Well, the bills which grant the government of Australia power to encroach upon, invade, and determine the lives of Indigenous People in the Northern Territory came to pass in a near-unanimous vote of 56 to 6.

Among many new privileges, the government effectively owns all Aboriginal Land. All Indigenous on Welfare have automatically had 50% of their payments ‘quarantined.’ The government can ‘observe’ any meeting held by Aboriginal or non Aboriginal organizations in the Territory which provide services to Aboriginal communities. The government can seize the assets of Aboriginal or …

Today, UN Indigenous People’s Day, Survival International will present a petition with 57,000 signatures to the Paraguayan government— in support of the Ayoreo-Totobiegosode, South America’s last (known) surviving uncontacted tribe outside the Amazon basin.

Recently, satellite imagery revealed Ayoreo-Totobiegosode land, nearly all of which has been taken over by powerful landowners, is being rapidly bulldozed to make way for cattle ranching. Those living in the forests can do little more than run.

Two Relatives, Leaders from the Ayoreo-Tobiegosode recently had this to …

On Saturday, the Huu-ay-aht voted over whether or not to support the ratification of the Maa-nulth Treaty, one of several treaties being shoved forward in the West Coast of Canada. At the end of the day, 90% voted YES, 10% NO.

That’s pretty surprising—and also cause for great concern, even if this so-called Treaty still has to be ratified by four more Nations along with the government before it becomes legal. There’s two possible reasons for this concern: One being that Huu-ay-aht have no idea what they just voted Yes on (which considering this letter, and the tactics …

The criminalization of activism seems to have become a trend this month. Governments all around the world are increasingly criminalizing democracy, prohibiting the pursuit of Justice, and preventing any real chance of Corporate and Governmental Responsibility.

This trend of course, comes as a heavy-handed bureaucratic response to activists and indigenous peoples increased efforts to protect the land, to demand accountability and Justice, and to insist that governments and corporations stop infringing on our lives and preventing us from having our needs met—so they can get what they want. Needs are …

Well, the Tsawwassen vote came and went, with a 130 people choosing YES and 50 NO. Quite the difference from the previous vote, I must day. I guess bribery and misdirection does work!!!!

Now, it’s off to be ratified by the Federal and Provincial governments, which of course they’ll do hands-down. That is, unless some impressive pressure is put on them by all opposed to it… (see here for an article about the vote — but please hold any glorification you see in contempt.

Well, this Saturday another, similar vote is taking place. This one among the Huu-Ay-Aht, who will be …

This is a 7 minute film from the rally held in Melbourne on Saturday 14 July, as part of the International Day of Action in opposition to the government’s escalation of attacks on Indigenous communities and the denial of justice for Mulrunji and other Indigenous people who have been killed in police custody.

A statement from Black GST & Camp Sovereignty:

The Howard Settler Governments invasion of the Northern territory is land-grabbing racism nothing more. This invasion is part of the neo liberal structural adjustment programme of Intuitions such as the World, Bank, the IMF & APEC to diminish and extinguish …

Nearing the beginning of July, twenty-one Gana and Gwi Bushmen were arrested for hunting on their traditional lands in Botswana. This despite the High Court of Botswana ruling that the Gana and Gwi have the right to live on their land, and that the government acted against the law when they were evicted from their lands in 2002.

From Survival International - Justice Phumaphi said in his ruling, ‘The simultaneous stoppage of the supply of food rations and the issuing of SGLs [hunting licences] [was] tantamount to condemning the remaining …

The same week Mexico received a position on the United Nations Human Rights Commission, and in the midst of the process of presidential succession in Mexico, a massive campaign of Brutality was committed against the People San Salvador Atenco. This video analyzes the events that occurred on the first days of May 2006, and also deconstructs the mass media’s operating methods which created a climate of fear and an information blockade during this campaign against the people.

A Brief Overview
from Police Brutality in Atenco, Mexico, by John Gibler, ZNet

[On] …

North Korea today is home to a network of several dozen concentration camps rivaling those of Auschwitz and Dachau of days past, hosting over 250,000 political prisoners and their families. North Korea is a prison state- there are no freedoms of religion, speech, movement, assembly- even the right to leave the nation is barred from the people.

Hundreds of thousands of North Koreans have fled to neighboring China, only to be hunted down by Chinese authorities and sent back to North Korea to face torture and death; or to be …

In my post the lead up to June 29, I mentioned how in due time we’ll see what this day of action serves… I also talked a bit about the nature of protests, and our need for strategy and to define attainable goals. Following this post up, and latching on to the need to do things differently, here’s an analysis of the AFN’s day of action by Warrior Publications (following some of my own commentary.)

With respect, it seems to me the day of action was for us, fruitless. …