From: nyt%nyxfer%igc.apc.org@MIZZOU1.missouri.edu (NY Transfer News)
Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive
Subject: Thousands march in solidarity with native struggle /ww
Date: 16 Oct 92 20:44:21 GMT
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Organization: The NY Transfer News Service
Originator: daemon@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Resent-From: "Rich Winkel" <MATHRICH@MIZZOU1.missouri.edu>

Thousands march in solidarity with native struggle

BY BRENDA SANDBURG
San Francisco

Native Americans led 7,000 people on a march through San
Francisco Oct. 11 to celebrate 500 years of resistance against
genocide and oppression of indigenous people. The march was the
largest of many activities held throughout the U.S. to protest
the 500th anniversary of Columbus' arrival on the continent.

Native people came to the demonstration from all over the West
Coast and Pacific Islands, including vanloads of Indians from
Bozeman, Mont., and Bellingham, Wash.

San Francisco was the official U.S. site of the 1992 Columbus
quincentennial. The city originally intended to have a gala
celebration culminating in a landing by replicas of Columbus'
three ships. That fell through, so they planned a reenactment of
Columbus' landing with a man dressed as the explorer.

`COLUMBUS' IS TURNED BACK

Before the march, thousands of people led by the American Indian
Movement rallied in Aquatic Park ready to prevent the landing.
The "Peace Navy," a group of progressives on sailboats, blocked
the entrance to Aquatic Park with several boats roped together.
"Columbus" had to turn back.

Speaking at Aquatic Park, Garr Tavai-Fiatoa, a Somoan, called for
the city to turn the Presidio military base, which is scheduled
to be closed down, into a Native American university for all
nations. A bill (HR 1690) has been introduced in Congress to
create such a university on the Presidio.

After the march started, a small group split off and disrupted
the city's Columbus Day parade. Forty people were arrested.

Sponsored by the American Indian Movement and the All-Peoples
Congress, the march concluded with a rally at the civic center.
Bobby Castillo of AIM and Gloria LaRiva of APC co-chaired the
rally, which opened with a prayer by Indian leader Richard Moose
Camp.

La Riva took on the argument that the demonstrations were somehow
anti-Italian. "They're not anti-Italian. They're against the
French, Italian and British ruling classes who, along with the
U.S., want to re-assert colonialism in the new world order." She
said if the government wanted to honor an Italian, "why not Sacco
and Vanzetti? They were Italian immigrants executed for fighting
the U.S. government."

The rally called for the release of AIM leader Leonard Peltier
and Jeronimo Jijaga Pratt of the Black Panther Party.

Dolores Huerta of the United Farm Workers told the rally of many
marches being held throughout South America, Central America and
Mexico in protest of Columbus and all he represents.

All-Peoples Congress member Azania Howse, an African American
reservist who resisted during the Gulf War, said the history
books "romanticize lies and turn villains into heroes. What
children read is a validation of slavery and colonialism."

Pierre LaBossiere, Bay Area Haitian American Council, sent
greetings from the Haitian people. He told the rally that 15
years after Columbus landed in Haiti, the indigenous population
had been reduced from one million to 50,000. Many Africans were
then shipped to Haiti as slaves. In 1791 they rebelled against
the French and formed an independent country.

Two women from the squatter movement in Genoa, Italy, gave a
message of solidarity. The "past 500 years have meant genocide
and oppression for indigenous people and also for poor workers
and people of color worldwide," said one. Christopher Columbus is
"a symbol" that has been used to "glorify a worldwide political
system based on imperialism."

Other speakers at the rally included Mosala Mosegomi of the
African National Congress; Erna Pahe, Gay American Indians; Joe
Stutz Killright, Jr., whose father was killed at Pine Ridge
Reservation in 1975; Susan Welch of the U.S.-Cuba Friendshipment
Caravan; Puksu Igualikinya, a representative of the Kuna Indians
of Panama; Maria Sanchez from the Movimiento de Liberacion
Nacional; Elias Rashmawi of the Palestine Arab Center; and Luis
Talamantez, Pelican Bay Information Committee and one of the San
Quentin Six. The Andean music group Kashwa and the hip-hop group
FM20 performed at the rally.

(Copyright Workers World Service: Permission to reprint granted
if source is cited. For more info contact Workers World, 46 W. 21
St., New York, NY 10010; "workers" on PeaceNet; on Internet:
"workers@mcimail.com".

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