Sketchy Thoughts: MOVE 9 Prisoner Janet Africa Harrassed

Sketchy Thoughts: MOVE 9 Prisoner Janet Africa Harrassed: "It seems Janet Africa - one of the MOVE political prisoners - is being harassed by guards at SCI Cambridge Springs. The following alert from Ramona Africa:

ONA MOVE! This is an alert to all of our supporters that the guards at SCI-Cambridge Springs, where our sisters are housed, are starting trouble.

Our sister, Janet Africa, was stopped by a male guard who said he wanted to pat search her. Janet informed him that it's against our belief to have a man feeling on her body and that she wanted the option of having a female guard search her as provided by prison policy.

She was taken to a female prison guard named Dover who became beligerant and told janet that she wasn't special and wasn't getting any special treatment. Dover then told the male guard to take Janet back where he got her from and go ahead and search her. Janet start putting some information on the guards when another guard came to see what all the commotion was about.

Dover then tells him that he should give Janet a misconduct and put her in the hole.. This was obviously a set-up from the beginning because all of those prison officials know who MOVE people are and know our policy about male guards searching our women."

Fast-tracking of Cape York welfare reforms 'politically driven' - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Fast-tracking of Cape York welfare reforms 'politically driven' - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation): "A former community worker at the Aurukun Aboriginal community on Queensland's Cape York says the fast-tracking of welfare reforms in Aboriginal communities is being politically driven.

Philip Martin says there are profound problems with implementing the reforms and policy makers are forgetting about the effects of radical change on Indigenous people."

Violence and the Rez « The Blog and the Bullet

Violence and the Rez « The Blog and the Bullet: "Tracy Rector blogs on NativeVue about representations of Native Americans in the media:

During our recent three month Native Lens Workshop at Muckleshoot, we attended a number of teen gatherings, talking groups and family health meetings. We listened to the youth as they voiced their concerns about issues negatively impacting their lives. They expressed concerns not only about the immediate situations happening on the rez but also how distressing it is to always see the news, newspapers, media making violence especially domestic violence look cool or glamorous. Some of the girls felt that the media was directly responsible for so many people staying in bad relationships because all the negative hype makes the abusive situation seem normal!"

CJOnline Blogs - Overstreet: Native-American treaty being disputed

CJOnline Blogs - Overstreet: Native-American treaty being disputed: "Not long ago, an issue was shared with me pertaining to the Cherokee Treaty of 1866, which was designed to make free blacks, former slaves and their descendants citizens of the Cherokee Nation.

The discussion was interesting enough that I wanted to learn more about it. The treaty continues in place, but was recently the source of controversy.

In March 2007, the Cherokee Nation put forth an amendment to its constitution. The amendment called for the removal of freedmen from the rolls of tribal membership, which would result in the loss of voting rights and recognition as a distinct group affiliated with the Cherokee Nation.

The motive appears to be the creation of an all-Indian tribe."

Kirkuk carnage fuels calls for US exit | Iraq | Guardian Unlimited

Kirkuk carnage fuels calls for US exit | Iraq | Guardian Unlimited: "More than 80 people were killed and 150 wounded in Kirkuk, northern Iraq, today as the debate intensified in Washington over a US exit plan.

That debate was further complicated by a claim by the Iraqi prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, that Iraqi security forces were ready to take over and the US could leave whenever it wanted."

US Senate unanimously passes threatening measure against Iran

US Senate unanimously passes threatening measure against Iran: "A little publicised amendment to the defence spending bill denouncing Iran for the “murder” of US soldiers in Iraq was proposed by Independent Democrat Joseph Lieberman and passed unanimously in the US Senate on Wednesday. Republicans and Democrats all lined up to support the White House’s unsubstantiated accusations that Tehran is funding, training and arming Iraqi militias, “who are contributing to the destabilisation of Iraq and are responsible for the murder of members of the United States Armed Forces”."

allAfrica.com: Botswana: Police Arrest Bushmen, Says Rights Group (Page 1 of 1)

allAfrica.com: Botswana: Police Arrest Bushmen, Says Rights Group (Page 1 of 1): "Zimkhitha Mbunge | Cape Town: Botswana police have arrested 21 Gana and Gwi Bushmen for hunting on their ancestral land, says an activist group which campaigns for the rights of indigenous people.

In a statement issued in London, Survival International said the men were arrested in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve during June and early July, and they had been scheduled to appear in court last week."