Orchestrated censorship of Native news powerless to halt defenders
By Brenda Norrell
Indigenous Resistance
Photo 1 by Owiskawin, photo 2 by Akimel O'odham Youth Collective
The censorship of American Indian news in the United States is no accident. It is carefully orchestrated by acts of deception, distortion and omission. The bottom line is dollars, as revealed by following the money to the corporate core of the censors and contract spies in the media.
Regardless of the censorship, Native Americans continue to block fracking trucks and megaloads, continue to organize the fight against the Keystone XL pipeline and continue to defend the sacred.
Lakota Joye Braun was arrested on Wednesday as she attempted to block fracking trucks on Cheyenne River land in South Dakota. Regardless of a tribal law that prohibits the trucks, Braun spent the night in jail.
The struggle to protect the sacred continues in Arizona, where Akimel O’odham of Gila River Indian Community protested the planned South Mountain Loop 202 south of Phoenix.
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Gila River has said no three times. As recently as 2012 the Gila River Indian Community voted for the No Build option because Moadak (South Mountain) is a sacred site,” said Andrew Pedro of Sacaton. “No means No.”
Gila River has said no three times. As recently as 2012 the Gila River Indian Community voted for the No Build option because Moadak (South Mountain) is a sacred site,” said Andrew Pedro of Sacaton. “No means No.”
In Mexico during August, the Zapatistas in the stronghold of La Realidad, Chiapas, hosted the National Indigenous Congress.
SubGaleano, formerly known as Marcos, spoke at the concluding press conference, honoring those who have died since the struggle for dignity and autonomy began. During the gathering, SubGaleano and the Comandantes also sent a message of support to Palestine.
Meanwhile, Bolivia President Evo Morales continues to plan for the upcoming United Nations World Conference on Indigenous Peoples in New York. During the planning, the North American Caucus called for cancellation of the conference. However, grassroots Natives, who are not part of non-profits or any caucus, say they will have no voice at the gathering, Sept. 22 -- 23 in New York. Many grassroots Natives say their issues have been co-opted by well-funded non-profits of the UN.
As the conference approaches, President Morales spoke on capitalism and imperialism. "The best way to fight capitalism and imperialism is implementing the policies and experiences of the original indigenous peoples, such as living in community, in fellowship, in solidarity, in peace. That's the experience, plus harmony with Mother Earth," he told Telesur.
It comes as no surprise that so little of the news of Native Americans or Indigenous People is known in the United States, especially if one looks at the owners of the American Indian media.The owners of Indian Country Today Media Network, the Oneida Nation of New York, donated more than one quarter of a million dollars to the ultra-conservative Patriot Prosperity political action campaign this year. In fact, the Oneida Nation was the top donor this year.
Previously the top donor to Patriot Prosperity was Las Vegas casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and his wife Miriam. Sheldon is owner of a daily Israeli newspaper and the 10th richest person in the world. The couple owns Adelson Drug Clinic.
Meanwhile, the owners of another national Indian news outlet, Ho Chunk, Inc., which owns the Indian news website indianz.com received an $80 million contract from the US State Department for domestic and international spying this year. The contract was awarded to Ho Chunk Inc.'s All Native subsidiary. A second contract gives them an office at the Pentagon in 2014. Ho Chunk Inc. is owned by the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska and its subsidiaries work in Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Iraq.
Further, national Native American news in the United States has become widespread deception and plagiarism. Instead of reporters actually going out and covering news stories, reporters routinely stay home and plagiarize the news that is online. They rewrite it, and often disguise it with a brief telephone interview, and finish it off with a stolen photo from the Internet.
Meanwhile, the Associated Press and mainstream news outlets usually take a different approach, focusing on corrupt tribal politicians, while failing to be present and interview Natives living on the land on the issues that really matter for future generations.
Read more: National Indian news owned by patriots and spies
Lakota woman arrested blocking fracking trucks
Akimel O’odham protest desecration by proposed South Mountain Loop
Words of SubGaleano on Palestine, Israel and the media
Brenda Norrell has been a reporter in Indian country for 32 years, beginning as a reporter for Navajo Times. After serving as a longtime staff reporter for Indian Country Today, she was censored and terminated in 2006 and created Censored News, with no advertising, grants or funding. Today, Indigenous Resistance carries forward the work of Censored News.
To repost this article, contact brendanorrell@gmail.com
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