The number of California Indians whose civil and human rights have been violated would make them the second largest tribe in CALIFORNIA. The Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians from Temecula, led by Mark Macarro and the Picayune Rancheria of Coarsegold, near Fresno, led by Morris Reid, are the two largest offenders. Here is an opportunity to BE HEARD.
EVENT ADVISORY
March 30, 2010
March 30, 2010
Contact Person: John Gomez, Jr.
9:58 pm (PST)
9:58 pm (PST)
AIRRO to Host Sessions on Human and Civil Rights
Violations in Indian Country
Temecula, CA- The American Indian Rights and Resources Organization ("AIRRO"), a Native American civil rights group, will be hosting two sessions regarding human and civil rights violations in Indian Country. The sessions are scheduled for April 17, 2010 in Sacramento , California and April 24, 2010 in Temecula , California .
The focus of the sessions will be to provide individuals, groups and tribes with an opportunity to testify to violations of basic human and civil rights which they may have been subjected to or which have affected their lives and communities. Those who testify will also be asked to provide feedback regarding the United States ' handling of rights violations in Indian Country and offer recommendations on how the protection of basic rights can be improved.
"We expect that these sessions will provide insight to the growing number of human and civil rights violations committed by tribal officials, as well as the United States' failure to uphold and enforce treaties and laws enacted to protect individual Indians from such gross and egregious acts," stated AIRRO President John Gomez, Jr.
AIRRO will compile the testimony and recommendations given at each of the sessions and prepare a report which they will submit to the Department of State, the Department of Justice, the Interior Department and the UN Human Rights Council.
"It is our hope that the State Department will accept the testimony and recommendations we compile and include the information in the report it will prepare and submit to the UN Human Rights Council as part of the UPR process," said Gomez. "We believe that the information gathered from our sessions will be important to the UPR and will initiate dialogue, on a national and international level, to address rights violations in Indian Country."
If you cannot attend but wish to submit testimony or provide recommendations on how the protection of human and civil rights can be improved, please contact AIRRO at mail@airro.org
For more information about the UPR process, please visit: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRbodies/UPR/Pages/BasicFacts.aspx
For updated information regarding the AIRRO Sessions, please visit www.airro.org or email us at mail@airro.org
Someone should tell Mr. Gomez that submitting a report only to State in hopes that they will include the information in their report is like asking the opposing attorney to help you file your case. A stakeholders' report should also be sent to the UN. But the deadline for submission for the US UPR is April 19th!
ReplyDeleteI'm betting John is well aware of the time limits.
ReplyDeleteIt's important that people speak up.
Now is your chance to be heard.
In answer to the question - "what the federal government actually can do" - the first thing they can do is honor our treaties.
ReplyDeleteI personally testified at the listening session in Albuquerque, New Mexico a few weeks ago and I was the only person there to speak about disenrollments/banishments.
I am one of 9 tribal members illegally banished by the Snoqualmie Tribal council - I will not say we were banished
by our tribe because our tribe had no real say in this and have since overwhelmingly reinstated us back into the tribe but the tribal council found guilty of violating our civil rights will still not honor the will of the people and
reinstate us. This illegal banishment was overturned in a Federal court case in Seattle, Washington (Sweet vs
Hinzman).
My tribe signed the 1855 Pt. Elliot Treaty and it has this article in it: ....."Nor will they make war on any other tribe
except in self-defense, but will submit all matters of difference between them and the other Indians to the Government of the United States or its agent for decision, and abide thereby. And if any of the said Indians commit depredations on other Indians within the Territory the same rule shall prevail as that prescribed in this article in cases of depredations against citizens."
Banishment and disenrollments are the acts of tyrants and thieves - depredations - "a destructive action". We have a treaty right to be protected and the Department of the Interior (Larry Echo Hawk) is not doing their job. I hope the State Department (Hillary Rodham Clinton) is all over them for sending this problem on to them
because they also have a job to do now and that is to defend against "Human Rights violations". Article 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights - "No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile."
Banishments and disenrollments are the very definition of "arbitrary exile".
To continue to cloak these hateful crimes under "sovereignty" is dishonorable and tribes should condemn these actions and stand out against them. Honorable nations should waive their "sovereign immunity" over civil rights issues and protect all of their people - they should not be afraid to defend their actions if they are honorable ones.
In honoring our treaty we cannot make war against them but we can take up our pens and write.....let us see if the "pen is mightier than the sword".
Snoqualmie9
curious...what was the response of the native community present at the listening session to your membership issues?
ReplyDeletein my experience, ncai--which undoubtedly was well-represented there--would prefer that any individual indian with an issue in regard to tribal disenrollment, moratorium, or banishment would simply disappear...ditto with narf...
until the "leadership" of tribes across the nation acknowledge the horrific damage that is occurring in indian country in regard to these blatant tribal, civil, and human rights violations, this genocide of our elders and future generations will continue until indian people are no more...
for ALL nations...
for ALL chukchansi people
by the way, in regards to the listening session in new mexico on violations of rights in indian country, the april 1st, 2010, edition of indian country today has a story on the testimony which speaks of nothing in regard to the disenrollment and banishment testimony offered there..,
ReplyDeletei suggest people comment on their membership issues in regard to the story at the indian country today website at the following link:
http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/home/content/89262307.html