Indigenous Peoples and Human Rights

October 27, 2012

Yaqui battle corporate greed to defend Rio Yaqui water



Photo Brenda Norrell Censored News
Yaqui and other Indigenous from Sonora consult
 on protecting the land and water at the Second Reunion of
Spiritual Guides. Oct. 27, 2012.
Mexico and corporations are targeting the Rio Yaqui as  a water source, after wasting and depleting other water sources in Sonora


By Brenda Norrell
Censored News
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com
Live coverage Saturday
Oct. 27, 2012

French translation by Christine
Prat
http://www.chrisp.lautre.net/wpblog/?p=1102

Indigenous Peoples of Sonora are now gathered at the Second Reunion of Spiritual Guides to discuss the protection of the earth, wind, water and other natural resources, from mining, dams, drug trafficking, theft and development.

Non-Indigenous who have wasted and depleted their water sources in Sonora, are now targeting the Rio Yaqui. The water diversion of the Aquaduct Independence would deplete water from the Yaqui villages in Sonora.

Yaquis have agreed to defend their water from the government, and corporations, who want "to strip the riches from the earth, wind, water and fire. These are elements of our source life, not to be sold. We defend life."

The following resolution of the National Indigenous Congress, in English and Spanish, describes the corporate greed now targeting Yaqui and other Indigenous Peoples in Sonora.

Yaqui water basin
Sonora is the state in Mexico located south of the border from Arizona. Among the Native peoples separated by the US/Mexico border in Arizona and Sonora are the Tohono O'odham, Cocopah, Salt River and Gila River O'otham, and Yaqui. (There are more Indigenous Nations separated by the border between California and Texas.)

Indigenous National Congress
Vicam Pueblo, Yaqui Land, Sonora, Mexico


At the first Forum in Defense of Water.Whereas the territory since time immemorial is where we indigenous peoples, nations and tribes, were born of our mother earth, and we live like brothers with plants, flowers and trees, animals, birds and insects, in the air , the heat, the sun, moon and stars, earth and water, it is our home, food and healing.We also consider that in the territory of the Yaqui tribe, since the beginning of our people, we have honored the earth and water, in the building of our culture that flourished near the river, UU JIAME, now known as Rio Yaqui that the current government wants to rob us of, and kill our origin, our identity and life itself. We believe that for over 518 years of history we have suffered in the flesh of our hearts and the war of extermination of the powerful. Given this, the struggle of our peoples, nations and tribes has always been, in principle, autonomy throughout history, the result of centuries of resistance of our walk. We believe that Mother Earth and the existence of humanity is threatened by the hegemonic capitalist system for their economic greed and exploitation of natural resources, the death of ecosystems by large transnational corporations that come to rob with the corrupt government institutions and free-market policies like NAFTA, the Plan Puebla-Panama project in northwestern Escalera Nautica (Sea of ​​Cortez), known as the coastal road, with that decision, it appears that the bad government will steal the waters of the Yaqui River basin, with the clear intention of making it  available to large companies, to destroy us, and as to that, "The emperor, capital has grown and has grown its ambition and destructive power. If before the treasure was gold, silver, precious metals and stones, now it is water, air, forests, animals, knowledge, people ... "Only through unity and respect for our most fundamental rights of indigenous peoples of the country with each other and with all those Mexicans who are victims of exploitation, this dispossession and repression, then recognition of the most fundamental rights of indigenous may be possible.The Yaqui Tribe with Civil Society in the Yaqui Valley, have agreed to defend our water from bad government, who want to strip the riches from the earth, wind, water and fire. These are elements of our source life, not to be sold. We defend life. As convened:To all peoples, nations, tribes, neighborhoods, groups, indigenous and non-indigenous national and international honest the First Forum in Defense of Water, to be held on 20 and 21 November 2010, in the Community of the Yaqui Tribe of Vicam, Sonora, Mexico, to share the word, experience and stories of struggle and to agree to continue to defend what is ours. Under the following topics:1. - Territory2. - Water3. - The exercise of autonomy4. - Projects of misrule

TRIBU YAQUI- CONGRESO NACIONAL INDIGENA

C O N V OC A T O R I A

Al Primer Foro en Defensa del Agua.

Considerando que el territorio desde tiempos inmemoriales es el lugar donde nosotros los pueblos indígenas, naciones y tribus, nos nacimos de nuestra madre tierra, y vivimos como hermanos con las plantas, flores y árboles, con los animales, aves e insectos, de los aires, de los calores, el sol, la luna y las estrellas, la tierra y el agua; de ella es nuestro origen, alimento y curación.

Consideramos asimismo, que en el territorio de la tribu Yaqui, en el principio de nuestro pueblo, nos consideramos hechos de tierra y agua, en la edificación de nuestra cultura que floreció en las inmediaciones del río “UU JIAME”, hoy conocido como Río Yaqui, que el actual gobierno quiere despojar y matar nuestro origen, nuestra identidad y la vida propia.

Consideramos que a lo largo de 518 años de historia hemos padecido en carne propia y de nuestros corazones la guerra de exterminio de parte de los poderosos. Ante esto, la lucha de nuestros pueblos, naciones y tribus siempre ha sido un principio, la resistencia, y un proyecto histórico, la autonomía, fruto de la resistencia de siglos de este caminar.

Consideramos que la madre tierra y la existencia de la humanidad se encuentra amenazada por el sistema hegemónico capitalista, por su voracidad económica y de explotación de los recursos naturales, de muerte de los ecosistemas por las grandes empresas transnacionales que llegan a despojarnos junto a la corrupción de las instituciones gubernamentales y de políticas de libre mercado como el Tratado de Libre Comercio, el Plan Puebla-Panamá en sus proyectos del noroeste de la Escalera Náutica ( Mar de Cortés), conocida como la carretera costera, con esa decision del mal gobierno buscan robarse las aguas de la cuenca del río Yaqui, con la clara intención de despojarnos y poner a disposición de las grandes empresas el agua, la vida y el territorio para exterminarnos; y como se a dicho que “ el emperador, el capital ha crecido y ha crecido su ambición y poder de destrucción. Si antes el tesoro era de oro, plata, metales y piedras preciosas; ahora es de agua, aire, bosques, animales, conocimientos, personas…”

Considerando, que únicamente a traves de la unidad de los pueblos indígenas del país entre sí, y con todos aquellos mexicanos y mexicanas que son victimas de explotación, despojo y represión podrá ser posible el respeto de nuestro derechos mas fundamentales .

La Tribu Yaqui junto con la Sociedad Civil del Valle del Yaqui, hemos acordado la defensa de nuestra agua, que el mal gobierno y los ricos nos quieren despojar, porque la tierra, el viento, el agua y el fuego son elementos de nuestro origen de la vida, no se venden y con la vida se defienden. Por lo que convocamos:

A todos los pueblos, naciones, tribus, barrios, colectivos, organizaciones indígenas y no indígenas honestas nacionales e internaciones al Primer Foro en Defensa del Agua, a realizarse los días 20 y 21 de noviembre del 2010, en la Comunidad de la Tribu Yaqui de Vicam, Sonora, México, para compartir la palabra, la experiencia e historias de lucha y hacer acuerdo para seguir defendiendo lo que es nuestro.

Bajo los siguientes temas:

1.- Territorio
2.- Agua
3.- El Ejercicio de la Autonomia
4.- Proyectos del mal gobierno


More coverage at Censored News of the Reunion of Spiritual Guides in Sonora andComca’ac (Seri)
Video interview: O’odham Ofelia Rivas on Comca’ac land, at the sea
http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2012/10/video-oodham-ofelia-rivas-on-comcaac.html
Sonora’s Indigenous unite to protect Mother Earth http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2012/10/sonoras-indigenous-unite-to-protect.html
Photo Comca’ac (Seri) reclaim ancestral land near Kino Bay, Sonora
http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2012/10/photo-comcaac-seri-reclaim-ancestral.html
SPANISH Video interview Guarijios battle dam and relocation in Sonora, Mexico
http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2012/10/video-interview-guarijios-battle-dam.html
Photos of today's Indigenous Gathering of Spiritual Guides in Sonora
http://bsnorrell.blogspot.mx/2012/10/photos-sonoran-indigenous-spiritual.html
Yaqui battle theft of Rio Yaqui water
http://bsnorrell.blogspot.mx/2012/10/yaqui-battle-corporate-greed-to-defend.html
Traditional O'odham leaders support Guarijio fighting dam
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.mx/2012/10/traditional-oodham-leaders-support.html
Seri honored as Pillars of the World
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.mx/2012/10/comcaac-seri-honored-as-pillars-of-world.html

Video English Alejandro summarizes Indigenous Reunion of Spiritual Guides in Sonora
http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2012/11/video-alejandro-summarizes-indigenous.html
 

Copyright Brenda Norrell, Ofelia Rivas, Censored News
May not be used without permission.

No comments: