The bill to replace Minnesota's derogatory geographic site names that are offensive to Indigenous People

Whether you don't understand what cultural appropriation means, why mascots like the Redskins should be obliterated from the NFL, or question why in the now folks are still trying to heal from the past, this should be helpful:

Introduction

The Minnesota Indian Affairs Council (MIAC) asked me (Thomas Dahlheimer) to write and send Annamarie Hill-Kleinhans, the council's executive director, a MIAC draft resolution endorsing the bill to replace Minnesota's derogatory geographic site names that are offensive to Indians. My draft resolution is presented below. It has not yet been approved by the MIAC. And this posting of the draft is not posted on behalf of the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council.

Alfred Bone Shirt (Sigangu), a nationally renowned Indian activist who is the contact person
for the Dakota-Lakota-Nakota Human Rights Advocacy Coalition, published the following Minnesota Indian Affairs Council draft resolution.

Reference: http://www.astate.edu/mascot/NDNAIM_Fwd_Minnesota_Indian_Affairs_Council.pdf

_______________________________________________________________________________

Minnesota Indian Affairs Council Draft Resolution

Dear Minnesota Legislators,

In respect to Representative Mike Jaros' bill to change our state's derogatory and, in some cases, also profane geographic site names, names that are offensive to American Indians as well as to a lot of other people, we, the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, request that you pass this important bill.

We find our state's geographic site name that refers to the Dakota people as a snake, as does, according to the Minnesota Historical Society's Web site, Snake River, to be very demeaning and insulting. And because some of our state's Dakota/Sioux people, consider the name Sioux to be a derogatory and offensive name, we therefore request that the geographic site names, Sioux River, Little Sioux River, Cut Foot Sioux Lake and Indian Sioux River be considered derogatory and therefore included with the other geographic place names that we would like for you to replace by passing this bill.

The name Dakota, a Dakota language name meaning friend or ally, is the name that we would like for you to use to replace the name Sioux. The name Sioux was given to the Dakota people by colonial Frenchmen. It is an abbreviation of a past derogatory Ojibwe name for the Dakota people (Nadouesioux), a term of hatred, meaning "snakes, enemies".

We also find the geographic site name that refers to both the Dakota and Ojibwe people as redskins, as does Redskin Lake, to be demeaning and insulting. We also find the geographic site names that refer to Dakota and Ojibwe people as savages, as does, according to the Minnesota Historical Society's Web site, Savage Lake and East Savage Lake to be very demeaning and insulting.

We also find it very demeaning and insulting that our state has two geographic site names that are the White man's faulty translation names for a lake and river that the Ojibwe named to honor their Great Spirit (Manido), Manido bimadagakowini zibi is the Ojibwe name for this lake and its outlet river, it means the spirits (or God) walking-place-on-the-ice river. However, white men mistranslated Manido as Devil, hence our state, unfortunately, has a lake named Devil Track Lake and a river named Devil Track River. We not only find these names demeaning and insulting, but also very disrespectful toward the Ojibwe 's traditional religion and spirituality.

In a book published by the Minnesota Historical Society, a book titled, "Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origins and Historic Significances", Warren Upham wrote that the Rum River name is "the white men's perversion of the ancient Sioux name Wakan". He also wrote, in this same book, that: "The name of Rum river, which Carver in 1766 and Pike in 1805 found in use by English-speaking fur traders, was indirectly derived from the Sioux. Their name of Mille Lacs, Mde Wakan, translated Spirit lake, was given to its river, but was changed by the white man to the most common spirituous liquor brought into the Northwest, rum, which brought misery and ruin, as Du Luth observed of brandy, to many of the Indians..."

We find it very demeaning and insulting that the Dakota people's sacred "name" for a river (Wakan River), translated as (Great) Spirit River was mistranslated by white men to mean the alcohol spirit rum, and that the river was then give the faulty and punning translation name (Rum).

And we believe that what makes this "Rum" River name even worst is the fact that, at the time when the river was named Rum, rum was not only bringing misery and ruin to many of the Dakota people, it was also being used to help steal their land.

White European rum runners were transporting rum from the trading posts on the Mississippi River to the Dakota people's villages on the headwaters of the badly named "Rum River". They were supplying them with enough alcohol to cause a lot of the Dakota people to become alcoholic drunkards. This was a method that the European settlers used to separate the Dakota from their traditional religion and spirituality, a religion and spirituality that was intimately connected with their sacred relationship with their land and consequently to their attachment to it. This made it easier to lure a lot of the Dakota people to leave their sacred homeland and go to where they could get a steady supply of rum to satisfy their alcoholic addition cravings.

According to colonial European international law, after Duluth planted the flag of France on the Dakota people's land it officially belonged to France, provided the French annex the Dakota people from their land. The French not only supplied these Dakota people with a lot of alcohol they also supplied a band of Ojibwe people (a band that had recently migrated from the east coast into the Dakota people's territory) with a lot of alcohol. According to information presented on our state's DNR Web site, "Early White/Indian intervention played an important role in the settlement of the area by white men. The French, instigated fights between the Ojibwe and Dakota so as to ally themselves with the Ojibwe." The Dakota and Ojibwe people were abusing alcohol and the French knew that they were abusing it. And the French also knew that by continuing to supply them with a lot of alcohol they would cause the Dakota and Ojibwe people to become hateful and violent toward each other. This occurred, and when it occurred, the French sided with the Ojibwe, including providing them with gun powder. They did this in order to be successful in using the Ojibwe (in a radically abusive way) to drive all of the Dakota people from their sacred land on the headwaters of the "Rum River". And by doing so, they finalize their land grabbing transaction.

We believe that these derogatory and, in some cases, also profane names demean our traditional cultures and languages, and in some cases, also desecrate sacred sites of ours, and that they are legacies of racism that are a shameful scandal to our wonderful state of Minnesota.

In addition, we believe that replacing the derogatory and profane "Rum River" name would help our people who are suffering from alcohol abuse to increase their appreciation of our/their traditional cultures and values and that this would help to heal the wounds that are contributing to their drinking problems, and that this, in turn, would be good for all of our Minnesota Indian communities.

We appreciate the local, national and international support for the effort to change the derogatory and profane name of the "Rum River". We are aware that there is a United Nations Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues promoted international movement to change derogatory and profane geographic site names that are offensive to indigenous peoples who are still suffering from the oppressive effects of colonialism. We are more than happy to participate in this international movement by endorsing our state's name-changing bill. We believe that indigenous people all around the world will be helped by, both, our endorsement of this bill as well as by, hopefully, your passage of it.

We are also aware that there is a national movement to replace derogatory and profane geographic site names that are offensive to American Indians and we are more than happy to also participate in this movement by endorsing our state's name-changing bill. We believe that our endorsement of this bill sets another national precedent and that if you pass this bill, it will also set another national precedent that will help our nation to replace all of its racists names, names that demean American Indian cultures and languages and, in some cases, also desecrate sacred American Indian sites. We believe that our endorsement of this bill and, hopefully, your passage of it will help promote the national movement to replace all of our nation's derogatory and profane geographic site names, and that this will help our nation to become a better place to live.

We also believe that this campaign to change our state's derogatory and profane geographic site names is a valuable history lesson and that if you pass this bill, this valuable history lesson will even more so help to transform our wonderful state so that the people of the dominate culture more fully respect and appreciate our people's traditional cultures and languages.

We also believe that in the wake of a recently published on-line document by the United Nations' World Conference Against Racism that the true history of what happened to our people will be revealed to the general public, and be revealed by (1.) the campaign to replace our state's derogatory and profane names, (2.) our endorsement of this bill as well as (3.), hopefully, your passage of it, and that this true history will cause both our state's Ojibwe people, especially the Mille Lacs Band of Ojiwe, as well as the dominate culture to apologize to the Dakota people as well as offer them restitution justice. In addition, we also believe that the revealing of this true history of our people will cause the dominate culture to also apologize and offer restitution justice to our state's Ojibwe people, and especially to the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, for the injustices committed against them, and that everyone will benefit from our endorsement of this bill as well as, hopefully, your passage of it.

After reading a recent United Nations' World Conference Against Racism document and then searching to find out why our state has these derogatory and profane names it becomes clear as to why our state has these derogatory names. Thanks to both this World Conference Against Racism document and campaign to replace our state's derogatory geographic place names, for the first time, the true history of what happened to our state's Dakota and Ojibwe people is fully revealed. On-line articles about what happened to our state's Dakota and Ojibwe people can be viewed at:
(1.) http://www.towahkon.org/Regaining.html 
(2.) http://www.towahkon.org/Renamingsites.html
(3.) http://www.towahkon.org/Dakotarights.html.
(4.) http://ili.nativeweb.org/pope. html
(5.) http://www.towahkon.org/Messengerletters.html

Thomas Ivan Dahlheimer, the person who originally drafted the name-changing bill and who also asked Representative Jaros if he would like to introduce an apology resolution, which Rep. Jaros said he would, has, so far, also asked the Minnesota Council of Churches, Greater Minneapolis and Saint Paul Area Councils of Churches, the Minnesota Catholic Conference, the Lutheran Coalition for Public Policy in Minnesota, the Diocese of Saint Cloud, the Bishop of Minnesota's United Methodist Church and the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota to not only apologize for their ties to the exploitation of our people, but to also radically repent and reform their lives, and do so, in order to treat our people with due respect.

Mr. Dahlheimer has been corresponding with the leaders of these Christian organizations and churches and this causes us to believe that our endorsement of this bill as well as, hopefully, your passage of it will help influence the establishment and promotion of an, indigenous peoples rights, social and political movement that will greatly transform our state, and that this movement will spread throughout our nation as well as throughout the Americas, setting all of the Americas' indigenous peoples free from the subjugated state of existence imposed upon us by Pope Alexandria the VI's 15th century Papal Bull (Inter Caetera). A Papal Bull that continues to be the source of the oppressive White racism being perpetrated against us to this present-day. We believe that Pope Alexandria the VI's present-day predecessor as well as the leaders of both the Eastern Orthodox Church and Protestant Churches continue to abide by this papal bull's, subjugation of indigenous peoples, racist edicts.

In the Papal Bull (Inter Caetera) Pope Alexandria the VI called for the "subjugation of the New World's barbarous nations and their lands". And ever since, first colonial and then successor States have subjugated our people and our lands as well as kept our people and our lands in subjugation. According to the Papal Bull (Inter Caetrea) and colonial European international law (law basis on this Papal Bull) a law that was later incorporated into U.S. law only White European Christian nations could own land. Therefore, we believe that there is a need for the leaders of Christian Churches as well as their people to radically repent and reform their lives. Christian leaders and colonial European international law denied us two of our basic human rights. And U.S. law, currently, denies us these same basic human rights. We had, and still have, a right to absolute root ownership of our homelands as well as full sovereignty rights. However, thanks to, primarily, Christian Church leaders we are still being denied these two basic human rights. This has to change to make things right.

And we also believe that this Christian reformation will occur, primarily, because of our endorsement of this bill as well as, hopefully, your passage of it, and that this Christian reformation will cause a great and wonderful transformation of our state, our nation and the entire world.

This campaign to change our state's derogatory and profane names is revitalizing our appreciation of our traditional cultures and languages. And we believe that your passage of this bill would even more so help us to preserve what is left of our traditional cultures as well as restore that which has been lost. And we believe that this would be good for everyone, and especially for everyone living in our wonderful state of Minnesota.

Sincerely,

Minnesota Indian Affairs Council

---

-----Click apology resolution to view and read my draft Minnesota Apology Resolution for the
----- exploitation of Minnesota's Native Americans

-----Click truth and reconciliation commission to view and read my article U.S. and states should
----- establish truth and reconciliation commissions.

Thanks to http://www.towahkon.org/MIACdraftresolution.html for the share.

In Solidarity. 

There is no such thing as "Reverse Racism"

In the US especially, I often here white folks claiming reverse racism when they feel uncomfortable. Well, the truth of the matter is that condition does not exist. There is absolutely no such thing. Why?

For starters, if you haven't already, this is a must read:

White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsackby Peggy McIntosh “I was taught to see racism only in individual acts of meanness, not in invisible systems conferring dominance on my group” DAILY EFFECTS OF WHITE PRIVILEGE I decided to try to work on myself at least by identifying some of the daily effects of white privilege in my life. I have chosen those conditions that I think in my case attach somewhat more to skin-color privilege than to class, religion, ethnic status, or geographic location, though of course all these other factors are intricately intertwined. As far as I can tell, my African American coworkers, friends, and acquaintances with whom I come into daily or frequent contact in this particular time, place and time of work cannot count on most of these conditions.

Peggy does an excellent job of speaking to privilege and power, the key components of why reverse racism does not exist. This next piece spells it out as well. A white person can feel prejudice or bigotry, but not racism, not when the systems of power in place exult people to an advantage simply because they are white.

White folks are not oppressed, and yes #alllives matter, but failing to understand the prominence and importance of #blacklivesmatter misses the point entirely. Systems of injustice are in place today built on the imperial, colonial legacy of the past. To move forward these systems must be confronted, called out and obliterated. If there is ever to be peace, sustainability and justice, look at all systems of power-political/economic/race/class/gender/sexuality/age/ability/-then look at all oppressions to the earth and people. Some "people" created these systems and yes, some very small numbers of people thrive because of them. The rest of the world and its total life systems are forced to take on unnatural burdens because of these systems. Is this fair? If people created these oppressive systems of racist laws and dominating capitalist principles, can't something else be created to honors all living systems?

In Solidarity.

Happy Indigenous Peoples Day!

With inspiration from the Zinn Project, and author Bill Bigelow, here is a call to action to abolish columbus day!

By Bill Bigelow

Once again this year many schools will pause to commemorate Christopher Columbus. Given everything we know about who Columbus was and what he launched in the Americas, this needs to stop.

Columbus initiated the trans-Atlantic slave trade, in early February 1494, first sending several dozen enslaved Taínos to Spain. Columbus described those he enslaved as “well made and of very good intelligence,” and recommended to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella that taxing slave shipments could help pay for supplies needed in the Indies. A year later, Columbus intensified his efforts to enslave Indigenous people in the Caribbean. He ordered 1,600 Taínos rounded up—people whom Columbus had earlier described as “so full of love and without greed”—and had 550 of the “best males and females,” according to one witness, Michele de Cuneo, chained and sent as slaves to Spain. “Of the rest who were left,” de Cuneo writes, “the announcement went around that whoever wanted them could take as many as he pleased; and this was done.”

Taíno slavery in Spain turned out to be unprofitable, but Columbus later wrote, “Let us in the name of the Holy Trinity go on sending all the slaves that can be sold.”

The eminent historian of Africa, Basil Davidson, also assigns responsibility to Columbus for initiating the African slave trade to the Americas. According to Davidson, the first license granted to send enslaved Africans to the Caribbean was issued by the king and queen in 1501, during Columbus’s rule in the Indies, leading Davidson to dub Columbus the “father of the slave trade.”

From the very beginning, Columbus was not on a mission of discovery but of conquest and exploitation—he called his expedition la empresa, the enterprise. When slavery did not pay off, Columbus turned to a tribute system, forcing every Taíno, 14 or older, to fill a hawk’s bell with gold every three months. If successful, they were safe for another three months. If not, Columbus ordered that Taínos be “punished,” by having their hands chopped off, or they were chased down by attack dogs. As the Spanish priest Bartolomé de las Casas wrote, this tribute system was “impossible and intolerable.”

And Columbus deserves to be remembered as the first terrorist in the Americas. When resistance mounted to the Spaniards’ violence, Columbus sent an armed force to “spread terror among the Indians to show them how strong and powerful the Christians were,” according to the Spanish priest Bartolomé de las Casas. In his book Conquest of Paradise, Kirkpatrick Sale describes what happened when Columbus’s men encountered a force of Taínos in March of 1495 in a valley on the island of Hispañiola:

The soldiers mowed down dozens with point-blank volleys, loosed the dogs to rip open limbs and bellies, chased fleeing Indians into the bush to skewer them on sword and pike, and [according to Columbus’s biographer, his son Fernando] “with God’s aid soon gained a complete victory, killing many Indians and capturing others who were also killed.”

If Indigenous peoples’ lives mattered in our society, and if Black people’s lives mattered in our society, it would be inconceivable that we would honor the father of the slave trade with a national holiday. The fact that we have this holiday legitimates a curriculum that is contemptuous of the lives of peoples of color. Elementary school libraries still feature books like Follow the Dream: The Story of Christopher Columbus, by Peter Sis, which praise Columbus and say nothing of the lives destroyed by Spanish colonialism in the Americas.All this and much more has long been known and documented. As early as 1942 in his Pulitzer Prize winning biography, Admiral of the Ocean Sea, Samuel Eliot Morison wrote that Columbus’s policies in the Caribbean led to “complete genocide”—and Morison was a writer who admired Columbus.

No doubt, the movement launched 25 years ago in the buildup to the Columbus Quincentenary has made huge strides in introducing a more truthful and critical history about the arrival of Europeans in the Americas. Teachers throughout the country put Columbus and the system of empire on trial, and write stories of the so-called discovery of America from the standpoint of the people who were here first.

But most textbooks still tip-toe around the truth. Houghton Mifflin’s United States History: Early Years attributes Taíno deaths to “epidemics,” and concludes its section on Columbus: “The Columbian Exchange benefited people all over the world.” The section’s only review question erases Taíno and African humanity: “How did the Columbian Exchange change the diet of Europeans?”

For example, here’s how Peter Sis describes the encounter in his widely used book: “On October 12, 1492, just after midday, Christopher Columbus landed on a beach of white coral, claimed the land for the King and Queen of Spain, knelt and gave thanks to God…” The Taínos on the beach who greet Columbus are nameless and voiceless. What else can children conclude but that their lives don’t matter?Too often, even in 2015, the Columbus story is still young children’s first curricular introduction to the meeting of different ethnicities, different cultures, different nationalities. In school-based literature on Columbus, they see him plant the flag, and name and claim “San Salvador” for an empire thousands of miles away; they’re taught that white people have the right to rule over peoples of color, that stronger nations can bully weaker nations, and that the only voices they need to listen to throughout history are those of powerful white guys like Columbus. Is this said explicitly? No, it doesn’t have to be. It’s the silences that speak.

Enough already. Especially now, when the Black Lives Matter movement prompts us to look deeply into each nook and cranny of social life to ask whether our practices affirm the worth of every human being, it’s time to rethink Columbus, and to abandon the holiday that celebrates his crimes.

Last year, Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant put it well when she explained Seattle’s decision to abandon Columbus Day: “Learning about the history of Columbus and transforming this day into a celebration of Indigenous people and a celebration of social justice … allows us to make a connection between this painful history and the ongoing marginalization, discrimination, and poverty that Indigenous communities face to this day.”More cities—and school districts—ought to follow the example of Berkeley, Minneapolis, and Seattle, which have scrapped Columbus Day in favor of Indigenous Peoples Day—a day to commemorate the resistance and resilience of Indigenous peoples throughout the Americas, and not just in a long-ago past, but today. Or what about studying and honoring the people Columbus enslaved and terrorized: the Taínos. Columbus said that they were gentle, generous, and intelligent, but how many students today even know the name Taíno, let alone know anything of who they were and how they lived?

We don’t have to wait for the federal government to transform Columbus Day into something more decent. Just as the climate justice movement is doing with fossil fuels, we can organize our communities and our schools to divest from Columbus. And that would be something to celebrate.

Bill Bigelow is curriculum editor of Rethinking Schools magazine and co-director of the Zinn Education Project. He co-edited  A People’s Curriculum for the Earth: Teaching Climate Change and the Environmental Crisis.

This article is part of the Zinn Education Project’s
If We Knew Our History series.

© 2015 The Zinn Education Project.

Published on: Huffington Post | Common Dreams | AlterNet.

Image credits:

• Columbus protest: UW-Madison Archives

Related Materials

• 

• Discovering Columbus: Re-reading the Past

  Teaching Activity. By Bill Bigelow. 6 pages.
  How to engage students in a critical analysis of the textbook version of “discovery.”

• 

• The People vs. Columbus, et al.

  Teaching Activity. By Bill Bigelow. 8 pages.
  Role play in the form of a trial to determine who is responsible for the death of millions of Taínos on the island of Hispaniola in the late 15th century.

• 

• Rethinking Columbus: The Next 500 Years

  Teaching Guide. Edited by Bill Bigelow and Bob Peterson. 2003. 192 pages.
  Readings and lessons for pre-K to 12 about the impact and legacy of the arrival of Columbus in the Americas. Published by Rethinking Schools.

• 

• An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States

  Book – Non-fiction. By Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz. 2014. 296 pages.
  Four hundred years of Native American history from a bottom-up perspective.

• 

• The Columbus Controversy: Challenging How History Is Written

  Film. Written, directed, and produced by Nick Kaufman. 1991. 23 minutes.
  Contrasting views and scenes from the classroom on teaching about Columbus.

Feel the Bern? Or Feel the System?

Many "progressives" are coming out in waves to offer their support for Democratic presidential nominee, Bernie Sanders.

What do you think?

Our take- Bernie is probably the most progressive person to run under a major party platform, ever. That said, as these conversations are ongoing do you believe in the current political system enough to support it, meaning do you vote?

And if you do, do you vote on party lines?

The question is essential because many true progressives argue that Democrats and Republicans are nothing but different sides to the same coin, one perhaps a little less evil than the other. We also know that there are even better parties and people to support, like Jill Stein and the Green Party.

However, does it really matter who the president is? Seriously...is it not the political system that empowers the economic reality of the U.S. that is most at fault for empowering continued oppression, and marginalizing people of color, the poor, the environment, and anything that gets in the way of "growth"?

As the presidential debates kick up, educate yourself, as always, on the totality of issues at play. Our perspective here is that until the flawed, nondemocratic system of governance employed by the U.S. changes and/or is obliterated to to reflect the actual reality that all that matters is the planet and its people, it does not matter who is in charge of the executive branch.

Many choose to not vote so as to not support this inherently flawed system. At the same time, no matter what, this system impacts us all, so others try and vote for third parties, for those who more closely reflect their political hopes and dreams. Still more folks are theorizing something else...

Let me tell you, achieving peace, justice and sustainability through the current political framework in this country with capitalism in charge is laughable. Bernie does not truly critique capitalism, but he at least gives it some shit. But I'll tell you what, if he became president, let's see what he can do. Yes, the House and Senate matters too, but does it?  The point to meditate on is no matter who takes those seats, under this system, true well-being for all can not be achieved. Something else must take it's place...or keep supporting Bernie. He is pretty rad for another white male in a position of power, but in your true faith for hope in this world, will he really bring about the change that's necessary? can he? can this system? Should we start talking about the other person in the media spotlight and all his hate towards people of color, immigrants, women and the Earth...

Open your mind, don't be fooled into thinking the world HAS to be this way...

In Solidarity.

Is Pope Francis Really THAT Important?

Pope Francis just left the United States (U.S.) after an almost weeklong visit that has caused quite a stir across the country, and the world. The Pope visited major cities, and even shrugged off a meeting with Congressional leaders to visit and serve homeless folks. However, the biggest take away's not only from his visit to the U.S. but since he has assumed the roll of Pope has been to critique capitalism, offer an apology for faith based colonial attacks on Indigenous people, and most recently to call out the failure of the prison industrial complex.

During his U.S. visit the Pope also met with victims of sex abuse scandals fostered by clergy members, supporters for environmental protection, and immigrant families. Some environmentalists champion the Pope for speaking out about climate change and the sin it presents to the world for treating the earth in such a way. His plan, which unfortunately did not take place, to cross the Mexico-U.S. border would've been a great act in solidarity for undocumented citizens of the U.S. had it actually happened. His words in Congress to end arms trades, to open doors to immigrants, and to link climate change to inequality and poverty are nothing short of spectacular. But we're talking about the leader of a HUGE religiously dogmatic regime here. How can this be?

To be frank, this Pope has ruffled feathers and will continue to do so. He's a man to watch, read up on and listen to. While some have said, regarding sexuality, it's more about what he hasn't said than what he has said, if he can take deeper steps on certain issues he might be one of the biggest individuals to enact and foster change in quite some time. As much as it shouldn't matter, individuals in leadership roles do help enact revolution and change. It's all about community in the end, but individuals can spark the change.

However, what must not be lost is the Pope has maintained his conviction to canonize Junipero Serra, a Spanish missionary said to have helped usher in a wave of imperialism, genocide and oppression on California Indigenous People during first contact in the 18th century. In addition, the Pope continues to favor patriarchal roots of men dominating women through the church, especially when it comes to women's rights.

On these last few points alone, the Pope can not be looked at at the "radical" he appears to be, but then again, will pressure from those opposing his push to canonize Junipero, and those pushing him to engage justly on issues of sexuality and gender rights get to him enough for him to give way? If so, the Pope may truly be one to watch and support for the necessary paradigm shift needed in this world. For now, we wait, we study, we push, we find his flaws and bring them to him to discuss, analyze and defend. There are some MAJOR flaws with some his positions, but there's hope. In Solidarity.

Fight Against The Apache Land Grab and Neocolonization!

Russell Means is watching, and even those not in tune to the continued neocolonial acts of the US Government towards American Indians have taken notice of the conflict surrounding Oak Flat.

Borrowed from an Indian Country piece on the issue, "Late last year, Arizona Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake attached a land-swap measure to a must-pass defense bill in which ownership of 2,400 acres of Apache holy land—public lands that were supposed to be immune from such treatment—was transferred to a mining company. Resolution Copper wants what is under that land and is willing to destroy it to get to the prized metals underneath."

As revolting as this is and may seem to some, it's nothing new. Native Americans have been fighting to protect their sacred sites, retain their cultural heritage, and protect traditional resources since first contact. The American Indian Movement (AIM) of the 1970's with the words of leader Russell Means helped lead to a revival of justice during the "Red Power" movement. But with cases like Oak Flat, business as usual continues.

If you stand in solidarity for people and the planet learn more about the history of genocide brought to Indigenous people across the world. Learn more about how even in an age of understanding the atrocities of the past, continued oppression exists through cases like this one centered on Oak Flat. Find out how you can play a part, standing in solidarity with those who have no choice, but to either fight, or succumb to capitalism once again empowered through the political system, viewing people, ecosystems and culture as nothing but a barrier to increased profits. This link highlights the July march on Washington. It is offered here, with this post, as a way to not let the information die, but rather showcase it as something folks that believe in peace, sustainability and justice can rally around to fight and win a battle, in the war for all living things, especially those who continue to be disproportionally dominated.

History Is Made | One Flag Up, One Flag Down

It's been a historic few weeks. With the ever present tone of continued turmoil across the world, let us reflect on a battle fought and won with regards to a symbol of oppression coming down, and a symbol of human rights going up in the U.S.

It's beautiful, isn't it? Such a simple cartoon, yet it's so profound.

If you come across someone who's defensive of the confederate flag, think about passing on this piece. Here, there is undeniable evidence, from the creator of the flag:

I'd say there's not much heritage to protect, unless it's one built on racism, slavery, and oppression through a belief in white supremacy. It's a beautiful thing, that flag has come down in South Carolina, but will it remain exalted elsewhere?

On the flip side, in a movement to support equality for all, sexuality as a tool of oppression took a major hit as the Supreme Court voted to make same-sex marriage a human right. It's a major win for people across the world who believe in peace, justice and sustainability.

Imagine, if you are heterosexual, not being able to freely love the one you love because you are homosexual. Put yourself in someone else's shoes. Think about community, respect, and being human. This is one of the greatest things to come from the Supreme Court in this history of its creation.

The war wages on, but in every war, battles are fought and victories, as small as they may seem in the grand scheme, should be celebrated. One symbol of hate down, one symbol of love and justice up.

In Solidarity.