CUAUHYOTL ABYA YALA
MIN- Mexico (English)
Indigenous Peoples will constitute: Original Peoples in Peaceful Civil resistance. The Yaqui Tribe denounces the governor of Sonora and the president of the republic of Mexico, in denunciation of the greatest pillaging of waters of the Rio Yaqui in history. Pueblo of Vicam; Sonora, Mexico; Territory of the Yaqui Tribe August 31, 2011. TO ALL THE PEOPLES OF THE PLANET TO ALL HUMANITY TO ALL THE PEOPLES OF MEXICO ALL OUR RELATIVES OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES TO ALL WHO STRUGGLE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE
At this moment on Mexican soil, in the State of Sonora and in violation of the Yaqui territory, the greatest criminal robbery is being perpetrated against the Yaqui Tribe which is gravely threatening community food production – a situation derived from the criminal act to deny our ancestral right as the Pueblo Yaqui to the use of flow from the Rio Yaqui. Countless actions orchestrated by the President Felipe Calderón and Governor Guillermo Padrés Elías, have fomented one of the longest wars in the history of Mexico against the indigenous peoples and specifically against our Pueblo Yaqui. The intent is to build the aqueduct badly named "Independence" in order to take water from the Novillo Dam, one of the intermediate systems of the Yaqui River Basin that includes the dams "La Angostura" and "Oviachic." These projects flagrantly violate established judicial rules that provide protection for the constitutional guarantees of our community.
Other violations include the order for 'precautionary urgent protection' instructed by an agrarian court in support of the Yaqui tribe and in affirmation of the demand for return of water rights; an injunction filed by the farmers of the Yaqui Valley against the bidding process for the aqueduct, due to the fact that on August 14 of this year, a district court decision later ratified by a collegiate court, ordered to stop construction of these projects. In response, the governor, contrary to the court instructions says to those who will listen and in the media that 'nobody will stop the project'. This shows conclusively that the governor Guillermo Padrés Elías is in contempt of court.
Because of these acts of contempt of court and abuse of authority demonstrated by the misrule of the state, just a few days ago the Eighth District Judge, granted a deadline of 24 hours to the superior state government to stop construction of the Independence aqueduct and restore the rule of law which has been violated or otherwise face the use the public force. The response from the governor, documented in the media, was the repeatedly used phrase: "Nothing nor no one shall stop the construction of the Independence Aqueduct." At the same time, the orders have been given to implement dilatory tactics in order to postpone acknowledgement of the denunciations for as long as possible and of course, as of now the officials cannot be found in their offices.
Therefore, the Mexican state is exposed to global public opinion, specifically Felipe Calderón, Guillermo Padrés Elías, as instruments of the economic power of foreign companies, to whom they have become obliged to violate and disregard the laws of Mexico, and the international conventions and treaties of Mexico, such as Convention 169 of the ILO, an international instrument that we invoke in our capacity as traditional authorities, opposing the environmental impact statement which was approved by SEMARNAT (Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources) and the official secretary in charge and the Director the National Water Commission, José Luis Lugue Carmargo, who are clearly violating the third generation law on human rights, which protects the indigenous right to work and development. In the case of SEMARNAT, there was suit filed in the tenth court for a restraining order which was granted, however, this record has been lost. Just like that, an injunction is lost in the issuing court.
This is a mockery that offends the intelligence of our people and the puts public institutions in a position of serious legal jeopardy. Under these conditions of low intensity warfare, and once again in cahoots the Mexican government and the state government of Sonora are serving as instruments in the interest of big business and transnational corporations, intending to commit the most enormous hijacking in history by stealing our water, a world heritage, a good of the nation which by presidential decree of 1940, was awarded to the Yaqui as a right of usufruct. The governor, acting in contempt, has mutated the executive power of the state to serve as an instrument of the economic powers that would adversely affect the basic community resources for the development and production of food, with the result of changing the natural relationship with the waterways, from that of a vital liquid asset of humanity to a private commodity subject to the rules of the speculative markets.
We do not agree that this be so, for our survival as a tribe and Original Nation of these lands is in grave danger.
That is why the Yaqui tribe and civil society from seven municipalities in the state of Sonora represented in their different organizations, demand respect for the law and the rule of law, and now constitute ourselves in a civilian force to stop and dismantle the pipeline through the process of denunciation, civil resistance and peaceful civil disobedience, in order to prevent the commission of acts of injustice at a scale committed unequaled in recent history. We have lived through 500 years of resistance, and now when the pact with the federal government and our tribe is seriously threatened, we therefore hold accountable the Mexican Federal Government and the and state government of Sonora, should there occur any act of violence against our traditional authorities or members of our Original Nation.
In our capacity as traditional authorities of the Yaqui Tribe of Vicam and Potam, serving as the First and Second Traditional Authorities respectively, and as instructed by our plenary assembly, we will not allow that further injustices against our people be repeated, we assert our right of Indigenous Peoples historically in these arid regions, and our defend our historic rights. The same rights which for over 2,000 years we have been defending, first against colonialism and now against federal and state authorities that only answer with notices published in the local media regarding the progress of the work on the project, distorting the obligation we all should hold in common, to abide by the law. If the Governor of Sonora violates the constitution, the only standing instrument of social incorporation, then: what can we do to assert our rights to turn if Padrés Elías insists on violating a judicial investigation?
In plenary assembly, the Yaqui Tribe DEMANDS the suspending of the aqueduct INDEPENDENCE immediately, and instructs our traditional authorities to constitute at the HEAD OF A PEACEFUL CIVIL MOVEMENT THAT SHALL TAKE THE NECESSARY ACTIONS TO ACHIEVE THE SUSPENSION AND DISMANTLING OF AQUEDUCT PROJECT "INDEPENDENCIA"
LET IT BE KNOWN that every member of the Yaqui tribe is DEDICATED TO DEFENDING THE LAND AND WATERS.
We call to our Indigenous Relatives, to the Journalists and the Media, to the Unions and to the Free Laborers, to the Citizens of Conscience, to the professional, to our respected Elders, Women, Teachers and Students, to the Employers and Entrepreneurs, that they may be attentive to our movement, which only means to defend what rightfully belongs to us. Since before the Christian Era, our Yaqui Tribe has inhabited the Yaqui Valley. This is our argument. Reason and law support our actions.
“The Struggle for Autonomy and Self-Determination is an indispensible position of the Yaqui Tribe.”
"Never again a Mexico without us."
Sincerely,
Traditional Authorities of the Yaqui tribe
Note:
For reports stay tuned for our actions, all to be inscribed in the Right to Free and peaceful Social Protest, as is also supported by the constitution of the United Mexican States.
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Movimiento Indigena Nacional (MIN)
The PACT of TLÁLHUAC
October 13, 2010
Mexico
TO THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF MEXICO
TO THE NATIONAL SOCIETY
TO THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD
TO THE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Gathered in the center of Tlálhuac (island of evaporated earth) with the spiritual strength of the Zapotec Peoples, the Wirarika, Ñhañus, Maya, Tének, Yaqui, Purhépecha, Nahua, Na Savi, Matlazinca, Mazahuas, Tlapanecos-Mepahas ... during days of October 11, 12 and 13, in the context of Day of Dignity and Indigenous Resistance, as part of the agreements of the National Indigenous Forum held on September 15 in Mexico City, convened by the Union of the Indigenous and Campesino Front (UFIC) and the National Indigenous Movement (MIN), we realized the National Indigenous Encounter, we, the inheritors of the best historical tradition of struggle of our peoples of Mexico, free men and women assembled, declare:
Whereas the time of the long night is about to end: We are united in harmony, equality, autonomy and self determination; that in accord with our own traditional regulatory systems, we declare ourselves subject to the collective will of our indigenous peoples, communities and nations. And that the being that our territories are rich in goods and natural resources, we have within our reach the power of self-sufficiency, although erroneously we are considered peoples of poverty. The Mexican nation needs us - we are a hope, we are a way: we are a project of life for future generations.
Bearing in mind that after 100 years of the Mexican Revolution, and 200 Years of the War of Independence (despite the fact that the vast majority of the martyrs in these struggles were our Indian ancestors), we continue in resistance and dignity, demanding our full recognition in the Constitution Mexico as integral part of the nation state.
Reaffirming our determination as Indigenous Peoples to unify to fight for a Constitutional Convention that must without mutilation or haggling, include all indigenous peoples and all non-indigenous society under a new Magna Carta in order to bring forward a new democratic relationship, with justice and liberty, and so formulate a Plurinational Democratic State based on legal pluralism, and which should have an indigenous face that must be plural and inclusive, creating the multinational and democratic Mexico to which we all aspire.
Reaffirming that we unite our diverse voices as a single fist to fight for the transformation of the country, for a Multinational Democratic State that is Pluricultural and founded on Legal Pluralism. Likewise, we say with all the moral force that we can muster, that we have NOTHING to celebrate at the official celebration of the Mexico’s bicentennial or centennial as republic, because in reality we are honoring 518 years of glorious indigenous resistance.
Recalling that at least 30 years now have passed since we began the process of developing a new national project formulated from our indigenous perspectives, from which trajectory we now reaffirm with the new articulation of the National Indigenous Movement in the context of an ongoing process of dialogue and permanent reflection expressed by the Documentation of the National Indigenous Project, whose agreements are adopted under the following:
The PACT of TLÁLHUAC
First. We adopt the document of the National Indigenous Project presented at the plenary Discussions of the National Indigenous Encounter.
Second. We must inform all of our Indigenous relatives of what we are celebrating today: our unity and the adoption of the National Indigenous Project, explaining that we are in engaged in agreements and joint actions that we as Indigenous Peoples may contribute to the reestablishment of the Mexican State as a Plurinational Democratic State.
Third. Pluriculturalism signifies the respectful coexistence of the cultural diversity and multilingual reality that is Mexico; It is the inclusion in the State and society of all, indigenous or not. The Plurinational Democratic National Project must bring to a close the injustices and wrongs of the past 200 years and open a future of respect and harmony among culturally different ethnic groups and a begin a new chapter of interculturality.
Fourth. We agree to realize the collective defense and recovery of our ceremonial centers and historical memory through concrete actions, including the recovery of Itzamkanak [Candelaria, Campeche], location of the assassination of our young grandfather Cuauhtémoc .
Fifth. The restructuring of the Mexican nation must emerge from both the reconstitution of the Indigenous Peoples and non-indigenous Mexican society itself. The Mexican State has no basis and no future if, as is now the case, there is no real autonomous and fundamental integration of the Indigenous Peoples.
Sixth. The authorities and legislators present at the National Indigenous, also adopt the proposed National Indigenous Project.
Seventh. Therefore we commit to bring to Consultation in each of our regions and social spaces of representation, participation and decision making and likewise other traditional venues such as: community meetings, neighborhoods, barrios, organizations, parliaments, forums, encounters, workshops, seminars, as well as conferences, symposia, networks, media, etc.
Octavo. The initial period of this process will last until March 2011. Once having collected the input and consensus of the national process of Consultation, and upon obtaining the Free, Prior and Informed consent of our Pueblos we shall make public the National Indigenous Project. With this document, we will open a new process of dialogue with other sectors of society upon convening the National Indigenous and Campesino Encounter to be celebrated on April 9-10, 2011.
Ninth. At that point we shall begin a process of mobilizing at the local, regional, state and national levels to enable the principles of the National Indigenous Project to be taken up by the national society as a whole.
Tenth. Our National Indigenous Project shall be presented to the various political, social, economic, cultural entities in order to discuss with them and come to agreement on a common Alternative National Project to structure political alliances in order to help build a new social majority and political movement capable of realizing the agreements of the Alternative National Project. For this purpose we shall consider the state electoral cycles but we do not limit ourselves to them, instead we shall continue to be based in the Time, space, dynamics, interests and aspirations of our Indigenous Peoples and our organizations.
Eleventh. We adopt the resolutions of the Working Groups One and Two as part of this Pact of Tlálhuac.
Twelfth. We resolve to participate in appropriate actions to save our Mother Earth, including participation in the World Summit on Climate Change COP 16 to be held in December 2010 in Cancun, Quintana Roo, and participation in the construction of the Rights of Mother Earth.
Thirteenth. We assume responsibility for present historical period, determined to realize the reconstitution of our Indigenous Peoples and the refounding of the Plurinational State of Mexico under a new Constitutionality, with full inclusion, effective, real and definitive in respect to Indigenous Peoples and with recognition of the pluralism and cultural diversity that expresses the genuine unity in diversity of Mexican society. This is the solemn formal responsibility which we as signatories assume under this Pact of Tlálhuac.
FOR THE UNITY, AUTONOMY AND SELF DETERMINATION OF THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES!
LONG LIVE THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES!
LONG LIVE THE NEW PLURINATIONAL AND DEMOCRATIC STATE!
Given in Tlálhuac, Mexico on the 13th day of October 2010.
