Re-printed with
permission from Tom (@waytooindian) of the #NDNZ Daily on twitter
2014: A Year of
Indigenous Resistance and Solidarity
2014 was a year of
struggle for Indigenous people, but it was also the dawning of a new era of
collaboration between diverse groups. We bonded with our African-American
cousins over police brutality and the murder of innocent people of color. We
marched with Indigenous people from around the world for Climate justice. We
formed grassroots alliances with farmers and ranchers in efforts to stop the
Keystone XL pipeline. Our young people re-discovered the activism of the 1970s
and gave the struggle new life around Idle No More, Dakota 38, Un-Thanksgiving.
The Daily show brought the 40 year old racist mascot issue to the fore-front.
Our struggle to bring attention to the murders of our indigenous sisters along
the Canadian border was also given more attention this year. Alliance were made
between young and old, NDN and non-NDN, environmentalist, anti-fascist,
anti-Capitalist, Anonymous and Occupy Wall Street. It was a year to be proud of
our new relationships. In 2015, the struggle will be to keep Indigenous people’s
voices in the fore-front of all the grassroots movements that we seeded in
2014.
For those of you just
getting acquainted with indigenous struggles, here is a list of the top 15
stories on the #NDNZ hash tag on twitter.
Excellent sources of
non-mainstream news reporting are:
Brenda Norell’s
Censored News
Last Real Indians
Native News Online
TOP 15 stories of 2014
1.) Tonto at the Oscars. Major twitter storms
erupted when the film The Lone Ranger was nominated for best make-up. Hash tags
that emerged were:
#NotYourTonto
and #NotYourNDN
2.) Indigenous representation by Hollywood were
questioned when Rooney Mara was cast as Princess Tiger Lily in the 2015 prequel
to Walt Disney’s Peter Pan
Hash
tags: #NotYourTigerLily
3.)
The Cliven Bundy stand-off and extreme right wing racism against Native
Americans and claims of “ancestral rights” to Federal lands.
Link:
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/04/property-records-cast-doubt-on-cliven-bundys-ancestral-claims-to-disputed-federal-land/
Hash
tag: #ClivenBundy
4.)
Native American headdresses worn by hipsters and supermodels. University of
North Dakota students selling “Siouxper drunk” T shirts and Oklahoma State
University students posting an offensive “Trail of Tears” banner. Heidi Klum,
Pharell Williams, Khloe Kardashian and other vapid celebrities became infamous
for wearing headdresses without understanding the meaning behind them.
Hash
tags: #Cochella #NativeAppropriations #RedFaceDisgrace #NotHappy
5,)
Indigenous protests against the Keystone XL pipeline, fracking and the Virginia
spill mounted in a huge Cowboy and Indian alliance protest in Washington, D.C.
Native leaders worked with farmers and ranchers and in direct action against
the pipeline as well as leading ceremonies and protests around the country.
Hash
tags: #NoKXL #RejectandProtect #NoBlackSnake #cowboyindianalliance
6.)
Hopi sacred artifacts and masks were auctioned in Paris and Ojibwe scalps were
put on display in Germany. #HopiMasks #Ojibwe
7.)
The issue of 1200 missing and murdered Indigenous women was raised all over
Canada.
Hash
tags: #MMIV #OpThunderbird #InquiryNow #VAW
Indigenous
Feminists also jumped on the hash tags: #BringbackOURgirls #YesAllWomen and
#NotOneMore
Follow
@kwetoday @_RuthHopkins @Megawitch @apihtawikossian for information about
fighting sexual violence against Indigenous women and girls
8.)4th
of July Independence day twitter storm to free all Indigenous Political
Prisoners
Hash
tags: #FreePeltier #LeonardPeltier #FreeJohnGrahms
Links:
http://www. leonardpeltier.info
9.)
Removal of racist mascots, chief Wahoo and the R*dsk*ns logo
Hash
tags: #ChangeTheName #NotYourMascot #NoHonorInRacism #DeChief
The
Jon Stewart show appearance of a crying R*dsk*ns apologist also sparked the
popularity of the #WhiteTears tag
10.)
The People’s Climate march in New York City was lead by Indigenous peoples.
Hash
tags: #PeoplesClimateMarch #ClimateJustice #IndigenousRising
11.)
Revitalization of the American Indian Movements and re-discovery of the issues
of the 1970s by young activists
Hash
tags: #WoundedKneeII #AmericanIndianMovement #Alcatraz
12.)
The Dakota 38 ride and the movie
#Dakota38
13.)
Racist Halloween Costumes were protested along the same time that the movie
#DearWhitePeople premiered. Our issues of respect and dignity overlapped.
#RacistHalloween
#HalloweenCostume #RacistHalloween
14.)
A Thanksgiving education twitter storm along with attempts to fight ulta
right-wing erasure of America’s history of genocide
Hash
tags: #UnThanksgiving #DecolonizeThanksgiving #AntiThanksgiving
#JeffCoSchoolboard
15.)
Police brutality and murder of un-armed men of color was highlighted as Native
Lives Matter joined with Black lives matter. Protests of un-armed indigenous
men murdered by police:
John
T Williams
Mah
Ha-Vist Goodblanket
Cory
Kanoush
Benjamine
Whiteshield
Allen
Locke
#NativeLivesMatter
#ICantBreath #handsupdontshoot #WeWillBreath
For
a daily summary of News that affects Indigenous people go to :
The
NDNZ DAILY
The
Idle No More Daily
The
Indigenous Daily
