Tag Archives: Native Americans

Solidarity with Standing Rock Sioux Nation

In April 2016, the Standing Rock Sioux Nation called for support of all indigenous peoples against the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). DAPL threatens the water system of millions along the Missouri, but especially Standing Rock. Since September 2016, hundreds of Nations sent letters of support and thousands joined the gathering at Sacred Stone Camp.

Despite illegal tactics, misinformation by media, attacks by corporate mercenaries and arrests by police, the assembly decided to remain calm and not allow the desecration. They are building a completely self-sustaining city with renewable, “earth friendly” energy for all Nations.

Standing Rock Sioux Nation is asking for support and donations for supplies and legal defense. Care should be taken to make donations only to official Native American organizations or other entities listed on their websites (see below).

To learn more about opposition to pipelines in North America, Native news websites can be consulted.

 

If you want to send supplies directly, you can mail them to:
Sacred Stone Camp
P.O. Box 1011
Fort Yates, ND 58538

OR

Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
Attention: Donations
PO Box D
Building #1
North Standing Rock Avenue
Fort Yates, ND 58538

 

  • To send supplies to the children at the Defenders of the Water School, please purchase items on the Amazon Wish List for children…please DO NOT send more school supplies.
  • Please send medical supplies directly to:
    Wasté Win Young
    950 Meadowlark Street
    Fort Yates ND 58538
  • Please send herbs and traditional medicines directly to:
    Linda Black Elk
    P.O. Box 924
    Mobridge, SD 57601

Karl May does not want to hand over scalps

For several years there have been demands from Ojibwe and other Native American Nations to the Karl May Museum in Radebeul near Dresden: several scalps that are in the museum collection should be returned. The museum had agreed to the repatriation of the human remains last year, but has now revoked this.

Red Haircrow, Native author and activist in Berlin, writes the following:

“The Karl May Museum is absolutely in the wrong, and no amount of their posturing, blustering or supposed concern for “doing the right thing” makes their attitude okay. They’re wrong. The scalp(s) need to be returned. This is an yet another ugly example of how the collecting of “native goods/items/remains” or cultural appropriation through Indian hobbyists or by museums and the like can cause international issues and continue historic trauma to Native Americans or other indigenous peoples.”

Beyond the Karl May Museum, there is also a current debate in Dresden about the handling of human remains in state museums, including in the Saxon Parliament through two small questions(here and here).

On the International Day for Reparations

October 12 has many meanings: Columbus Day, Día de la Raza, Indigenous Resistance Day, or International Day for Reparations. For this purpose, we want to point out a few events in short message format:

In Berlin, the Bundestag committees discussing the genocide of Herereo and Nama kept their doors closed to a group of genocide researchers from the Herero community from the USA, as did the Berlin Society for Anthropology, Ethnology and Prehistory (BGAEU). The press release of the campaign alliance Völkermord verjährt nicht can be found here.

In Caracas/Venezuela, the statue of Christopher Columbus was replaced with an anti-colonial statue , and in the U.S., work continues on Transforming Columbus Day. There is a recent article at Latino Rebels.

In Berlin, the blog “Rassismus_Verlernen: Kämpfe um Reparationen für Kolonialismus und Versklavungshandel” went online with first contributions. Recent posts by ColonialismReparation can be found here.

 

Tribunal instead of canonization

Tribunal Junipero Serra 091215The canonization of the missionary Junípero Serra by Pope Francis this week has once again brought the discussion about the connection between mission and colonialism into the world public. Already in advance there was a lot of protest from Native American organizations and activists. The American Indian Movement (AIM) in California held a tribunal for Serra in Los Angeles in which he was convicted of enslavement, torture, and participation in genocide, among other crimes. The Walk of Anchestors proclaimed a Day of Mourning on the day of canonization after a 650-mile pilgrimage in memory of the victims of missionization. An initiative around Norma Flores tried to prevent the canonization by petition. An interview with Flores can be found here.

For those interested in the connection between mission and colonialism, the film The Colonial Misunderstanding by Jean-Marie Teno is recommended.

Addendum: And here is the reference to a detailed background article by Indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.

Mail for the Klett publishing house for the new school year

Yesterday we sent our open letter to the Klett publishing house on the discontinuation of the I*** booklets. More than 200 signatories from schools, politics, academia and civil society from Germany and abroad have signed our demands and oppose the discriminatory and stereotypical portrayal of Native Americans in “Meine Indianerhefte” published by Klett Verlag. On our online portal mangoes&bullets we have compiled a series of further materials and background literature.

Where are all the…? HERE!

Currently, several poster campaigns, from insurance companies to ministries, are again advertising with white children in “Indian costumes”. While in North America there is at least a social and scientific discussion about cultural appropriation – even if there is not much to be seen of it in the mainstream – this has hardly arrived in Germany. With the exception of minor adbusting campaigns such as the “Leitkultur macht stark” poster, poster campaigns such as those of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research seem to be an unchallenged part of German reality.

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