Los Angeles Indymedia : Activist News

"STOP THE DESECRATION! 90+ burials (at present) being disturbed in the development of the Mexican Cultural Center at LA Plaza/Olvera St. They have attempted to not follow the law at the discovery of remains. Please support and help - call, write letters, emails. Voice your disgust...Tongva people tired and in pain." -- Tongva Elder

The developer is denying the burials are Native, but the Tongva say one of them includes an obsidian blade and beads.

Call to action: From AIM Santa Barbara: Your VOICE HAS POWER- It only takes 5 minutes to make a phone call & save a sacred site- and piss off the people that need to put in check- STOP THE DESECRATION. Call- Gloria Molina office, (213)- 974-4111-or email molina@bos.lacounty.gov or call the Mayor Villaraigosa, 213 978-0600

More information: Statement of Facts/Call to Action Re: Burial Site by Members of the Gabrielino (Tongva) Community| | American Indian Airwaves (1-11-11)

Update: "GOOD NEWS!!! LA Plaza has stopped further work at site where remains disturbed. Tongva woman, Desiree Martinez provided documentation of the burials that we were told did not exist, and that proved that Native Americans were in that cemetery." -- Gloria Arellanes, Tongva Elder

Feb. 1, 2011: Despite the cessation of excavating, Cindi Alvitre explains why the issue is far from over: American Indian Airwaves.

After a ten-year struggle for the rights of undocumented youth to regularize their status through higher education or military service, the DREAM Act was again shot down by anti-immigrant senators on December 18, International Migrants' Day. DREAM has gone through several changes since it was first introduced, each version weaker and more unpalatable than the last. Nonetheless, the youth-led activism surrounding the DREAM Act has been incomparable. An entire generation has learned the arts of activism, from lobbying and letter-writing to hunger strikes and civil disobedience, including a DREAM-focused shut-down of Wilshire Boulevard earlier this year. In Southern California, the immigrant rights community reacted to the tragic news of DREAM's non-passage.

From the newswire: International Migrants' Day Posada for Human Rights by Rockero | | DREAMERS WILL NOT GIVE UP by Dream Team LA | | DREAM Act Vote Will Not Be Forgotten by CHIRLA

Saturday, December 11, 2010

COLTON, California - In a large public gathering in the cafeteria of Alice Birney Elementary School, well over one hundred community members from Colton, a city whose residents include many low-income immigrants, met with their police chief to expose him to the injustices his officers have been committing and to petition for redress of their grievances. While distrust between the community and police is historic, things have gotten worse since the city created its own towyard a few years back and began collecting impound fees on cars, mostly taken from immigrants ineligible for licenses. In order to impound more automobiles to bail the city out of its financial troubles, officers have resorted to profiling anyone who "looks undocumented," making pretextual stops in order to impound vehicles.

Full report: Colton Immigrant Community Meets PD Chief, Demands Justice by Rockero | En español: Comunidad Inmigrante de Colton Se Reunió con Jefe de Policía para Reclamar Abusos por Rockero

UPDATE: Followup Meeting Between Colton Community and Police by Rockero

“The lives of Africans and Native Americans have been intricately intertwined for at least 500 years. The relationship has been one of rescue, mutual assistance, and sometimes abuse and strife. . . . “ – The Red-Black Connection by Valena Broussard Dismukes

Dismukes (African, Choctaw, Scottish, Irish, and French) is a retired school teacher, prolific photographer, author, lecturer, and community activist. She recently spoke in Pasadena about various aspects of African-Native Americans, including the 500+-years of shared history by Native Americans and Africans and genealogy.

Audio/photos: A Talk by Valena Broussard Dismukes on African-Native Americans by RP

For the second consecutive year, the Northeast L.A. Radical Neighbors (NELA-Rad) and Converging Storms participated in the annual world-wide 350 demonstration. (Other groups were represented this year as well, including the Montrose Peace Vigil.) However, unlike last year, we organized two events: one on October 2, which coincided with Eagle Rock's annual Music Festival and thus benefited from heavy foot traffic. The second event happened on October 10 in conjunction with the other 350 activities around the world

Story and pictures: So Cal Participates in the 10/10/10 Global Work Party by R of the Northeast L.A. Radical Neighbors