Home Invasions, O’odham Lands Lawless,
a report from Ofelia Rivas
(Please scroll down for UPDATES.)
Armed guards have invaded the small village of Ali Jegk on the Tohono O’odham (desert people) Reservation. The community is under siege day and night by unmonitored heavily armed border patrols and other agents.
Ali Jegk is 136 miles southwest of Tucson, adjacent to the organ Pipe National Monument and the International Border. The Ali Jegk community is the staging site to begin the building of the WALL, also known as the “vehicle barrier”. The WALL will permanently close off the ancestral route used annually to attend and conduct the sacred ceremony in Quitovac. The Tohono O’odham Nation politicians support this action, dismissing the opposition from the traditional people and ceremonial leaders.
The United States Congress and the president of the United States, through the Department of Homeland Security and their support agents, authorize these home invasions, in the name of “securing the Homelands”.
The criminalization of people of color
In this isolated area, less then a quarter of a mile from the border, all O’odham are suspected of being undocumented Mexicans or of harboring undocumented Mexican or even as drug traffickers.
One Ajo Sector border patrol agent stated to an O’odham man, “You Indians think you have sovereign powers; we are the authority here. We have more authority then the tribal police.”
The young man and his family were threatened with pepper sprays if they didn’t get out of their vehicle. The family, including an infant, was told to abandon their vehicle and walk more than 25 miles to their community; they were traveling home to attend the funeral services of their father and uncle. The young man was taken into custody under bogus charges. An encounter with the tribal police and the border patrol forced the release of the young man.
A family of eight was awakened at 4:45 A.M. by armed border patrols that stated that footprints from the border lead to their home. The family consists of a Grandmother, two daughters and five grandchildren. The O’odham children were questioned if they were from Mexico. The young mother was spotlighted in her bed while she was nursing her infant. This is the third invasion of their home in the past two months. This time, the invaders did not identify themselves. The family is constantly under watch; the border patrols constantly drive by their yard, spotlighting them and watching from the roadside.
Another young family with two small children was awaked by four heavily armed border patrol at their door; they were accused of harboring undocumented Mexicans, and maybe hiding drugs. Two border patrol agents went throughout the house while two guarded the entrance to the home.
An O’odham man in his 50’s and his brother were stopped while traveling from their community along the border. One was threatened to have his vehicle windows smashed if he didn’t open his window completely. He was accused of being a drug trafficker. While they were released to travel on, the border patrols were yelling the stereotypical “Indian war yells”.
Welcome to the home of the free and land of …….the long forgotten Original Peoples of these Lands. Remember that unless you are ancestry originated on these lands you are an immigrant. The invasion of Indigenous lands continues. Civil Rights, and Human Rights violations in America continue.
Ofelia Rivas
The O’odham VOICE Against the WALL
TRADITIONAL O’ODHAM COMMUNITIES
US/MX P.O. Box 1835 Sells, Arizona 85634, U.S.
Please also see:
Our Way of Life, by Ofelia Rivas
http://www.unobserver.com/index.php?pagina=layout4.php&id=2353&blz=1
"O'odham protest military home invasions"
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096413502
The International Indian Treaty Council (IITC) http://www.treatycouncil.org
UPDATES
National Congress of American Indians responds to border concerns
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096413530
Shattering the silence
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096413526
Kumeyaay border project brings benefits
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096413524
a report from Ofelia Rivas
(Please scroll down for UPDATES.)
Armed guards have invaded the small village of Ali Jegk on the Tohono O’odham (desert people) Reservation. The community is under siege day and night by unmonitored heavily armed border patrols and other agents.
Ali Jegk is 136 miles southwest of Tucson, adjacent to the organ Pipe National Monument and the International Border. The Ali Jegk community is the staging site to begin the building of the WALL, also known as the “vehicle barrier”. The WALL will permanently close off the ancestral route used annually to attend and conduct the sacred ceremony in Quitovac. The Tohono O’odham Nation politicians support this action, dismissing the opposition from the traditional people and ceremonial leaders.
The United States Congress and the president of the United States, through the Department of Homeland Security and their support agents, authorize these home invasions, in the name of “securing the Homelands”.
The criminalization of people of color
In this isolated area, less then a quarter of a mile from the border, all O’odham are suspected of being undocumented Mexicans or of harboring undocumented Mexican or even as drug traffickers.
One Ajo Sector border patrol agent stated to an O’odham man, “You Indians think you have sovereign powers; we are the authority here. We have more authority then the tribal police.”
The young man and his family were threatened with pepper sprays if they didn’t get out of their vehicle. The family, including an infant, was told to abandon their vehicle and walk more than 25 miles to their community; they were traveling home to attend the funeral services of their father and uncle. The young man was taken into custody under bogus charges. An encounter with the tribal police and the border patrol forced the release of the young man.
A family of eight was awakened at 4:45 A.M. by armed border patrols that stated that footprints from the border lead to their home. The family consists of a Grandmother, two daughters and five grandchildren. The O’odham children were questioned if they were from Mexico. The young mother was spotlighted in her bed while she was nursing her infant. This is the third invasion of their home in the past two months. This time, the invaders did not identify themselves. The family is constantly under watch; the border patrols constantly drive by their yard, spotlighting them and watching from the roadside.
Another young family with two small children was awaked by four heavily armed border patrol at their door; they were accused of harboring undocumented Mexicans, and maybe hiding drugs. Two border patrol agents went throughout the house while two guarded the entrance to the home.
An O’odham man in his 50’s and his brother were stopped while traveling from their community along the border. One was threatened to have his vehicle windows smashed if he didn’t open his window completely. He was accused of being a drug trafficker. While they were released to travel on, the border patrols were yelling the stereotypical “Indian war yells”.
Welcome to the home of the free and land of …….the long forgotten Original Peoples of these Lands. Remember that unless you are ancestry originated on these lands you are an immigrant. The invasion of Indigenous lands continues. Civil Rights, and Human Rights violations in America continue.
Ofelia Rivas
The O’odham VOICE Against the WALL
TRADITIONAL O’ODHAM COMMUNITIES
US/MX P.O. Box 1835 Sells, Arizona 85634, U.S.
Please also see:
Our Way of Life, by Ofelia Rivas
http://www.unobserver.com/index.php?pagina=layout4.php&id=2353&blz=1
"O'odham protest military home invasions"
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096413502
The International Indian Treaty Council (IITC) http://www.treatycouncil.org
UPDATES
National Congress of American Indians responds to border concerns
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096413530
Shattering the silence
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096413526
Kumeyaay border project brings benefits
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096413524