U.S. Civil Rights Commission Hears Indigenous at Border
Oppression and Border Patrol abuse in America’s climate of fear
By Brenda Norrell
NOGALES, Arizona, U.S. – The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights heard reports of the abuse of indigenous peoples by U.S. Border Patrol agents, now under Homeland Security, and the climate of fear in America that has increased militarization, intimidation and racial profiling at the international border.
“Personally my life is in danger for making this statement,” Ofelia Rivas, Tohono O’odham, told the U.S. Civil Rights Commission’s Arizona State Advisory Committee during two days of hearings in Nogales.
“My life is already threatened”, Rivas said during the comments that will be compiled and forwarded to the U.S. Congress.
Because there is a swarm of tribal and federal agents around O’odham, Rivas said O’odham fear for their lives when coming forward with the truth. “Many of the tribal members will not report abuse because of the fear of appraisal.”
Describing a climate of oppression on Tohono O’odham lands in Arizona and Sonora, Mexico, Rivas said O’odham are denied unrestricted free passage across the imposed border, which dissects O’odham lands.
O’odham are halted while attending annual ceremonies in Mexico and the United States, during pilgrimages to sacred sites for offerings and when collecting ceremonial items. Forced to carry documents and subjected to frequent stops, searches and the threat of deportation, she said O’odham can not freely collect medicinal plants or conduct personal business.
Rivas said O’odham civil rights and religious rights are violated by U.S. Border Patrol agents on traditional routes crossing this border.
She said military-issue spikes have been embedded in the road and have caused tire damage. She displayed three-inch metal spikes found in O’odham territory, just south of the border, in Sonora, Mexico, on July 18, 2004.
“The Border Patrol, as well as the Mexican military, is well aware that the O’odham use these traditional routes.” Yet, she said, O’odham find metal spikes in their road and are threatened with physical and verbal abuse as they cross in their ancestral homeland.
Rivas pointed out that Bennett Patricio, Jr., 18-year-old O’odham, was struck and killed by a U.S. Border Patrol agent’s vehicle in April 9, 2001. Then, the agent stalled in reporting his death. Currently, she said, the family has refused the government’s offer of a settlement.
Rivas also described a grandmother, traveling with a friend and a child, threatened by border agents on June 9, 2004, enroute to Cu: Wi I-gersk, Mexico. “They were verbally abused and threatened with detainment and deportation. They were assured that ground and air forces would be called and the process would be lengthy.”
Rivas and her family were verbally and physically abused by the Border Patrol in July 1999, while traveling home after a kehina ceremony at her mother’s village in Arizona. When stopped by agents, Rivas was asked what her citizenship was and she responded that she was O’odham.
Rivas said the Border Patrol agent then “unclipped his weapon and pointed it at my head.” He then threatened to throw her on the ground, handcuff and deport her.
“I said, ‘Where would you deport me to, because northern Mexico is also O’odham territory.
“It traumatized my family”, she told the Civil Rights hearing.
While living in fear of police and agents, O’odham live in fear of the drug cartels and human traffickers known as coyotes that cross their lands, threaten them and stash drugs in remote areas. All the while, O’odham along the border live without safe drinking water, paved roads and other basic needs.
Rivas said Homeland Security is fast-tracking development that is destroying the quality of life, including the proposed vehicle barrier that will interfere with traditional O’odham routes of travel. She said traditional and ceremonial people are not included by the Tohono O’odham Nation when making decisions and entering into agreements with the federal government. She said traditional O’odham remain uninformed by their tribal government.
Meanwhile, O’odham territory is increasingly militarized.
The O’odham territory is intruded by all-terrain vehicles, dirt bikes, Hummers, jeeps, immigration buses, helicopters, portable lookout posts, airplanes and unmanned airplanes. There are satellite monitors and sensors and an array of federal and tribal agents -- U.S. Custom agents, U.S. Border Patrol agents, drug agents, special agents, immigration agents and Tohono O’odham police, rangers and special trackers.
Pointing out that O’odham are surrounded by federal agents and Tohono O’odham police, rangers and special trackers, Rivas said, “Many times it is us, the people living in the territory, that they are tracking.”
Further, she said both American and Mexican military cross over the international border into the territory of the other country, an act which would be considered an invasion if it was not happening here.
Rivas said those who speak out are targeted. One O’odham woman who questioned the current policies was awoken in the middle of the night by a team of officers dressed in black bursting into her home, wearing black hoods and carrying weapons. They falsely accused her of stashing drugs. “They later admitted it was a mistake. It was intimidation,” Rivas said.
Rivas echoed the Civil Rights testimony of government officials from both the United States and Mexico when she said the current flawed immigration policies have led to more crime and more deaths in the desert.
“Migration is a natural process; there were no problems until the militarization of this area,” Rivas told the Civil Rights hearing.
The U.S. Border Patrol was represented at the Civil Rights hearing by George Lopez, assistant chief patrol agent of the Border Patrol. He described Border Patrol efforts to protect the border and save lives under Homeland Security initiatives.
Lopez said agents are fighting terrorism at the border. After his comments, Civil Rights advisory members questioned how many terrorists are crossing the Arizona/Mexico border. Lopez responded that six people had been taken into custody because they came from countries where terrorists reside.
Civil rights advisory board member Isabel Garcia, attorney and director of Pima County Legal Defenders Office in Tucson, pointed out that the current record number of deaths of border crossers increased after the U.S. government instituted its current policies, beginning with Operation Gatekeeper.
The new policies have forced border crossers into more remote areas and increased the number of deaths.
When questioned further about the Border Patrol’s role in the recent death of an immigrant while in custody, Lopez declined to answer the question. Lopez said it was not the U.S. Border Patrol, but ICE (Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement) that would have to answer the question.
Lopez also responded to questions about vigilantes and white supremacists, who have been assaulting and detaining border crossers at gunpoint. Lopez said when the U.S. Border Patrol finds this situation, a report is made to the county sheriff and county officials must determine whether to prosecute persons engaged in these tactics.
When questioned about the use of pepper spray by the Border Patrol, Lopez said it is being used according to Border Patrol protocol, such as when an agent is in fear of his life. “It is to de-escalate a situation that would lead to lethal force.” He said pepper spray been used about 70 times since the Border Patrol began the practice in 2001 or 2002.
After offering comments, Lopez hurriedly left the building, refusing to answer questions from individuals or the media. Ofelia Rivas followed him outside with her digital camcorder rolling.
“I am a grandmother and your people held a gun to my head!” Rivas called out after Lopez, with the Spanish language television station Telemundo capturing the scene on camera.
“Your people held a gun to my head and traumatized by grandchild”, Rivas said as Lopez jumped in his vehicle outside.
During an interview, Rivas said the atmosphere is oppression along the border and O’odham are afraid of losing the only thing they know, their land.
“They are using this fear tactic to subdue the people’s right to question authority. There is a lot of oppression because of this buildup of military.
“This is a psychological war on our people.”
Brenda Norrell
http://bsnorrell.tripod.com
other links:
http://www.brendanorrell.blogspot.com
Brenda Norrell is a staff writer for Indian Country Today
http://www.indiancountry.com
and a Contributing Editor for the U.N. OBSERVER & International Report.
Please continue for:
United States Regional Civil Rights Commission
Testimony from The O’odham VOICE Against the WALL and
The Indigenous Alliance Without Borders
August 28, 2004
The O’odham (o’o-tham) since creation existed on Mother Earth, and have maintained our Him'dag, our way of life, and lived by our Him’dag based on the land, as taught by our teacher, Elder Brother I’itoi, in our sacred ancestral territory, now known as the Sonoran Desert in the Republic States of Mexico and the United States of America. In this testimony we stand in Honor and in defense of our existence in our territory and our aboriginal right to maintain our traditional practices and customs through O’odham ceremonies and language and use of our traditional routes to freely travel within our ancestral territories.
The O’odham territory is dissected and occupied by the United States of America and the Republic States of Mexico. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 and the Treaty of Le Mesilla (Gadsden Purchase of 1853), these foreign governments have occupied our territories. To disenfranchise the O’odham from the sacred territories these governments impose Borders, Land Policies and Immigration Laws jeopardizing the integrity of the primary principles of the O’odham Him’dag.
The 1850’s record of forty-five (45) communities in Northern Sonora, Mexico is now reduced to nine (9) communities and five (5) annexos located along the United States and Mexico International boundary. The remaining communities are in the United States of America, with an unknown number of O’odham surviving in various cities throughout the United States of America and the Republic States of Mexico.
Impacts on the Traditional O’odham Communities and O’odham members on the United States and Mexico Border
The O’odham are restricted free passage across this imposed border; to conduct ceremonial obligations such as attending annual ceremonies in Mexico and the United States, also pilgrimages to sacred site offerings, and collecting ceremonial implements for ceremonial uses and collecting medicinal plants as well as conducting personal business.
O’odham are forced to carry documents to proof citizenship.
The O’odham civil rights and religious rights are violated by the United States border agents at traditional routes crossing this border. Ceremonial participants and families conducting personal business from the northern O’odham territory, (United States of America) crossing at legal ports of entry are subject to personal searches and handling of sacred ceremonial bundles. Safe passage on O’odham traditional routes recently further threatened by evidence of installed road hazards, military issue metal spikes embed on the road to cause severe tire damage. The Border Patrol as well as Mexican Military is well aware of O’odham use of these traditional routes. Armed agents of the United States government and the Mexican Military threaten the O’odham, Indigenous Peoples of the Untied States of America and the Republic States of Mexico, whose territories are occupied by these governments. Federal and State and local laws and policies are imposed and used to threatened O’odham and other indigenous peoples with physical and verbal abuse and inhumane psychological demeaning tactics are especially used on peoples who are monolingual. In April 9, 2001, death of an 18-year-old Bennett Patricio, Jr., an O’odham ran over by Border Patrol agents. The Border Patrol agent not only stalled in reporting this incident but also failed to mention that he ran over Bennett.
The sealing and militarization of this border will further restrict families from visiting family members and conducting social gatherings such as birth and death ceremonies, as all O’odham communities have families on both sides of the border. Traditional O’odham Elders do not have birth records to obtain necessary legal border crossing documents. Many O’odham were born at home and their births were not recorded. June 9th, 2004, a Grandmother, accompanied by a friend, a mother with her young son, enroute to a community meeting in Cu:Wi I-gersk, Mexico, while crossing the border were stopped and threatened by heavily armed border patrol soldiers. They were verbal abused and threatened with detainment and deportation and were assured that ground and air forces would be called and the process would be lengthy. This family does not want to disclose their names due to fear of reprisals by the government. In July 1999, myself and my daughter and grandson were verbally abused and physically threatened by Border patrol agents. We were coming from my mothers’ village in the U.S. after an all night traditional O’odham kehina ceremony. We were traveling to Tucson where my daughter was employed. I fell asleep in the back seat while my daughter drove and my two-year-old grandson was in his car seat in the front seat. The Border patrols verbal harassed me and then unclipped his weapon and pointed at my head tell me to say what citizen I was since I said I was O’odham and asked him what citizen he was. I said he would throw me on the pavement, handcuff me and detain me. He proceeded to say that he was going to deport me unless I say that I was a U.S. citizen. I said where would you deport me to because northern Mexico is also O’odham territory.
Environmental devastation and disregard to sacred sites and burial places along the border are not address in the United States Homeland Security Department proposed projects along the border. These scared sites not disclosed to the general public are under threat by the building of the border barrier and the construction of a road along the border. (the proposals are listed in the July 2004 draft Environmental Assessment for Temporary Vehicle Barriers, Tucson Sector, Pima Santa Cruz and Cochise Counties, Arizona by Homeland Security Department in conjunction with the Tohono O’odham Nation, page 4.12-14). The O’odham northern territory are intruded by all terrain vehicles, dirt bikes, hummer vehicles, jeeps, various vehicles and immigration buses, helicopters, portable lookout posts, airplanes and unmanned airplanes as well as satellite monitoring and sensors and an unknown number of government agents, US Custom agents, Border patrol agents, Drug agents, special agents, immigration agents and Tohono O’odham police, rangers and special trackers.
The O’odham communities in Northern Sonora, Mexico are under continuous attack; as Indigenous peoples of Mexico we are not privileged any recognition as traditional peoples entitled to traditional lands. Our communities face encroachment and illegal land claims by Mexican citizens disclaim O’odham ancestral territories and communities. United States and Mexico bi-national agreement of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) further secured unauthorized illegal mining, development, and large scale farming and ranching on O’odham territory.
O’odham community members being forced to leave their homes for their family’s safety and survival. They face threats of armed violence and abuse from non-O’odham Mexican and American citizens involved in drug trafficking and Human trafficking. An elderly O’odham man from the community Totssagi, Mx. (Rancho Espuma) was held hostage in his home and forced to sign his community title to the Drug cartel leaders. Human and drug trafficking activities threaten the existing communities and their member’s survival. There is also an unknown number of young O’odham men and women in prisons that are given severe sentences. Due to verbal and physical threats and fear for their families if they do not cooperate with these drug dealers these O’odham will not come forth to testify. Drug dealers have threatened and physically harmed uncooperative O’odham members and also there is an undisclosed number of deaths related to drug trafficking.
The O’odham communities in Northern Sonora, Mexico lack the basic resources to survive; lack of clean safe drinking water, housing, adequate roads, none existing health services, and lack of support to develop economic sustainable traditional farms or any other autonomous sustainable economy development.
The general disregard of Human Rights and Universal respect for Humanity by both governments threatens the very existence of O’odham today.
Respectfully submitted by Ofelia Rivas
The Indigenous Alliance Without Borders
631 S 6th Avenue
P.O. Box 1286
Tucson, Arizona 85702
tele. (520) 770-1373
fax. 9520) 770-7455
The Indigenous Alliance Without Borders was formed in 1997 to build a grassroots movement to promote respect for Indigenous human/civil rights, sovereignty, protection of natural resources in native lands, and preservation of Indigenous culture and language along the border and urban regions. Through organizing, advocacy, and education, the Alliance empowers Indigenous border and urban communities to work collectively to address discriminatory border policies and practices.
The Alliance focuses on community outreach to educate Indigenous border and urban communities and the general public on immigrant and environmental impacts on border development and human/civil rights as well as the culture, language and religion.
The Alliance consists of individual members of the Tohono O'odham Nation, Pascua Yaqui Tribe, Gila River Indian Community, Yavapai Apache, Yaqui in Mexico, O'odham in Mexico, Cocopah Nation, Kickapoo and Pai Pai. Twenty individuals from nine tribal nations and six Indigenous organizations from Arizona, California, Texas and New Mexico: Solidaridad Con Los Pueblos Rio Yaqui, Monrovia, CA; El Proyecto Regional de Pueblos Indios-Grupo de Mujeres, Rio Yaqui Sonora, Mexico; Southwest Newtok for Environmental and Economic Justice, New Mexico; Kalpulli Tlalteca, El Paso, Tx; Yoemem Tekia Foundation, Yavapai Apache Cultural Center, Prescott, AZ; and Traditional O’odham Leaders of Cu:Wi I-gersk (San Francisquito), Mexico.
The O'odham Voice Against The WALL
P.O. Box 1835
Sells, Arizona 86634
(520) 791-7776
The O'odham Voice Against The WALL
Traditional O'odham Communities - U.S./ MX. is a movement of O’odham youth united to build support for the traditional Elders and ceremonial leaders of O'odham Communities impacted by the WALL. United to provide and promote youth education, cultural identification, and protection of Indigenous Rights, Rights of Mobility and safe passage on traditional O'odham territory ancestral routes. Also to advocate universal rights of Indigenous peoples, specifically O'odham Him’dag, the way of life based on the sacred lands of the O'odham.
The O’odham VOICE Against the WALL is supported by the Traditional Leaders of the Communities of Northern Sonora, Mexico, Cu:Wi I-gersk Community, Traditional Ceremonial Leaders of Ali Jegk Community, Southern, Arizona, The Surviving ROOTS Project, Earth Peoples, The Society for Threatened Peoples International UN Consulate, Economic & Social Council, World Council of Churches, Aang Serian-House of Peace, Passionist International, Kevin Dance, First Nations North & South, Revolution Summer Youth Group-SRMIC
Please also see:
An American Style 'Separation Wall'
Tohono O’odham and Yaqui: “No More Walls”, by Brenda Norrell
http://www.unobserver.com/index.php?pagina=layout5.php&id=1818&blz=1
Oppression and Border Patrol abuse in America’s climate of fear
By Brenda Norrell
NOGALES, Arizona, U.S. – The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights heard reports of the abuse of indigenous peoples by U.S. Border Patrol agents, now under Homeland Security, and the climate of fear in America that has increased militarization, intimidation and racial profiling at the international border.
“Personally my life is in danger for making this statement,” Ofelia Rivas, Tohono O’odham, told the U.S. Civil Rights Commission’s Arizona State Advisory Committee during two days of hearings in Nogales.
“My life is already threatened”, Rivas said during the comments that will be compiled and forwarded to the U.S. Congress.
Because there is a swarm of tribal and federal agents around O’odham, Rivas said O’odham fear for their lives when coming forward with the truth. “Many of the tribal members will not report abuse because of the fear of appraisal.”
Describing a climate of oppression on Tohono O’odham lands in Arizona and Sonora, Mexico, Rivas said O’odham are denied unrestricted free passage across the imposed border, which dissects O’odham lands.
O’odham are halted while attending annual ceremonies in Mexico and the United States, during pilgrimages to sacred sites for offerings and when collecting ceremonial items. Forced to carry documents and subjected to frequent stops, searches and the threat of deportation, she said O’odham can not freely collect medicinal plants or conduct personal business.
Rivas said O’odham civil rights and religious rights are violated by U.S. Border Patrol agents on traditional routes crossing this border.
She said military-issue spikes have been embedded in the road and have caused tire damage. She displayed three-inch metal spikes found in O’odham territory, just south of the border, in Sonora, Mexico, on July 18, 2004.
“The Border Patrol, as well as the Mexican military, is well aware that the O’odham use these traditional routes.” Yet, she said, O’odham find metal spikes in their road and are threatened with physical and verbal abuse as they cross in their ancestral homeland.
Rivas pointed out that Bennett Patricio, Jr., 18-year-old O’odham, was struck and killed by a U.S. Border Patrol agent’s vehicle in April 9, 2001. Then, the agent stalled in reporting his death. Currently, she said, the family has refused the government’s offer of a settlement.
Rivas also described a grandmother, traveling with a friend and a child, threatened by border agents on June 9, 2004, enroute to Cu: Wi I-gersk, Mexico. “They were verbally abused and threatened with detainment and deportation. They were assured that ground and air forces would be called and the process would be lengthy.”
Rivas and her family were verbally and physically abused by the Border Patrol in July 1999, while traveling home after a kehina ceremony at her mother’s village in Arizona. When stopped by agents, Rivas was asked what her citizenship was and she responded that she was O’odham.
Rivas said the Border Patrol agent then “unclipped his weapon and pointed it at my head.” He then threatened to throw her on the ground, handcuff and deport her.
“I said, ‘Where would you deport me to, because northern Mexico is also O’odham territory.
“It traumatized my family”, she told the Civil Rights hearing.
While living in fear of police and agents, O’odham live in fear of the drug cartels and human traffickers known as coyotes that cross their lands, threaten them and stash drugs in remote areas. All the while, O’odham along the border live without safe drinking water, paved roads and other basic needs.
Rivas said Homeland Security is fast-tracking development that is destroying the quality of life, including the proposed vehicle barrier that will interfere with traditional O’odham routes of travel. She said traditional and ceremonial people are not included by the Tohono O’odham Nation when making decisions and entering into agreements with the federal government. She said traditional O’odham remain uninformed by their tribal government.
Meanwhile, O’odham territory is increasingly militarized.
The O’odham territory is intruded by all-terrain vehicles, dirt bikes, Hummers, jeeps, immigration buses, helicopters, portable lookout posts, airplanes and unmanned airplanes. There are satellite monitors and sensors and an array of federal and tribal agents -- U.S. Custom agents, U.S. Border Patrol agents, drug agents, special agents, immigration agents and Tohono O’odham police, rangers and special trackers.
Pointing out that O’odham are surrounded by federal agents and Tohono O’odham police, rangers and special trackers, Rivas said, “Many times it is us, the people living in the territory, that they are tracking.”
Further, she said both American and Mexican military cross over the international border into the territory of the other country, an act which would be considered an invasion if it was not happening here.
Rivas said those who speak out are targeted. One O’odham woman who questioned the current policies was awoken in the middle of the night by a team of officers dressed in black bursting into her home, wearing black hoods and carrying weapons. They falsely accused her of stashing drugs. “They later admitted it was a mistake. It was intimidation,” Rivas said.
Rivas echoed the Civil Rights testimony of government officials from both the United States and Mexico when she said the current flawed immigration policies have led to more crime and more deaths in the desert.
“Migration is a natural process; there were no problems until the militarization of this area,” Rivas told the Civil Rights hearing.
The U.S. Border Patrol was represented at the Civil Rights hearing by George Lopez, assistant chief patrol agent of the Border Patrol. He described Border Patrol efforts to protect the border and save lives under Homeland Security initiatives.
Lopez said agents are fighting terrorism at the border. After his comments, Civil Rights advisory members questioned how many terrorists are crossing the Arizona/Mexico border. Lopez responded that six people had been taken into custody because they came from countries where terrorists reside.
Civil rights advisory board member Isabel Garcia, attorney and director of Pima County Legal Defenders Office in Tucson, pointed out that the current record number of deaths of border crossers increased after the U.S. government instituted its current policies, beginning with Operation Gatekeeper.
The new policies have forced border crossers into more remote areas and increased the number of deaths.
When questioned further about the Border Patrol’s role in the recent death of an immigrant while in custody, Lopez declined to answer the question. Lopez said it was not the U.S. Border Patrol, but ICE (Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement) that would have to answer the question.
Lopez also responded to questions about vigilantes and white supremacists, who have been assaulting and detaining border crossers at gunpoint. Lopez said when the U.S. Border Patrol finds this situation, a report is made to the county sheriff and county officials must determine whether to prosecute persons engaged in these tactics.
When questioned about the use of pepper spray by the Border Patrol, Lopez said it is being used according to Border Patrol protocol, such as when an agent is in fear of his life. “It is to de-escalate a situation that would lead to lethal force.” He said pepper spray been used about 70 times since the Border Patrol began the practice in 2001 or 2002.
After offering comments, Lopez hurriedly left the building, refusing to answer questions from individuals or the media. Ofelia Rivas followed him outside with her digital camcorder rolling.
“I am a grandmother and your people held a gun to my head!” Rivas called out after Lopez, with the Spanish language television station Telemundo capturing the scene on camera.
“Your people held a gun to my head and traumatized by grandchild”, Rivas said as Lopez jumped in his vehicle outside.
During an interview, Rivas said the atmosphere is oppression along the border and O’odham are afraid of losing the only thing they know, their land.
“They are using this fear tactic to subdue the people’s right to question authority. There is a lot of oppression because of this buildup of military.
“This is a psychological war on our people.”
Brenda Norrell
http://bsnorrell.tripod.com
other links:
http://www.brendanorrell.blogspot.com
Brenda Norrell is a staff writer for Indian Country Today
http://www.indiancountry.com
and a Contributing Editor for the U.N. OBSERVER & International Report.
Please continue for:
United States Regional Civil Rights Commission
Testimony from The O’odham VOICE Against the WALL and
The Indigenous Alliance Without Borders
August 28, 2004
The O’odham (o’o-tham) since creation existed on Mother Earth, and have maintained our Him'dag, our way of life, and lived by our Him’dag based on the land, as taught by our teacher, Elder Brother I’itoi, in our sacred ancestral territory, now known as the Sonoran Desert in the Republic States of Mexico and the United States of America. In this testimony we stand in Honor and in defense of our existence in our territory and our aboriginal right to maintain our traditional practices and customs through O’odham ceremonies and language and use of our traditional routes to freely travel within our ancestral territories.
The O’odham territory is dissected and occupied by the United States of America and the Republic States of Mexico. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 and the Treaty of Le Mesilla (Gadsden Purchase of 1853), these foreign governments have occupied our territories. To disenfranchise the O’odham from the sacred territories these governments impose Borders, Land Policies and Immigration Laws jeopardizing the integrity of the primary principles of the O’odham Him’dag.
The 1850’s record of forty-five (45) communities in Northern Sonora, Mexico is now reduced to nine (9) communities and five (5) annexos located along the United States and Mexico International boundary. The remaining communities are in the United States of America, with an unknown number of O’odham surviving in various cities throughout the United States of America and the Republic States of Mexico.
Impacts on the Traditional O’odham Communities and O’odham members on the United States and Mexico Border
The O’odham are restricted free passage across this imposed border; to conduct ceremonial obligations such as attending annual ceremonies in Mexico and the United States, also pilgrimages to sacred site offerings, and collecting ceremonial implements for ceremonial uses and collecting medicinal plants as well as conducting personal business.
O’odham are forced to carry documents to proof citizenship.
The O’odham civil rights and religious rights are violated by the United States border agents at traditional routes crossing this border. Ceremonial participants and families conducting personal business from the northern O’odham territory, (United States of America) crossing at legal ports of entry are subject to personal searches and handling of sacred ceremonial bundles. Safe passage on O’odham traditional routes recently further threatened by evidence of installed road hazards, military issue metal spikes embed on the road to cause severe tire damage. The Border Patrol as well as Mexican Military is well aware of O’odham use of these traditional routes. Armed agents of the United States government and the Mexican Military threaten the O’odham, Indigenous Peoples of the Untied States of America and the Republic States of Mexico, whose territories are occupied by these governments. Federal and State and local laws and policies are imposed and used to threatened O’odham and other indigenous peoples with physical and verbal abuse and inhumane psychological demeaning tactics are especially used on peoples who are monolingual. In April 9, 2001, death of an 18-year-old Bennett Patricio, Jr., an O’odham ran over by Border Patrol agents. The Border Patrol agent not only stalled in reporting this incident but also failed to mention that he ran over Bennett.
The sealing and militarization of this border will further restrict families from visiting family members and conducting social gatherings such as birth and death ceremonies, as all O’odham communities have families on both sides of the border. Traditional O’odham Elders do not have birth records to obtain necessary legal border crossing documents. Many O’odham were born at home and their births were not recorded. June 9th, 2004, a Grandmother, accompanied by a friend, a mother with her young son, enroute to a community meeting in Cu:Wi I-gersk, Mexico, while crossing the border were stopped and threatened by heavily armed border patrol soldiers. They were verbal abused and threatened with detainment and deportation and were assured that ground and air forces would be called and the process would be lengthy. This family does not want to disclose their names due to fear of reprisals by the government. In July 1999, myself and my daughter and grandson were verbally abused and physically threatened by Border patrol agents. We were coming from my mothers’ village in the U.S. after an all night traditional O’odham kehina ceremony. We were traveling to Tucson where my daughter was employed. I fell asleep in the back seat while my daughter drove and my two-year-old grandson was in his car seat in the front seat. The Border patrols verbal harassed me and then unclipped his weapon and pointed at my head tell me to say what citizen I was since I said I was O’odham and asked him what citizen he was. I said he would throw me on the pavement, handcuff me and detain me. He proceeded to say that he was going to deport me unless I say that I was a U.S. citizen. I said where would you deport me to because northern Mexico is also O’odham territory.
Environmental devastation and disregard to sacred sites and burial places along the border are not address in the United States Homeland Security Department proposed projects along the border. These scared sites not disclosed to the general public are under threat by the building of the border barrier and the construction of a road along the border. (the proposals are listed in the July 2004 draft Environmental Assessment for Temporary Vehicle Barriers, Tucson Sector, Pima Santa Cruz and Cochise Counties, Arizona by Homeland Security Department in conjunction with the Tohono O’odham Nation, page 4.12-14). The O’odham northern territory are intruded by all terrain vehicles, dirt bikes, hummer vehicles, jeeps, various vehicles and immigration buses, helicopters, portable lookout posts, airplanes and unmanned airplanes as well as satellite monitoring and sensors and an unknown number of government agents, US Custom agents, Border patrol agents, Drug agents, special agents, immigration agents and Tohono O’odham police, rangers and special trackers.
The O’odham communities in Northern Sonora, Mexico are under continuous attack; as Indigenous peoples of Mexico we are not privileged any recognition as traditional peoples entitled to traditional lands. Our communities face encroachment and illegal land claims by Mexican citizens disclaim O’odham ancestral territories and communities. United States and Mexico bi-national agreement of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) further secured unauthorized illegal mining, development, and large scale farming and ranching on O’odham territory.
O’odham community members being forced to leave their homes for their family’s safety and survival. They face threats of armed violence and abuse from non-O’odham Mexican and American citizens involved in drug trafficking and Human trafficking. An elderly O’odham man from the community Totssagi, Mx. (Rancho Espuma) was held hostage in his home and forced to sign his community title to the Drug cartel leaders. Human and drug trafficking activities threaten the existing communities and their member’s survival. There is also an unknown number of young O’odham men and women in prisons that are given severe sentences. Due to verbal and physical threats and fear for their families if they do not cooperate with these drug dealers these O’odham will not come forth to testify. Drug dealers have threatened and physically harmed uncooperative O’odham members and also there is an undisclosed number of deaths related to drug trafficking.
The O’odham communities in Northern Sonora, Mexico lack the basic resources to survive; lack of clean safe drinking water, housing, adequate roads, none existing health services, and lack of support to develop economic sustainable traditional farms or any other autonomous sustainable economy development.
The general disregard of Human Rights and Universal respect for Humanity by both governments threatens the very existence of O’odham today.
Respectfully submitted by Ofelia Rivas
The Indigenous Alliance Without Borders
631 S 6th Avenue
P.O. Box 1286
Tucson, Arizona 85702
tele. (520) 770-1373
fax. 9520) 770-7455
The Indigenous Alliance Without Borders was formed in 1997 to build a grassroots movement to promote respect for Indigenous human/civil rights, sovereignty, protection of natural resources in native lands, and preservation of Indigenous culture and language along the border and urban regions. Through organizing, advocacy, and education, the Alliance empowers Indigenous border and urban communities to work collectively to address discriminatory border policies and practices.
The Alliance focuses on community outreach to educate Indigenous border and urban communities and the general public on immigrant and environmental impacts on border development and human/civil rights as well as the culture, language and religion.
The Alliance consists of individual members of the Tohono O'odham Nation, Pascua Yaqui Tribe, Gila River Indian Community, Yavapai Apache, Yaqui in Mexico, O'odham in Mexico, Cocopah Nation, Kickapoo and Pai Pai. Twenty individuals from nine tribal nations and six Indigenous organizations from Arizona, California, Texas and New Mexico: Solidaridad Con Los Pueblos Rio Yaqui, Monrovia, CA; El Proyecto Regional de Pueblos Indios-Grupo de Mujeres, Rio Yaqui Sonora, Mexico; Southwest Newtok for Environmental and Economic Justice, New Mexico; Kalpulli Tlalteca, El Paso, Tx; Yoemem Tekia Foundation, Yavapai Apache Cultural Center, Prescott, AZ; and Traditional O’odham Leaders of Cu:Wi I-gersk (San Francisquito), Mexico.
The O'odham Voice Against The WALL
P.O. Box 1835
Sells, Arizona 86634
(520) 791-7776
The O'odham Voice Against The WALL
Traditional O'odham Communities - U.S./ MX. is a movement of O’odham youth united to build support for the traditional Elders and ceremonial leaders of O'odham Communities impacted by the WALL. United to provide and promote youth education, cultural identification, and protection of Indigenous Rights, Rights of Mobility and safe passage on traditional O'odham territory ancestral routes. Also to advocate universal rights of Indigenous peoples, specifically O'odham Him’dag, the way of life based on the sacred lands of the O'odham.
The O’odham VOICE Against the WALL is supported by the Traditional Leaders of the Communities of Northern Sonora, Mexico, Cu:Wi I-gersk Community, Traditional Ceremonial Leaders of Ali Jegk Community, Southern, Arizona, The Surviving ROOTS Project, Earth Peoples, The Society for Threatened Peoples International UN Consulate, Economic & Social Council, World Council of Churches, Aang Serian-House of Peace, Passionist International, Kevin Dance, First Nations North & South, Revolution Summer Youth Group-SRMIC
Please also see:
An American Style 'Separation Wall'
Tohono O’odham and Yaqui: “No More Walls”, by Brenda Norrell
http://www.unobserver.com/index.php?pagina=layout5.php&id=1818&blz=1