Monday, October 26, 2009

SOUTH MOUNTAIN FREEWAY LOOP 202 ACTION THIS WEDNESDAY 10/28/09!













SAY NO TO THE PROPOSED SOUTH MOUNTAIN FREEWAY!!!
ON OR NEAR DISTRICT 6 OF THE GILA RIVER INDIAN COMMUNITY!!!


THIS WEDNESDAY!

This past Wednesday, the Maricopa Associations of Governments (MAG) Transportation Committee voted unanimously to approve the 8-Lane 202 South
Mountain Freeway extension through Ahwatukee and South Mountain Park. The route now must be approved this Wednesday by the MAG Regional Council.
One proposed freeway scenario will run along the reservation boundary, and lead to the destruction of Ahwatukee and West Phoenix residents' houses, in
addition to destroying a portion of South Mountain. MAG’s route will specifically affect District 6 and 7 of the Gila River Indian Community with the many
environmental and health hazards that freeways bring, but most importantly, it will desecrate the many sacred sites on the mountain. This potential route
has brought much opposition from the residents of Ahwatukee, forcing MAG officials to look at alternatives to the Ahwatukee-South Mountain alignment.

One such alternative is to place the 202 extension onto Gila River land.
Gila River Tribal Council and District 6 have passed resolutions
against any such route.

But as a recent AZ Republic report has confirmed, MAG officials will
be meeting Gila River tribal officials in the next few weeks to discuss
placing the route through Gila River, on District 6!!

OPPONENTS OF THE CURRENT PROPOSAL ARE SUGGESTING
TO BUILD THE FREEWAY ALONG PECOS RD, UP 51st AVE!!!
OR ALONG RIGGS ROAD, TO 51st AVE!!!
BOTH ROUTES WILL RIP DISTRICT 6 IN HALF!!!


This past Wednesday, the O'odham Solidarity Across Borders Collective in solidarity with the many opponents of the freeway took action and told MAG that we oppose the Freeway entirely. But still they ignore and disrespect us as O'odham/Pi'Posh people by still suggesting building the freeway through our community!!

SO, ONCE AGAIN MY FELLOW O'ODHAM/ PI'POSH, PLEASE COME OUT AND VOICE YOUR OPPOSTION AGAINST ANY SUCH FREEWAY TO BE BUILT ON DISTRICT 6 AND GILA RIVER!! LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD AT THE PUBLIC COMMENTING PORTION OF THE MEETING! LET MAG AND GILA RIVER TRIBAL COUNCIL HEAR YOUR CONCERNS AND OPPOSITION AGAINST THE SOUTH MOUNTAIN FREEWAY GOING THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY!

JOIN THE O'ODHAM SOLIDARITY ACROSS BORDERS COLLECTIVE, GILA RIVER ALLIANCE for a CLEAN ENVIROMENT (GRACE) AND PHOENIX CLASS WAR COUNCIL IN DOWNTOWN PHOENIX!!

Meeting - 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, October 28, 2009 ---
MAG Office, Suite 200 - Saguaro Room
302 North 1st Avenue, Phoenix


For more information about Wednesday’s meeting/ South Mountain Freeway proposal and to help, contact us at:

O'odham Solidarity Across Borders Collective oodhamjeved@gmail.com & http://oodhamsolidarity.blogspot.com

GRACE (Gila River Alliance for a Clean Environment) contaminatedinaz@yahoo.com

PHOENIX CLASS WAR COUNCIL firesneverextinguished@gmail.com & http://firesneverextinguished.blogspot.com

VIDEO OF OUR COMMENTS TO MAG





Thursday, October 22, 2009

10/21/09 SOUTH MOUNTAIN FREEWAY ACTION REPORT!





Shap Kwoj,

Today, a coalition of grassroots peoples from the Gila River Indian Community, and fellow supporters came to voice their concerns about the proposed Loop 202 Extension on or near tribal land.

O’odham Solidarity Across Borders Collective, Gila River Alliance for a Clean Environment (GRACE), Phoenix Class War Council, fellow tribal members, and concerned citizens took action against the Maricopa Associations of Governments (MAG) Transportation Policy Committee by attending the public comment meeting today.

The action was organized because we, the O'odham Solidarity Across Borders Collective feel that our voice, the O'odham/Pi'Posh voice, was left out of any discussions of any freeway route that would disturb our communities. We feel that we needed to bring our voice to this meetings because politicians such as Phoenix Councilman Sal DiCiccio and U.S. Representative Harry Mitchell suggested that the South Mountain Freeway should be built on Gila River land. Politicians that are so clearly disconnected with Akimel O'odham/Pi'Posh people, that they refer to us as “Gilas''. But still advocate for measures that would displace our communities, and disturb our O'odham Him'dag.

We, in solidarity, told the committee that we firmly oppose the entire South Mountain Freeway route, and if any route is finalized, it would be off tribal land. This route would signal the destruction of Ahwatukee and West Phoenix residents' houses, in addition to destroying a portion of South Mountain clearing the way for the route. This will leave the Gila River Indian Communtiy, specificity District 6 and 7 open to the many environmental and noise hazards that freeways bring, but most importantly, desecrate the many sacred sites on the mountain.

Our efforts were not just being heard inside the MAG buildings, but also seen outside with banners demonstrating our opposition.

The Transportation Policy Committee thankfully ended the idea of placing the route on Gila River itself, but did vote to finalize the route along the reservation boundary.

Now the finalized route must be voted on and approved by the MAG Regional Council this upcoming Wednesday October 28th, and then forwarded to the Arizona Department of Transportation where it will face an environmental impact study, public comments, and the many bureaucratic checks before any construction starts.

Meaning, it will provide us, the O'odham/Pi'Posh people, and our many supporters time to organize on a larger scale against this freeway. We are disappointed with MAG's current plan to continue with this project, but were not surprised they ruled the way they did. We do take victory that it will not be on the reservation, and that this action brought us all together to oppose the current proposal in days/months/years to come. This action today brought our voice to the debate. We are here, and we must take the right measures to attack this freeway and to build solidarity with all those who oppose it.

This is a call to our Ahwatukee, Laveen, West Phoenix brothers and sisters who feel the same as we do about the destruction that this freeway will bring.

This is also a call to our community to work in solidarity, with all those who we are sure to meet, to defeat it.

Today, is a call to action.

We, the O'odham Solidarity Across Borders Collective will oppose this freeway to end. But we will need everybody's help to make this happen.

We would like to thank all those who came out and supported. We will keep everybody informed of next weeks MAG Regional Council Vote.

Sappo.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

SAY NO TO THE PROPOSED SOUTH MOUNTAIN FREEWAY!!!

SAY NO TO THE PROPOSED SOUTH MOUNTAIN
FREEWAY!!!


ON OR NEAR DISTRICT 6 AND ON GILA RIVER INDIAN COMMUNITY!!!


Oppose destruction of Gila River and Ahwautukee/Phoenix for politician’s profit!!!!

This week has seen a massive escalation in the planning and development of the Proposition 400 budget plan of the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG), this plan calls for the destruction of over 22 miles of the Gila River Indian Reservation, as well as the homes of people in Ahwatukee and west Phoenix, or the destruction of South Mountain, to make way for a new 8 lane extension of the 202.

This Wednesday (TOMORROW) MAG Regional Council will be voting to finalizing the exact route. Public comments will be allowed to voice concerns at this time.

The main option is to place the freeway along the reservation boundary, which will lead to the destruction of Ahwatukee
and Phoenix Resident’s houses. So recently, Non-Indian Lawmakers have been voicing to put South Mountain Freeway on Gila River, District 6. Currently, that option would place the freeway along Pecos Rd, and northwards on 51th Ave! Without getting consent from our Community!

So my fellow O’odham/Pi’Posh, COME OUT THIS Wednesday TO TELL THE MARICOPA ASSOICIATIONS of GOVERNMENTS THAT WE, THE PEOPLE OF GILA RIVER INDIAN COMMUNITY, OPPOSE ANY SUCH PROPOSAL! LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!


JOIN THE O’ODHAM SOLIDARITY ACROSS BORDERS COLLECTIVE, GILA RIVER ALLIANCE FOR A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT (GRACE), & PHOENIX CLASS WAR COUNCIL IN DOWNTOWN PHOENIX.


Meeting - 4:00 p.m.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

MAG Office, Suite 200 - Saguaro Room
302 N. First Avenue, Phoenix

FOR MORE INFO ABOUT THE MEETING, ABOUT THE FREEWAY ROUTE, AND TO HELP.


Email US AT:

O’odham Solidarity Across Borders Collective OODHAMJEVED@GMAIL.COM AND http://oodhamsolidarity.blogspot.com/


GRACE (Gila River Alliance for a Clean Environment) contaminatedinaz@yahoo.com


Phoenix Class War Council firesneverextinguished@gmail.com AND http://firesneverextinguished.blogspot.com/

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Fear of a Milagahn Planet! Pt.2-Video from our trip to the ACLU Checkpoint Forum

By: That Super O'odham 2012
video provided by: Frankie Mumbles
June 19,2009

Here's the footage from our day in Green Valley.

We were in the middle of the lion's den when we showed up, and did not know what to expect. Before we spoke, this woman decided to express her concerns of "Al-Qaeda", "MS 13" and other anti-immigrant rheotic. Which other wise, would have been unchecked, if not for the presents of the O'odham Solidarity Across Borders Collective and Phoenix Class War Council.

Green Valley, AZ citizen expresses typical, fear mongering
statement about the border.

As our analysis below states, our collective decided to share what the border means to us, as O'odham. We did not know how the community was going to react, but decided to confront the issue head on. Note, that the pro-checkpoint/border supporter who was holding a banner in the blog below, walks out at the 3:38 mark in the video below.

We put the debate in perspective by stating our history to the
land, and put the pro-border ideologues in check.


These videos show the possibilities of where the Border Debate can go, once the indigenous point of view is heard. It shows how out of touch most "American" citizens are with the facts of history. We as indigenous people represent something that every pro-border, anti-immigrant, racist soul (if its still there) fears and hates.

The truth...

We represent the biggest threat to their way of life.

The O'odham, the Yaqui, the Lipan Apache, the Kickapoo, the Mohawk and all first nations of this hemisphere...

Our proud existence sheds the truth to their setter mythology of the Americas.

Thats why the Collective, and PCWC, see the importance of attacking this heated issue (Border/Immigration)from the stance we described in our analysis below.

This is a stance that we would love to investigate in any future confrontation against all pro-border/anti-immigrant ideologues that claim that they are being "invaded"...

So who's down to explore the possibilities with us?

yo?

Friday, July 17, 2009

Fear of a Milighan Planet

Lawyers from the ACLU discussing American citizens' rights at border patrol check points



By That Super O'odham 2012 & That O'odham Bastard!
June 17, 2009-Green Valley, AZ

On June 16th, 2009, members of O'odham Solidarity Across Borders Collective and Phoenix Class War Council (PCWC) took a trip down to Green Valley which is located south of Tucson . We traveled to the little border town because the ACLU hosted an open forum about the constitutional rights that individuals have at internal border check points and around the border in the supposed “100 mile constitution free zone”. Of course, “illegal immigration” and drug trafficking was at the core of the concerns express by the citizens of Green Valley, but the community was unprepared for the intrusion of their human rights and land due to the Border Patrols search and seizure polices.

This small retirement community was now experiencing the reality of “securing” the border and the end result of the Border Patrol enforcement (harassment). A reality that we as O'odham are all so familiar with and go through on our travels on the Tohono O'odham reservation. Of course, we knew our voice, the O'odham Voice, the Indigenous Voice was going to be overlooked. So we decided to engage the overall “white” crowd. Presenting how we, young O'odham, see the Border debate through a completely different scope. That we see it through the scope of the continuation, of the colonization of our traditional lands, by “foreign” and otherwise “alien” peoples not from this area of the world. Who never consulted the original peoples of this land, the Akimel O'odham and Tohono O'odham, with “their” borders? We shared our history with all the “ U.S. ” citizens in attendance, and dared to engage their concept of what the borders means to them.

The ACLU presented an overview of authority that Border Agents possessed, much to the audience's dislike. Being that the Border Patrol is entrusted with such power in the name of securing the state. These people were caught in the dilemma of their “own” vision of what America's southern border should look like: a militarized zone, blocking an "inferior, diseased-infested, criminal invasion” (we have heard all of these insulting descriptions of immigrants uttered by anti-immigrants over the years) of their beloved “homeland”; A dilemma which shook their everyday way of life with the elevated enforcement at the I-19 checkpoint between Tucson and Nogales. Leaving them to ask the question, “WHY”? “Why am I subject to the routine stops, out of line questioning and searches too?” “I'm an American citizen!” “I'm a tax payer!”



The ACLU allowed a public commenting period for those who wanted to voice their accounts and concerns. The local media was present, to report the same old point of view that often dominates media headlines on the border debate. Such as the Arizona Republic's front page coverage of the prior night's anti-check point gathering in Tubac. Just like the gathering in Tubac, many Green Valley citizens made clear their strong resentment of U.S. Border Patrol authority to enter their private property to apprehend the evil “invaders” from the south. And to express their disgust with Border Agents question, search and seize routines at the checkpoint stop, which seemed to be shared by many, if all residents who attended, but generally followed by a statement defending the agents and their individual conduct and behavior. The result was that even those critical of the checkpoints and the intrusion found themselves in agreement with the more militant pro-border ideologues on protecting the sovereignty of their “homeland” (good ole red, white and blue).

The underlining white supremacy couldn't have been more clear when a member of our collective was spit on (yes, spit on!) and physically assaulted by a deranged woman. After making pro-Border/Checkpoint statement, she felt the need to violate the dignity of the first brown face near her. The woman was confronted by us, ushered out by some ACLU volunteers, and was told to leave the grounds immediately. She did so, while shreiking more pro-Border rhetoric out the door.


But we, the O'odham Solidarity Across Borders Collective, would not let such racist tactics stop us. We were given the oppurtunity to address the forum and dared to step the debate up a few notches and offer a voice rarely heard in such a crowd of concerned, “American” citizens. The Collective stood up and told the otherwise noted, Milighan (o'odham for white) crowd, and said “yo, welcome to our world”. We shared our reality, and the conditions facing other O'odham, that we suffer when we travel on our traditional homeland, and just as they voice their concerns of harassment, infringement of land, and individual rights, we too stated, we suffer the same persecution by Border Agents. We too feel the ever growing squeeze that the federal government strides for, all in the name to secure the southern and northern borders.

We understand these borders were established to further regulate commerce and labor, and to uphold the current economic system that is embodied by NAFTA (North American Free TradeAgreement).With that being laid out, we expressed how we are quagmired in a problem we, and many others of brown skin, did not make but are now stuck in.

The encroachment of power by the federal government jeopardizes our most natural rights to exist as indigenous people. Jeopardizes our right to conduct our traditional ceremonies, which take place on both sides of the border, jeopardizes our right to see family in Mexico, and jeopardizes our right to keep up our O'odham Him'dag (Traditional Way of Life) alive.

The federal government lack of understanding of O'odham also paved the way in the current drug cartel invasion. Border policies and operations shifted the war on drugs right into our backyards which lead to the elevated violence by rival cartels that use our traditional routes for drug and human smuggling. Their invasion leads to our O'odham youth to be tempted with quick money, to escape their impoverished reality they face on the reservation.

WE explained our connection and history of the very land “they” call their “homeland” and put in context, who really is the “invader” if you start from the view of the O'odham, the first people of this land, who are now divided by the colonial powers of United States and Mexico . Plus, put our struggle in a much broader stance, by citing the United Nations adaptation of the Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

O'odham Solidarity Across Borders and PCWC understood the importance of engaging a community such as the one in Green Valley . We felt the best way to fight the ever growing rise of white supremacy and white nationalism along the border was to take it the heart of the debate by travelling down to the borderlands to intervene. By just sharing what the border means to us as O'odham, we help weed out the racist wa-hoos, and white extremists in this meeting. We checked them from infecting this forum and gave the rest of the crowd the chance to further know about our people, the O'odham, which in this instance, went over well. We received good feedback, even if they disagreed with the overall dynamics of the border and the root causes (neo-liberalism and NAFTA).

As the meeting came to an end, we met many who wanted to know more about the history of our people. A history that is never cited, never told in the settler mythology of the region. We were approached by many who wanted to support and lend their resources to what we face, or to just express their thanks to our very presents there. We were blessed to meet an older Yaqui elder originally from the traditional Yaqui land in the Pueblo of Vícam (Mexico ), but now residing in Green Valley . She was happy we represented not just the O'odham view, but the view of all tribes that are divided by the border, such as the Yaqui. In our two hours in Green Valley, we witnessed the horrors of where ignorance and hate can go when unchecked by the historical truths that WE represent by just breathing, just living. We also took note of how the possibilities of the border debate can change when put in the context of indigenous people. Directed towards a future where all people, no matter of what they look like and come from, are considered human beings, which also includes the "illegal" brown faces that cross in this country seeking a better life for themselves and family.

Our two hours in Green Valley showed that we, the O'odham Solidarity Across Borders Collective and PCWC, elevated the debate to what we, and all concerned people should be opposing, global capitalism and the means the state uses to ensure its existence. An existence that unrightfully does not see the human toll it infects, only the profit it earns. We feel our two hours in Green Valley opened some, not all, minds to that bigger issue at hand. Even though the system tries hard to divide us with false barriers (racism, borders), people are still open to the truth when standing face to face with youth such as ourselves, whose mere existence undermines all which they are fed by their leaders and so called experts of U.S./Mexican Border (Looking at you Mr.Dobbs).

You digg?