Saturday, May 17, 2008
Self Reliance
The UN Human Rights Council is a state-oriented body housed in a state-oriented institution. And even though the Human Rights Council’s own reports acknowledge the complicity of member states and transnational corporations in perpetrating the worst human rights abuses in the world today, depending on state-oriented governance structures (like the UN) to challenge these First World abusers is illogical. Self-reliance is indeed a much more dependable approach for Fourth World nations in resolving grievances over land and bigotry.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Spirit of Reconciliation
I was remarking the other day to a friend how odd it was that there are no tribal colleges in California, despite the fact it has the largest Native American population in the United States. Part of this, no doubt, has to do with the devastating effect of greed exemplified by the Gold Rush and other forms of forced displacement (like Yosemite National Park) that made many California Indians homeless refugees.
But the tragic undermining of California's indigenous cultures that might have given rise to such things as colleges precedes the American settlers and governments in the form of the Spanish missions, in which a recent article revealed Catholic church records that documented atrocities rivaling Nazi forced-labor death camps. The inter-generational community trauma of this system of conquest by the Dominican and Franciscan orders must have had lasting impacts on California's indigenous society.
Returning to the present, it would seem that the beneficiaries of the indigenous wealth usurped by the Catholic Church, the State of California, and the United States of America might want to see some degree of restitution begun in a spirit of reconciliation. Perhaps a joint effort to establish a tribally owned, designed, and managed institution of higher education would be a good initial step in that process.
But the tragic undermining of California's indigenous cultures that might have given rise to such things as colleges precedes the American settlers and governments in the form of the Spanish missions, in which a recent article revealed Catholic church records that documented atrocities rivaling Nazi forced-labor death camps. The inter-generational community trauma of this system of conquest by the Dominican and Franciscan orders must have had lasting impacts on California's indigenous society.
Returning to the present, it would seem that the beneficiaries of the indigenous wealth usurped by the Catholic Church, the State of California, and the United States of America might want to see some degree of restitution begun in a spirit of reconciliation. Perhaps a joint effort to establish a tribally owned, designed, and managed institution of higher education would be a good initial step in that process.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Injustice at Justice
Readers might recall a year ago the purge of US Attorneys by the Department of Justice. In today's article, Indian Country Today notes that five of the eight fired were active members of the DOJ Native American Issues Subcommittee, and were known as strong advocates for legal justice on reservations.
John Dossett, general counsel for the National Congress of American Indians, said, ''We've never really been given a reason why so many people who were so strong on Indian legal issues were let go.''
In September, the United States was one of four countries in the world to oppose the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Maybe these events are in some way related.
John Dossett, general counsel for the National Congress of American Indians, said, ''We've never really been given a reason why so many people who were so strong on Indian legal issues were let go.''
In September, the United States was one of four countries in the world to oppose the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Maybe these events are in some way related.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Quakers v Torture
American Friends Service Committee holds conference to abolish solitary confinement in US prisons. As a form of torture under international law, isolation units in US prisons are used primarily to remove the mentally ill from prison populations--not to control inmate violence.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Inherently Evil
Modern states are not benign institutions. Indeed, they were formed for the express purpose of concentrating political power. Over the last few centuries, this form of social organization has proven adept at coercion, domination, and warfare. In fact, this consolidation of power to plunder and pillage -- sometimes worldwide -- is precisely why indigenous nations, all along, have opposed both the form and the process of the modern state as inherently evil. Evil in the sense that power corrupts, and thus must be dispersed widely in order to prevent community harm.
With the advent of widespread economic and environmental crises brought on by policies and practices of modern states and transnational corporations working in tandem, the effectiveness (let alone morality) of the modern state is now called into question.
At the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Nations this week, indigenous delegates discussed methods for implementing the 2007 Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, at all levels of governance and society. Part of that strategy includes building a record of grievances -- something long neglected by modern states, corporations, and mass media -- in order to make this human rights agenda part of everyday discussions worldwide. In this way, people of conscience -- indigenous or otherwise -- can take a stand in solidarity with aboriginal peoples, and help them to finally disperse the power they warned us about long ago.
With the advent of widespread economic and environmental crises brought on by policies and practices of modern states and transnational corporations working in tandem, the effectiveness (let alone morality) of the modern state is now called into question.
At the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Nations this week, indigenous delegates discussed methods for implementing the 2007 Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, at all levels of governance and society. Part of that strategy includes building a record of grievances -- something long neglected by modern states, corporations, and mass media -- in order to make this human rights agenda part of everyday discussions worldwide. In this way, people of conscience -- indigenous or otherwise -- can take a stand in solidarity with aboriginal peoples, and help them to finally disperse the power they warned us about long ago.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Killer Coal
Tom Dispatch clarifies the climate change crisis: live simply or die--now. No new coal-fired plants, no more gas guzzlers; trains, not planes. And we have two years to change, or it's all over. After that it's Mad Max.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Southern Cousin
I bumped into this Southern cousin two years ago. It seemed like a good day to introduce her as well.
Hi Jay,
I appreciate the trouble you went to in finding me. As I said
before I stumbled on the "Spartacus O'Neal" site and didn't
understand that "Jay Taber" was who I was looking for. I apologize.
Anyway, greetings to you. I'm always pleased to meet relatives and
meeting one from the "O'Neal" lineage is a first.
As for my research, I'm currently involved in the quite painful
process of finding my grandmothers. As you most likely know
women weren't stated on census' (or much of anything) before 1850
so I'm plugging along the "digging process". By the way, I didn't
have the ship list. Thanks! My O'Neal research has been stagnant
due to lack of info on my Grandmother Thana Dickey who married James
Benton O'Neal, brother to William, your ancestor. They married
sisters, Thana and Suzanna Dickey. I've a digital picture of
Suzanna's tombstone taken last Sept. in Ms. if you'd like me to send
it to you. I've family there still and enjoy a visit now and then.
Again, I appreciate you searching me out and I enjoyed your lineage
articles especially "Living with Ghosts". It's how I feel also. If
you've any info that you'd like to share it would be greatly
appreciated. Nice to meet you!
TeresaSurprise Descendant
This letter came in last summer, and is definitely from a long lost cousin. The connections are starting to come together.
Through googling the name "Shane O'Neal," I found your "Tir Eoghan" comments of March 10, 2006. It was a nice surprise to read about another descendant of the O'Neals.My family believes John and Margaret O'Neal arrived in Charleston in February 1768 with five children, including a baby of less than a year, not listed in the passenger records. Her name was "Amy," and she married my g-g-g-g-grandfather. By 1790, they had moved to Georgia and eventually settled in Bulloch County with their four children. In the next three generations, we have several instances of the names John, Margaret, Jane, and Alice.Recently, I found Vivian Davis Bornemann's "Hy-Niall Encyclopedia" and learned that a branch of the O'Neal family migrated to Mississippi. I'm guessing this branch is yours.It was interesting, also, to read that your mother and her sister have black hair and dark eyes. My son, one of my first cousins, and I all share these characteristics.Victoria
Privileged and Proud
Somehow I missed this comment last summer, but since it comprises the first contact from kin in Ireland, I'm reprinting it
verbatim. FYI, Art and Hugh were notable Gaelic leaders 400 hundred years ago, and Dungannon was their political headquarters.
(In 1768, my family arrived in the colony of South Carolina on the brig Dungannon.)Hi Spartacus O'Neill,
Time, energies and finance were against me, but I tried searching a few years ago, inspired by the fact that the late
John "Dean" Quinn of Dungannon told my late father, that we were desecended from Turlough MacAirt og O'Neill. The
name MacAirt being anglicised into "Arthur's son" and then Arthurs.
John "Dean" Quinn, was Dean of Dungannon in the late 60's early 70's. An Irish Scholar, and as Vicar Capitular and
Vicar General of the Arc-Diocese of Dungannon, was the right hand man of the Cardinal.
Coincidence not, we have direct official tracing of our family tree back to early 1800's, always in Donaghmore
Parish area's of Drumbearn and Dernaseer (outside Dungannon). This is a few miles from Carnteel, as the crow flies.
I still live in Dungannon. Dean Quinn said, our surname in Irish i.e "MacAirt", was the source of and determining
factor for his interest and his results.
If any of you wish to close a few gaps, on this for me, please do. Or similarly, if you would like to dispell this,
pls feel free.
Many Thanks !!!
p.s. the Castle Hill in Dungannon was re-openned to the public, as of last weekend, Friday the 7th Sept 2007.
You literally can see ALL of Ulster laid out in front of you for 60 miles 360 degrees. e.g. as far as the Cooley
Mountains in Louth.
The town partied all weekend, and Irish Music was once again heard from the top of the hill, at Hugh's birth-place.
We all feel very privileged and proud.
Caomhghin Mac Airt | 09.16.07 - 10:05 am
