O’odham Host Zapatistas North American Regional Conference

Zapatistas Welcome Indigenous from Alaska, Canada, Northern Mexico and The United States to the North American Regional Conference, Oct. 8 -- 9, 2007

By Brenda Norrell
Special to The Narco News Bulletin

August 16, 2007

MAGDALENA DE KINO, Sonora, Mexico – Subcomandante Marcos and the Zapatistas will return to the U.S and Mexico border region to host a subsidiary conference prior to the Intercontinental Indigenous Summit in Pueblo Yaqui, to support Indigenous struggles for their land and liberty.

O’odham with Marcos Photo D.R. 2007 Brenda Norrell

The Magdalena gathering in the north, Oct. 8 – 9, will be one of four regional gatherings during the month of October, with three other regional conferences to be held in Oaxaca, Oct. 4—5, Atlapulco, Oct. 6 –7 and Michaocan, Oct. 6 – 7, 2007. Those regional Indigenous gatherings precede the Intercontinental Indigenous Summit in Yaqui Pueblo near Obregon, to be held Oct. 11—14.

O’odham in Mexico Lt. Gov. Jose Garcia welcomed all to the gathering at Rancho el Penasco, the eco-tourism site south of Magdalena, where Marcos and the Zapatistas met with Mexico’s northern Indigenous tribes during 2006 and 2007.

“This is an opportunity for Indigenous everywhere to come together and get to know one another better,” Garcia said, after the EZLN made the official announcement Aug. 15. “People can come together and learn more about the Zapatistas.”

Garcia said while the Zapatista struggle is well known in southern Mexico, tribes in the northern part of Mexico still want to learn more.

Marcos in Rancho Penasco Photo D.R. 2007 Brenda Norrell

“The Zapatistas in the south are facing the same struggle as we are in the north, the same struggle that Indigenous are facing everywhere.’

Garcia encouraged those attending to bring camping gear and food. There is water on site.

During earlier meetings with the Indigenous in the north, Zapatistas established a fishing camp to protect the fishing rights of the Cucapa (Cocopah) in Baja and supported struggles of the Seri, Mayo, Yaqui, and Kickapoo. Tohono O’odham asked Zapatistas for their support in opposing a hazardous waste dump at the ceremonial area of Quitovac, Sonora, and with border rights of passage as the militarization of the border increased.

ENCUENTRO DE PUEBLOS INDÍGENAS DE AMERICA

TEMARIO:

1.- La guerra de conquista capitalista en los pueblos indígenas de América.

2.- La resistencia de los pueblos indígenas de América y la defensa de la madre Tierra, nuestros territorios y nuestras culturas.

3.- Por qué luchamos los pueblos indígenas de América

SEDE:

11,12,13 Y 14 DE OCTUBRE 2007

PUEBLO YAQUI DE VÍCAM, SONORA, MÉXICO

SUBSEDES:

4 Y 5 DE OCTUBRE 2007

Región Sur-Sureste: VALLES CENTRALES DE OAXACA

Responsable: CONSEJO INDÍGENA POPULAR DE OAXACA “RICARDO FLORES MAGÓN”.

6 Y 7 DE OCTUBRE 2007

Región Centro y Sudamérica: ATLAPULCO, Territorio ÑAHÑU, Estado de México

Responsable: CONGRESO NACIONAL INDÍGENA en Atlapulco.

6 Y 7 DE OCTUBRE 2007

Región Centro Pacífico-Centro Atlántico de México: NURIO, Territorio PURÉPECHA, Michoacán, México

Responsable: Purépecha-Ireta, Congreso Nacional Indígena

8 Y 9 DE OCTUBRE 2007:

Región Norte del Continente Americano: Alaska, Canadá, Unión Americana y Norte de México: Rancho “EL PEÑASCO”, MAGDALENA, SONORA, MÉXICO

Responsable: Nación TOHONO O’ODHAM

Informes:

COMISION SEXTA DEL EZLN, encuentroindigena.org. Correo electrónico: informes@encuentroindigena.org

Guardia Tradicional de la Tribu Yaqui, Vícam, Guaymas, Sonora, México, Tel. (045 ó 001)64 49 98 94 08

Organización de Comunidades Indígenas y Campesinas de Tuxpan, Jalisco: (01 ó 001) 371 41 764 15 comunidad_tuxpan@hotmail.com

Click here for more from The Other Journalism with the Other Campaign

Lisez cet article en français

For more Narco News, click here.