
for the full PDF of the companies release read here
Please help support the struggle to defeat this mine. If you are in tucson please show your support and attend the December fundraiser for O’odham VOICE Against the WALL. Here is a link to the Event.
The war against the Tohono O’odham continues near the border. See the latest technology the U.S. Government has deployed on the T.O. community in this article below:
Homeland Security pitches new spy towers at Tohono O’odham
BY: Brenda Norrell
Censored News
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com
TOHONO O’ODHAM NATION — (Nov. 23, 2011) The US Homeland Security is now pitching new spy towers to the Tohono O’odham, after Homeland Security wasted billions on the last boondoggle of Arizona spy towers that did not function.
Previously on the Arizona/Mexico border, Homeland Security’s Secure Border Initiative spy towers were pointed at the people of the community in locations like Arivaca and not at the border.
Those spy towers, including one on the Tohono O’odham Nation south of Sells, Arizona (shown below) were fashioned after Israeli’s Apartheid Wall. Those spy towers were built by Boeing and the Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems.
Then, Homeland Security announced in Jan. 2011, the replacement of the previous boondoggle SBInet with the Alternative Southwest Border Technology. It also referred to as Arizona Border Surveillance Technology.
Homeland Security is now presenting new spy towers, shown below, to Tohono O’odham districts for approval.
The Tohono O’odham elected government has been able to censor the media by not allowing outside journalists into Tohono O’odham Legislative Council sessions.The Tohono O’odham elected government also controls the movement of mainstream media when it attempts to cover news stories on the Tohono O’odham Nation. The elected Tohono O’odham government spoonfeeds the mainstream media and the result is public relations hype published in newspapers who are sometimes considered credible, like the Los Angeles Times and New York Times.
Tohono O’odham activists who attempt to protest the Tohono O’odham government, which has been coopted by US Homeland Security and Border Patrol, are followed and threatened by US Border Patrol agents and Tohono O’odham police. News reporters who attempt to cover the real story, and grassroots Tohono O’odham who speak out against the US surveillance on sovereign Indian land, are also stalked, detained and threatened by US Border Patrol agents.
For the full story please see: CENSORED NEWS
Resist ALEC!
Resist ALEC this November in Scottsdale, AZ!
ARIZONA IS CALLING FOR A DIVERSITY OF TACTICS TO SHUT DOWN THE UPCOMING ALEC CONFERENCE IN SCOTTSDALE, AZ ON NOVEMBER 30TH.
ALEC thinks they’re meeting in Scottsdale, AZ this November…
The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is a massive non-profit
body that brings corporations and legislators together to draft “model”
legislation. For example, AZ Senator Russell Pearce and Corrections
Corporation of America (CCA), the nation’s largest private prison firm,
have been members for years. ALEC finalized the model legislation which
became, almost word for word, Arizona’s SB1070, aka “Support Our Law
Enforcement.” It’s the latest in the historical pattern of colonization,
slave codes, convict leasing, and the drug war, that CREATES crimes and
therefore criminals, for profit.
With British Petroleum (BP) and the Koch brothers as some of their
funders, ALEC has pushed for Three Strikes and Mandatory Minimum
sentencing, as well as the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act. More than 200
of ALEC’s model bills became actual laws throughout the country over the
past year.
We’re a group of people in occupied Indigenous lands, now called Arizona,
who demand the end of SB1070 and 287g, the criminalization—and then the
incarceration—of migrants, and the militarization of the border. We oppose
private prisons, detention centers, and security companies, not simply
because they are private, but because we are sickened by profiteering on
human misery. ALEC desires “free markets” and “limited government,”
which means they use the state to support profit-making, the continuance
of colonization, and neo-liberal policies (NAFTA, CANAMEX, etc.) that draw
lines, make laws, and build freeways and prisons to exploit labor and the
earth.
Whether maintained by the state or corporations, we’re against all systems
of control. We are for freedom of movement for all people.
ALEC should know there are a million better things to do with their time
than plotting mass incarceration. But there’s nowhere we’d rather be than
confronting their meeting. We’re calling for four days of action here in
occupied Onk Akimel O’odham lands from November 29th – December 3rd, 2011, with an emphasis for action on November 30th (N30!). We encourage a
creative diversity of tactics on N30, the 12th anniversary of the Seattle
uprising against the WTO. No matter the acronym, ALEC is no different
than all the other gangs of businessmen, politicians, and bureaucrats that
we’ve been resisting for over 500 years.
In solidarity with everyone locked up and locked down in AZ, and all
O’odham, Yaqui, Lipan Apache separated by the border, and anyone
dispossessed by the wealthy and powerful…
Project Baldwin
projectbaldwin@riseup.net
De-Occupy O’odham Land
De-Occupy O’odham Land!
Saturday December 10, Hosted by Dry River Resource Center
Benefit for O’odham VOICE against the wall and Dry River Infoshop
6pm dinner 7pm speakers
-John Zerzan
-Ward Churchill
-Julian Kunnie
$10-$20 suggested donation (no one turned away for lack of funds)
Ofelia Rivas In protest we write…
While preparing to to write my own short reflection on the current “occupy” movement I asked Ofelia Rivas if she would like to contribute to the zine as well. Here is her letter. This will also be in the new Don’t just (re)occupy zine.
Thank you again so much for your contribution Ofelia! For more news from Ofelia and ways you can support her efforts please see: the O’odham Solidarity Project page.
O’odham VOICE Against the WALL
O’odham Rights Human Rights
Ofelia Rivas
P.O. Box 1835
Sells, Arizona 85634
October 10, 2011
In protest we write these foreign words as this is not our natural language, our O’odham language is not a written language which has existed in its oral form since the beginning of the world;
We declare our allegiance to Mother Earth and the Natural World. We are natural people of this world and original people of these lands now known as southern Arizona, United States and northern Sonora, Mexico.
We denounce the physical manipulation and destruction and alteration of the natural lands and people.
We denounce the contamination of the lands, water and air,
We denounce the destruction of mountains, waterways and natural habitats of people, animals and plants,
We denounce the alteration of human life, animal and plant life as well as all mountains and waterways and natural habitats,
We denounce the illegal bisection of our lands and illegal occupation by two foreign countries, the United States and Mexico,
We denounce the militarization of our lands, every day of the year, every hour of the day there is presence of armed military in helicopters, jets and airplanes and unmanned airplanes, on jeeps, high profile trucks and pick-up trucks, on all-terrain vehicles and dirt bikes, and on horseback,
We denounce the United States government aided and staged drug wars on our lands,
We denounce the United States enforcement of Immigration policies on the O’odham the original people of the lands,
We denounce the criminalization and de-humanizing of the O’odham, the original people of the lands;
by three military check points existing the present Tohono O’odham Nation Indian Reservation,
by monitoring and the surveillance of O’odham communities,
by demanding of proof of citizenship of O’odham in our communities,
by unwarranted illegal home invasions in O’odham communities,
by illegal searches and detainments and deportation of O’odham,
by physical and mental abuse and de-humanizing of the O’odham in our communities,
by restriction of access to original O’odham lands.
We denounce the ongoing alteration of our people through forced indoctrination through religions, forced assimilation and acculturation.
We are the original people of these lands and we hereby demand you to stop the destruction, contamination and alteration of our home, the Natural World.
We are the O’odham, the original people of these lands, demand the restoration of our Human Rights and Right to Exist and Live by own sovereign government on our Original Ancestral lands.
WHY (RE)OCCUPYING WON’T WORK
****This is a preview of a short article for a zine I am compiling in response to the current sweeping “occupy” movement. The zine will be released soon….
WHY (RE)OCCUPYING WON’T WORK….
September 17, 2011 hundreds of people answer a call-out from Adbusters maga- zine to “occupy” Wall Street. Today October 14, 2011 less than a week since what is recognized as the initial “occupation” of this continent by Christopher Columbus- the City of Phoenix plans to join the “Occupy…” movement tomorrow Saturday, October 15. Will these new occupiers learn anything from the vicious past of the occupation and colonization of this land better known as OCCUPIED AKIMEL O’ODHAM PI-POSH LAND?
If you had a chance to reverse an oppressive part of history that has left us with a devastating present would you do it? More than 500 years ago the process of the colonization of this continent began. A “movement” of people wishing to resist op- pression came here and “occupied” this entire continent. THESE ORIGINAL OC- CUPIERS WERE PROBABLY THE BEST EXAMPLE OF A GROUP OF OCCUPI- ERS THAT “WANT(ED) EVERYTHING”. These “occupiers” ignored the needs of every original person of this land that conflicted with their desires. This Occupation of the continent now known as North America is still flourishing through the process of colonization.
Today in nearly every densely populated corner of this continent we hear news of a new movement of people re-occupying public places. We see numerous unfortunate similarities between this new group and the original occupiers of this land. One major similarity being not communicating with the original people who have inhabited this land for centuries. The second, demanding everything for themselves and not having the foresight to acknowledge any of the needs of the indigenous people who’s land they are occupying.
The process of colonization has contributed many negative characteristics to this popular dominating culture. Is this new occupation ready to address any of these issues? Capitalism has conveniently relocated people across this continent. In the form of reservations we have seen a vanishing of the original people of this land. The relocating has also taken the form of shipping in people from other continents in the form of slavery for the workplace. We also see the forced relocation of children through the process of international adoption. We are also given borders to divide us from others to better reinforce the process of colonization and assimilation.
The domination of this continent has been all too successful through a system of neocolonial, patriarchal, white supremacy. In almost every crevice of our society to- day we see this still dominating and tearing us apart. What does this new movement of occupiers plan to do to account for this social inheritance of power imbalances’?
On the point of occupation as a strategy are these new occupiers doing anything to learn from the past of other radical occupations? The demands of many of these present occupations match that of a very specific niche in the preexisting capitalist system. Most demands focus on reforming the tools of capitalism that are choking the life out of everyone. Most of these new occupiers lack the basic vernacular required for a true revolution that would begin to reverse the current colonization of this continent.
Any successful tactic or movement takes power back from the system. From most movements we see different divisions of radical theory develop. One sees this with the Black power movement. Their movement saw an evolution in tactics from the semi-weak handed paper tigers, to the Black Panthers to the Black Liberation Army.
The black panthers instituted very successful community programs with clear demands mapped out by their ten-point program. And the Black Liberation Army was successful in acquiring funds to aid programs often through outright armed robbery and the underground organized re-funneling of appropriated funds . The paper tigers slowly fizzled out and are hardly known by many now.
With the American Indian Movement (AIM) we saw many effective applications of the occupation method. From Alcatraz to the BIA headquarters in Washington, DC, Mount Rushmore and many more, AIM was extremely successful in getting their message out through the use of occupation. While many of the current occupations are ending with occupants getting the shit beat out of them by the police AIM usually left their occupations accomplishing much more.
Looking at the November 1971 AIM occupation of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) headquarters we see what a successful occupation looks like. The occupation that involved approximately 1,000 AIM members caused $2 million in damages (note this was in the 70’s when a million dollars was a significant amount of money). Recognized as an actual threat by Nixon (president at the time) the group was given $66,000 in transportation monies in return for a peaceful end to the takeover. The group was also successful in leaving with crucial files and records many pertaining to Indian health records and also including treaties, deeds, and water rights records. Nixon was actually forced to meet with tribal representatives in Oregon because of the occupation. Other notable details of the occupation, all this happened in nearly a weeks time. And all of the occupiers were able to leave.
Will any of these new occupiers learn from the past revolutionary occupations that have erupted thorough out the past of this continent? The rest of this zine offers additional insight into present demands of the indigenous people of the area and other radical occupations and direct actions.
