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

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.

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/