Democracy Now! Summary

Angelina Garcia

SOC 122 MW 3:30-4:45

3/16/14

Word Count: 456

 

            This week on Democracy Now! I watched and read about a story titled, “Caught in the Crossfire: U.S. – Mexico Border Militarization Threatens Way of Life for Native Tribe.” It is about the militarization of the U.S.- Mexico border and its effects on the Tohono O’odham Nation. The Tohono O’odham Nation, also known as the desert people, are 28,000 people who live on a reservation that encompasses both sides of the border. The reservation is about the size of the state of Connecticut and is federally recognized. The program begins with Amy Goodman introducing guests while on location in Flagstaff, Arizona. She introduces Alex Soto who is a member of the Tohono O’odham Nation, an organizer with O’odham Solidarity Across Borders, and a member of a hip-hop act called Shining Soul. Soto talks about how checkpoints, drones, and surveillance of the community are interfering with the traditional practices of the Tohono O’odham Nation; these things even prevent family and friends from seeing each other. He goes on to describe how the Tohono O’odham land is now divided between the U.S. and Mexico with vehicle barriers. Soto says, “I’ve seen the changes due to the current immigration policies that are acted out by the U.S. government. And now it’s to the point where we have vehicle barriers. But the current push for comprehensive immigration reform is now pushing towards a Berlin Wall-like scenario in my community right now.” He goes on to talk about his hip-hop music, describing it as being in the spirit of Public Enemy and NWA. Klee Benally is introduced and talks about his work with media and indigenous youth in a program called Outta Your Backpack Media Collective. The program ends with a mention of the documentary “A Thumbprint on Mother Earth.”

http://www.democracynow.org/2014/3/14/caught_in_the_crossfire_us_mexico

            The next story that I watched/read also featured Klee Benally. It was called “’A Slow Genocide of the People’: Uranium Mining Leaves Toxic Nuclear Legacy on Indigenous Land.” This article talks about the Diné tribe’s protest of the reopening of a mine six miles from the Grand Canyon. A company called Energy Fuels Resources is looking to reopen the mine for uranium mining; this mining could lead to the scarcity of water. Benally talks about the battle between the Diné and the corporate colonization of their resources. He says: “The geopolitics here are rooted in racism. They’re rooted in the corporate greed that we continue to face today.” Benally goes on to talk about the EPA’s failure to do any meaningful inventory on the threats of the toxic mines. He also talks about the climate change and its effect on the indigenous people. Caribou migrations and rising waters are having a negative effect on the native people, displacing people and depopulating villages.

http://www.democracynow.org/2014/3/14/a_slow_genocide_of_the_people