Comments for Mohawks Inflamed Over Tohono O'odham Tribal Council Complicity In "Border" Oppression Of Indigenous People - U.S. welcomes rich and kills the poor at http://atlanticfreepress.com , comment 1 to 23 out of 20 comments http://atlanticfreepress.com Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:40:53 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://atlanticfreepress.com/news/1/2841-mohawks-inflamed-over-tohono-oodham-tribal-council-complicity-in-qborderq-oppression-of-indigenous-people-us-welcomes-rich-and-kills-the-poor.html#comment-9845 Didn't I see this "delegation" conducting ceremonies at the sweat lodge in Sedona? Eyyyyy..The article has the familiar tone of "wannabe" activism. NDNs know what I'm sayin. Always puttin on the self-righteous mantle of speaking for NDN people, oh I am a member of warrior society...using native culture for an agenda to justify it, like that make you some kind of shaman or prophet. It impresses white people who don't know better, just like that dude from The Secret who hypnotized them like some Jonestown cult, under the supposed "legitimacy" of native stuff. It sounds real idealistic to form yourself into some group and refer to wounded knee as if that has anything to do with it. Mohawks and Lakotas if that's what they allegedly are, real Lakotas, don't buy it. They know all too well what defending your lands means. Tell Crazy Horse that the Black Hills had an "imaginary" border. Tell Geronimo that their homelands they chased the ancestors of these illegals off of when the Apaches fought the Mexicans who MURDERED his entire family and village, that the border of his lands was "imaginary." We have always had boundaries. Cherokees stay on your side of the river, Tuscaroras stay over here, and we'll all get along. Tell a wolf his territory has no "boundary." Tell the Mohawks that 12,000,000 Mexicans are gonna move into their rez and rape their grandmas and overrun their hospitals and steal from them and call them less fullblood than they are, and that they have the right to claim the Mohaw land for their own. See what the Mohawks do. These people don't speak for anyone but themselves. They don't even know what a "Maya" is, probably, doing that new ager thing assuming all Mexicans are Maya. BS. Mexicans are descended from conquistadors, blacks brought here as slaves, and tribal people only indigenous SOUTH of the border that is now called the US/Mexico. The DNA Project shows that. And that is most of who is coming through tribal land here, and that is most of the genetic makeup of South Americans, fact. This was NEVER their homeland or their ancestors, fact. Spain claimed SOuthwest lands and the Apaches and Pueblos ran them out. They had the right to. I support the tribe and have heard the issues they deal with there, it is awful. Because the US claimed their land, they have to rely on Border Patrol, who Obama now refuses to support, although he promised to uphold our sovereignty and support us. This is not about RACISM, it is about one nation of people trying to invade another illegally, same old story, just a little browner, but these are criminals knowingly breaking the law. I dont have the right to just walk into Europe and say, one of my ancestors is from here, 12 million of us are movin in. BS. I dont have the right to go to another tribe's lands and takeover. DOn't play that indigenous BS. We are the indigenous ones here and the Mexicans have historically fought with us and falsely claimed our lands and abused our borders, which are NOT imaginary. They are won with blood, from our ancestors and yes, that of whites and blacks also. Remember "Hispanics" are part European also for the most part, and the tribe is SOVEREIGN so they dont need a "mohawk" or "Navajo" arrogantly coming down there anymore than Geronimo needed weaklings like this. He was a real warrior, not just playing one. - Westwind Sat, 22 May 2010 07:25:08 +0100 http://atlanticfreepress.com/news/1/2841-mohawks-inflamed-over-tohono-oodham-tribal-council-complicity-in-qborderq-oppression-of-indigenous-people-us-welcomes-rich-and-kills-the-poor.html#comment-4838 ophelia , you have got some heart , i give you that. but you also have em big heap of confusion about the border and what it represents to "us" meaning that I still include you in with the O'odham. you are the criminal in your own mind ophie. you have acted in the oppresors behalf. you are a fraud ophie. you always go on with "traditional this' and "I speak for the elders.." you are a joke to everyone out here. you only have your White hippy girlfriend to back you up. oh, and a butload of illegals sympathisers. If you knew what was really going on out here you would be LIVING out here. but we all know you live in tucson. and rarely ever come out this way to see what WE, the O'odham People have to suffer through. WE ask for nothing else but to live in peace and harmony with our lands and neighbors. The mexicans that you defend so strongly have never given US our HUMAN DIGNITY and RIGHTS for the last 500 years. We wish no ill will or harm to anyone. But WE all stand for the LAW that affords EQUAL PROTECTION for ALL peoples, not just US here in our TRADITIONAL LANDS... or in your case Ophie, just for illegals( with no regard for Natives)( all the while YOU are abusing the elders minds and spirits)( just so YOU can stuff a few dollars and pesos down your panties.....enjoy it while you can...people are finding out the truth...) OUR heavenly creator knows what is going on ....obviously you don't. God Bless America. God Bless the O'odham People. - Cheif Big Snake in Pants Thu, 03 Apr 2008 02:36:10 +0100 http://atlanticfreepress.com/news/1/2841-mohawks-inflamed-over-tohono-oodham-tribal-council-complicity-in-qborderq-oppression-of-indigenous-people-us-welcomes-rich-and-kills-the-poor.html#comment-4565 The original people of these lands have been further confined. February 25, 2008 a traditional O'odham man from the O'odham territory with two elder women passengers were stopped and restricted further travel at the Border Patrol check point exiting the occupied Tohono O'odham Nation reservation boundary. According to new DHS restriction for O'odham, O'odham living in O'odham territory occupied by Mexico entering O'odham lands occupied by the United States are illegally entering the United States if they leave the confines of the reservation. The O'odham did not authorized the International Border which bisected O'odham lands and communities and families. The O'odham are considered undocumented trespassers, on our own lands. The tribal government comments were, "we announced the new policy on the radio and the newspapers." Further restrictions are yet to be announced. This is the real situation that the general public is ignorant of and also this does not alert the policymakers that there is something wrong. This are Universal Human Rights for Indigenous Peoples violations. As original peoples we have the right to not only exist but have the right to our way of life and the right to travel on our own lands. The WALL is a violation of our rights, to exist as O'odham, our lands is our responsiblitity as human beings to maintain the balance of the universe, these restrictions impacted not just the O'odham but all humanity and the entire environment, all plant and animal life and the entire universe. Further restrictions will began a irreparable cycle of events, a reaction by our ancestors and nature. This a warning from our prophets, too many deaths on our lands, too many foreigners direspecting the people and the lands and our own people not following our way of life. The border patrols are armed robots of the american government that have no right to be on O'odham lands committing O'odham Rights violations and Human Rights violations. Killing one O'odham is one too many. This is the REAL situation people I live in the occupied territory. I have witnessed many violations, have been arrested by the tribal police, (although there will be no record of it), I have witnesses. I have been held at gunpoint by the Border Patrol when I said I was O'odham instead of U.S. citizen or Mexican citizen. My house as well as many O'odham homes were surrounded by heavily armed, riot geared forces that entered our homes without warrants. We are all criminals on our own homes and lands, all in the name of U.S. border protection from terrorist. - Ofelia Rivas Wed, 27 Feb 2008 08:08:33 +0100 http://atlanticfreepress.com/news/1/2841-mohawks-inflamed-over-tohono-oodham-tribal-council-complicity-in-qborderq-oppression-of-indigenous-people-us-welcomes-rich-and-kills-the-poor.html#comment-4412 yeah that was me before - tohono & akimel o'odham Sun, 03 Feb 2008 02:17:26 +0100 http://atlanticfreepress.com/news/1/2841-mohawks-inflamed-over-tohono-oodham-tribal-council-complicity-in-qborderq-oppression-of-indigenous-people-us-welcomes-rich-and-kills-the-poor.html#comment-4411 oh fearless reporter how brave of you to stand in front of these border agents even though they might have beat and raped you as " Thomas Ferguson" STATED. you seem a brave woman, but if you were so brave why haven't you gone to interview that tribe and do some REAL reporting? Call and make an appt., sit with the leaders and get answers, ask why this is allowed to happen, and interview the BIA POLICE, oh wait there are NONE on this Nation. where are you oh fearless reporter, oh you seem to be the only one who will stand for TRUTH, or rather the lack there of... - tohono & akimel o'odham Sun, 03 Feb 2008 02:15:43 +0100 http://atlanticfreepress.com/news/1/2841-mohawks-inflamed-over-tohono-oodham-tribal-council-complicity-in-qborderq-oppression-of-indigenous-people-us-welcomes-rich-and-kills-the-poor.html#comment-4271 You, as a Border guard say Our Sovergn nation gets its money from your sovergn nation? Before it was your so called nation, it was ours, we never had an immigration problem until you the white CONQUERERS came and took it. It should be known as OUR sovergn nation and if you were not here we would not need any money since our system worked and yours dont, and never will.This land is and always has been Indian land given to us by the Creator, not to you to conquer and murder to get.You want fences up, then go back to where your ancestors came from and happy building. Boats leave this contry every day for the land your people came from. Need a ticket? Let me know I can afford to buy a few to help you go back to the land the Creator accorded you. Even after all these years you still show hate and disgust for Indians why? Are you that upset that we had this great land before you and since it undoubtably was prettier then yours or you would be back home you feel you have to now corral the Hostiles? Back it up lokk at it for what it is. More land stealing, corruption, and exerting your ownership of our people.We are a proud race and we have never ran and will never run. We dont have the weapons you have to fight back, you made sure of that, but be careful my future Governmental people the time is coming that Indians will not lay down. - Marty Little Crow Tue, 22 Jan 2008 10:13:21 +0100 http://atlanticfreepress.com/news/1/2841-mohawks-inflamed-over-tohono-oodham-tribal-council-complicity-in-qborderq-oppression-of-indigenous-people-us-welcomes-rich-and-kills-the-poor.html#comment-4112 You know it is really everyones problem so why all the blaming. how do we know that you the report or mike flores are not smugglers yourselves. not all of your followers or whatever they want to be called are so great either they illegally trespassed also by coming on the TO Nation and slandering this great nation. why dont they pay attention to their own lands and see what is wrong there, if you are trying to help then do it the right way and quit being childish about it...you all sound as if you all are still in high school. i have relatives who are across the border and i feel for them but i would rather take care of it in a more civilized way then how you all choose to do it. who is this brenda lady? you can say what you want because you are not facing the Nation one on one because it is so much easier to write than to go face to face with the person you are badmouthing right...i dont like border patrol but they are there to do a service. like us Native Americans there are some that are good and some that are bad and i know because i've had altercations with them too, but they arent so perfect either, who do we know that they arent the ones smuggling the drugs/aliens too...all in all there is no one that anyone can trust anymore, but yourself we just need to do all that we can for ourselves first before we wanna worry bout other peoples problems... - Ahni Mon, 07 Jan 2008 18:06:57 +0100 http://atlanticfreepress.com/news/1/2841-mohawks-inflamed-over-tohono-oodham-tribal-council-complicity-in-qborderq-oppression-of-indigenous-people-us-welcomes-rich-and-kills-the-poor.html#comment-3838 How sad to see so many Indian people wanting to think and act like white people. How many Indian people have died on the Tohono O'odham land because the Tohono O'odham refused to give them a drink of water? How many Tohono O'odham have gone out and searched for the women and children from Mexico and Guatemala who die there? Have you gone out to look for their bodies? The Border Patrol Agents are a Occupying ARMY!! They have no business on Indian land. They are there to take over with the National Guard. why does that tribe allow this. The Border Patrol beats up people, rapes the women, even shoots people and some get charged and some get away with the crime. Border Patrol is always talking about trash, but just remember the people out here see you throwing out your candy wrappers and coffee cups and blaming it on the walkers. The spiritual and traditional O'odham people must have to be very strong to overcome their sick tribal politicians who are being controlled by the US government and their own greed and desire to be white people. - Thomas Ferguson Fri, 07 Dec 2007 21:29:28 +0100 http://atlanticfreepress.com/news/1/2841-mohawks-inflamed-over-tohono-oodham-tribal-council-complicity-in-qborderq-oppression-of-indigenous-people-us-welcomes-rich-and-kills-the-poor.html#comment-3836 Why hasn't the Tohono O'odham Nation government explained why it allowed the graves of their ancestors to be dug up by Boeing for the border wall? That is not just againt federal law, it violates the natural law of all Indigenous Peoples. Why hasn't the Tohono O'odham government explained why it is allowing the fence to be built as a barrier on the traditional ceremonial route? - Agnes Thatcher Fri, 07 Dec 2007 19:23:13 +0100 http://atlanticfreepress.com/news/1/2841-mohawks-inflamed-over-tohono-oodham-tribal-council-complicity-in-qborderq-oppression-of-indigenous-people-us-welcomes-rich-and-kills-the-poor.html#comment-3835 NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO SPEAK FOR THE NATION...YOU SPEAK FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR OPINIONS. SURE YOU HAVE THE "RIGHT" TO SPEAK ABOUT ISSUES BUT YOU STAND ALONE WHEN YOU SPEAK. THE "WALL" WAS VOTED UPON BY THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY ILLEGAL VEHICLE TRAFFIC THAT ARE USED TO TRANSPORT DRUGS AND PEOPLE DURING ALL HOURS OF THE NIGHT. FOR THE DELEGATION TO APPEAR AND CAUSE A RUCKUS WAS NOT ONLY RUDE BUT VERY DISRUPTIVE. THE REPORTER THAT WROTE THIS ARTICLE MS. BRENDA, WHERE ARE YOUR PICTURES DEPICTING THE "WHITE HOVERING HELICOPTER" AND THE "BIA POLICE" WHAT THE HELL WE HAVE NO BIA POLICE. THERE WAS NO ONE THERE EXCEPT THE LOUD GROUP, THE CONTRACTORS, AND THE ARMED GUARDS THAT ARE THERE FOR THE CONTRACTOR'S PROTECTION. THIS GROUP SEEMS TO BE NOTHING MORE THAN THE TREE HUGGER THAT TIE THEMSELVES TO TRUNKS. FOR WHAT...I SEE THIS AS AN ATTENTION GRABBING OPPORTUNITY. BUT NOT FOR THE CAUSE, FOR THE INDIVIDUALS, THOSE THAT MADE SURE THEY WERE PHOTOGRAPHED. MIKE FLORES HAS BEEN MIA. HE BROUGHT THE GROUP TO THE NATION HELPED THEM TO THE BORDER STARTED TROUBLE AND HAS FAILED TO MAKE AN APPEARANCE BEFORE THE COUNCIL TO EXPLAIN HIMSELF AND THE REASONING BEHIND THE VERBAL ABUSE TOWARDS THE AGENTS. I'M SORRY BUT THAT TO ME LOOKS VERY AFRAID AND VERY GUILTY. THE ABUSE TOWARDS THE COUNCIL WOMAN WAS UNCALLED FOR. I TAKE HER POSITION AS PEACEMAKER. BUT NO ONE WANTED TO OPEN THEIR MIND THE HEAR ANOTHER POINT OF VIEW THEY WERE CHILD LIKE IN THEIR STUBBORNNESS AND YELLING. I DO NOT KNOW IF THEY EVEN UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS THAT WAS BEHIND THE BUILDING OF THE BARRIER. BUT THAT WAY THAT SHE IS PORTRAYED IN THIS ARTICLE IS UNCALLED FOR, THESE PEOPLE DON'T KNOW HER OR HER POSITION ON BORDER ISSUES. THIS IS NOTHING MORE THAN NAME CALLING. - call me young and narrow minded Fri, 07 Dec 2007 18:54:13 +0100 http://atlanticfreepress.com/news/1/2841-mohawks-inflamed-over-tohono-oodham-tribal-council-complicity-in-qborderq-oppression-of-indigenous-people-us-welcomes-rich-and-kills-the-poor.html#comment-3789 The Border Patrol has never stopped anyone from coming over to this great country. They just stop those who come illegally. Every country has immigration policies, welcome to the modern world. If they, you, it or them want to come here, then do it the legal way and the Border Patrol will be out of a job. - Just me Wed, 28 Nov 2007 05:30:18 +0100 http://atlanticfreepress.com/news/1/2841-mohawks-inflamed-over-tohono-oodham-tribal-council-complicity-in-qborderq-oppression-of-indigenous-people-us-welcomes-rich-and-kills-the-poor.html#comment-3771 To those who think the government is killing off the people of the T.O. Nation, I suggest you look around. See the beer bottles everywhere? Those are not from visitors or government workers. See the crosses along the side of the road? Once again not from visitors or government workers, most are from alcohol induced vehicle accidents. Look in some of the houses, feces on the floor, rotten food in the sinks, rodent infestations in piles of garbage kept on the floor. Take a good hard look at the number one killers of your people. Health issues like diabetes, and other diseases. You wanna help? Start with the real issue. Some Tohono O'ohdam live clean and sober lives, I truly enjoy talking to them and learning their culture, others lay in the middle of the road at 2 a.m. passed out from alcohol. Focus my friends focus. Stop your finger pointing in all directions and solve the problem their are many people who would help, but you first must begin to help yourself. - More Truth Mon, 26 Nov 2007 17:10:25 +0100 http://atlanticfreepress.com/news/1/2841-mohawks-inflamed-over-tohono-oodham-tribal-council-complicity-in-qborderq-oppression-of-indigenous-people-us-welcomes-rich-and-kills-the-poor.html#comment-3769 Hmmm. I was there when these 12 people were put into a small vehicle. Let me add some of the truth to this "so called" reporters, reporting. It was a passenger van, not that small. It was 11 people loaded into the van, the 12th was taken by ambulance to the hospital, because Border Patrol Agents saved her life in the desert had they not done what they did she would most likely be feeding the buzzards. No words of incouragement were spoken to those that were detained. They were persons from Mexico that only spoke and understood spanish, you spoke no spanish, oh great truthfull reporter. I saw no raised fists, only you in your ignorant bliss trying to take pictures. You call yourself a reporter? You need to buy a dictionary and the first two words you need to look up are 1) reporter and 2) Mayan. I hope only few are educated by your ignorance. - I was there. Mon, 26 Nov 2007 06:48:59 +0100 http://atlanticfreepress.com/news/1/2841-mohawks-inflamed-over-tohono-oodham-tribal-council-complicity-in-qborderq-oppression-of-indigenous-people-us-welcomes-rich-and-kills-the-poor.html#comment-3746 America is built on the blood of the original peoples of these lands and stolen lands of the original people, now our own people only speak in a foreign mindset. This is your American dream of depriving your own people of PEACE and justice when they are abusing the elders right in your face and degrading your women and children of dignity. Let set these things right, politicians are not equal or have more authority then the traditional peoples of the land that uphold the true Him'dag. I have yet to see any policians sit at our table and bring genuine concern and solutions to this outright land take-over buy the federal government. Soon we will be running around with a cut head when the we totally loose all rights to our traditional lands, they will bulldoze over your graves to build thier headquaters just as they did in Sonoyta Mexico. Did the O'odham leaders protect those grave sites, no they didn't. Maria cried until last year when she died, she cried about not have no grave to visit, her mother's grave that when under the blades. The WALL is not the solution, yes some families are hurting from their drug smuggling businesses but what about our way of life. The government have created this and planned on this don't you get it. It's called Genocide...and it's here in your face. - Ofelia Rivas Fri, 23 Nov 2007 20:37:22 +0100 http://atlanticfreepress.com/news/1/2841-mohawks-inflamed-over-tohono-oodham-tribal-council-complicity-in-qborderq-oppression-of-indigenous-people-us-welcomes-rich-and-kills-the-poor.html#comment-3713 Enforce a whole region to Only buy your fish & you'll make millions! That is a right call to, "get the country's they come from to get rid of the corruption ". Too bad the countries governments are all in on it too. Including your boss. NAFTA and other similar trade agreements create the poverty & corruption that these Refugees are Escaping. Every border has Criminal Smugglers. The elderly are concealing contraband medication to save a buck on prescriptions. US citizens smuggle between states to avoid higher taxes on cigarettes & gas. In some cases, US citizens jeopardizing indigenous sovereignty by encouraging the state to collect use fees from the indians, rather than collect the fees from the us citizens. Are the women, children, and men seeking a better life smuggling too? Each one that you round-up and put in a pen for a $100 a head, has some kind of contraband on their person? Ellis Island saw Boatloads of these people; impoverished, oppressed, robbed of their rights as a human being, escaping corrupting. The only difference is no boats.. & origin. [i]"She needs to run for office and, if she gets in, then she can speak in our behalf"[/i] So your a Top-down nation. A peoples who defer to their social betters i see. Well, some of us operate throught the will of the people. Nobody has to become a big chief, or head man, to have the right to speak in public. This is the 21st century after all. That campaigning you see on the TV, thats called politics. Even the US allows free speeeh, lobbying, and speaking your mind. Why should your leaders suppress it? - Onkwehonwe001 Wed, 21 Nov 2007 15:56:53 +0100 http://atlanticfreepress.com/news/1/2841-mohawks-inflamed-over-tohono-oodham-tribal-council-complicity-in-qborderq-oppression-of-indigenous-people-us-welcomes-rich-and-kills-the-poor.html#comment-3711 The concept of borders is nebulous. All animals have them. Dogs urinate to establish their territory and fight toothe and nail to defend it, even if that territory is supposedly some human's property that he can show a title to prove he purchased it and pays taxes on it. Whose property is it really? The human will probably prevail because he can call animal control and remove the dog. On the other hand, a pack of dogs on the same parcel might be able to overwhelm the human before he could call animal control. In the case of the First American Nations, these nationals were there first, long before either Mexico, the Republic of Texas, Spain, France, the Confederate States of America or the United States of America. Therein lies the right to the Land. - Bill Wed, 21 Nov 2007 14:22:59 +0100 http://atlanticfreepress.com/news/1/2841-mohawks-inflamed-over-tohono-oodham-tribal-council-complicity-in-qborderq-oppression-of-indigenous-people-us-welcomes-rich-and-kills-the-poor.html#comment-3708 Once again this statement proves the government mindset, they can not see beyond government policies. I have more right to say anything as a traditional person. Our ceremony the only existing one is threatened by this type of mindset. I and all the traditional elders and participants of the ceremony are ask to have a passport to re-enter the United States in 2008. We have no birth records to start the process of obtaining US passports. Our so-called government has not protected the best interest of the people in their United States mandated constitution, to safeguard our way of life. Why are we living in our own territories and required to carry another Nations passport. Ofelia Rivas - Ofelia Rivas Wed, 21 Nov 2007 02:32:19 +0100 http://atlanticfreepress.com/news/1/2841-mohawks-inflamed-over-tohono-oodham-tribal-council-complicity-in-qborderq-oppression-of-indigenous-people-us-welcomes-rich-and-kills-the-poor.html#comment-3707 Government Corruption is everywhere! It's easy for the Border Patrol agent to criticize the Tohono o'Odhman Nation. What about the US Government? There is no end to the list of corruption, and crimes committed against indigeous people, all over the globe. What about the crimes commited by the US Border Patrol - LILY Tue, 20 Nov 2007 20:38:48 +0100 http://atlanticfreepress.com/news/1/2841-mohawks-inflamed-over-tohono-oodham-tribal-council-complicity-in-qborderq-oppression-of-indigenous-people-us-welcomes-rich-and-kills-the-poor.html#comment-3679 Going into someone else's home and rearranging their furnitue is not acceptable behavior ofelia Rivas has NN authority to speak for the Tohono O'odham Nation. She needs to run for office and, if she gets in, then she can speak in our behalf - Camillus Lopez Sat, 17 Nov 2007 16:46:46 +0100 http://atlanticfreepress.com/news/1/2841-mohawks-inflamed-over-tohono-oodham-tribal-council-complicity-in-qborderq-oppression-of-indigenous-people-us-welcomes-rich-and-kills-the-poor.html#comment-3677 It is easy for visitors to the Tohono O'odham lands to dictate what is right and wrong. The local Nation has suffered greatly by the great influx of people and vehicles from Mexico, throwing their trash on our sacred grounds, driving through our ancestors sacred resting place. We live in poverty and the wall will help us regain our community. - Running Bear Sat, 17 Nov 2007 02:26:18 +0100