Position of the Tashunka Witko Brigade (TWB) on the Summit of Indigenous Nations

The TWB, as an organization without any recognition from colonial entities, releases the following position on the Summit of Indigenous Nations at Mato Paha, Lakota Nation, August 1-4, 2006.

At a time of massive bloodshed, brutally reminiscent of the colonial period that nearly eliminated the Indigenous Peoples as a culture and totally erased our resistance potential, we see the Summit as a positive step in the direction towards rectifying the language and addressing centuries old crimes against this hemisphere and its populations.

TWB gives acknowledgement to those that attended in the hopes this will ignite a revolution for independence throughout our hemisphere, yet unacknowledged by Indigenous Nations to one another. We also acknowledge indigenous people of Peru and the indigenous Nations of the Mexican Northwest Region of the National Indigenous Congress who made pronouncements in solidarity to this cause.

This pronouncement stands in support of the spirit of this Summit and TWB recognizes as it goes forward, the Treaty of the Indigenous Group emanating from it as a working instrument, not a final solution to the eradication of all supports, systems and infrastructure of colonial invasion and occupation that interferes with the Indigenous Nations, Bands, Communities and Families from pursuing their unquestioned ability to seek knowledge, cleansing and guidance through the use of their lands, sites and ceremonial grounds including burial sites.

TWB also includes the unquestionable right to defend, by force of arms and other security measures, these sites and our People from any violation against them, physically by occupation and other alien forces, groups and entities.

TWB encourages and recommends that we, all Indigenous People and Nations, reject unilaterally all further documents, agreements and treaties, and executive orders that violate the sanctity of Indigenous Peoples’ understanding and all that is intended to be a deceiving instrument aimed to get at the Indigenous Peoples’ resources and human standards of life according to the Indigenous Peoples’ viewpoint.

TWB further stipulates that no alien appointment of Indigenous entities be recognized as the representative of Indigenous interests outside and without the approval of that said Indigenous Nation’s traditional means of decision-making. This includes, any and all Tribal Councils, Bureau of Indian Affairs agencies and agents, and, informers and other such employees, whose job it is to undermine and work to maintain colonial rule and occupation, and exploit the Indigenous People as laborers or exploit their resources.

TWB stands for unification between all Indigenous entities and Nations protected by our collective alliances, based upon Indigenous knowledge and decisions taken from the ancient instructions.

TWB as an Indigenous organization has the inherent right to stand alone as a group in support of our Indigenous sovereignty within traditional acknowledgment and privilege. It does not need recognition from any Indigenous group other than as appropriate courtesy extended to any ally in the manner of Indigenous hospitality and respect.

TWB recognizes also that the style and manner of declaration and acts of rescinding colonial documents using colonial/western methods is only as good as it is accepted by the western occupying entities and that Indigenous Summits must adopt styles and methods that are uniquely and inherently sovereign instruments of the Indigenous Collective.

Tashunka Witko Brigade

SOLIDARITY FOR MATO PAHA FROM INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IN PERU

As the Summit of Indigenous Nations to protect Bear Butte, all sacred spaces and all indigenous land, is in progress in Mato Paha (Bear Butte, South Dakota) we present messages of solidarity from indigenous people in Peru.

The written message below is from young indigenous people at the Major National University of San Marcos in Lima, Peru. The short audio (at http://radio.indymedia.org/news/2006/08/10749.php) is a greeting of solidarity for the Lakota people in the ancient Chanka language, by Don Jose Baca Raime, an elder of the great Chanka Nation in Peru.

To the Lakota People:

In a context in which different cultural organizations try to live together, there is a countering, constant and dominant threat expanding throughout the world: the capital organized in corporations and other organisms denies traditional forms of life and damages the structures of the societies that do not share its values and priorities.

We lament the events the historical Lakota people are undergoing, the cultural damage to our social structures affects all the components of our society and our life, the relationship amongst our people and with our environment. In this sense our affection to those pillars that constitute our tradition, our way of organizing ourselves, including our surroundings and our cultural heritage have been mutilated by the “culture of depredation”.

From here, the indigenous peoples of Peru also face hard struggles to regain our rights and also the constant aggression silenced by a structure that is articulated internationally by those in political power, but here we are. At the Universities, the students organize ourselves to learn to defend the just causes, and as professionals to find and develop more appropriate ways for a different life.

Please receive from the National Major University of San Marcos, and particularly from “Renacere” (I will revive) Debate and Discussion Workshop this letter of solidarity for the just causes that your organization defends.

We ask your members to remain strong and go after what you believe, that for being just deserves being sought. The last thing we can do is resign ourselves to reach our objectives. Judging from your history, it is not the first time you do this, and if your ancestors managed to get treaties it was because they fought for them and in much more adverse conditions, without organizations or media to support them. We hope the sort of harmful actions you are facing stop coming your way and that you succeed in the valuable goals you seek for the wellbeing of your people.

Respectfully:

Yuri Tornero

"Renacere" Debate and Discussion Workshop
Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos
renacere14@hotmail.com
bacamacazana@yahoo.es

We thank the anthropologist and educator (and daughter of Don Jose) Maria Alicia Baca Macazana for facilitating these contacts.


El mensaje escrito siguiente es de gente joven de origen indigena en la Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos en Lima, Peru. El mensaje grabado (a encontrarse en http://radio.indymedia.org/news/2006/08/10749.php) es un saludo solidario al pueblo Lakota de Don Jose Baca Raime, un anciano de la Gran Nacion Chanka, en su propio idioma.

Estimados miembros del Pueblo Indígena de Lakota:

En un contexto en que diferentes organizaciones culturales buscan convivir, existe una amenaza contrapuesta, constante y dominante que se va expandiendo en el mundo: El capital orgánicamente articulado niega las formas de vida tradicional y daña las estructuras de las sociedades que no comparten sus prioridades valorativas.

Lamentamos el suceso que está pasando el pueblo histórico de Lakota, el daño cultural a nuestras estructuras sociales acarrea sobre todos los componentes de nuestra sociedad y de nuestra vida en sí, afectando la relación con nuestros miembros y con el medio ambiente. En este sentido, las afecciones a estos pilares que constituyen nuestra tradición, nuestra forma de organizarnos, incluyendo nuestro entorno con el medio ambiente, así como nuestro patrimonio cultural se han visto mutilados por los representantes de la "cultura de la de depredación"


Desde aquí, los pueblos del Perú también afrontan duras luchas de reivindicación de derecho; así como constantes agresiones que vienen siendo silenciadas por una estructura internacionalmente articulada del poder político; pero ahí estamos. En la Universidad los estudiantes nos organizamos para aprender a defender las causas justas y demás profesionales para encontrar y desarrollar los caminos más apropiado para una vida distinta.

Reciba desde la Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, y muy particularmente del Taller de debate y Discusión "Renacere" esta Carta de Solidariad ante las causas Justas que su organización defienden.

A sus miembros, pedimos fuerzas para perseguir sus convicciones, que al ser justas merecen ser seguidas, lo último que podemos hacer es resignarnos a conseguir nuestros objetivos; por vuestro historial, veo que no es la primera vez y que si, sus antecesores consiguieron Tratados fue porque lucharon para conseguirlo. En condiciones aún mucho más adversas, en que no había organizaciones sociales ni medios de difusión para hacer valer los derechos. Esperamos que dejen de presentarse actos tan dañinos a la identidad cultural y que vuestro pueblo consiga los fines tan valiosos que busca, para el bienestar de sus miembros.

Atentamente:

Yuri Tornero

Taller de debate y Discusión "Renacere"
Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos
renacere14@hotmail.com
bacamacazana@yahoo.es

Agradecemos a la antropologa y educadora (e hija de Don Jose) Maria Alicia Baca Macazana por facilitar estos contactos.