Indigenous Resistance in the Americas

[Warfiend]

I recently read Gord Hill's 500 Years of Indigenous Resistance which is a history of the colonization of the Americas and the Native resistance that followed. The book also featured accounts of Slave Revolts. Since then I've become very interested in the history of indigenous resistance in the Americas and I was wondering if anybody from America knew anything more about it and would like to discuss it?

I've been reading up, mostly, on the Oka Crisis, the Wounded Knee Incident and the actions of the American Indian Movement (AIM). I was wondering if anybody knew anything more about it?

You can read 500 Years of Indigenous Resistance here at ZineLibrary.info.

[JackNegativity]

I recently read Gord Hill's 500 Years of Indigenous Resistance which is a history of the colonization of the Americas and the Native resistance that followed. The book also featured accounts of Slave Revolts. Since then I've become very interested in the history of indigenous resistance in the Americas and I was wondering if anybody from America knew anything more about it and would like to discuss it?

I've been reading up, mostly, on the Oka Crisis, the Wounded Knee Incident and the actions of the American Indian Movement (AIM). I was wondering if anybody knew anything more about it?

You can read 500 Years of Indigenous Resistance here at ZineLibrary.info.

There's a bit on it in A People's History of the United States, particularly in chapter 7 : As long as Grass Grows or Water Runs.

[gobbledigooks]

I'm still active in the german/european AIM-support, the german "The Society for Endangered Peoples" and some smaller initiative groups supporting projects on reservations/agencies. Maybe I'm not absolutely up to date about the actual situation or recent events - and I'm a white, privileged and not directly involved observer - so if you want to discuss things you're interested in, i might have to say a word or two.
For first hand information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous ... e_Americas
http://www.nativeweb.org/
http://www.nativeculturelinks.com/organizations.html
http://www.hanksville.org/NAresources/i ... NAorg.html

[ungovernable]

Watch this movie:

Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance (The Oka Crisis) (1993)
viewtopic.php?f=99&t=4090

[Inna Rut]

there is a number of movies made by american natives from the late sixties up to the present:
http://www.nfb.ca/film/ballad_of_crowfoot/

[butcher]

Just saw this on infoshop:
A Call for Anarchist Solidarity with the Indigenous Occupation of Glen Cove

the call is a bit cringeworthy, but nevertheless, maybe folks'd be interested?:

For over two weeks, indigenous peoples and supporters have occupied Glen Cove, a "sacred gathering place and burial ground that has been utilized by numerous Native American tribes since at least 1,500 BC," located on the outskirts of Vallejo, California in the Bay Area. The occupation of Glen Cove comes after years of attempts to halt the desecration of the area by the local recreation district (GVRD), which wants to develop it in to a public park. GVRD wants to construct a parking lot and bathrooms, pave new paths, cut down trees, and bulldoze/re-grade a large part of the area that likely contains human remains. Glen Cove is sacred to many Native Peoples as a burial and ceremonial ground. According to the support site, protectglencove.org:

"Archaeologists working for the University of California first surveyed the Glen Cove site in 1907. Since that time, hundreds of intact skeletal remains and cremations have been documented, along with thousands of sacred objects, tools, and other artifacts. Many sacred items and skeletons unearthed at Glen Cove have been stolen by archaeologists and are housed in the Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology at UC Berkeley." Many of the homes and structures that have been built in the local area literally sit on top of grave sites and indigenous warriors defending the land have made it clear that the proposed development of the land equals nothing less than the further destruction and colonization of Native people.

On one side of this struggle sit the upper class: comprised of the developers, the government, and their police. For them, Glen Cove is simply a piece of land that is waiting to be developed and "improved". The developers are keen to frame their planned desecration in the best light possible, while not actually listening to or respecting the requests of local Native people. As Miwok Elder Wounded Knee states, "Because they want to seem politically correct, the developers are becoming familiar with the language so it sounds good for them to say ‘protecting and preserving,’ but it’s all a show. "

On the other side is the resistance; those who have occupied the land and dedicated themselves to protecting it. They've erected communal kitchens, information tables, and a sacred fire and meeting space. These brave occupiers daily face down police and city workers. What they want is not to take control over the land and it's management. They do not want to develop the land in a different way. Instead, their battle cry is that nothing be done to the land at all - that the land stay as it is naturally, that their ancestors' resting place is respected.

As anarchists who desire a revolution against all forces of domination; who fight for the destruction of the systems of violence and coercion which maintain class society, we find solidarity with the occupation of Glen Cove. We find strength in the communal and militant resistance happening in Vallejo; in the spirit of those who risk their freedom in order to protect their ancestors and the living earth for future generations. We find comrades in those that negate this civilization and insist that a radically different relationship with the land must be forged for all. In a time of ecological and economic crisis, struggles like this are vital - they show that resistance is possible as are new human relationships and ways of life.

Lastly, we are humbled by so many Native people who despite literally 500 years of genocide, enslavement, and poverty, continue to fight back against a system that resigns them to reservations, disease, addiction, and the almost complete annihilation of their history and culture. It is these people who throughout the generations have fought back and given their lives to the struggle for the land and freedom. Whether with arrows, rifles, prayer or occupations, they have fought and now that battle has come to Vallejo.

We ask that anarchists throughout California and the US come to the occupation of Glen Cove in Vallejo. Bring food and tactical supplies - check the support site for specific needed items. Be aware that cultural norms/expectations may be unfamiliar to you -- come prepared to listen and take direction from people, or don't come at all. Information on how to reach Glen Cove by car or through public transit is available at http://protectglencove.org/about/directions/

It is possible that a police raid may happen on Thursday night or Friday morning (April 29) so people are needed now more than ever.

For more information and ongoing updates, visit http://protectglencove.org

In other news, a new book down my neck of the woods is causing a bit of a stir, namely Aboriginal Self-Determination: The Whiteman's Dream. Whilst its not exactly suprising that some neoliberal crackademic hack has written some racist piece of shit book, what has gotten news is that two Indig. crackademics have come out in support of the novel, namely Bess Price and Noel Pearson (suprise, suprise).
an extract is available here:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/fe ... 6027909493

[Inna Rut]

and I'm a white, privileged and not directly involved observer - so if you want to discuss things you're interested in, i might have to say a word or two.

because of this?

Be aware that cultural norms/expectations may be unfamiliar to you -- come prepared to listen and take direction from people, or don't come at all.

i knew people who contributed to development projects over a long time and i was recently reading claire huffackers (?) "only a dead indian...", so what's the problem? (of being white privileged and so on)

[butcher]

and I'm a white, privileged and not directly involved observer - so if you want to discuss things you're interested in, i might have to say a word or two.

because of this?

Be aware that cultural norms/expectations may be unfamiliar to you -- come prepared to listen and take direction from people, or don't come at all.

i knew people who contributed to development projects over a long time and i was recently reading claire huffackers (?) "only a dead indian...", so what's the problem? (of being white privileged and so on)

[gobbledigooks]

i knew people who contributed to development projects over a long time and i was recently reading claire huffackers (?) "only a dead indian...", so what's the problem? (of being white privileged and so on)

This Gary X clip already said everything necessary - our view on natives is the view of:

a white, privileged and not directly involved observer

it's not romantic, it's not about back-to-nature, primitivism, tribalism, anti-civilisation or other postmodern hypes... don't expect to meet "real" indians...
Clair Huffacker wrote quite a number of "western"-novels, I know the book you mentioned and a bit of it's background especially in germany - published here in the wake of the growing peace-movement in the early eighties. I like it too, besides the entertainment it's very close to describe the evolution from being worried, dissatisfied and more and more angry because "things are the way they are" to the point where a person becomes an activist struggling for a change. BUT:
It's a cliche and nothing else - replace her characters from the book with some kid punks anywhere in the western - maybe the eastern world too - and it gets R E A L - as I said before, it's an almost perfect description - of the western view on things.
But "they" aren't punks, they don't rebel against the system - they fight for their survival and after hundreds of years of cultural genozide they also fight for whats left of their identity and way of living too.
It's hard to describe, it's even harder to understand and I don't pretend that I will ever will comprehend more than the fundamental advice:
Forget about the indian of your dream, mind your manners, listen before you talk, come clean - or stay away.

I see you've posted a link with native-made movies - and the ballad of crowfood gives me some idea about what your're after - Willie Dunn is a good man - I would recommend to continue to "listen" - to people like Vine Deloria, Wilfred Pelletier, maybe to germans like Claus Biegert (200 Jahre ohne Verfassung) too.

[gobbledigooks]

come clean

Hope you don't get me wrong about this one (I would have edit it, but's too late) - please replace "clean" with "free" - of western illusions. Sorry for the mistake!

[butcher]

and I'm a white, privileged and not directly involved observer - so if you want to discuss things you're interested in, i might have to say a word or two.

because of this?

Be aware that cultural norms/expectations may be unfamiliar to you -- come prepared to listen and take direction from people, or don't come at all.

i knew people who contributed to development projects over a long time and i was recently reading claire huffackers (?) "only a dead indian...", so what's the problem? (of being white privileged and so on)

I probably should clarify my posting of the vid, I posted it not to infer that Indigenous struggles are the same across the world, but rather that Gary points out the bleeding obvious here.

As an anarchist I firmly believe communities are capable of self management. Its surprising how often ppl hoping to support oppressed ppl, even amongst those who claim they also ascribe to this, don't act accordingly (i've probably done so too). This isn't a phenomenon unique to white activists offering solidarity to Indigenous ppls, in the book 'Wobblies & Zapatistas' (sorry can't be bothered hunting down the proper title, link, authors, etc, but its widely available on the internetz) one of the dudes recalls the epic fail that resulted from highly educated, mainly middle class, college dropouts who, in the late 60s-early 70s, moved in to poor US neighborhoods to support them. The locals couldn't figure out why the fuck anyone would choose to live there, nor were they overly receptive to the 'solutions' offered by the students. Similarly, you would know infinitely more about how your working conditions could be improved than any third party.

This becomes an incredibly touchy subject when you enter communities offering 'solutions' when what they actually want is for third parties to fuck off and stop doing things to them 'for their own good' (as is often the case in the political rhetoric surrounding policy for Indigenous communities down here). 'Helping', by telling such groups what they need to do, is patronising, infantilising, extremely ignorant and arrogant.

Now, I'm not saying that you, or the author you note, are behaving in such a manner, nor that one's skin colour makes them incapable of offering meaningful solidarity to Indigenous peoples; but just that it is important to check yr privilege and assumptions (but don't go read all those bullshit 'dealing with privilege' zines and whatnot you find cluttering anarchist sites like zinelibrary and infrequently reprinted on infoshop; most are unhelpful at best, and extremely counter-productive at worst). Checking yr priv when supporting ppl simply means understanding that you will never know more about what they need than they do. Moreover, they also probably know how best you can support them, so just fuckin' ask.

[Inna Rut]

come clean

Hope you don't get me wrong about this one (I would have edit it, but's too late) - please replace "clean" with "free" - of western illusions. Sorry for the mistake!

don't worry, i'm getting used to it, most people don't apologize - so thanks for the rare thoughtfulness and nice regard.

i think i got the gary-x-message: don't treat us, don't lecture us, don't think you know more than we do.
guess i get my share of wise guy treatment at the moment, each time some highly qualified clean cut kid is telling me how i lived doing the street walking cheetah, no doubt, they were reading all about it in their books.

this one was easy and

the epic fail that resulted from highly educated, mainly middle class, college dropouts who, in the late 60s-early 70s, moved in to poor US neighborhoods to support them

happened here almost at the same time too, when german leftwing students choosed to join the workling class - bad idea, i still hear my SDS-dad cursing the dumb and brainwashed masses, poor old misunderstood prophet.

I'm not that sure about "privilege" and "assumption", maybe i should read

all those bullshit 'dealing with privilege' zines and whatnot you find cluttering anarchist sites like zinelibrary and infrequently reprinted on infoshop

because

it's not romantic, it's not about back-to-nature, primitivism, tribalism, anti-civilisation or other postmodern hypes... don't expect to meet "real" indians...

and

they don't rebel against the system - they fight for their survival and after hundreds of years of cultural genozide they also fight for whats left of their identity and way of living too.

i googled for clair huffacker and i agree, she wrote lots of entertainment but was never noted for activism and on a second thought, the story isn't motivating at all, the end is melodramatic and depressing.
i almost agree that it is somehow a description of the development of an activist, but i never really was one myself, i made it to the "more and more angry"-stage, then i switched to standby.

they don't rebel against the system - they fight for their survival and after hundreds of years of cultural genozide they also fight for whats left of their identity and way of living too.

so what is the difference between punks like us and "them", i guess i don't know enough about all those xxx-isms or the anti-civilisation (sounds interesting) - and aren't the american natives the textbook example of living WITH nature?

[butcher]

I'm not that sure about "privilege" and "assumption"

i think i got the gary-x-message: don't treat us, don't lecture us, don't think you know more than we do.
guess i get my share of wise guy treatment at the moment, each time some highly qualified clean cut kid is telling me how i lived doing the street walking cheetah, no doubt, they were reading all about it in their books.

i think you got it

i guess i don't know enough about all those xxx-isms or the anti-civilisation (sounds interesting)

see:
http://www.fifthestate.org/
http://www.johnzerzan.net/
http://www.derrickjensen.org/
its less interesting than it sounds

[gobbledigooks]

guess i get my share of wise guy treatment at the moment, each time some highly qualified clean cut kid is telling me how i lived doing the street walking cheetah, no doubt, they were reading all about it in their books.

brilliant analogy, the cherry on the cake would be good missionaries preaching morals and the glory of the lord...

i still hear my SDS-dad cursing the dumb and brainwashed masses, poor old misunderstood prophet

so I guess you got that too, and smart as you are you seem to prefer ol'Iggy's Raw Power instead of the lord?

so what is the difference between punks like us and "them", i guess i don't know enough about all those xxx-isms or the anti-civilisation (sounds interesting) - and aren't the american natives the textbook example of living WITH nature?

Big subject and very difficult to work out en detail - too bad that my time is running out, me poor old punk has to work against the system I was born into - that would make a fine start...
Please read the stuff butcher posted and think about who wrote it (after reading all about it in their books), take a look at the latest official bavarian forestry damage report - and then contemplate a bit about:
"turning the clock back" without any regard to reality and it's necessities.
I think you will agree: It is less interesting than it sounds...

[Inna Rut]

errr, didn't do much today, it was one of those days, drifting around, watching the blackbirds and evading the good missionaries (reading this i almost threw up, because it's a church's institution i have to attent to and by the way: isn't iggy pop god? i believe the Stooges, cuz I'ma runaway kid of the nuclear A-bomb!)

hiding in the library, i googled a bit and found Andrew Flood and Brian Oliver Sheppard, the printer ran wild and later, amongst the blackbirds, i found them a bit easier to read, so i started with them (Zerzan is a bit creepy?)

me poor old punk has to work against the system I was born into

do i sense a tendency here, mr. Bakunin vs. "the noble savage"?
i guess i do, but i have to finish it first, then do the zerzan/jensen too and think everything over again.

take a look at the latest official bavarian forestry damage report

where's the hint in this?
no fucking mysteries on a drifting saturday please!
and before i agree to anything, there will be questions!

[butcher]

Zerzan is a bit creepy?

not when you give him a soundtrack and a bit of a remix,
'property damage, property destruction, property damage, property destruction, property damage, property destruction, property damage, property destruction, property damage, property destruction, property damage, property destruction"

[gobbledigooks]

watching the blackbirds and evading the good missionaries (reading this i almost threw up, because it's a church's institution i have to attent to and by the way: isn't iggy pop god? i believe the Stooges, cuz I'ma runaway kid of the nuclear A-bomb!

So you got the missionaries, let's call for the anthropologists for the drop of cream on the cherry on the cake!
(don't complain, you asked for it - and no hiding in the library, that's where the anthros live!)
Being the atheist that I am, I call Iggy Pop's god - may be it would explain everything if I'm wrong & he is really...
Being the runawayz is not worse at all, getting lost is really worse...

Have to admit that I missed Andrew Flood somehow, but Brian Oliver Sheppard is a smart one - maybe a bit too much if you're just starting to make up your mind about the whole complex - gathering evidence comes first, explanations don't mean nothing if you don't know what a philosopher is talking about.

do i sense a tendency here, mr. Bakunin vs. "the noble savage"?

Shit, you caught me... so it's time for some shortcut-mystery:
Who are you, how do you live, what do you want and why do you want it - great final question: How do you get it?
Rousseaus idle dreams, the unease that threw up individualism and little boys extremism still have the same breeding ground today, Zerzan, Jensen and the rest of the little boy's bunch are as creepy as Rousseau was then.
The vid is a fine example, lots of genua 2001 "nature warriors smashing the system" - in reality:
many of them were hired provocateurs and cops in black bloc costumes, doin' a bit of "strategy of tension" to prevent the possible media success of a non-violent mass protest... what a fucking hype!

where's the hint in this?
no fucking mysteries on a drifting saturday please!

Where is the nature creepy Zerzan wants you to return to? - and don't forget: It's the official forestry damage report...

and before i agree to anything, there will be questions!

every day is a mystery and the blackbirds too - finding answers to your questions is your job!

Sum entertainment from Floyd Red Crow Westerman:
MISSIONARIES
Spread the word of your religions
Convert the whole world if you can
Kill and slaughter those who oppose you
Its worth it if you save one man

Take the land to build your churches
A sin to tax the house of god
Take the child while he is supple
Spoil the mind and spare the rod

Go and tell the savage native
That he must be christianised
Tell him end his heathen worship
And you will make him civilized

Shove your gospel, force your values
Down his throat until he’s raw
And after he is crippled
Turn your back and lock the door

Like an ever circling vulture
You descend upon your prey
Then you pick the soul to pieces
And you watch as it decays

‘Cause religion is big business
As your bank account will show
And Christ died to save all mankind
But that was long ago

Missionaries, missionaries go and leave us all alone
Take your white god to your white men
We’ve a God of our own


HERE COME THE ANTHROS
And the anthros still keep coming
Like death and taxes to our land;
To study their feathered freaks
With funded money in their hand.

Like a Sunday at the zoo
Their cameras click away -
Taking notes and tape recordings
Of all the animals at play.
Here come the anthros, better hide the past away.
Here come the anthros on another holiday.

And the anthros bring their friends
To see the circus, watch the show.
And when their pens run dry,
They pack their things and go.
But there's nothing left to study,
And there's nothing left to see
Still the anthros keep on searching
For the truth and for the key.
Here come the anthros, better hide the past away.
Here come the anthros on another holiday.

Then back they go to write their book
And tell the world there's more.
But there's nothing left to write
It's all been done before.
And not a cent of funded money
That the anthros get to spend
Is ever given to their
Disappearing feathered friends

Here come the anthros
Better hide your past away
Her come the antros
On another autumn day

And the anthors keep on diggin'
Our sacred ceremonial cite
As if there was nothing wrong
'Cause education gives them the right
But the more they keep on diggin'
the less they really see
'Cause they got no respect for you or me

Here come the anthros
Better hide your past away
Here come the antros
On another holiday

[Inna Rut]

:reggae: 'property damage, property destruction, property damage, property destruction, property damage, property destruction, property damage, property destruction, property damage, property destruction, property damage, property destruction"

Bit strange this one, quite a bit paranoid too, some time ago maybe i would have bought it... but now i would say "lured into..." instead of "terrorized..." and somehow this whole "domination/control" thing smells paranoid too, guess i need some more reading to get clear with that.

The vid is a fine example, lots of genua 2001 "nature warriors smashing the system" - in reality:
many of them were hired provocateurs and cops in black bloc costumes, doin' a bit of "strategy of tension" to prevent the possible media success of a non-violent mass protest... what a fucking hype!

i remember it dimly, my dad lost a number of theeth in a night raid on protesters sleeping in a school and he still gets hysterical fits from reports about the judicial aftermath, somewhere is a german documentation about the whole complott/hype in the net.

So you got the missionaries, let's call for the anthropologists for the drop of cream on the cherry on the cake!
(don't complain, you asked for it - and no hiding in the library, that's where the anthros live!)

this is the meanest, the most cynical and most perfidious attempt on my beleaguered being in the last 10 minutes!
let me guess: you are one of those eternally notes-scribbling social pedagogues/psychologist doing endless studies and demanding endless multiple-choice questionnaires to be filled out:
may Iggy Pop take you!

okay, we got the wise guys, the good missionaries and the human scientists... and rousseau, zerzan and jensen fleeing their own social milieus and making up a ragtag illusion to escape, without ever leaving their study room because they are busily writing books and don't want to miss their next meal. so far so bad.
i remember a bit about norbert elias theory on civilisation from years ago, maybe i get the whole story a bit clearer in comparison with his ideas about the factual constraints from being what you are in a certain civilisation.

Shit, you caught me... so it's time for some shortcut-mystery:
Who are you, how do you live, what do you want and why do you want it - great final question: How do you get it?

i think this one is already dealt with above, hope you don't think i will work it out in public, sorry, these times are over and floyd westerman says:

Still the anthros keep on searching
For the truth and for the key.
Here come the anthros, better hide the past away.

don't complain - you posted that!

Where is the nature creepy Zerzan wants you to return to? - and don't forget: It's the official forestry damage report...

okay, there is not much left to go to and while zerzan is having fun burning down mcdonalds i will die either because of an infection with fox tapeworm or after been bitten by a tick, or because the water i drink is full of pestizides and bacteria - or i will simply starve because there isn't much left of the wild life, only water rats, water rats are friends.
in other words: zerzan IS creepy and an idiot and it's time for some realistic solution, green party, green anarchism?

...for the drop of cream on the cherry on the cake!

i really hope your baked perfidy is finished, because i'm running out on hiding places! please!

[lil'apple]

i remember a bit about norbert elias theory on civilisation from years ago, maybe i get the whole story a bit clearer in comparison with his ideas about the factual constraints from being what you are in a certain civilisation.

be careful, elias has some interesting ideas, some almost convincing conclusions - but amongst other things he's completely unaware of native civilisations and counter-cultures in general. his view on civilisation is limited to the most prominent parts of it - from the middleclass upwards, but what about everything else, still making the larger part of a civilisation or society?
finally, he is no anarchist, so his theory lacks the view on sociological development under equality of all human beings, he never questiones the class system he is describing.

i really hope your baked perfidy is finished, because i'm running out on hiding places! please!

don't count on it, my favorite annoyance gobbledigook (kauderwelsch) is the mother of wickedness and underhandedness, eternal guerilla against sanity and decency and an ex-social-pedagogic student too - i guess we should drown him at the next...

[butcher]

:reggae: 'property damage, property destruction, property damage, property destruction, property damage, property destruction, property damage, property destruction, property damage, property destruction, property damage, property destruction"

Bit strange this one, quite a bit paranoid too, some time ago maybe i would have bought it... but now i would say "lured into..." instead of "terrorized..." and somehow this whole "domination/control" thing smells paranoid too, guess i need some more reading to get clear with that.

Sorry, I didn't post the video for its good politics, more to show how some sexy music and riot porn can make a dull, middle aged (and creepy?) crackademic look like a sex symbol.

Outside of the problem of this 'terrorised by consumption' discourse is the problem of arguing that Zerzan's writings were the ideological driving force behind the Genoa riots (well actually, the media assertion of Zerzan as leader was made following the Seattle riots, equally as wrong (though no doubt some were driven by primitivism), and had more to do with associating anarchism with a crackademic known in the media as a supporter of the Unabomber).