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April 18 Press release
(from: The Sovereignty Project)

April 18 Press release (Montreal,Canada)

Let us all meet at the crossroads of change
Where red, white, black, yellow and brown unite
Let us meet at the crossroads of change
Where a better tomorrow begins...We are one people

Earth Mother hears you coming...

Peace.

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April 15 Kokomville Invitation

March 12 Press release

United Nations Press Release:

(United Nations press release, 18 April 2008, via Scoop, 19 April 2008) -- A group of independent United Nations human rights experts has lauded the endorsement given to a landmark declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples by the House of Commons in Canada -- one of four States that voted against its adoption in the General Assembly last year. In a statement issued today, the experts welcomed the motion adopted on 8 April by the House, regarding the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and relating to the call for Parliament and Government to fully implement its provisions. We are convinced that the standards and principles set forth in the Declaration will constitute a useful road-map for Canada's future laws and policies with regard to Aboriginal peoples, and will help improve their human rights situation," the experts said. "The Legislature's commitment to put the provisions of the UN Declaration into practice is a powerful sign for indigenous peoples in Canada and in other countries," they added. Adopted by the 192-member General Assembly last September, the Declaration outlines the rights of the world's estimated 370 million indigenous people and outlaws discrimination against them -- a move that followed more than two decades of debate. Canada, along with Australia, New Zealand and the United States, had voted against the non-binding text, which sets out rights to culture, identity, language, employment, health, education and other issues. The action by Canada's House of Commons is among recent steps taken by States to give effect to the Declaration, the group stated, noting that Bolivia and Ecuador recently gave legal force to the Declaration by enacting legislation. Similar initiatives are being discussed in other countries.

First Hand account of Signing Weekend

(written by SunBô)

Greetings of Peace to all my relations,

Last weekend, an event of historical and prophetic importance happened. To understand its meaning we have to know the working process that brought to this result. In 1992, 500 years after Colombus, the Natives of the Americas united to demand justice, after 500 years of resistance. It was the beginning of the changes. The zapatista uprisal in Chiappas marked the birth of the alter-globalist movement.

Rigoberta Menchu Tum rapatriated in Guatemala half a million mayan refugees, an action that made her earn the Nobel price for Peace. For the first time a Native received an international recognition and mention of honor. She started the works that made the UN adopt a temporary commission to study the situation of Indigenous peopleS worldwide. The UN declared 1993 the international year of the Indigenous peopleS, but since no result came out of the initiative, the Natives made the UN adopt a commission for a decade, from 1994 (year of the birth of the first white buffalo) to 2003. The purpose was to create a chart of the rights of Indigenous peopleS. The result presented by the UN in 2003 was refused by the Indigenous delegates, because the chart did not respect their demand. A prolongation of the commission was obtained during which the Indigenous wrote themselves the chart of their rights.

Last september the chart was presented to the general assembly of the UN and was refused only by four members: USA, Canada, Australia and New-Zealand. This means that all the other 192 States are ready to ratify it except these four governments. The Natives decided not to wait for the agreement of those States. Last weekend, over 500 Indigenous nations around the world, in Australia, in New-Zealand, in Asia, in the Pacific islands and in the Americas, gathered in sacred circles to sign their Declaration of sovereignty recognizing self-determination and as a natural and innate right given to all humans by the Creator and in this way to all the circles of the different nations composing the larger circle of humankind.

For this occasion I and others were invited to join our Anishnabe allies in the La Vérendrye park, for a three days ceremony. I am part of a team that was allowed to film this historic ceremony. There were representants of different communities, with the blessings of elders like William Commanda, who could not attend. A large round medicine lodge with a central fire was built. There was also a Mohawk and a couple of Tolteca shamans from Mexico, as well as non-Natives. The Rainbow Family, meaning the union of all colours of the great human Family, is considered as being part of this process of Earth's changes, since this Declaration of sovereignty and the chart of self-determination apply to all.

We were on Camatose hill, a high point at the center of the spiral formed by the Ottawa river at its sources. It turns almost three times on itself before flowing down to the capital Ottawa. The Natives decided to act before the government and the UN and to sign together their own Declaration of sovereignty. The ceremonies for the signature of the Declaration were on saturday and sunday on this Camatose hill. On monday, the deputies in Ottawa's parlament voted for a motion to change the government decision and agree to the terms of the UN Declaration of Indigenous rights.

Here is the outcome of a long politico-historical evolution. From a prophetic point of view, this event suggests the lighting up of the eighth sacred fire of the Anishnabe prophecy, which should be lit worldwide to mark the begining of a new era destined to bring peace and justice on Mother Earth.

This Declaration of sovereignty was signed worldwide in medicine circles, in a tribal and democratic way, showing the safest path towards our common future. It garantees freedom for everyone, but also recognizes everyones responsability towards the whole of the collectivity of humankind. So crimes against humanity and ecological disasters are the behaviors to get rid of to insure our common future. The official UN chart on its part protects basic human rights like self-determination against discrimation and recognizes native nations as equal to States. These steps are announcing a new world that is being born.

Gestures like this one will have consequences for future generations of an importance the human community will realize only long after we pass away. But as well as we have to understand our responsability towards the future generations, we have to realize our natural right to self-determination and Creator-given freedom from any State, government or any other human institution.

The UN is a centralized political power backed and financed by a few selected private interests. It has proved to be inefficient in maintaining peace and protecting the collective world heritage, because its members are not nations representing people, but governments of States representing political institutions, and they are not united in peace but divided and submitted in fear. The ones on the "security" council are the ones who pose the biggest threat to mankind with their weapons of mass destruction.

The tribal circles that have just declared their sovereignty from these States around the world are real nations representing peopleS and they are really united in the Spirit to bring world Peace and healing. This reality of tribal circles reuniting medicine persons and warriors of the Light to be sovereign by practicing self-determination and self-sufficient by working on our long term survival and cultivating our connection with Mother Earth, this vision foretold by ancient prophecies is manifesting clearer and clearer into reality. Those who are conscious of the coming planetary changes are actively preparing for it, according to the sacred and prophetic teachings of the ancients.

It is a great time to be alive! Peace on Earth to all... SunBô

First Hand account of Signing Weekend

(written by Anthony Pasquirello)

TORCH IS LIT AND DOOR IS OPEN

All:  She:kon:   I had to allow a few days to elapse before I was able to gather my thoughts sufficiently to relay what transpired at the historic signing of the Declaration on Sunday, April 20, 2008, on Camotose Hill, in Northern Quebec on the Algonquin traditional territory.  I request that you please not read this until you are able to set aside a few minutes to read (and perhaps burn some tobacco first).  First, to let everyone know that we received the blessings of many hundreds and thousands of humans across Mother Earth at the time of the signing.  Although no human is greater or lesser than another, a few who specifically provided blessings included William Commanda, 92 year old well-respected Algonquin Elder and visionary, someone closely associated with The 13 Grandmothers, whom many of you will recognize, Arvol Lookinghorse, 19th Generation Sacred Pipe Carrier, Lakota, Russell Means, Lakota (of Longest Walk fame), sent an e-mail of blessings and expressing his desire to sign as well, as did someone closely associated with the Dalai Lama (i presume the Dalai Lama was aware also through this person, although I have not confirmed this).  Of course, there were many others whom I will have forgotten in the aftermath of the incredible ceremony itself.

As for myself, I traveled 13 hours from New Jersey to get there, picking up a Mohawk Elder, Joe Thomson, along the way (from Akwesasne).  I was told that it would be cold (not higher than 50 degrees Fahrenheit) and that it would be raining.  Instead, we were met with temperatures in the 70’s and beautiful sunny skies.  The surrounding lakes were still frozen!  The Algonquin worked hard to prepare the site for the ceremony, making a clearing on the top of Camotose Hill, shoveling 2 feet of snow from the clearing and constructing an amazing circular “lean to” configuration, with a sacred fire pit in the center and the perimeter surrounding the fire and extending under the “lean to” covered with soft fir branches, which seemed like a cloud, green, soft and fragrant and warm to the bare foot.  The food preparation area was also amazing and the women who prepared the meals must be deeply acknowledged for their ability to feed the approximately 80 people who attended (there were more, but many came in and out as the days progressed), while still forming an integral part of the ceremony itself.  There were many children of all ages, including babies, toddlers and older.  I highly recommend the moose dishes, although everything was too delicious for words.  The half mile walk up the hill was quite muddy given the “melt” from the sudden and inordinate warmth, but rubber boots were provided for those without.

Saturday evening was a happy time of meeting new old friends, watching the children laugh and play, eating around the cooking fire, drinking coffee, and discussing the spiritual traditional ways with and among the Elders there and sharing Knowledge freely with each other and those younger and curious with that young fire.  On Sunday morning a sunrise ceremony was held (Jake allowed me to sleep through it because he must have understood how tired I was – although I would gladly have awoken to participate – Thank You Jake!).   Then they forced me to eat a delicious breakfast, with more talk all around.  A shaman from Mexico came to the ceremony, whose name is Francisco, along with his assistant, a beautiful woman whose name I am ashamed to say I do not remember at this time.  They somehow learned of the auspicious occasion and traveled all the way there, which is why they reminded me of the 3 Wise Men who traveled to Bethlehem when they heard the Christ would be born there 2008 years ago.  A number of rituals were performed that seemed to fit seamlessly into the ceremony itself.

On Sunday, as noon approached, the approximate time set aside for the signing, the question arose of who was to sign on behalf of the Algonquin.  Should it be one Elder to be selected?  Jake Wawatie alone?   A woman Elder as well?   2 Elders together?  3 Elders?  4 Elders?  It was decided that the Algonquin would hold a traditional governing circle to decide.  40 or so Algonquin sat around the sacred fire under the “lean-to” on the soft fir boughs, young and old, to decide in the traditional way.  Jake, as ceremonial leader, spoke first, with words that brought tears to his eyes and to the eyes of all present, talking about many things, but mostly about how important the Declaration is to the future of the children and the children’s children, how important it is to reconnect with Mother Earth, this being the only way to reconnect with the Creator, with the Great Reality, with The Great Mystery.  He told of how all will be lost unless unification is realized now.  Of course, this brief description cannot do honor to Jake’s words, which will resonate into the distant future for all time to come. 

Then Jake asked me to speak.  i did not originally expect to speak and certainly did not plan any words.  i cannot describe how terrified i felt at that moment when i stood in front of all these courageous people, people with such collective wisdom, with my limited but unshakeable understanding of the role they were playing at this peculiar and truly Prophetic time in human history.  i honestly cannot recall all my words, but there was such an energy in that circle at that time that it was impossible to not be overcome by emotion (as Jake had been – because I understood then what he was grappling with) and i recall having to pause several times to continue.  The words that I do recall, the words that stand out in my mind, concerned comparing the Declaration to a door that will be opened once the decision is made to sign it as a Nation (and/or as an individual human) and that by signing the Declaration, one walks through that door, that on the other side is the world of spirit that the Prophesies foretell, but that no one can know what is on the other side until one walks through the door.  As I stood in the center of that circle and I looked around, I became most focused on the young children there and when I saw a child, and especially the little girls, I saw the thousands of children that are within them, the thousands of humans to come.  They were all there at that moment, listening to each word and watching every movement.  Not 50 or 80 humans that day at that time, but 10s of thousands or 10s of millions.  The human spirit has been beaten down by the few and the greedy and the powerful who seek to use us for their own selfish gains.  They take a piece of our spirit by removing our connection to Mother Earth, by making us want more “stuff,” making us want to be like them.  They reach into our chest and rip out our spirit and do with it what they want and we allow them to.  We allow them to out of fear, out of a forgetting of the traditional ways, out of a forgetting of our connection to our Mother the Earth.  The worst part is that by allowing them to do this to us, we are allowing them to do this to the children also (and to all the generations that live within them right now).  It is as though we are building a cage around ourselves with imaginary bars that we create ourselves.  We build a cage around the children as well.  The spirits want to be freed from that cage.  The Creator wants us to be freed from that cage as was Promised long ago.  Just walk through that door and the cage disappears.  We do not have to allow them to confine our spirits any longer.  The day is here.  The door is open.

After I finished speaking, I was emotionally drained, but more alive than I have ever felt before.  Many Elders spoke after me, including Francisco, and including Mary, one of the respected woman Elders.  After the speaking was done, it was decided that all the Elders would sign and all lined up to sign on behalf of the Nation, to give birth to The One Nation, to light the torch.  Then the most amazing thing happened.  All the younger Algonquin lined up because they wanted to sign to, as individual humans, as Algonquin, as the first citizens of The One Nation, as examples to their children who looked on.  Then others signed, Native and Non-Native, humans freeing their spirits and breaking their cages.  Chuckie ran out of pages for signing.

Monday morning was another spiritual and emotional closing ceremony, actually and symbolically preparing a bundle representing Mother Earth and planting her anew in the soft dirt under the fir boughs not far from the Sacred Fire, which will now remain lit forever.   What happens from here?        The Creator knows.  We cannot.  I am guessing that we now must act as emissaries, as ambassadors for The One Nation, spreading the message to all Nations and people who will listen, to open the door for them, to pass the torch to them.  Given my experience with this initial signing, I certainly want to be at each signing to witness once again the Creator at work and at play.

Peace and Love,
Tony P.  (Onenkiwahi!)

Anthony J. Pasquariello, Esq.
Anthony J. Pasquariello & Associates, P.C.
305 E. Main Street
Rockaway, New Jersey 07866
(973) 784-4515 (phone and fax)(201)410-8253(cell)
TonyPLaw@optonline.net