Native American Sovereignty and Hopi

An interview with UC Davis Political Science Professor Clyde Jacobs -

expert on Native American Sovereignty Issues.

From UEF's Human Rights Campaign for the Hopi and Native American Indians.

Along with working to advance Human Rights for the Hopi Indians, UEF began to work with native American elders to capture some of their teachings and wisdom.

Although much UEF content was destroyed by illegal confiscation and destruction of UEF research, media content and property by University of Michigan Public Safety, and the Washtenaw County Courts, the content presented here has survived to share with the public.

These programs and content are a historical and cultural record of some outstanding humans that represented the end of some ancient cultures and traditional native wisdom.

Native American culture and societies were destroyed during the colonization of North America that is now the United States of America. The destruction of these indigenous peoples continues to this day. Like the Hopi and the Black Mesa Strip Mine or the North Dakota Pipeline initiative, the natives progressively had their land and property taken by corporations and the government to develop energy resources. The Four Corners Strip Mines and uranium developments are examples from the last century where natives had no rights or ability to protect the land, mother nature or their human rights.

The Trail of Tears and wiping out the Buffalo herds that the natives lived off of are just two of many facts which took their language and land away from them. The tee-pees which were portable shelters that were used to follow the buffalo, according to Rolling Thunder.

The Native American Indians called this land "Turtle Island". There was a nearly universal reverence and respect for nature all tribes did share. This is an element that appears to be lost among the civilized world and the "white man" in general at this time. According to RT, the Indians knew how to take care of the Mother Earth and respect Nature. The lose of respect for life and taking care of Mother Nature appears to be a large factor in the destruction of nature at this current date in time in our plant's history. The so-called sixth extinction is underway and our food chain and very seasons are in danger.

United Earth Fund worked with Rolling Thunder and Twylah Hurd Nitsch to advance projects that were important to both of them. RT and Twylah were good friends. They both deeply cared about Mother Nature, respect for all life and people of the earth.

UEF did produce these programs with Rolling Thunder and Twylah Nitsch acting as directors for their programs. UEF is privileged to present this content to you. These programs convey some of the spirit of Twylah and RT. Although they are not here any longer their message lives on through their work and these videos.

Dennis Banks was one of the  founders of the American Indian Movement (AIM).  He worked with Deganawidah-Quetzalcoatl University aka D-Q University near Davis, California to advance Native American Studies. He cares deeply about Mother Earth and civil liberties for all people of the earth. This audio recording is an example of Dennis' spirit and view he shared at the Whole Earth Festival at the University of California Davis. A video of Dennis will follow as UEF completes editing the program.

Enjoy.

-UEF Editor