hi there

How's going? This is Em from taiwan, I am recently working on a campaign to help out the leprosy patients in taiwan.
As such a subject that never gets anybody's attention. I am asking the anarchist/activist/punks worldwide to help!! (The reason i am passing this here is becuase the government and the media here in taiwan is trying to shut us down, this is emergent, so please, we all really appreciated for any help!)

Becuase of the Police brutality in the recent protest, and their bulletin about entering the place in 2 weeks we are in urge for help from worldwide, who cares about social changes and thinking politically/anarchy...
Leprosy patients had been treated injustice since the 19th century, and nowadays they still face different struggle, hence, we can no longer ignore this human rights violation in taiwan. Please read the flyer for more infos :


And our enlighs website Save Lo Sheng
http://www.pcschool.idv.tw/savelosheng/

offical website for the campaign (becuase the limited picture are 200 on flickr, we had already reach there, so we will be changing to another website these 2 dyas):
Happy Lo Sheng
http://www.pcschool.idv.tw/loshengunity/
If you can agree our 3 demands on the flyer, we hope you can simply take a picture with either of this flyers :





and send it to me at: anarchistem@gmail.com

Taking a picture is really easy, just like this -->



(if you dont have a printer, you can just take a picture with the computer screen showing the picture!)

and it could really change some people's life, so please dont hesitate for this, but also encourage your friends to do the same.
everybody can do something, in solidarity we can do everything!!

hope you can help us on this!!!

in solidarity
Em

eight former panthers were arrested january 23rd 2007 in california, new york and florida on charges related to the 1971 killing of a san francisco police officer.

richard brown, richard o'neal , ray boudreaux and hank jones were arrested in california. francisco torres was arrested in queens. harold taylor was arrested in florida. herman bell and jalil muntaquim have been held as political prisiners for over 30 years already - they are both in new york state prisons. a ninth man, ronald stanley bridgeford is still being sought. the men were charged with the murder of sgt john young and conspiracy that encompasses numerous acts between 1968 and 1973.

harold taylor and john bowman (recently deceased) as well as ruben scott were first charged in 1975. but a judge tossed out the charges, finding that taylor and his two co-defendants made confessions after police in new orleans tortured them for several days employing electric shocks, cattle prods, beatings, sensory deprivation, plastic bags and hot, wet blankets for asphyxiation.

harold taylor:
"1971, two brothers and i were set up by the fbi. we didn't learn about COINTELPRO until years later. in 1973 i was arrested in new orleans and was beaten and tortured for several days. 2003 THE DETECTIVES THAT WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR MY TORTURE CAME TO MY HOUSE TO TRY AND QUESTION ME AGAIN. I HAVE NOT BEEN THE SAME SINCE."

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SAN FRANCISCO EIGHT:

committee for the defense of human rights
p.o.box 90221,
pasadena, ca
91109

# 415 226-1120
http://www.CDHRsupport.org
email: CDHR_RIGHT@hotmail.com

eight former panthers were arrested january 23rd 2007 in california, new york and florida on charges related to the 1971 killing of a san francisco police officer.

richard brown, richard o'neal , ray boudreaux and hank jones were arrested in california. francisco torres was arrested in queens. harold taylor was arrested in florida. herman bell and jalil muntaquim have been held as political prisiners for over 30 years already - they are both in new york state prisons. a ninth man, ronald stanley bridgeford is still being sought. the men were charged with the murder of sgt john young and conspiracy that encompasses numerous acts between 1968 and 1973.

harold taylor and john bowman (recently deceased) as well as ruben scott were first charged in 1975. but a judge tossed out the charges, finding that taylor and his two co-defendants made confessions after police in new orleans tortured them for several days employing electric shocks, cattle prods, beatings, sensory deprivation, plastic bags and hot, wet blankets for asphyxiation.

harold taylor:
"1971, two brothers and i were set up by the fbi. we didn't learn about COINTELPRO until years later. in 1973 i was arrested in new orleans and was beaten and tortured for several days. 2003 THE DETECTIVES THAT WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR MY TORTURE CAME TO MY HOUSE TO TRY AND QUESTION ME AGAIN. I HAVE NOT BEEN THE SAME SINCE."

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SAN FRANCISCO EIGHT:

committee for the defense of human rights
p.o.box 90221,
pasadena, ca
91109

# 415 226-1120
http://www.CDHRsupport.org
email: CDHR_RIGHT@hotmail.com

eight former panthers were arrested january 23rd 2007 in california, new york and florida on charges related to the 1971 killing of a san francisco police officer.

richard brown, richard o'neal , ray boudreaux and hank jones were arrested in california. francisco torres was arrested in queens. harold taylor was arrested in florida. herman bell and jalil muntaquim have been held as political prisiners for over 30 years already - they are both in new york state prisons. a ninth man, ronald stanley bridgeford is still being sought. the men were charged with the murder of sgt john young and conspiracy that encompasses numerous acts between 1968 and 1973.

harold taylor and john bowman (recently deceased) as well as ruben scott were first charged in 1975. but a judge tossed out the charges, finding that taylor and his two co-defendants made confessions after police in new orleans tortured them for several days employing electric shocks, cattle prods, beatings, sensory deprivation, plastic bags and hot, wet blankets for asphyxiation.

harold taylor:
"1971, two brothers and i were set up by the fbi. we didn't learn about COINTELPRO until years later. in 1973 i was arrested in new orleans and was beaten and tortured for several days. 2003 THE DETECTIVES THAT WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR MY TORTURE CAME TO MY HOUSE TO TRY AND QUESTION ME AGAIN. I HAVE NOT BEEN THE SAME SINCE."

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SAN FRANCISCO EIGHT:

committee for the defense of human rights
p.o.box 90221,
pasadena, ca
91109

# 415 226-1120
http://www.CDHRsupport.org
email: CDHR_RIGHT@hotmail.com

new interview

Dave D interview with "Beyond the Barbed Wire" Magazine from Indonesia.

1. hi, MDC! How's it going with you and the other member of MDC? Anything you wanna share before we start with the interview?

Dave Dictor of MDC says hello to Indonesia. MDC other members not here for the interview.

2. Ok, first i have some questions about MDC. I've included a short MDC's biography (taken and translated from X-con ron's home page) on the sine, but im curious about how MDC get started as the Reejex and the Stains. so, can you tell me how did you started the Reejex/stains for the first time? what inspires all of you to started the band at that time? (early 80s, right?)

Dave: Not a big deal ... we morphed as time went on. Ron's girlfriend at the time, Amy Mann and a friend Kevin Bastion were the first singers of the band. Ron and I played guitar from the start. Ron and I caught the hardcore bug and we wanted to express the angst that The Stains/MDC were developing into ... the Reejex had a much more arty edge...and the early stains were more Ramones influenced/Brit punk influenced. MDC met the early DOA, Black Flag and Fear and caught that hardcore wave.[

3. How did you get into that style of music for the first time as the stains and then MDC since punk rock isn't too popular at that time? what/who gives you influences for the first time?

Dave: Well I moved down to Texas in 1976 in my early twenties ... I strummed some rhythm guitar and I felt I might be a songwriter and I loved Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash songs. But that music scene was so un-user friendly....you are either famous or totally nobody.. hanging at these large, large shows you felt invisible. Then I found a scene that was heading towards punk in 1978 and everyone was famous and nobody at the same time. We became part of this emerging great Austin, Texas scene. Though punk was only so big in Austin, we all were so into it. We made zines and posters and didn't care what classic rock or anyone else was doing. It truly was a 300 person scene and everyone knew everyone. It really was so fresh and fun and so uncharted.

4. im aware that MDC are the first band that MRR interviews for their first issue. how is your involvement on the birth of MRR? can you tell us about that story? and what do you feel when you knowing that MRR are still active today, and still consistent?

Dave: Tim Yohannon was a great friend to the early scene. Tim put us up on our first bay area tour and gave us a large helping hand. We were both very left wing/ progressive/politically motivated people and we clicked. Other than write a little here and there for the zine it was Tim's gigantic and fabulous project. I love Maximum Rock and Roll and it provides a great service though I don't religiously read every issue these days.

5. i'm aware that dave is pretty close with Tom "Pig Champion" of Poison Idea and i've heard that he just passed away recently and im sorry about that..can you tell us about your relationship with "Pig Champion"? how did you met him for the first time?

Dave: I met Tom and Jerry of PI back in the day ( 1980's) and we were always sort of brother bands and class of 81-82 as well...sometimes I hear a live PI tape and I almost think its me singing. I was living in San Fran for years and I got whacked on Meth in the mid nineties and moved up to Portland, Oregon and was just walking down the street one day and heard someone say in a slow deep voice from a porch " Dave Dictor".
It was Tom and we were pretty inseparable for about 18 months, We created The Submissives on Honest Don's/Fatt Wreckards. He played on some MDC recordings and we lived together and worked at the punk club., Suburbia. We were not good for each other's addictive behaviors though but the creative process I shared with Tom was one of the highlights of my life.

6. is there any testimonial you want to write about him? care to share? what is your greatest moment with tom?

Dave: I write about it on my blog, song writing together. We just we able to kick out the lyrics and the music together so smoothly we wrote a 15 song album in 2 weeks. He was so funny to be around. Sensitive and comedic and not a cookie cutter of anything you have ever seen before.

7. Are all of you involved in some other projects as well? Care to discuss?

Dave: Well I am doing MDC Unplugged .. which is a hard edged folk punk thing with new songs and old..I do it with my buddy Mike Smith in Portland. With MDC living on 3 continents I get my music fix in-between MDC electric get togethers.
Check myspace.com/mdcunplugged .

8) are you active in some local/international protests? can you tell us one by one?

Dave: I am active with my local Anarchist Bookstore that is involved with Anti-Globalization( G-8 protests, Animal Right Actions and the band has done benefit shows for the Salt River Indian Reservation whose reservation is on the Mexican/U.S. border and are being harassed by both governments and the Minutemen border watch vigalantes.

9) Are there any issues you feel are most important to fighting for? if so, what is that and why?

Dave: They are all important and I and I believe interconnected. The way we treat animals is symptomatic about the way we treat poor people , the environment ..etc. etc.
The system is fucked but George Bush Jr. has surpassed everyone's expectations of how much harm one person can accomplish. Motherfucker!

10. MDC exist since reagan era, and now bush jr. era. is there any differences between reagan and bush regime? who is the craziest one, who is the most psychopath?

Dave: Reagan started a great new wave of the conservative movement .. that is basically white people tired of feeling guilty for America representing a racist, consumerist culture. We couldn't do anything about Iran and the events of 1979 but we could get back to oppressing and waging war against Nicargua and El Salvador. Both Reagan and Bush go together. Bush is certainly the continuum of Reagan. But it seems so much more snide to ignore global warming in 2007. Bush and his born again Christian fundamentalists that trust faith over reality, religion over science. It is really scary. And when you add in the biblical implications... that the Apocalypse and Isreal and the end of the world.. it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. They are never wrong and never say sorry. So the world must destroy itself so the chosen may enter heaven.

11. What is the latest most unbelievable ridiculous story from bush's insanity?

Dave: Sitting down reading the goat book to the school children for 8 minutes after knowing about the terrorist act on the Trade Center was pretty ridiculous.It was shown in the Michael Moore's Movie was pretty surreal. Watching poor Iraq be bled to death is truly sickening.

12. my favorite MDC's song are "corporate deathburger", "millions of dead cops", "business on parade", "s.k.i.n.h.e.a.d.". what is your favorite MDC's songs and why?

Dave: Your songs are like your children.. I look at certain albums that were more neglected by the zines and the public that I felt were really good ... like Shades Of Brown. I feel that album was neglected ... many people haven't heard of the Submissive's , An Anvil Will Destroy Many A Hammer. The first album received a lot of attention and of course I appreciate that but I wish it could be more balanced.

13. what records/books that has been changed your life for the first time? i mean, if you never have listen/read that record/book, your live wouldn't going to be like this.

Dave: Well through the years.. at eight and nine ...I read every Hardy Boys detective novels (40 plus) and Alfred Hitchcock's mystery series as well. Then when I was a teen in the early seventies Kurt Vonnegut. I read everything.. of his "Mother Night and Welcome To The Monkey House" and then Philip K Dick's " Radio Free Albemuth"..also Ken Kesey's "On The Road".
In my early twenties, I went into a big non fiction stage. I read The Hundredth Monkey and then Diet For A Small Planet about food and the waste of resources to create a heavy meat diet by the food industry. Then Hunter Thompson and Fear and Loathing , and William Burroughs "Junkie", Henry Miller 's "Tropic Of Cancer" blew my mind.
I enjoy Gore Vidal and Al Franken ...I like the "Da Vinci Code"...I am a conspiracy buff person .. I like Grishom's law novels ..I have read them all..
I like David Sardaris's Me Talk Pretty One Day". I like short story narritive and if you read my blogs on myspace.com/mdc I write in that style. Also, I am an avid reader of and about Lincoln. I find that I get obcessed with certain writers and topics and then I chill out. Currently I try to read success stories about the environment and progressive socio-economic stories...recently I just watched the movie "Earthling" about animal abuse in the food and vivisection industry and I couldn't sleep for days. Did you know over a hundred billion animals are murdered a year and discarded in vivisection worldwide? Lately I have the need to read more positive stories or I just can't get out of bed anymore.

Musically, The Beetles growing up with a new album every year was a fantastic musical evolution. People born later than 1965, who just sort of got the Beetles all at once missed this progression. It was something to live through. See their movies, them in the news, their haicuts and eventually protesting the Vietnam war. I remember hearing Otis Reading's, "Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay" bought the single and wore it out. I love Woody Gutherie, Creem, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, The Ramones, The Dead Kennedy's, Black Flag, Michelle Shocked, Crass. I mentioned Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash before..Roy Orbison, Louie Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. I can go on and on.

On a daily basis, for a while now, I really find my sanity meditating and reading to Deepok Chopra... Google him...he is great.

14. You're all still punk and active even though your age are above 30. that are very fantastic. in indonesia, many of punks leaves their "rebellion" point of view and stop being "punk" since they're 30, or since they're married and have to got a "real job" in order to feeds their kids, or because of pressure from their family. some thought/theory; maybe they've got a "wrong" wife/husband, or perhaps they think that it is no longer necessary to being punk anymore since they're "too old" now. punk is just become another youth culture, teenager's lifestyle for many people. then the world and life are "just ok" for them since they don't have any left time to think. they have to go to work 8 hours a day. you know what i mean? my questions are: what motivates you to still being punk and active in your age today?

Dave: Well I have always been a freak of sorts and punk has always been very excepting of that... As well , I got involved in my mid twenties so I was beyond my teen stage of just acting out. I always wanted to be writing songs that make people think and feel so I found place to be active in .... I imagine just being a fan makes your commitment to the scene less involving... I am blessed that people still show up to hear us play and that you give a damn to ask me these questions. I am very lucky to have a place.

15. can you tell us about how is your family? (i know, maybe that question demands a very personal answers on a personal area. you have a right to avoid this question if you think its too personal to published). how they going?

Dave: Well I have a son..and I was a single parent for 10 years and my son is 22 so he is moving on. I have a partner now for 4 years but relationships are tough and we think of ourselves as non monogamous though we rarely act on it.

Its tough to keep a relationship fresh .. and just like ice cream I like chocolate, strawberry and pistachio. Fantasies keep us fresh and current.

16. did your family (wife,kids,parents) supports you on what you believes and what you do?

Dave: My mom and dad didn't really get it. John Wayne Was A Nazi....they knew I opposed oppression but they were afraid I would get hurt. As well , they had a drive to be successful financially and wanted me to share that urge....they say a miner gives birth to a merchant , who gives birth to an artist. I was very lucky to have loving, sane, nurturing, non racist, supportive parents.

17. how do you grown you kid/children? any tips on punk parenting and not being an tyrant at home/on family? how you create the dictator-free condition on your family? what is the main lesson that you gave to your children's?

Dave: Well love, understanding and forgiveness. That's pretty basic. I was not a perfect parent...I did too many drugs and was sometimes quite vacant. Though my son and I get on rather well though he is not really a punk..he is more of a gamer, comic book geek kid.

18. what is your kid's opinion when they're realizing that they're a son/daughter of MDC's member? is there any interesting stories? (e.g.. a friend of your kids who are punk knows who you are, and what they do when they visit your house) or, are your kids are punks too? did they/she/he played on band too? Any activities?

Dave: It just is ..... and it's not a big deal...I say hello...chat and move on...most of my son's friends are comic book geek/gamers,,,,,MDC means nothing 98 percent of the time. By the way, I am just a dude, my breathe sometimes stinks, I can't always get it up and tofu gives me gas.

19. what is your biggest compromise in your life?

Dave: Sometimes being hotheaded and unable to just remember everyone is doing the best they can.... being helpful and mean spirited helps very little. I like Chicken Squawk as a song more than John Wayne..my points are subtle and reasonable..

20. Exploited are coming here a couples months ago in order of asian tour. they demands luxury stuffs and services here and demands too high for the payment. The kids are cannot afford it, so some event organizer using a giant cigarette corporation as a main sponsor for their show here. what do you think about sponsorship? i mean, sponsorship by corporation on punks gig/record. sponsorship is a very big issue here, especially since the pro and cons are grown everywhere after the exploited's show. what's your opinion about this issue?

Dave: I am not into corporate sponsorship...and tobacco addiction sucks... People make weird choices...yet I have not gone to Indonesia for fear of losing more money than I can afford and because at this point of my life I need some comfort and organic food. I and some of my band have health considerations as well.

21. what is your opinion about terrorism? and how does it feels live in US under that "war on terrorism" agenda?

Dave: We can go on and on about this topic..the US created a lot of the fanatical people that are out there today ..the US fostered the Muslim Brotherhood in the 1950's to disrupt Arab nationalism and funded the Ossama Bin Laden's in the 1980's to fight the communists.. We all know that and the US and the west consume the most resources, pollute the most , green house the most etc. etc. and no American politician of any popularity wants to say we can not go on with our greedy ways...peace comes through justice and economic equality and fairness. And yes creating fear helps the ruling elite stay in control. And though Bush lied, and people died , American's keep him in power any way. What do you have to do to be impeached you have to wonder?

22. what do you think about DIY? are DIY exclusive just for HC/punk scene, or it can be applied on other aspects of life? i think DIY are a very potential method to fight capitalism. DIY is the core of punk and anarchy. what do you think about that? and what do you do in your daily life related DIY issue?

Dave: We are very DIY ..I don't always want to be doing all the work but nobody gives a fuck about your tour or your art like you yourself do.
I am just booking our spring 07 Euro tour. I don't mind that the Rancid's sell out it is just that they never look back and help out the scene that created them. Very rarely anyway.

23. talking about capitalism, what is your opinion about globalization and free trade? have you ever considered about what can we do as a punk to fighting globalization and abolish capitalism?

Dave: It sucks.. pollution , earth destruction, death of the planet and economic enslavement. I am a environmentalist, a socialist for social justice.
.
24 that's all for now.. want to share any last thought?

Dave: Enough said for now.... me thinks.

25. how can people get in touch with MDC? Thanx for your time!

Dave: Mdcpunk@hotmail.com though I get too much e mail to keep current on.

Songs, tour schedules, art , web site fotos and blogs on myspace.com/mdc

Immigration policy must include the voices, experiences and concerns of America's indigenous people

New America Media, Commentary, Marta Donayre

SAN FRANCISCO--I lowered my head and shook it from side to side when I saw the television ad.

It started with an image of white people, then it moved on to African Americans, Latinos and finally Asians. As each group was mentioned, people filled the image and their respective population percentage was announced.

As usual, Native Americans were completely excluded.

But we cannot afford to omit the Native American perspective in the immigration debate, and not for the obvious reasons.

Yes, European undocumented immigrants devastated the way of life of Native Americans. First Nation peoples, from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, had their lands, dignity and history stolen by the newcomers. One would assume Native Americans know something about the consequences of immigration.

Many of today's immigrants are Indigenous people who are trying to escape starvation. They don't speak Spanish, only their original pre-Hispanic language. Some don't even identify with their country of origin.

To them the chant, "We didn't cross the border, the border crossed us" couldn't be any more real.

In Latin American countries, Indigenous people bear the brunt of poverty. Like their North American counterparts, they had their land stolen and they were relegated to second-class status simply because of who they are. As a result, many are uprooting themselves from their ancestral lands to find work in the United States.

First Nations people in the United States are also being affected by immigration policy. Fortunately, they are speaking up about it.

Between Aug. 29 and Oct. 1, Native Americans from the northern and southern borders met at the first Border Summit of the Americas.

They expressed solidarity with immigrants, took a stance against the projected wall between the United States and Mexico and demanded a halt to the militarization of the border and for the United States to respect the sovereignty of Native American nations.

Many people don't know that there are over 20 tribes that live in the border area who are suffering the consequences of the immigration crackdown.

Federal agents violate tribal land without any regard to the rule of law set by treaties. When on tribal lands, agents invade homes at gunpoint, and demand papers.

In addition, the proposed border wall would cross through tribal territory, including sacred burial grounds, also in violation of the treaties. Migrating animals would be drastically affected by the wall as well.

"We are directed under our law to go to the aid of others and not just sit back and watch the devastation," said Mohawk Mark Maracle, representing the Women Title Holders. Maracle added that the proposed border fence would upset nature. "If this fence goes up, this nation will see natural disasters like it has not seen before. It will disrupt the natural order."

Bill Means, a member of the Indian Treaty Council went farther and called the proposed fence another "Berlin Wall" that would violate federal laws such as the Native American Grave Protection and Repatriation Act and American Indian Religious Freedom Act.

The current proposal for a wall, as well as the need for Indigenous people to migrate to the United States, have one thing in common: they result from the continuous disregard and disrespect of Natives since the European colonization.

Policy is never ever drafted with Native people's interests in mind and favors only the interests of the colonizers.

Free trade agreement policies benefit large corporations to the detriment of small and subsistence farmers. In Latin America these farmers are all Indigenous campesinos, people of the fields. Many still live the way their ancestors did prior to the arrival of the Europeans.

Proponents of the wall don't even think about the needs of border tribes, just like the needs of the Indigenous campesinos aren't taken into account in official policymaking.

I know that I have Inca blood in me, and I know how poorly the descendants of the Incas are treated back home. I also know how poorly the descendants of the First Nations of North America are treated here.

Nothing can be done to restore their lands, their dignity or their history. Many traditions have been lost to colonialism. But we still have the capacity to find new solutions that rely on inclusion and respect. A great place to start is by including First Nation people's perspectives and needs in the economic and immigration policy debates.



Marta Donayre is co-founder of Love Sees No Borders and a member of the Leadership Council of the Bay Area Immigrant Rights Coalition. IMMIGRATION MATTERS regularly features the views of the nation's leading immigrant rights advocates.

here is some information about the O'odham

And the latest: this year - they got harrassed that bad - they could not hold their annual celebrations!

The O'odham VOICE Against the WALL is educating the O'odham general public of the O'odham Rights violations occurring on O'odham Territory. The United States department of Homeland Security plans to permanently seal the US/MX International Border. (Oct. 2002, 354 page Department of Homeland Security PEIS document) The United States and the Republic States of Mexico, in the 1853 Treaty of La Mesilla, also known as the Gadsden Purchase, dissected the O'odham Territory without the authorization of the O'odham to establish the US/MX International Border. O'odham presently live in communities on both sides of this border. and cross this border to conduct ceremonies and visit families.
The WALL is real, 13 miles of railroad rail fence shrouded as a ..Vehicle Barrier.. already is constructed on the O'odham territory. (Draft EA for Temporary Vehicle Barriers Tucson Sector Pima, Santa Cruz & Cochise Counties, Az.. -July 2004 Department of Homeland Security, Washington D.C.)
The WALL, will further destroy the aboriginal rights of free and safe passage within our Territory
The WALL, will destroy O'odham protected sites. (U.S. H.R 418) waviered regulations which the DHS is NOT required to notify tribes of findings during construction of the WALL)
The WALL, will close O'odham traditional routes to conduct ceremonies and connection to our families, to continue, our way of life.


O'odham meansPeople
what is sacred is our land, the O'odham Territory, where our ancestral remains is the land the earth is our sacred
Uya



P.O. Box 1835
Sells, Arizona 85634
(520) 471-3398
jeg_os@hotmail.com


The O'odham VOICE Against the WALL

TRADITIONAL O'ODHAM COMMUNITIES US/Mx

..it is not our wish what is sacred, be taken from us, this is our beginnings as O'odham,
O'odham Ceremony Leaders


The O'odham VOICE Against the WALL organized to advocating for the traditional O'odham leaders of the O'odham communities in the Southern Territory, Mexico and the ceremony leaders in the Northern Territory, the United States,
-to unite O'odham youth.
-to build support for the traditional Elders and ceremonial leaders of O'odham communities impacted by the WALL.
-to provide and promote youth education and cultural identification.
-to protect O'odham Rights and O'odham Rights of Mobility and Rights of Safe Passage on O'odham Territory.
-to advocate for Universal Indigenous Rights.


13-mile ..Vehicle Barrier.., the WALL on O'odham territory
The O'odham VOICE Against the WALL is training O'odham youth on Indigenous Rights and O'odham Rights.
The O'odham VOICE Against the WALL is training O'odham youth to recognize Human Rights violations and O'odham Rights violations.
The O'odham VOICE Against the WALL is training O'odham youth to document Human Rights violations and O..odham Rights violations through creative writing, photography, video filmmaking and artistic expression, such as music, artworks and spoken word.
..it takes courage to live with integrity and to be honest, this is traditional spirituality... Moises, Kogi traditional Leader (Columbia)

HOW TO SUPPORT

Wish List: travel funds. cameras/film supply, video camera/tapes supplies, a new computer/scanner/printer,
Community needs; a community work truck, legal assistance, grant writing, housing improvement, sustainable community economic development.
Contact our organization for more information.


Our Revolution, Our Reform Mr. Thomas J. Rivas traveled to Mexico City, DQ University, California to testify at the World Lands Tribunal, and Big Mountain to advocate for his elders and seek assistance for protection for his community of Cu:Wi I-gersk and all O'odham communities in the Southern Territory (Mexico). His travel funds were personal donations from his relatives and friends. In 1970 the O'odham Territory was critically losing communities to encroachment from Mexican miners, farmers and ranchers. Southern O'odham Territory was recorded in Mexican archives to have 45 O'odham communities. Today, 9 communities remain and five annexes, all under severe poverty conditions and at risk of extinction. Thomas died at the age of 56 from heart sickness at the loss of his elders and sovereign homelands. He was put to rest at his community burial site, April 1, 1993.