International Day of Solidarity with Leonard Peltier: Clemency Now! (tags)
“It was wonderful to see people going out of their way to participate in these events. I believe we definitely need to continue to educate people, especially young people, as to who Leonard Peltier is. I think there's a concentrated effort made by various governments for us to forget who he is. . . . [P]eople also need to put more pressure on President Obama, put more pressure on the U.S. government for his release." -- Corine Fairbanks of AIM (American Indian Movement) Southern Cal
The recent surge in racial violence hits Clovis (tags)
A few weeks ago in Clovis, a young Native American woman was attacked by white supremacists. The police department seems to be doing nothing even though they reportedly have the license place number of the a car used by the attackers, and there has been no media coverage. According to a Department of Justice report (2005), "American Indians are more likely than people of other races to experience violence at the hands of someone of a different race."
MTV's The Dudesons Offends Many American Indians (tags)
Many American Indians are offended by a recent episode of MTV's The Dudeson's. It concerns four buffoonish Finnish men who visit Buffalo Hills, California in the hopes of becoming “honorary Native Americans.” Their “rites of passage” include riding a canoe down a normally waterless hill, a "rite" called "Balls of Steel," and another that involves “Indians” breaking other “Indians” out of jail. A demonstration outside MTV's Music Awards is being planned for next weekend.
Rally for Leonard Peltier (tags)
“I am Barack Obama's political prisoner now.” -- Leonard Peltier, September 11, 2009
Carpinteria to Retain Plains Indian Mascot (tags)
Last year, Elias Cordero, a Native American student of Carpinteria High School, began a campaign to have the school mascot changed. The image depicts a plains Indian with facial features that offend many Native Americans. On March 17, 2009, the school board voted to keep the mascot, but two items will be removed from the campus.