Far too often in my writing and my actions, I have marginalized O'odham experiences and struggles regarding the border and the effects of immigration enforcement on the reservation and in the city. I am not the only one, so in reading up on the issues, I am sharing the links below with you so you can also read up. These issues should really be central for so many reasons.
For one, the injustices that O'odham face are sometimes worse because they are invisible to so many. It is also part of an ongoing onslaught of colonialism (on the part of the Spanish then the Mexican State then the US) and white supremacy. We can see many patterns when looking at the historical and present forced removal of indigenous people from their lands in the US, and the way migrants (mostly indigenous) are also forced from their land by economic and other conditions. If we are concerned solely with racial profiling and legalization for the undocumented, we are perpetuating harm by allowing it to continue. Calls for comprehensive immigration reform do not tend to call into question the demand for border security. The government might legalize a bunch of people (maybe) but will there be more border walls? Won't there still be the conditions that have led to mass migration in the first place? I have more to say on this, but I will work on that later.
A quick note though, I included several documents on the border issues, but I also wanted to include some info on the south mountain freeway which you should especially know about if you live in Maricopa County. This isn't so much related to the border, but if it gets built on the reservation, it will displace people and put a border/barrier through their communities. If there is destruction to south mountain, it would disturb a sacred site. There are many to ignore the local struggles of people here, but you should know about it.
Websites:
O'odham Solidarity Across Borders Collective
O'odham Solidarity Project
Articles/Documents:
Fear of a Milighan Planet part 1 and part 2
Immigration, Imperialism and Cultural Genocide: An interview with O’odham Activist Ofelia Rivas concerning the effects of a proposed wall on the US / Mexico border Interviewed by, Jeff Hendricks
RESISTANCE AND COLLABORATION O’ODHAM RESPONSES TO U.S. INVASION by J.D. HENDRICKS
Traditional O'odham statement at the Zapatistas' Encuentro 2007
Shame on the New York Times for Fueling Border Misery By Brenda Norrell January 2010
Hate and Death on the Border By BRENDA NORRELL December 2009
O'odham: Surviving apartheid on the illegal border By Brenda Norrell November 2009
A Border Runs Through Them: The Struggles of the Tohono O'odham By BRENDA NORRELL November 2009
Indigenous Peoples Vow to Bring Down Apartheid Border Wall by Brenda Norrell November 2007
Indigenous Border Summit Opposes Border Wall and Militarization By Brenda Norrell October 2006
Video:
Tohono O'odham and U S Border Patrol (youtube video)
Imaginary Borders, Real Obstructions (youtube video)
Videos on the South mountain Freeway:
South Mountain Freeway Proposal - Public Comments pt 1 and pt 2
South Mountian Freeway Protest
Article on Freeway:
Sal DiCiccio’s Loop 202 Problem: Phoenix Councilman Would Benefit from Reviled Ahwatukee Freeway Extension
No comments:
Post a Comment