Lánzate 2024

Lánzate 2024

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Month: November 2021

Before We Do Anything Important: The Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address

Posted on by Cris Batista

The Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address* is called Ohén:ton Karihwatéhkwen, meaning “What we say before we do anything important.” This traditional Native address, used as an opening and closing to gatherings and meetings, is meant to root people in a relationship of giving thanks for life and the world around them.


This is what fighting for el buen-vivir is about: Honoring the fullness of connection to our gente, our ancestors, our earth, and all the natural forces we interact with. And making space for each person to be able to experience that connection with ease.

The English translation of the address below is long — and when we take a moment to step outside of the day-to-day rush, we realize that there is much to be thankful for.

Take time this week to express your gratitude to people, earth, waters, plants, herbs, animals, birds, trees, winds, storms, sun, moon, stars, teachers, and spirit. Reflect on what it means to be in right relationship with the people and natural world around you.

Read this address aloud by yourself or en comunidad, as a way to acknowledge the gifts we have all around us, and seeing them in a new light.

We at Mijente extend our gratitude to all Native and Indigenous peoples & antepasados, here today and long past, who illuminate the path forward to buen-vivir. We stand with you en la lucha.  

Ohén:ton Karihwatéhkwen 

The People

Today we have gathered and we see that the cycles of life continue. We have been given the duty to live in balance and harmony with each other and all living things. So now, we bring our minds together as one as we give greetings and thanks to each other as people.

Now our minds are one.

The Earth Mother

We are all thankful to our Mother, the Earth, for she gives us all that we need for life. She supports our feet as we walk about upon her. It gives us joy that she continues to care for us as she has from the beginning of time. To our mother, we send greetings and thanks.

Now our minds are one.

The Waters

We give thanks to all the waters of the world for quenching our thirst and providing us with strength. Water is life. We know its power in many forms- waterfalls and rain, mists and streams, rivers and oceans. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to the spirit of Water.

Now our minds are one.

The Fish

We turn our minds to all the Fish life in the water. They were instructed to cleanse and purify the water. They also give themselves to us as food. We are grateful that we can still find pure water. So, we turn now to the Fish and send our greetings and thanks.

Now our minds are one.

The Plants

Now we turn toward the vast fields of Plant life. As far as the eye can see, the Plants grow, working many wonders. They sustain many life forms. With our minds gathered together, we give thanks and look forward to seeing Plant life for many generations to come.

Now our minds are one.

The Food Plants

With one mind, we turn to honor and thank all the Food Plants we harvest from the garden. Since the beginning of time, the grains, vegetables, beans and berries have helped the people survive. Many other living things draw strength from them too. We gather all the Plant Foods together as one and send them a greeting of thanks.

Now our minds are one.

The Medicine Herbs

Now we turn to all the Medicine herbs of the world. From the beginning they were instructed to take away sickness. They are always waiting and ready to heal us. We are happy there are still among us those special few who remember how to use these plants for healing. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to the Medicines and to the keepers of the Medicines.

Now our minds are one.

The Animals

We gather our minds together to send greetings and thanks to all the Animal life in the world. They have many things to teach us as people. We are honored by them when they give up their lives so we may use their bodies as food for our people. We see them near our homes and in the deep forests. We are glad they are still here and we hope that it will always be so.

Now our minds are one.

The Trees

We now turn our thoughts to the Trees. The Earth has many families of Trees who have their own instructions and uses. Some provide us with shelter and shade, others with fruit, beauty and other useful things. Many people of the world use a Tree as a symbol of peace and strength. With one mind, we greet and thank the Tree life.

Now our minds are one.

The Birds

We put our minds together as one and thank all the Birds who move and fly about over our heads. The Creator gave them beautiful songs. Each day they remind us to enjoy and appreciate life. The Eagle was chosen to be their leader. To all the Birds-from the smallest to the largest-we send our joyful greetings and thanks.

Now our minds are one.

The Four Winds

We are all thankful to the powers we know as the Four Winds. We hear their voices in the moving air as they refresh us and purify the air we breathe. They help us to bring the change of seasons. From the four directions they come, bringing us messages and giving us strength. With one mind, we send our greetings and thanks to the Four Winds.

Now our minds are one.

The Thunderers

Now we turn to the west where our grandfathers, the Thunder Beings, live. With lightning and thundering voices, they bring with them the water that renews life. We are thankful that they keep those evil things made by Okwiseres underground. We bring our minds together as one to send greetings and thanks to our Grandfathers, the Thunderers.

Now our minds are one.

The Sun

We now send greetings and thanks to our eldest Brother, the Sun. Each day without fail he travels the sky from east to west, bringing the light of a new day. He is the source of all the fires of life. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to our Brother, the Sun.

Now our minds are one.

Grandmother Moon

We put our minds together to give thanks to our oldest Grandmother, the Moon, who lights the night-time sky. She is the leader of woman all over the world, and she governs the movement of the ocean tides. By her changing face we measure time, and it is the Moon who watches over the arrival of children here on Earth. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to our Grandmother, the Moon.

Now our minds are one.

The Stars

We give thanks to the Stars who are spread across the sky like jewelry. We see them in the night, helping the Moon to light the darkness and bringing dew to the gardens and growing things. When we travel at night, they guide us home. With our minds gathered together as one, we send greetings and thanks to the Stars.

Now our minds are one.

The Enlightened Teachers

We gather our minds to greet and thank the enlightened Teachers who have come to help throughout the ages. When we forget how to live in harmony, they remind us of the way we were instructed to live as people. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to these caring teachers.

Now our minds are one.

The Creator

Now we turn our thoughts to the Creator, or Great Spirit, and send greetings and thanks for all the gifts of Creation. Everything we need to live a good life is here on this Mother Earth. For all the love that is still around us, we gather our minds together as one and send our choicest words of greetings and thanks to the Creator.

Now our minds are one.

Closing Words

We have now arrived at the place where we end our words. Of all the things we have named, it was not our intention to leave anything out. If something was forgotten, we leave it to each individual to send such greetings and thanks in their own way.

*This translation of the Mohawk version of the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address was developed, published in 1993, and provided, courtesy of: Six Nations Indian Museum and the Tracking Project.

Deportation Defense under the Biden Administration

Posted on by Cris Batista

This past September, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released its policy for how ICE will conduct immigration enforcement in our communities. Though the new prosecutorial discretion memo (PD Memo) falls short of centering a protection-based framework, there are key opportunities for organizers and advocates to use in pushing back against abuses of power by ICE and engaging in deportation defense.

We must recognize that in removing categorial criminal convictions as a basis for deportation, the memo reflects the hard-won efforts of organizers and advocates to shift towards more protections of the last 10 years. With this, there is space for organizers to stay in the fight.

Deportation defense cases have been an effective organizing tool to get our people free, strengthen campaigns by building relationships with allies and targets, and create the pressure needed to improve federal policy by exposing deportation patterns and the impacts of what’s actually happening on the ground.

That’s why we created the Deportation Defense Toolkit in collaboration with Just Futures Law.

The new PD memo goes into effect Monday November 29, 2021, and it is one important tool we can use to stop deportations and keep our communities intact. We’re sharing these resources widely to help organizers and grassroots advocates identify opportunities for public deportation defense campaigns and have the tools to win.

What is included in the Toolkit: 

  • Tips on determining the intervention based on the case
  • Gathering relevant case information (and sample intake form)
  • Gathering letters of support (with templates for different types)
  • Planning and organizing a public campaign 

The following templates are available in the Toolkit Appendix: 

  • Prosecutorial Discretion Request
  • Mass Personal Letters Of Support
  • Family Member Letter of Support
  • Letter of Support from Teacher or Counselor of the Children of the Person
  • Faith Leader Letter of Support
  • Organizational Letters Of Support
  • Email of Support from Congressional Representative
  • Script for Congressional Contacts for Calls with ICE Field Offices

To access the Deportation Defense Toolkit click here: mijente.net/defend  

Assuring Latinx Voters Make their Mark in Atlanta Politics

Posted on by Cris Batista

 

In 2020, Mijente PAC made history alongside GLAHR Action Network (GAN) by knocking on every Latinx voter door in Georgia for the Senate runoff election. This year, GAN was back on the doors.

 

The Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights (GLAHR) was founded in 2001 to educate and organize a base of Latino immigrants to defend and advance their rights. In 2017, GLAHR developed their political operation through GLAHR Action Network (GAN) to have the ability to engage in political campaigns. From there they decided to flex their Mijente membership and through the Mijente PAC co-ran the first state-wide political campaign to targets Latinx voters in the state of Georgia.

Today, GLAHR and GLAHR Action Network are the largest Latino grassroots organization in Georgia with comités populares — committees located across the state designed to raise the political consciousness and develop the leadership of the Latino community. GAN’s leaders in rural and urban parts of the state, and their direct collaboration with Mijente, were a big part of how they were able to reach all Latinx voters in the 2020 Senate runoff.

Political campaigns at GLAHR and GLAHR Action Network are approached as community defense practice because it’s viewed as a way to stop harmful, anti-immigrant candidates from obtaining positions of power. Electoral campaigns are also a component of the ongoing organizing that expands beyond election cycles to advance their goals of obtaining dignity for all Latinxs in GA, building with and alongside Black communities. For them, this can look like being part of the coalition that successfully shut down the Irwin Detention Center after years of exposing the harms immigrants experienced while there, including but not limited to allegations of non-consensual sterilizations. It can also look like hosting massive community events where cultura is celebrated and political education happens.

This year, GLAHR Action network turned their focus to the Atlanta elections because they want Latinxs to become more involved in electing local representatives. Right now, a typical day at GAN begins bright and early, by 8am all canvass teams have arrived at the office for their overview of the day and their materials. They’re at their first door by 9am until the end of the day. GAN has had thousands of conversations on the doors and have found so many people who didn’t know there was an upcoming election, let alone know how local government impacts their lives. GAN aims to change this and views every conversation as an entry point to develop the engagement of Latinxs in politics at scale and as an opportunity to learn more about them.

For this election, GLAHR has focused on highlighting the issue of shutting down the Atlanta Detention Center, after years of advocating for it through marches and mobilizations. The Atlanta elections have become a potential avenue to achieve this goal because it is under the jurisdiction of the Atlanta Mayor and City Council. The elections are also an avenue to showcase the growing power of the Latinx vote. The hope is that the increased Latinx voter turnout will help candidates who’ve vowed to shut it down win. Through nonpartisan get-out-the-vote campaigns, GLAHR is letting Latinxs voters know that a way to be recognized as a force to be contented with is by showing up at the polls.

At the doors, GLAHR and GLAHR Action network continue to confirm what they’ve learned after years of organizing in the state — the Latinx community is hungry for information and engagement. They want to learn about the candidates, polling locations, and the role of local government in their lives. They want to know how to end the criminalization of immigrants and how to close jails. They want solutions for people experiencing homelessness and rehabilitation centers in their community. At the end of many of these conversations, Latinx voters will commit to vote and ask to be plugged in.

As the results from the latest election are coming in, Kimberly Bollo Aponte, Organizer at GLAHR reminds us:

“Latinxs have been an untapped potential in Georgia, but they’ve awakened and they won’t stay on the side lines anymore.”