Surrounded by silence, Indigenous People stand alone?
When will decency, compassion and courage boil up within decent people, that they take action? That is, action within their own sphere of influence. Then, later, to reach beyond their own comfort zone?
Carey Conway, a former resident of the Attawapiskat First Nation, wrote these words early this morning on intercontinentalcry.org.
She was responding to an urgent situation that has emerged in the northern Ontario community of Attawapiskat, who recently declared a state of emergency out of fears that continued exposure to toxic fumes is threatening their children. The Canadian Government refuses to help them.
Looking around the world right now, I find myself asking something similar: Don't we realize that our Silence is a form of consent?
I say this while thinking of the Naso in Panama, who's village was recently destroyed by police. They can't even seek shelter or gain access to food because the Police have them surrounded.
The Embera in Colombia, are in similar straights. They've abandoned more than 25 villages in recent weeks because a paramilitary group was terrorizing them, leaving them with no choice but to seek refuge among friends.
And then there's the Samburu in Kenya. The government has been shooting them like chattel, dropping bombs on them, beating them with clubs, and committing other atrocities.
Why is no one else reporting on these situations? Why is nobody speaking up?
Are we really going to just sit around and wait for them to come for our children before we'll say NO! ENOUGH!
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This is so sad,history repeats itself.
Most of us are zombies,thinking about their own lives and greed.
In my surroundings people don’t like to talk about this,the few who care are the ones who no-one listen too.
We all know that our “welfare”is made of suffering and despare,but we prefer to look on and do nothing….
What makes you think that we as a collective stand alone i,m sorry it was a very good post,but that is some what of an insult to the active great spirits who are assisting here.There is much being done for all these plights and headway is being gained sometimes things take time,ye of little faith but i assure you things are being done worldwide to counter these situations and they will all be fixed in time.Seek and ye shall find i always say.I am not a preacher but a holy warrior who finds those saying poetic and fitting.
All will be well have faith!!
I’m talking strictly about humans, Windtalker. I know the universe does what it can, but what about us and our role? Don’t you think we should all be flipping out over these situations?
Oh we are flipping out so to speak,do you think i speak of the universe yes that of course but i speak of the EARTH!! this living planet i call myself Windtalker for a reason Ahni i communicate with the wind with the elementals with the seas the mountains the lands the Thunder beings to the very core of this planet even to the winged ones the four legged and the finned we as a people are not the only ones being victimized here all of nature is too and we have joined forces nature and man,poor tribal man in paticular as i said we do not stand alone even the spirits of our ansestors and victim spirits are very active to come between greedy man and bullies and us the poor tribal peoples across the lands,creation itself my friend creation itself…
Have faith!!
Thanks Ahni, for speaking for the voiceless. We agitated last year for the Hadzabe of Tanzania, they were about to lose their land, like the Maasai are now, and it did seem to help, they still have their land, petitions and activism DO make a difference!
thank you all
rani
the response problem
hi there, think it would help if you put a picture on your postings… i repost your stuff alot and its ignored, i repost other stuf, ie. the dogs being used as sharkbait in polynesia.. with pic of dog with hook in its nose,and 35 people signed that petition in one day… if you could post a pic of a Penan or an Awa when u put ur alerts out, I think it would (unfortunately!), make people pay more atttention, ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’, anyway, i will do that when i repost from now on
thanks for your wonderful compassionate work!
rani
Hey Rani, thanks for your kind words and your help. Normally I do attach at least one photo to an article. I skipped this one though, cuz I just wanted to get the message out there.
I’ve been thinking and studying the situation ever since I wrote this (observing who is and is not helping these situations, from Amnesty International to the United Nations.)
You right, “images” can go pretty far, which is why I think video is such an important tool, but there’s also a social/political side to this. It’s like NGO’s (and activists) are only willing to support the efforts that will help their image and agenda. Or they won’t do anything until someone they recognize does it first.
I see a number of other things like this happening. It’s all very troubling to me.
I, too, am Carey Conway, a former resident of Atttawapiskat (1971–73 ) who worked in the five Mushkeego communities on the west coast of James Bay ’til 1975.
What overlaps of concerns and initiatives might we have in common?
I’m open to contact by Intercontinental Cry dot org or Ahni directly.
G’chi miigwetch,
– Carey