By Brenda Norrell

Dakota women were arrested on Saturday, August 16, 2008 during a counter genocide protest. Dakotas from the Yellow Medicine Dakota Community, with their allies, countered the Upper Sioux Agency State Park's program. The genocide celebration was part of the Sesquicentennial of the state of Minnesota, portraying the 1858 1st Regiment.

Chris Mato Nunpa, retired Dakota professor, said, "My daughter, Waziyata Win, and my grand-daughter, Winuna were arrested. Fortunately, they both were released later in the day.

US/Mexico border wall increases risk to lives of Tohono O'odham during monsoon flash floods

Flash floods damage businesses and government offices in Arizona and Mexico after Homeland Security flaunts federal laws and builds border wall

By Brenda Norrell

LUKEVILLE, Ariz. - The risk to the lives of Tohono O'odham and other residents living on the Arizona and Sonora border due to monsoon flash floods has increased because of a newly constructed border wall. Homeland Security flaunted federal laws and the laws of nature to build the border wall in 2008.

In a report made public this week, the National Park Service details the ecological and infrastructure damage in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument caused by flood obstruction and debris accumulation along recently constructed portions of the border wall. Tohono O'odham and others reside in the area on both sides of the international border.

Finally, I can say thank you U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for showing that our U.S. government’s national security critical infrastructure is as weak as a "Samson without his hair."

Nevertheless, these two raids were nothing but a “show” to justify ICE’s immigration enforcement initiatives. I reviewed some of the news video clips from the Asheville, NC raid, and the ICE spokesperson, along with his peers looked rather non-enthusiastic, frustrated and bored. I know that feeling because it is exactly the way I used to feel in 1982 when we were conducting immigration employment raids in San Francisco, CA.

FISH-IN: In the tradition of Gandhi and Martin Luther King, the Lakotah Republic will exercise its fishing rights

By Brenda Norrell

The Republic of Lakotah announced that Lakotah guaranteed their fishing rights under the 1851 Fort Laramie Treaty will exercise those fishing rights on August 25, 2008.

In a letter to South Dakota Attorney General Larry Long, the Lakotah Republic reminded the official that, "all members of the tribes to the 1851 Fort Laramie Treaty have the right to fish within the 1851 Treaty territory, which includes all of South Dakota from the east bank of the Missouri River."

By Brenda Norrell

SAN FRANCISCO -- Clyde Bellecourt spoke of the birth of the American Indian Movement forty years ago, remembering his mother's own legacy and also the time of the end for the priests who were controlling the Sundance, during the 40th Anniversary, "AIM For Freedom," photo exhibit.
During the culminating night of the exhibit at SomArts, July 30, Bellecourt shared his own journey and the birth of the American Indian Movement. He said his spirit name is Nee-gon-we-way-we-dun, "Thunder Before the Storm."

Antonio Morales, Maya Mam, community organizer assassinated, fought GoldCorp's Montana mining in Guatemala

By Brenda Norrell

Antonio Morales, Maya Mam, Guatemalan indigenous leader from the Committee of Campesino Unity, was attacked and assassinated on Thursday, August 7, 2008, morning as he returned to his home in Colotenango, Guatemala.

Morales was a national leader of the CUC, CNOC and Maya Waqib Kej, three of Guatemala's most important indigenous organizations which have actively opposed large scale mining projects, hydroelectric projects and the privatization of water, according to Tim Russo of Free Speech Radio.

Introduction

This Narco News report is about two tragic shooting incidents involving two U.S. Customs Service (“Customs”) Inspectors who got shot and wounded on April 17, 1997 at the Calexico, CA International Port of Entry, and the killing of a U.S. Customs & Border Protection (“CBP”) Special Agent assigned to the CBP’s Office of Internal Affairs, Miami, FL on August 5, 2008. This author intend to bring a comparison of the two incidents and the different attention they received from the top agency’s heads under two different U.S. Presidential administrations under former president William Jefferson Clinton and president George Walker Bush.

Things haven't been going very well for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) over the last year. Missile attacks, bombardments, killing of several leaders, the death of Manuel "Sureshot" Marulanda Vélez, desertions, that Dutch girl who left her diaries lying around and of course the sneaky plot to free Ingrid Betancourt and a couple of US mercenaries.

Opinions differ on what plans the US-Colombia axis may have with the rebel force. Raúl Zibechi writes on the website of the Center for International Policy:

By Brenda Norrell

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. -- Bending under pressure from the Bush Administration, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed an earlier decision which halted plans to make sewer water into snow for San Francisco Peaks, sacred to 13 Native American Nations.

On San Francisco Peaks, medicine men hold ceremonies and gather medicine plants for healing.

See Part I of this story here:

The connection between former Kyrgyzstan president Askar Akayev and John McCain may seem oblique by the shallow, personality-driven reporting standards that dominate coverage of a presidential election. But dig a bit deeper, and that connection proves far from superficial.

Syracuse University’s Research Center: incriminating data on DHS-ICE’s deceptive practices available

“Only a handful of agencies said they have conducted annual audits to ensure their fleets are the right size. The Department of Homeland Security said it hasn't conducted a department-wide audit since the agency was created five years ago. The agency said it is “working toward that end” but doesn't yet have the resources to analyze its 41,000-vehicle fleet.” http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20080731-1039-unclesamscars.html

By Brenda Norrell

Today is a day of mourning for the U.S. media. In case you missed its passing, columnist Roberto Rodriguez' article "Questions journalists never ask," serves as a memorial. Rodriquez' column also points out that it wasn't just the integrity of the U.S. media that died, but U.S. democracy, now on the fast track to Nazi-style dictatorship. The Bush administration and its team of multi-national corporate profiteers continue co-opting the U.S. Congress, military, police and commerce.

By Brenda Norrell

OAK SPRINGS, Ariz. -- Navajo Michelle Cook, 23, from Oak Springs, Arizona, recently served as a peace delegate to Iran, with the intention of doing what she could to prevent the United States from declaring war on Iran. While in Iran, she found people much like Navajos at home. Cook was selected by the Fellowship of Reconciliation to participate as a civilian diplomat on a Peace and Friendship Delegation to Iran. This fact-finding mission was to shed light on and prevent a potential war between the United States and Iran.

A fictitious case scenario: a bus transporting 20 alleged professional Mexicans football players had crossed the Nogales, Arizona border destined to the University of Arizona (UA) where they are going to play at the UA's stadium. However, after all 20 Mexican nationals checked in at one of the UA's dorms, a 911 call is placed to the local police department stating that the alleged 20 football players are actually ruthless drug cartel members in possession of explosives, bombs, fully-automatic weapons, are in possession of 1000 pounds of cocaine, used fraudulent immigration documents to come across, and have taken 10 students hostages. It is unknown what their demands are. Based on the above information, which law enforcement agency do you believe will be in charge in coordinating the safe release of all 10 students, the arrest of all violators and the seizure of all contraband? Actually, the FBI, ICE, DEA, ATF, the Tucson Police Department, The UA's Campus Police (if any), the Pima County Sheriff's Department, or the Arizona Department of Public Safety can be in charge and take control of the command post. Why I list all of these agencies? They all have jurisdiction over certain illegal aspects of the case.

I learned that the government of Ecuador and City Oriente have come to terms, cancelling City's oil contract.

Background on the topic is here.

The price is fair to both parties--probably about a quarter of the value of proven reserves which is good for Ecuador but enough to pay for time, expense and investment with a reasonable profit for City Oriente.