US prepares to seize lands for border wall in TX

[kat swift]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Lydia Howell <lho...@visi.com>
Date: Jan 7, 2008 11:33 AM
Subject: TX INDIGENOUS LAND-OWNERS v. DHS Border Wall Land-grab


  Indigenous land owners in Texas plea for immediate intervention, US
prepares to seize lands for border wall
  by Margo Tamex (via Brenda Norrell)
Saturday, 05 January 2008
ATLANTIC FREE PRESS


http://www.atlanticfreepress.com/index.php?option=3Dcom_content&task=3Dview=
&id=3D3188&Itemid=3D81

     Homeland Security has issued a 30-day notice to south Texas land

owners, expiring Monday, January 7, 2007, to seize private lands in
Texas for the border wall. Lipan Apache issue a call for help.

This is a request for immediate intervention on behalf of indigenous
land title holders of the rancheria of El Calaboz, La Paloma, and El

Ranchito in South Texas. I am writing to you this evening as the
indigenous peoples of El Calaboz, La Paloma and El Ranchito rancherias
in South Texas express grave fear for their safety, their livelihoods,
and being ripped violently apart from our sacred lands held in our

communities prior to contact with Spanish settlers and empresarios, and
thereafter, in continuity.

Elders, such as Eloisa Garcia Tamez, and others in our communities
threatened with Eminent Domain, by the Department of Homeland Security

and carried out by Secretary Chertoff, have authorized me to request
immediate emergency intervention from the International Indian Treaty
Council at this time.

The 30 day period which Chertoff forced upon the threatened communities

will expire on January 7, 2008. Today, an emergency national conference
call was held to address key concerns of the South Texas independent
indigenous rancherias whose lands are not only physically on the
International Boundary (IB), but also whose traditional and titled lands

(by Spanish, Mexican Republic and Texas Republic title) are dissected by
the IB and are also in Tamaulipas, Mexico. We are communities of both
indigenous Hleh pai nde' =97 the Light Gray People, the independent Lipan

Apache of the San Pedro de Carricitos Land Grant of 1786. As well we are
communities of Basque-Nde' and Basque-Comanche peoples who are the First
Peoples of the contact period after 1745 when Basque laborers toiled

under harsh conditions and mixed in with the indigenous of the region to
survive colonial mission, presidio, hacendado and empresario rulers.

Today the impacted communities of South Texas held a conference call

with allies from Tohono O'odham, Yaqui, Jumano Apache, as well as a team
of committed civil and human rights attorneys, land grant attorneys,
human rights attorneys, activist organizations, and academic
activist-scholars from the University of Texas system. We heard the

voices of the first impacted communities of this horrendous 'border
security project' =97 the voices of mothers, daughters, uncles, fathers,
and grandparents whose lives and lands are currently under threat of

eminent occupation on January 7, 2008.

Tonight, my mother, Eloisa Garcia Tamez, expressed to me that more and
more elders are giving up =97 and considering surrendering to Secretary
Chertoff, due to their advanced age, their sense of hopelessness,

isolation and extreme fear of an impending sense of doom which the
national media churns out daily on the television and papers =97
militarized violence.

This fear is not unfounded. Our community is all too familiar with

militarization, as we are a hyper-militarized and occupied region.

My mother, tonight, fearfully recalled to me the reason why she believes
some elders will surrender and sign the waiver which will forcibly

relocate them. In the mid 1930's the army came to build the so-called
'secure levee' =97 which was forced upon the community. At that time the
army constructed a dangerous levee system, against wishes of the the

traditional indigenous farmers =97 my great grand parents and grand
parents, grand uncles and grand aunts included. At that time, they
forced a massive destruction of the traditional fields, and flooded our
all of our families to the south of us. Women, children and elders were

flooded out and vanished horrifically =97 a dramatic display of
hyper-militarized power to dominate through terror, and bring my
ancestors under the authority of the U.S. Army.

My mother retold me, tonight, that she remembers how during this time

period the U.S. Army and Border Patrol ran their vehicles into the front
doors of the small jacals (traditional shelters, or 'gowas' =97 wickiups)
and how she ran and ran ... in fear of being run over and killed and

seeing her family destroyed. She recounted how they burst open doors and
forced their way in the homes and how she hid under the bed as the
soldiers destroyed everything in their maniacal rampages against the

indigenous. Thus, tonight, the elders, who were also vulnerable teens
and young children at that time =97 again =97 specifically regarding the
trauma associated with the U.S. Army Engineers' 'levee', are all too

cognizant of the subversive ways of the U.S. government, forced
occupation and militarized terror tactics. They fear that none will ever
know that it will happen again =97 because the level of policing and
Marshall law at the 
I.B. is so hyper militarized, so naturalized and so
normalized that no one would even blink an eye if they are all overrun
again.

Therefore, as the days draw close to the January 7 deadline, more elders
who are sick, exhausted and overstressed by the national terror being

focused upon the small and defenseless rancherias =97 are talking about
surrendering.

We empathize with them and are encouraging them through our voices and
prayers. However, my mother and many others, are gaining strength and

productive structures to express and organize their outrage and sense of
justice =97 from the national and international support pouring into us.
We are firmly committed to the longer struggle for justice.


Our community has fought hand to hand with U.S. soldiers in prior waves
of empire, and we will not, as my mother says, ever surrender. My mother
gave me permission tonight to go forward and to request formally that

the IITC step in on our behalf and respond with immediate intervention,
for this is a struggle that is inclusive, and foregrounds an indigenous
democracy =97 one that is horizontal and far-reaching. At this time, we

invite you to join the Working Group.

The Working Group is holding a national press conference telephonic call
on Monday, January 7, 2006.

We will keep you advised of further details regarding the legal and

political defense of the land title holders of El Calaboz rancheria.

Respectfully, Margo Tamez

---end forwarded message---
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kat swift
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