Activism

The problem with ‘occupation’ in the occupy movement

Early indian map
Map of indigenous tribes, cultures and languages produced by the Smithsonian in 1967.
(Image: Wikimedia Commons)

The momentum continues to build over Occupy Wall Street and other regional “Occupy” movements.  People concerned with losing their jobs and homes are converging with others whose interests lie in ending militarism abroad and police brutality at home, protecting the environment, and education.  Even as the movement swells, however, many who have long been at the fore of these struggles are once again alienated by this mass mobilization.

From Lenape land to Dakota to Ohlone – and places in between – the “Occupy” movements of Wall Street, Minnesota and Oakland (respectively) have effectively shut out the engagement of indigenous activists who would otherwise be involved.  While the term “occupy” may hold a sense of claiming liberated space for those who decided on the name, for others invested in the decolonization of indigenous lands it is an indication of the lack of self awareness of the settler mentality leading the movement.

Even while some indigenous activists are involved with the current movement, there are still many others who are alienated by it.  As JohnPaul Montano, Nishnaabe blogger, writes in An Open Letter to the Occupy Wall Street Activists

On September 22nd, with great excitement, I eagerly read your “one demand” statement. Hoping and believing that you enlightened folks fighting for justice and equality and an end to imperialism, etc., etc., would make mention of the fact that the very land upon which you are protesting does not belong to you – that you are guests upon that stolen indigenous land. 

Montano goes on to describe his disappointment when finding that no such acknowledgement was mentioned in the declaration. 

Similarly, other indigenous writers on the subject have asserted that, by not putting at its fore the politics of de-colonization, the “Occupy” movement is continuing the violence of occupation while posturing the politics of social justice for all. 

Just as the demographic of participation varies based on location, so does the awareness of and dialogue around white supremacy and imperialism.  Albuquerque took a departure from the established norm and uses “(Un)Occupy” as their name, in order to reflect a consciousness of First Nations’ struggles.  On November 18th in Santa Fe, a proposed Statement of Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples was brought to the General Assembly for adoption.  [It is unconfirmed at this time if the statement was ratified].  There is proof on the Chicago discussion forum at OccupyChi.org that there was concern about the name, but after October 29th there are no further comments.  That these instances of dialogue exist is hopeful; that there is no critical mass to provoke social change around white supremacy and imperialism, troubling. 

Some white activists complain that raising the issues of broken treaties and institutionalized racism is divisive, and deflects from the more “real” concerns of housing, poverty and education.  For indigenous people and people of color in this country, those real concerns are part and parcel of living in a society where economic disparity runs down color lines.  Indigenous people experience the highest rates of poverty, rape, and the lowest life expectancy of any ethnic group. 

If material concerns are placed at the core of a political framework, with racism and genocide seen as mere symptoms, then it becomes clear that the struggle prioritizes the welfare of white people.  This scenario has been played-out time and again: the newly under-privileged seize the reins of a long battle, steer it towards short-term goals, then disembark at the first sign of oasis — leaving the most marginalized to re-gain their footing for the continued struggle.  The question remains: Why, in a moment of global social uprising, do we limit our own impact by maintaining a status quo (read: white supremacy) within our movement?

One conclusion is that problems of internal cohesion in the face of police brutality prevent a framework to emerge that focuses on racism and genocide as systemic issues.  But as Dr. Waziyatawin, Dakota activist, scholar and writer, points out in her address to Occupy Oakland: the barriers to justice we face today are rooted in the brutality of colonialism.  In a graphic recounting of state and civilian violence by Dutch settlers against the Wappinger Confederacy and Hackensack Peoples during the initial occupation of “Wall Street”, she contextualizes for activists the legacy of this flawed system we live under:  “If you feel like you have been dispossessed, if you feel like you have been metaphorically ‘skinned alive’ by an inhumane system, remember that it is indigenous people who experienced that first on these lands”.  We can learn that, despite the day-to-day obstacles of maintaining a mass mobilization, the integrity of the movement – and therefore its success – must address the woes of capitalism via addressing imperialism first.

Montano concludes his article with four suggested demands for the “Occupy” movement to place on the U.S. government, ones that he says would initiate the needed steps towards “fixing” the path this movement is on: 

1) Acknowledge that the U.S. is a colonial country, a country of settlers, built upon the land of indigenous nations; and/or… 

2) Demand immediate freedom for indigenous political prisoner Leonard Peltier; and/or… 

3) Demand that the colonial government of the United States of America honor all treaties signed with all indigenous nations whose lands are now collectively referred to as the “United States of America”; and/or… 

4) Make some kind of mention that you are indeed aware that you are settlers and that you are not intending to repeat the mistakes of all of the settler do-gooders that have come before you. In other words, that you are willing to obtain the consent of indigenous people before you do anything on indigenous land. 

For people active in the Palestine liberation movement – as allies in solidarity or as Palestinians living in Diaspora – who are also engaged with the growing “Occupy” movement, I believe we can deepen our work by heeding this call.  We know that the colonization of Palestine was modeled after that of the U.S. and Canada.  We know that the reservation system here is a prototype for conditions of refugees in camps on the West Bank and the outdoor prison that is Gaza.  Most people versed in the origins of modern political Zionism know that Theodor Herzl was inspired by the methods used against indigenous peoples here. Moreover, it is the same economic and military institutions that enforce continued occupation of indigenous peoples, here and in Palestine. 

It’s easy to draw the connections between the occupation of Palestine and the colonization of lands on this continent, and the parallels seem endless.  Likewise, the continuity is strong when we respond to the 2005 BDS call from Palestinian civil society in conjunction with the demands for justice here.  Because of this, I urge those of us in the Palestine liberation and “Occupy” movements to take this stand: 

Just as we call on Israel to end its occupation and colonization of all Arab lands and dismantle the Wall, we too must call for Indigenous sovereignty over ancestral lands of this continent. 

Just as we call on Israel to recognize the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality, we must demand, and work for, the end of institutionalized racism in the U.S. and the end to continued acts of genocide towards indigenous people here. 

Just as we call for the Palestinian Right of Return, we call for the end to the reservation system on this continent – with the acknowledgement of and reparations for the hundreds of treaties broken by the United States government against indigenous nations.   

This moment in time holds the potential for real, systemic change.  With so many peoples’ struggles interconnected, the possibilities are great.  By broadening our scope to include everyone, we are able to hone-in more clearly on our targets: the end of imperialism, the return of lands to sovereign indigenous nations, and a life of health and dignity for all human beings and the planet.

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I could be wrong, but this seems to be — dare I say — a calculated attempt to derail the struggle for human rights in Palestine.

After all, the long-standing refrain in Israeli Hasbara has been that those who call on Israel to return land to the Palestinians ought to be calling on the United States to return its land to Native Americans. In doing so, Israeli Hasbara sought to influence and mislead average Americans to develop empathy for Israel’s position. Another implication of that Hasbara was that the Israeli takeover of Palestinian land was complete and over.

So the question is, why must human rights in Palestine be thematically tied to the civil and human rights of Native Americans? Why can’t the two stand on their own within the Occupy movement without dissolving into a vague and broad notion of anti-colonialism?

Here is very good article that explains the reasons of the current “global debt crisis”, and why it will get much worse” in the months and years to come”.
Not an enjoyable reading, but it explains clearly ,who and how created the problem, how the problem is being kept alive, and what it is ahead of us.

“The Money Masters: Behind the Global Debt Crisis
by Adrian Salbuchi

“In the US, we see untold millions suffering from the impact of mass foreclosures and unemployment; in Greece, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, and Italy, stringent austerity measures are imposed upon the whole population; all coupled with major banking collapses in Iceland, the UK and the US, and indecent bail-outs of “too-big-to-fail” bankers (Newspeak for too powerful to fail).
No doubt, the bulk of the responsibility for these debacles falls squarely on the shoulders of caretaker governments in these countries that are subordinated to Money Power interests and objectives. In country after country, that comes together with embedded corruption, particularly evident today in the UK, Italy and the US.
As we assess some of the key components of today’s Global Financial, Currency and Banking Model in this article, readers will hopefully get a better understanding as to why we are all in such a crisis, and that it will tend to get much worse in the months and years to come.
Foundations of a Failed and False Model
Hiding behind the mask of false “laws” allegedly governing “globalised markets and economies,” this Financial Model has allowed a small group of people to amass and wield huge and overwhelming power over markets, corporations, industries, governments and the global media. The irresponsible and criminal consequences of their actions are now clear for all to see…………………”
http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=26775

I’ve contacted the Occupy “leaders” many times to urge them to greatly improve their messaging – which is terrible.

They obviously should shift entirely to the 99% name and come up with a coherent agenda and plan-of-action, but their commitment to “decentralized, non-hierarchical” mumbo-jumbo-nonsense has really hampered them from evolving this public anger into anything meaningful – the hippy-weirdos took it over and responsible adults with some political acumen need to assert themselves to broaden the movement with their first agenda item to win over the union cops who are currently busting their heads as mercenaries for the bankers

There were some massive demonstrations in Japan within the least few weeks.
It looks like the MainlySh*t*yMedia , however ,didn’t report them.
Even Japanease MSM didn’t say anything about a huge demonstrations (about 60 000 people), that took place in Tokyo recently.
A silent cooperation between all politicians and their obedient, well paid servant/accomplice, MSM , exists in majority of the countries.
Here is an article on the subject . It is in Polish ,but there are some interesting photos and you tube movies in English.
http://pracownia4.wordpress.com/2011/11/20/okupuj-tokio-masowe-demonstracje-nie-istnieja-dla-japonskich-mediow/
Movies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDFoS8VrhtA&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=OToFvVrnb-w

We are ALL immigrants.

ALL Native American tribes were immigrants. ALL Palestinians were immigrants. ALL Israelis were immigrants. ALL white Americans were immigrants.

Almost all native Americans have inter-married, inter-married with whites, blacks, others, inter-married between tribes. Tribes warred with other tribes and “colonially” displaced other tribes, or massacred, or merged.

“This is native land” is a false and expropriative statement. It is more Zionist than Zionism.

It is an accurate and honorable statement to state “Mohawk lived here immediately before us and we honor their relation and their teaching.”

By indigenous rather than colonial, the only accurate meaning is “we were here longer”.

But, that leaves the homeless as permanently so, unless they “know their place”.

Universalism is not “consistent resentment of all immigration”.

Even anti-colonialism is nowhere near universalism. Universalism is consistent acceptance of all people, and in the present.