The struggle for Indigenous sovereignty and immigrant rights

A multinational crowd packed the Boston Workers World office on Nov. 18 for a meeting on the struggle for Indigenous sovereignty and human rights. This important meeting was held at a crucial time, less than a week before the 37th National Day of Mourning in Plymouth and only two weeks before the Boston Rosa Parks Human Rights Day rally and march on Dec. 1.

Speakers and organizers at Boston meeting. Discussion focused on ties between Indigenous peoples and today’s immigrants. WW photo: Steve Gillis

The featured speaker was Mahtowin Munro, co-leader of United American Indians of New England (UAINE). Denouncing the racist vigilante Minutemen as well as the proposed wall of death along the border with Mexico, Mahtowin gave a detailed overview of the history of immigration in North America, starting with the first and only truly illegal immigrants—the Europeans who started their invasion in 1492.

Robert Traynham of USWA 8751, Boston School Bus Drivers, chaired the meeting. Traynham recalled the system of segregation and Ku Klux Klan attacks that he experienced growing up as an African-American in West Virginia.

Clemencia Lee, a leader of the Boston Rosa Parks Human Rights Day Committee and a member of the Boston Teachers Union, provided an update on the organizing for the Dec. 1 action. She focused on the successful street outreach that had taken place earlier in the day, where young people they met on the street were excited about taking part in a day honoring Rosa Parks.

Lee also announced that two of Rosa Park’s nieces have accepted an invitation to come to Boston to speak at Dec.1 and to tour local schools, churches and visit community organizations.

Four Salvadorans working at Harvard University, who are members of the Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers, told of their determination to fight against the unjust and racist plans to lay them off. The workers, animal technicians at Harvard’s Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology (MVB), discussed the long history of racism at Harvard University.

Latin@ workers make up approximately 70 percent of the animal technician staff and are routinely denied opportunities for advancement and training. Management told these workers that even though they have seniority, they will lose their jobs because of automation and insufficient proficiency in English.

Latin@ workers have been subjected to the most vile forms of racism, ranging from a prohibition on the use of Spanish at the workplace to segregated meetings and functions. Recently, a white manager sprayed household cleaner on the food of some of the Latin@ workers claiming she did not like the smell.

Sara Mokuria, representing the Committee for Justice for Hector Rivas, gave an update on this important struggle for safe working conditions. She announced that, as a result of the hard work of the committee, some members of the Boston City Council have called for a public hearing on Dec. 4 to look into the death of Héctor Rivas as well as the overall safety of the Boston School Bus fleet.

Agustín Herrera of Voices of Liberation, a radical youth organization, spoke about the struggle for immigrant rights. Herrera mentioned that 3,600 immigrants have died in the desert near San Diego since the start of “Operation Gatekeeper” in 1994. Herrera pointed out that youth are dying in the streets of Boston as a result of the same system that oppresses and exploits undocumented immigrants.

An educator, Herrera spoke of the way that the education system is used to facilitate oppression by not teaching the true history of the U.S. Herrera called for everyone to do everything possible to support the struggle in Oaxaca, Mexico. He closed by stating, “No Justice, no peace; there is no justice on stolen land.”

Moonanum James, co-leader of United American Indians of New England (UAINE), gave a spirited and well-received overview of the history of the National Day of Mourning (NDOM).

National Day of Mourning

James spoke of how in 1970 his father, Wamsutta Frank James, was asked to give a speech at a state-sponsored banquet commemorating the 350th anniversary of the landing of the pilgrims. When the organizers read his speech, which gave the true history of the pilgrims, they immediately disinvited him. Instead, Wamsutta Frank James spoke in front of several hundred Native Americans and their supporters in Plymouth, Mass., at the first NDOM (the full text of the speech can be found at www.uaine.org).

Moonanum James related various NDOM stories, ranging from the burying of “Plymouth rock” to the 1997 police attack on the march in which 25 people were arrested. James stated that once again this year’s NDOM will be dedicated to Leonard Peltier, the Native-American leader who has been unjustly imprisoned since 1976.