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Glen Cove Day 14 Update: Supporters requested Thursday-Friday!

by Dan Bacher
The Protect Glen Cove Commitee is encouraging people to show up at Sogarea Te Thursday and Friday to support the Native American occupation to protect the ancient burial site from desecration by the City of Valley and the Greater Vallejo Recreation District (GVRD).

Wounded Knee DeOcampo and the rest of the committee are also asking all of their supporters to please take a moment to send emails and letters to the Native American Heritage Commission, to make it clear to them that there is widespread support for our efforts to protect their ancestors at Glen Cove by preventing the current development plan from proceeding. Below are all of the details:

GVRD is not only still refusing to meet with the Protect Glen Cove Committee, they are also declining to sign the agreement produced from an initial meeting on April 18th, in which some basic understandings between GVRD and the Committee were established regarding the vigil at Sogorea Te, according to the Protect Glen Cove Committee.

*** DAY 14 UPDATE - Supporters requested Thursday-Friday

A contractor came by today who told us that his job is to paint a poison chemical treatment on the stumps of waterfront trees at Glen Cove, once the Atlas Tree Service cuts them down.

GVRD is not only still refusing to meet with the Protect Glen Cove Committee, they are also declining to sign the agreement produced from an initial meeting on April 18th, in which some basic understandings between GVRD and the Committee were established regarding the vigil at Sogorea Te.

Two weeks have passed now since the sacred fire was lit at Sogorea Te.

We continue to request the presence of anyone who will join us in prayer, and we are especially requesting that people stay with us throughout the coming two days, Thursday and Friday, as the threat of a possible court-ordered police action is looming.

Some current requests:
- AAA, AA and D size batteries, Socks, Sunglasses, Mountain Bikes, Cedar and Sweetgrass.
- Emails and letters to the Native American Heritage Commission (see next post)

Website updates
As promised, new photos have been posted from days 11-12:
http://protectglencove.org/photos/days-eleven-and-twelve/

Also, there is now a Spanish language page on the About Glen Cove website:
http://protectglencove.org/about/pagina-en-espanol/
More translated content coming soon.

*** DAY 13 UPDATE – April 26
Please send emails to the Native American Heritage Commission

Today the Protect Glen Cove Committee spoke with the Justice Department mediator, only to find that we are continuing to be shut out of discussion regarding Glen Cove, and all details are “confidential”. On Monday, the Mediator met with GVRD at the Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC) offices in Sacramento – without informing or discussing this change of venue with the committee. Our understanding was that meetings would take place in a neutral location, and the NAHC is far from neutral in this situation.

Wounded Knee DeOcampo and the rest of the committee are now asking all our supporters to please take a moment to send emails and letters to the Native American Heritage Commission, to make it clear to them that there is widespread support for our efforts to protect our ancestors at Glen Cove by preventing the current development plan from proceeding. We are also asking those who have previously sent letters and emails to GVRD/the City of Vallejo to forward them on to the NAHC.

Native American Heritage Commission
nahc [at] pacbell.net
(916) 653-4082

915 Capitol Mall, Room 364

Sacramento, CA 95814
*** Latest news/media:
Native News Network 4/27: Send Us Your Chief Approach Should Not Prevail at Sogorea Te
Times-Herald Editorial, 4/27: No Way, GVRD by J.T. Miller, Vallejo Resident
Vegan Reader, 4/27: Protect Glen Cove, A Sacred Native American Site
Examiner, 4/26: Glen Cove Native American rights defenders need ‘Superfood’
Indybay, 4/25: Protect Sogorea Te – let the ancestors rest in peace by Francisco Da Costa

*** A message from Knute

Knute, an elder of Saami descent who has been standing with us since Day 1, would like to share a message with our readers. He wants it known just how many different indigenous and earth peoples from all over the world have visited our spiritual gathering over these past two weeks, offering their prayers and solidarity. Indigenous peoples everywhere can recognize the pain of desecration, and the disrespect of being “unrecognized” by the government.

Many have heard our call and come out to Glen Cove to pay their respects, including people of Maori (New Zealand), Native Hawaiian, Negrito (Philippines), Lesotho (South Africa), Palestinian, Ethiopian, Inupiat (Alaska), Haida (British Colombia), Cree (Alberta), Saami (Scandinavia), Hopi (Arizona), Snohomish (Washington), Bolivian, Aquatine Basque, Okinawa (Japan), Mayan (Yucatan), Mixtec and Samoan descent. Knute wishes to again extend the invitation to all peoples who worship out of doors, to stand with us in honor of the ancestors.

Latest photos:
http://protectglencove.org/photos/days-eleven-and-twelve/

For more information and further updates:
http://protectglencove.org/
Re-bury Indians bones at Glen Cove Spiritual site?



Sent to opinion, iwidjojo, at Vallejo Times Herald April 27, 2011

Editors:
Why does the article on Earth Day by Ms Irma Widjojo, put tribal
members 'spiritual gathering' within single quote marks? That raises
the question that the motives behind the gathering is suspected to not
be spiritual --to be something else. What else is she implying? To me,
it feels disrespectful.

When I visit a graveyard, I often see clergymen blessing a coffin that
is to be buried accompanied by a gathering of people putting flowers,
praying and thinking about the passage to heaven of those family
members and friends--all of which is spiritual, is it not? As years
pass, people come back to pray and tend the graves. If Ms. Corrina
Gould, the spokesperson informs us and invites us to a spiritual
gathering at Glen Cove, please do not belittle her contribution.

Why not work towards bringing back the Indian bones stored at UC
Berkeley to re-bury them at sacred Glen Cove? Few burial sites are
left in the Bay Area. Nearby, a Cultural Remains education center
could serve to educate the public about the people who long ago held
spiritual gatherings there when they buried their loved ones.

Recall Vallejo history when an attempt was made by developers to
upzone the neighborhoods surrounding peaceful graveyards in Central
Vallejo. Gloria Exeline along with community spirited neighborhood
associations understood it could lead to developers pushing to
eliminate those graveyards which are the resting places of local folks
dating back to the Spanish American War. Some local community leaders
said "not over my dead body'..'not over the dead bodies of my
grandparents and great grandparents!' "Let them rest in peace...let us
visit the graves in OUR community--not at San Bruno, South San
Francisco etc.."

Community leader, Gloria Exeline passed away last year at 88. Gloria
always fought for the greater good in Vallejo, teaching, serving on
the School Board and notably as the Mayor of Vallejo. Were she alive
today, she would be standing with the Indian People Organized for Change at
Glen Cove!

The Indian People Organizing for Change is a legitimate group with years of
experience protecting the few remaining burial sites. They are working
with the US Federal government to legalize and regulate the re-burial
of bones that were robbed from the graves of native ancestors by the
pioneers, colonizers, university anthropologists, archaeologists in
'digs'.

Is it not now time for Vallejo leaders to honor ancestors--no more
bulldozing burial sites no more desecrations--instead collaborate to
reconcile past thefts..plan respectful reburials..let ALL ancestors
rest in peace?

Jennifer Mary Pearson, Ph.D.
Berkeley, CA 94709
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