Today I am sitting in my friend Danielle's house with about 10 other people. We are here occupying this house to keep it from being demolished. to continue the laughter, joy, and smiles that fill this house. But this situation is about more than just a house now. This is now a statment and a stand, and this is the day for action because the time is now. The life of this house is larger than anyone of us sitting in it. This house, and the entire native community it is a part of, represents the resistance to the oppression perpetuated for time immemorial, and no longer can we take it or let our silence be acceptance. Our goal is true emancipation of our minds, bodies, and spirits, and this is within our reach, but it is going to take effort and action on small levels to reach that ultimate goal for anyone, as we all walk this same earth. The situation here is an occupancy of a perfectly functional house (as i sit here there is not a single need of mine that this house does not meet in good working order), deemed unfit for human habitation by an american puppet dictator. The only thing unfit for us is the continued perpetuation of this unjust system that we are all victims and participats of. This "system" is not some wild ideology, it is a physical thing consisting of you and me, people, everyday people, everywhere. Without people, who is the system for. I feel it is time that we take a stand and say that we are going to take action(s) to perpetuate a system that is actually for people. because money is not what we need, nor the greed, materilisim, power and control that are the true meaning of money. All we all need is clean food, water, shelter, air, healing and community. At this moment we have an oppurtunity to start this process of rebuilding, creating a society of cooperation that is actually healthy, but it will not happen if we just sit around talking ideology and "poof" one day the world is amazing. To reach this goal it will take action after action of reperation to cohesivly see the world we idealize.
I am an american, acknowledging that there is quite a lot of f**cked up things that are happening in my name. If i stay silent then i am in agreement and acceptance. No longer can I sit idle while I know injustices occur. In my belief, the way to work off karma is through service. I believe that we have a clear choice presented to us. To remain silent and allow the violence we perpetuate as a country return to us, or become active and reclaim our lives. This case here is the perfect oppertunity. First off, this isnt some foreign country far away from our reach being oppressed, this is central New York. We all need to acknowledge these atrocities are happening here within our borders, our back yards. And what better way to inspire and uplift oppressed peoples around the world then to show them a victory here on our soil. The people living here on Oneida traditional home lands have no basic human rights, no freedom of speech (if one speaks out against Ray Halbritter as Danielle and many others have done, one loses membership in good standing. When someone is a member not in good standing then they can not receive any medical benefits, they can not enter their tribal owned buildings which are open to the public, they also do not receive their small share from the profits of the communally owned businesses, they can not excercise their inherited right to participate in their democracy, which is the base of their culture, allowing all people to make decisions in tribal govt affairs that affect all their people and their future generations), they have no freedom of religion (the people have been locked out of their longhouse, the center of their religious, political, and social lives), they have no right to peaceful assembly (all who participated in a peaceful march for democracy in 1995 were stripped of their membership "in good standing"), and they have no legal rights (the court that is supposed to be fair and impartial, Oneida Nation court, is but a smoke screen because it is one person, Ray Halbritter, who is judge, jury and executioner since he has final say over all judges decision and appeals. even worse is his ability to change the laws at his own will to suit his own needs, and the clause of immunity for him and all his agents from said laws). The Oneida people are disinfranchised and dehumanised, all for standing up for their basic rights. There is no mechanisim for removing him since he follows neither traditional nor elective form of government, and the U.S. federal government is in support of Halbritter for financial and land gains. One quote that sticks in my mind is from someone during world war II. i am not able to quote it exactly, but the point is there "When they came for the jews i was quiet. when they came for the blacks i said nothing. when they came for the gypsies i was silent and when they came for me there was no one left to speak up!" No longer will i sit idle while I know an injustice is happening, because if I do then who do I expect to come stand with me when it is me the oppressors are coming after. The illegal police force that is going to come to this house has no jurisdiction or right to detain, touch or arrest me(an american) or anyone who is not oneida ( the all white non-native oneida nation police lost their deputization from madison county for stealing privately owned cars and the public exposure for having a spy network). And at the root of this problem is america because it is the federal agency bureau of indian affairs that gives legitimacy to this illegitimate dictatorship, enabling halbritter to continue the genocide of indian people and their culture that the BIA has been doing for centuries now. The BIA is the exact same bureau that forced the trail of tears, and sterilized indian women in the seventies. So I am requesting you and any american who talks about true freedom, true democracy, who says that things need to be amended to come here. Right here in Central New York lies our oppurtunity to start sewing the tear in the fabric of humanity. With the strength in numbers of peaceful gatherers that we could be we can occupy this house. By doing so we could succesfully stop an illegal, inhumane action from occuring in a completely peaceful non-violent manner. Please hear my words and seize this oppurtunity to begin the process of change. I ask that you please do not think of this as an issue for someone else to deal with. We were all given something so precious as a mind, and voice to use and be heard. An injury to one is an injury to all, and do not have a doubt that if this system is allowed to continue unchecked your day will come to be the victim. Peace does not come without struggle, and nothing changes without sacrifice and courage. Today is the day, let it be done.
