So this weekend I opted to stay home for once. Initially I had planned to go to Shiprock and engage in the festivities of the Navajo Nation Fair but after thoughts of dealing with the long drive, the heat, the dust and the enormous crowds I decided to stay home and get some much needed R&R.

A good choice since this summer has been very exhausting and draining but very blessed too. I've had the opportunity to travel to British Columbia, Canada, do talks and shows in the Lummi Islands, the Hoopa rez in northern California, San Diego, the White River Apache rez, the Hopi rez, back to San Diego, Albuquerque, and tore it down in Hollywood at the 2^nd Annual International Indigenous Hip-Hop Gathering, then back to San Diego again just to name a few spots I visited in the past 3 months.

Whew, but we've met so many cool ass peoples on our journeys and built some dope ass relations with Natives from many different rez's and urban settings, shared good food, good stories and hours of clowning and laughing, this life is purely bless and I'm forever grateful.

But to stay home and watch TV, enjoy a home cooked meal and catch up on the world happenings has been good to say the least. To top it off the 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of all time is airing on VH1. This was a real treat to chill and watch it with a cup of hot tea and some cookies. I finally got to see the whole countdown tonight and I was very pleased to see Public Enemy get the number 1 spot because as anyone who knows anything bout my music and my beginnings as an emcee knows that Chuck D has been great inspiration in my direction and drive as an emcee. So congratulations and much props to PE who is still number 1. But even better then that is that those close to me know that I got a random email from Chuck D himself last month. Chuck D, who just happened to be driving through northern AZ this summer, picked up a rez newspaper and read an article I did where I mentioned him as a major inspiration. Chuck sent ya boy personal props and acknowledgment which was just too dope and made my whole year.

But anyway, so things are getting crazy with the 2008 presidential elections. Lehmann Brothers falling, AIG going bankrupt, and Congress voted down the bailing out of banks and a real good possibility that we will see the first minority president.

My thoughts on all this craziness is Babylon is falling, Babylon is falling! It was meant to happen, with the continued spending on a war of non-sense and greed, the continued extracting and depletion of the world resources and the pushing of globalization and capitalism to no end, will there is an end in sight.

On one hand it is hopeful that there will be a new beginning and reemerging of new powers that be and a real long hard look at things that been happening unnoticed by the average "American".

On the other hand it brings on feeling s on tension and unrest because as we have seen in the past with major shifts in society and ways of living, things will get worst before they get better.

But with even the suggestion of a government bail out for banks was just fucking crazy to me. Because this made it seem that its okay for big institutions and corporations to fuck off their finances will many working class people are on the brink of losing their homes and savings. "Yeah go head and play with the doe, we'll (the government) will cover ya and make sure your still living phat" FUCK THAT. Why not use that doe they were gonna use to bail out the banks and hook up the average citizen. I know that if I fuck off my savings and spend beyond on my limit on credit cards, there is no damn way Uncle Sam is gonna roll up with a check and say "Yo Mr. Yaiva its all good, don't sweat paying us back, I got you, Big Unc's got you, don't worry bout a thang lil NDN boy" FUCK THAT but thats just my thoughts on that.

And as for the possibility of having a minority president I think its about time. I don't know how much different a Black politician will be from a white politician. In those terms they are all politicians and race, color or creed has little or nothing to do with what the results or changes we will see but nonetheless Obama has my vote. I wanna see what type of shit will be stirred up with this country having a Black president will do.

I'd like to hear your thoughts about the craziness of the current state of our country, good or bad. Please post your thoughts on my blog on the www.myspace.com/4went

Peace and good night. Yaiva

 

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HERE ARE SOME OF THE FLYERS FROM A FEW OF OUR PAST SHOWS. THESE ARE FROM OF THE MORE MEMERABLE ONES IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER. WE BEEN AROUND THE BLOCK A FEW TIMES TO SAY THE LEAST.

 

 

 

 

The “Thanks But NO Thanks Given” concert was a concert with an all-indigenous line up. The concert’s focus was to educated the public about the importance and remembrance of the actual history of American Indians and how it is overlooked or told with overshadowing biases in the media, schools and universities.

 

Holiday’s such as Thanksgiving and Columbus Day promote a type of thinking that American history was a moral success story, sweeping under the rug the fact that millions of indigenous people were murdered in order for America to be what it is today.  This legacy of genocide continues today in the forms of sacred site desecration such as the San Francisco Peaks and Snowbowl issue, alcoholism, poverty and unemployment, hopelessness, high suicide rates, and loss of language and cultural identity.

 

The concert was a celebration of indigenous survival, resistance, and persistence to continue a legacy of indigenous cultural strength for the next seven generations of people to come.  “The event was beautiful,” Yaiva an organizer for the event said, “People showed up in record numbers to support and express appreciation for this event.  The message that we sent to the public is that we are still here, we have always been here, and we aren’t going anywhere.  We are growing, and we are building a movement that celebrates life, the sacred, resistance, community, and family, as opposed to destruction, genocide, death, greed, and ignorance.”

 

“This mountain (San Francisco Peaks) is a part of who we are as indigenous youth, as indigenous people.  We have to fight for our culture, so we can survive.  The Youth of the Peaks is an all youth organization committed to stopping Snowbowl and defending sacred sites, culture, and youth empowerment,” said Alberta Nells of the Youth of the Peaks, one of the many representatives of organizations that spoke throughout the night about issues affecting the community.

 

Sponsoring Organizations:

ECHOES

4^th World Entertainment

Native Movement

Youth Movement

Native American Business Organization

 

Lineup:

Yaiva
Project X

DJ Young Native

Radmilla Cody

Anti-thesis

Klee from Blackfire

Jacobo and the All Peoples Crew

Aztlan Underground

Casper and the Mighty 602 Band

 

Speakers;
Evon Peter, chief of the Netsaii Gwich’in nation from Arctic Village, Alaska

Chris Ross, singer for the Anti-thesis

Klee Benali, Blackfire guitar and vocalist

Yaiva, 4th World Entertainment and Native Movement Collective

Kelvin Long, ECHOES - Educating Communites while Healing and Offering Environmental Support

Alberta Nells, Youth of the Peaks, Youth Movement

 

 

INDIGENOUS NEWS ADVISORY

Contact: Kelvin Long at 928-380-6182 or Gabriel Yaiva at 928-699-9601
For Immediate Release: September 28th

Indigenous Cultural Survival Prayer and March

ECHOES and 4th World Entertainment announces an opposition to being discovered by Christopher Columbus and the Arizona Snowbowl’s plan to make artificial snow on the San Francisco Peaks,  with a celebration of cultural vitality and resistance of cultural genocide from governmental and corporate attempts.

Monday October 10th 2005 at 9:30 am ECHOES (Educating Communities while Healing and Offering Environmental Support) and 4th World Entertainment, Save the Peaks Coalition and the American Indian Movement, will march starting at Prochnow Auditorium and ending at the Flagstaff City Hall at 10am. For a press conference with invited city of flagstaff officials, Tribal Leaders, Activist, from Dine’, Hopi, Gwich’in, and Cherokee Nations, who will help mark the official beginning of building our community of respect, dignity and hope for a new era.  There will be traditional Elders and Native youth that will stand together with community members and begin the healing process. 

The two events are part of a Save The Peaks campaign and a step in educating and bringing about healing, in the awareness of indigenous culture and vitality in the face of adversity such as acts like the Coconino Forest Service’s, to allow the Arizona Snowbowl to make artificial snow with reclaimed waste water.  And also the Celebration of the Discovery America by Christopher Columbus and the continued dysfunctional relation ship to date.

The run and prayer vigil will begin the Flagstaff events, on Sunday we will run from Wheeler Park to Buffalo Park, and meet at the Ramada. At 10am. 

On Monday we will march from Prochnow Auditorium on the NAU campus beginning at 9:30am and arrive at City hall around 10am where we will have a press conference: guest speakers from National and local tribes.  These events are family and education oriented and open to the public.

Who:  ECHOES Executive Director- Kelvin Long, Former Chief of the Gwich’in Nation and Chairman for Native Movement- Evon Peter, Navajo water rights activist- Nichole Horseherder, Cherokee youth, American Indian Movement Leader from Denver Colorado- Glenn Morris, Elder and Honorable County Board of Supervisor- Louise Yellowman.

What: ECHOES and 4th World Entertainment will hold a press conference address our understanding of traditional values of respect for family and community.

When:  October 9-10th 2005. March and press conference will be at 9:30am and end at noon.
   
Where: At the City Hall, located 211 aspen St.

Why:  To oppose the attempts of cultural genocide like the use of waste water to make artificial snow and, the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus.

The Indigenous peoples of Flagstaff Arizona got some very disturbing new today. News that Coconino National Forest Supervisor Nora Rasure's decision has allowed Arizona Snowbowl to use reclaimed sewer water to make artificial snow on the sacred San Francisco Peaks The peaks are very sacred to the tribes in the southwest. The peaks are one of the four sacred mountains to the Dine’ and the peaks is the home to the Kachina spirits to the Hopi. The approval of Snow Making of our peaks show complete disregard for our culture and places we hold sacred, and absolute slap in the face. Spiritually the use of reclaimed water on the peaks is equivalent to defecating and urinating on holy temples, we don’t piss and shit on the churches and temples so why do they feel is alright to do that to ours? The answer is simple, money. However studies show that the Flagstaff revenue provided by skiers only make a very small portion of Flagstaffs economy, furthermore the revenue from the resort goes to a single person. "With her decision, Rasure is deepening an unhealthy division between indigenous and non-indigenous peoples in the Southwest," said Kelvin Long director of ECHOES (Educating Communities While Healing and Offering Environmental Support). "It only supports the goals and missions of non-native communities. In order to build healthy relationships, cultural and religious traditions need to be respected." Well if the Forest Service won’t respect Indigenous Peoples wishes and cultures then we well boycott them and resist in any way possible. I ask that each and every one of you please help us in this battle against cultural genocide. Get involved by responding to this message for place to go for more info and way to get involved to let our voices be heard. PLEASE BOYCOTT ARIZONA SNOWBOWL!!!!!! For more information contact: (928) 213-9760 http://www.savethepeaks.org/ http://www.blackmesawatercoalition.org/

Yaiva and 4th World Entertainment are offering smoking deals on promotion and street teams services in Northern AZ. Do you got a DEMO you want heard? Are you a model who wants to be seen? Or just need a product pushed in a new region, Get at me here, send a message or send me a message to yaiva@4went.com with a description of what you are looking for and we are sure wwe can meet almost all needs and request. Respect. Yaiva www.4went.com