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- ¿Dónde Está el Dinero?/ Where is the Money?
Por/By It Wasn't Me Una de las cosas que el presidente nunca ha tomado en cuenta es todas las personas que han estado trabajando y nunca han reclamado taxes. Todo el dinero que los EE.UU recoleta de miles y miles y miles de personas que no reclaman. Todos los años que la gente inmigrante dice al tonto presidente en “¿d ó nde está ese dinero?” o “¿Por qué este dinero no aparece en los salarios de la economía estadounidense?” y “¿ese dinero está en las bolsas de quien?” Todos estos factores son importantes porque no habla nada de las personas que han dejado millones de dólares que el presidente usa para deportar a los mismos personas que trabajaron para ellos por años. Después de todo, los Estados Unidos está formado de desertores de todo el mundo. Aun la mamá del presidente era inmigrante. Así es como el dinero cambia a las personas. Él cree que tener poder se les puede dar por el rabo. Así está posando el USA. Que ejemplo perfecto que ahorita la economía de los estados unidos está en las manos de los latinos de todos lados. One of the things the president has never considered is all the immigrants who have been working and have never claimed their tax returns. All the money that the USA collects from thousands and thousands and thousands of people who do not claim their return. Every year the immigrant population asks this stupid president, “where is that money?” or “why doesn’t this money appear in the wages of the US economy?” and “In whose pockets is all that money?” It’s important to ask these questions because the president doesn’t talk about the people who by not claiming their tax returns have given millions of dollars that he then uses to deport the very same people who worked for the US for years. After all, the United States was formed from deserters from all over the world. Even the mother of the president was an immigrant. It shows how much money changes people. He believes that having power means he can screw immigrants over. This is how he is setting up the USA. What a perfect example in the way that the US economy is held together by the hands of latinos from all over the world.
- LoveUary for Dana - A SisStar Lost to the Streets Cuz Homelessness Kills
By Lisa Wheeler Photo: SisStar Dana with boyfriend Joseph I am so sad to know that my new friend Dana passed! I will miss her determination and her lovely smile and her firm intention of getting off the cruel streets of San Francisco. She and I froze that night due to misinformation. The authorities need to be clearly informed as to what is required to enter a city shelter, be it navigational, 311, normal (whatever normal city shelters are - that's an oxymoron), or emergency winter shelters. Either way, there are processes. My heart is truly broken that Dana, a truly gentle, smart as a whip, comedic, caring soul is no longer with us. Sadly, many of our homeless friends and family pass from living in such dire and chronic circumstances. I send out love and hugs to her biological family as well as her friends and family here. She touched my heart and we enjoyed an amazing adventure that night - one I will not ever forget. The entire time she worried about her boyfriend and told me they were friends to a couple since young. Awww, he was a tremendous priority in her life and she told me she called him Husband and would like to marry him one day. I listened to the dreams of a beautiful woman all night long as we smiled and laughed together. I love you, Dana. Always. Love, Lisa W
- MANTÉN LOS PIES DESCALZOS /KEEP YOUR FEET BAREFOOT
Por Alvaro Kepokamaztli Tellez/ By Alvaro Kepokamaztli Tellez Xitontekiza (Danza) Coneccion a la Madre Tierra con los pies descalzos Expresión a través del amor, la pérdida y la sanación Los años que llevo en mi tradición he expresado mi rezo con los pies descalzos, ahora expreso mi rezo con huaraches después de un proceso de reemplazo de rodillas. Ver que casi todas las culturas alrededor del mundo tienen esa práctica de orar, danzar, caminar, etc con los pies descalzos, es impactante para gente que no entiende el porqué. Coneccion con TONANTZIN (Madre Tierra) Cuando empecé a ejercer mi tradición Mexica por medio de la danza mis maestros me explicaron el por qué se danza descalzo y ¡es simple! Todo nuestro cuerpo tiene los elementos que tiene la tierra y al estar uno en rezo y descalzo se produce una armonía con nuestra Madre Sagrada, es por eso que todas las expresiones de rezo (danza) son dedicadas a los elementos que nos dan la vida Tierra, Agua, Fuego, Viento, Sol, luna, a los animales que vuelan Aguila, Colibrí, Cóndor, etc, tambien al Venado, Mono, Conejo, etc. Culturas de todo el mundo me motivan a mantener y seguir aprendiendo más mis tradiciones y otras culturas. Es importante seguir manteniendo de generación a generación como lo han hecho nuestros abuelos por miles de años, ya que vivimos en un momento que nuestras tradiciones se están perdiendo por medio de la forma que vivimos hoy, bosques destruyendo, cambio climático, comida procesada y mucha jungla de asfalto! Vamos a retomar esa práctica de estar en armonía con TONANTZIN (MADRE TIERRA) Xitontekiza (Danza) Connecting to Mother Earth with Bare Feet Expression Through Love, Loss, and Healing Over the years that I have been practicing my tradition, I have prayed with bare feet, now after a knee replacement, I pray with huaraches. Seeing that almost all cultures around the world have this practice of praying, dancing, walking, etc. with bare feet, it is shocking for people who do not understand why. Connection with TONANTZIN (Mother Earth) When I began to exercise my Mexican tradition through dance, my teachers explained to me why we dance barefoot and it is simple! Our whole body has the elements that the earth has and being in prayer and barefoot produces a harmony with our Sacred Mother, that is why all expressions of prayer (dance) are dedicated to the elements that give us life Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, sun, moon, to the animals that fly Eagle, Hummingbird, Condor, etc, also to the Deer, Monkey, Rabbit, etc. Cultures from all over the world motivate me to maintain and continue to learn more about my traditions and other cultures. It is important to continue from generation to generation as our grandparents have done for thousands of years, as we live in a time that our traditions are being lost through the way we live today, destroying forests, climate change, processed food and lots of asphalt jungle! We are going to return to the practice of being in harmony with TONANTZIN (MOTHER EARTH)
- NINGÚN SER HUMANO ES ILEGAL EN TIERRA ROBADA/ NO HUMAN BEING IS ILLEGAL ON STOLEN LAND
Por Alvaro Kepokamaztli Tellez/ By Alvaro Kepokamaztli Tellez XITONTEKIZA (DANZA) En las Marchas y Protestas Por Que? La migración ha sido parte de la vida de nuestros antepasados por generaciones, las fronteras son inventadas por los verdaderos ilegales, siempre ha sido un modo de supervivencia migrar de un lado a otro. Lo que estamos viviendo ahora no es nuevo. Siempre hemos estado bajo el ataque de este sistema capitalista y racista, es un miedo y terror como están tratando a toda nuestra raza no solo de México sino de todo el mundo, solo tratamos de tener una vida mejor y trabajar, pero lo que estamos viendo es separación de familias, encarcelamiento, racismo, odio. Es por eso que seguimos expresando nuestras tradiciones en ceremonias, eventos, marchas, etc. Hay que recordarles a todos los ilegales que cruzaron todo un océano que estas tierras desde Alaska hasta Chile son tierras sagradas son tierras nativas de nuestros antepasados. La Tierra no le pertenece a nadie, nosotros pertenecemos a la tierra!! NINGÚN SER HUMANO ES ILEGAL EN TIERRA ROBADA XITONTEKIZA (DANZA) In the Marches and Protests Why? Migration has been part of our ancestors’ lives for generations, borders are invented by the real illegals, migrating from one place to another has always been a form of survival. What we are living now is not new. We have always been under attack from this capitalist and racist system, it is a fear and terror the way they are treating our entire race, not only from Mexico but from all over the world, we just try to have a better life and work, but what we are seeing is separation of families, imprisonment, racism, hatred. That is why we continue to express our traditions in ceremonies, events, marches, etc. We must remind all the illegals who crossed an entire ocean that these lands from Alaska to Chile are sacred lands and are native to our ancestors. The Earth does not belong to anyone, we belong to the earth!! NO HUMAN BEING IS ILLEGAL ON STOLEN LAND
- Todos nosotros pobres inmigrantes en los EE.UU / All of us poor immigrants in the United States
Por Teo/ By Teo Es una historia que muchas personas hemos esperado, al emigrar a otro país. Por lo regular viajamos en auto o caminan de pasajero. También, últimamente barcos, el tren, caminando, o pidiendo ayuda para transportarse. En los últimos 10 años hemos llegado muchos más inmigrantes a este país, los EE.UU. Algunas veces nos encontramos con otras costumbres de vivir. Unos dicen que hay mucho racismo y otros no entienden el idioma para comunicarse. Algunos otros los encontramos con problemas de todo tipo- muchas veces se da una cuenta que no estamos preparados para encontrar buenos trabajos por no haber recibido educación suficiente en las escuelas de nuestra países. Para preparar por nuestro tiempo, miramos otras inmigrantes por las necesidades. “Vin” dice el sueño Americano porque supuestamente este país ofrece oportunidades a las personas que son responsables con su trabajo, con su persona, y también cuando son buenos ciudadanos. Constantemente venimos muchas más personas de diferentes países. Por ejemplo México, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Ecuador, Panamá, Chile, y muchos más países. De todas partes del mundo vienen inmigrantes incluyendome. Yo soy inmigrante también. También las políticas nos hacen sufrir. Por tantos inmigrantes, llegamos a tratar de vivir y explorar el sueño americano. En este tiempo, cada vez más es más difícil por las injusticias de los políticos. Algunos políticos racistas nos acusan de invadir su país. Muchos nos acusan de ser criminales por venir a este país. Cuando son las elecciones para buscar el próximo presidente, nos usan de excusas para proteger sus ideales y nos criminalizan a todos. Pero no es correcto generalizar así. He aprendido que no importa quien sea, tu o yo, en estas regiones del capitalismo incluyendo todos pros y contras, todos tenemos derechos de vivir una vida feliz y útil. It’s a story that many people have longed for, to migrate to another country. Usually we travel by car or walk. Lately we travel by boat, by train, or by asking for a ride. In the last 10 years many more immigrants have come to the USA. Sometimes we find ourselves in other cultures and ways of life. Some of us face a lot of racism. Others don't understand English and can’t communicate with people. We encounter problems of all kinds. Many times, a story is told that we’re not qualified to find good jobs because we have not received a good education in the schools of our home countries. In order to prepare for our journey, we watch other immigrants closely for the necessities. “Come” says the American Dream-- because supposedly this country offers opportunities to people who are responsible workers, responsible people, and good citizens. So many people are constantly coming from countries like Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Ecuador, Panama, Chile, and many more. Immigrants come from all over the world, including me. I am an immigrant too. Policies also make us suffer. For so many immigrants, we come with hope for the American dream. But it’s increasingly difficult to achieve because of the injustices of politicians. Some racist politicians accuse us of invading their country. Many say we’re criminals for coming to this country. When the presidential elections come around, they use us as excuses to protect their ideals and criminalize us all. But it can’t be right to generalize like that. I have learned that no matter who you are, for all the pros and cons in these capitalist states, we all have the right to live a happy and productive life.
- La gente inmigrante: luchando por una vida mejor/ Immigrants: fighting for a better life
Por Teo/ By Teo Muchos, se puede decir que la mayoría de los que había convivido me platicaron sus planes de emigrar aquí a los Estados Unidos. Unas personas piden dinero para viajar, otras sus padres les consiguen dinero. Algunos otros tienen alguien aquí en los EE.UU y los ayudan a emigrar. Muchas personas dicen que en este país siempre hay inmigrantes porque las personas emigran- vienen con un propósito ayudar a su familia. Es un gran sacrificio dejar sus países, su gente. También, enfrentarse al terror de ICE. ICE es la migra que detiene a las personas que vienen de otros países. En los últimos años, cada vez más nos incriminan de todo lo malo que se refleja en la sociedad. El capitalismo nos afecta a todos en general, directa o indirectamente. Pero los políticos luchan por discriminar a los inmigrantes, y en especial a los políticos que dicen que los inmigrantes han hecho daño al país. Y es el trabajo de ICE a lograrlo. Cuando detiene a un inmigrante, le quita sus derechos porque el racismo y la injusticia se refleja en las falsas políticas que dirigen en estos tiempos de ICE. Many, perhaps even the majority of the people I used to live with talk about their plans to emigrate to the United States. Some people ask for money to travel, others’ parents get them money. Others have someone here in the U.S. who helps them emigrate. Many people say that in this country there are always immigrants because people emigrate - they come with a purpose to help their family. It is a great sacrifice to leave your people behind and face the terror of ICE. ICE is “la migra” that stops people who come from other countries. In recent years, they increasingly incriminate us with all the bad that is reflected in society. Capitalism affects us all, directly or indirectly. But politicians fight to discriminate against us, especially the ones who say that immigrants have done harm to the country. And it’s ICE’s job to carry out their orders. When you detain an immigrant, you take away their rights because racism and injustice are built into the fraudulent policies that run rampant in these times of ICE.
- Thursday 2/6: One Month into the LA Wildfires: National Funder Briefing
TL/DR: A month into the fires, Resource Generation is hosting a learning & action call for people throughout turtle island to radically address emergencies in LA with immediate needs and long-term, transformative solutions. RSVP here: https://bit.ly/LAFiresBriefing This Thursday, Feb. 6, Tiny & Poor Magazine will be joining Resource Generation's virtual event "LA Fires: Past, Present, & Future" to talk about long-term, transformative solutions to the emergencies in Tovaangar. From Resource Generation: “Every crisis, actual or impending, needs to be viewed as an opportunity to bring about profound changes in our society.” - Grace Lee Boggs Wildfires continue to devastate communities and land across our city and region, most severely impacting unhoused, incarcerated, disabled, poor, working class, and Black, Latine, Indigenous, people of color. This crisis has revealed the failures of our economic and political systems, designed to prioritize profit and property over people and mother earth, amidst an escalating climate emergency and housing crisis. Nonetheless, millions of people have shown up for each other in miraculous ways, both to meet immediate needs, utilizing mutual aid groups, grassroots organizations, and unions, and to collectively invest in a liberatory future for all people and living beings. We’re excited to share with you what we’ve learned about the past that has shaped the present and what’s possible for a more liberatory future. We need your support in resourcing critical work that will support our communities as we recover and grow, and ensure that we not leave anyone behind in years to come. We will hear from several organizations and projects, including RG LA’s chapter partners, and other local projects and organizations that are both addressing immediate needs and building sustainable, long-term projects in the face of harmful forces of capital and extraction. We will share a spectrum of solutions to address our ongoing land and housing crises and how we can support the return to living in reciprocity with fire and land. This event is designed for people outside of LA, but all are welcome regardless of location and access to wealth. If you’re not able to attend the event, please sign up and we’ll share a recording. We invite you to read or watch the following resources in advance of this call: Poor Magazine (tiny): It’s a fire everyday when you live outside The Lever: The Architects Of L.A.’s Wildfire Devastation Mike Davis: The Case for Letting Malibu Burn LA Times: The Tongva's land burned in Eaton fire. But leaders say traditional practices mitigated damage Teen Vogue: What is Disaster Capitalism Resource Generation is a multiracial membership community of young people (18-35) with wealth and/or class privilege committed to the equitable distribution of wealth. Learn more at https://resourcegeneration.org/ . Justice Funders is is a partner and guide for philanthropy in reimagining practices that advance a thriving and just world. Learn more at https://justicefunders.org/ . Register on Zoom to attend live or receive a recording! Link here: https://bit.ly/LAFiresBriefing
- UnTour Book Across Occupied Turtle Island: KlanMarks, Plakkks and ManuMeants
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: tiny gray-garcia, Muteado Silencio POOR Magazine/Homefulness, 510-435-7500 Black, Brown, Indigenous, Houseless Peoples Release New kind of (Un)Tour Book This new genre “guide Book” is full of poetry, prayer, stories and art on indigenous resistance to settler colonial erasure, poLice terror, homelessness and the many acts of indigenous/Black/Brown-led resistance from Turtle Island to Palestine and all across Mama Earth What: Book Release Ceremonies from Seattle to San Francisco to Los Angeles Feb 9th Seattle, Wa 5pm RoofLEss Radio Writing/Media Workshop at Tent City 3 Feb 10th Seattle, Wa 6pm Cafe Red Book Release Prayer Ceremony Feb 11th Seattle, Wa 4pm Bulldog News Book Release Reading Feb 12th Olympia, Wa 6pm Orca Books Cooperative 315 5th Ave SE Feb 13th Tacoma, Wa 5pm - King's Books 218 St Helens Ave March 29Tovaangar (LA) 4pm LA Mutual Aid Fest Midnight Books 3382 E Florence Ave April 12 Coast Miwok Land (San Rafael, Ca) 1pm San Rafael Mission 1104 5th Ave April 26 Huchiun (Oakland, Ca) EastSide Arts Alliance 2277 International Bl May 20 Yelamu (San Francisco) City Lights Books 261 Columbis Ave On February 9th houseless/No-income, indigenous, Black, Brown, Disabled visionary poets and cultural workers from the Bay Area begin the long journey to retrace their Herstoric Stolen land /Hoarded Resources UnTours to release the powerful UnTour Book Across Occupied Turtle Island. The UnTour Book chronicles their walks into occupied land and stolen resources in the US. Sites like occupied Lenape Territory aka Philadelphias’ main Line and the historic “Old Philadelphia” rife with examples of what tiny gray-garcia calls Klanmarks and ManUmeants, honoring the multitude of self-proclaimed “discoverers” such as Cristopher Columbus who in actuality perpetrated great harm on indigenous peoples both personally and historically or Clayton Duncan and other indigenous Pomo leaders work to unwash the lies about the Bloody Island Massacre in so-called KelseyVille named after the murderer who perpetrated the genocide of hundreds of innocent indigenous women and children, or Priscilla Hunter, the Pomo Mama Tree Warrior and Protector of so many old growth trees from the violence of the Lumber Industry to the Resistance Marks of Alex Nieto, Mario Woods and Sean Monterrosa to name a few, killed by PoLice but honored in San Francisco in beautiful street-based murals of resistance to the warrior work of indigenous women creating their own Land Trust, and the story of indigenous women taking down the ManUmeant honoring a Spanish missionary who committed genocide on California Indians, to sites of BlackLand Return and resistance, all of this and so much more, reaching globally into Palestine, West Papua, Hawai’i and Kashmir. KlanMarks, ManUMeants and Plakkks- UnTour Guide Across Occupied Turtle Island “KlanMarks” are my word for all the colonizer blight claiming sacred spaces and sacred stories and washing the truth of genocide off the stolen land— thousands of mis-named, occupied and stolen indigenous lands and sacred sites across Turtle Island, where the land-stealers, occupiers, genocidal perpetrators, aka colonizers are lifted up as heroes. The names of the murderers, the rapists, the robbers, the stealers, the re-writers, and the occupiers litter Turtle Island. But, in this book, there are also so many powerful acts of re-creating, redefining, LandBacking, and land-returning stolen Mama Earth—from Palestine to Chief Siah’l (Seattle) on Turtle Island, from Bloody Island to Lisjan Land—so this UnTourBook is also meant to honor, pray, dream, and lift up the voices of resistance until all of the KlanMarks are gone and all the LiberationMarks replace them. Tiny gray-garcia aka povertyskola - visionary and co-writer of the Untour Book Across Occupied Turtle Island Book release events will feature prayer bringers from many traditions and many of the poets and land liberators featured in the book and in the Pacific Northwest will be dedicated to John Williams, of the Williams Family Carvers, a houseless, indigenous wood carver from Seattle who was killed by Seattle PoLice dept and will feature his brother and nephew Rick T Williams and EagleSun. 50% of book sales will go to the Williams Family Carvers and the remaining 50% to the building of Homefulness in the PNW. This will be the same for all of the Book release Ceremonies in all of the other settler occupied towns. It must be said that none of this powerful book would have been possible without the tireless work of the design/ klanmark research team from POOR Magazine's Solidarity family of Linguistic Liberators:, Asa Ikeda, Frankie Carter, Bridget Cervellie, Maya Ram, Ruby Roebuck, and Greg Barton! @poormagazine POORPress.net Or websites: poormagazine.org
- The Myth of the Legal White Immigrant From La Migra to CalTrans from Sweeps to Raids
“ICE has been sighted in San Francisco and Oakland, they are driving a white unmarked van and are out of uniform wearing jeans, a tshirt and sometimes, a police vest.” Said an anonymous community care-giver/reporter. Whose Land? to LandBack!!! From the early days of the original theft of Turtle Island the stealing fathers ( as i call the so-called “Founding Fathers”) have perpetrated the myth of their implicit entitled “legality” on Turtle Island, while they built the notion of the Brown and Black Criminal from “somewhere else”. This all was happening even though the millions of melanated indigenous Turtle Island residents were here for thousands of years before the wite European immigrants arrived and began their genocidal terrorist campaign of removal. But in their massive public relations campaign the settlers launched a completely counter narrative in which they conflated the original land stewards and protectors of Turtle Island, the enslaved Africans they exploited and brought here so they could profit off this stolen land and any and all melenated peoples who came from anywhere else besides Europe. On the converse the savior, implicitly and conveniently “legal”, hard-working, wite immigrant (settler) from Europe was never questioned, charged or imprisoned for their hundreds of years of murder, terror, land theft, genocide and most importanlty for this argument, border jumping. Notwithstanding all of their other distracting eugenicist lies, these wite European criminals were only interested in one thing, the theft of Turtle Island and eventual transformation into the colonial project called the US This lie eventually led to the unfettered, “ private ownership” and extraction of Mama Earth and her resources by people who have no accountability or responsibility or ties to stewardship of mama earth and only view her as a profit -making business. The truth is the European settlers aka immigrants who “arrived” here, claiming they were “discoverers” never had a proper immigration process, a green card issued or a passport demand and remain to this day truly illegal and criminal immigrants. From Palestine to Turtle Island - From GentriFUKation to Eviction to Homelessness What they did bring was a huge set of anti-poor and anti-disabled people laws that they imported and implemented on the land they stole, which laid the groundwork for the other violent aspect of their residency, the criminalization of poverty and the creation of Homelessness. “We had no concept of homelessness in the time of my ancestors, this was created by the Settlers.” said Corrina Gould,co-founder of Sogorea Te Land Trust, Indians Working For Change and The Family Edelrs Council of Homefulness /POOR Magazine Once these illegal immigrants flooded in to “save us” and create their genocidal campaign of so-called civilization, it was all about land grabs, fake treaties they never honored and bloody wars leading to more false lines on their maps. But most importantly it led to the individual “ownership” of Mama Earth and the privileging of so-called private property and even so-called public property, over people. The implementation of the Lie of rent, the subsequent evictions, redlining and speculation and the all out assault on Mama Earth as a commodity. For the last year and a half we have watched in horror as the 21st century version of genocidal colonization of Palestine and its people by the Israeli Settlers unfolded. Interestingly, the Israeli settlers move freely across the land they have stolen, aka occupied Palestine, while indigenous PAlestinians are subject to endless paper document requirements, harassment and arrest while Trump and his son in law Jared claim, “ Wow this is some beautiful beachfront property,” about the indigenous stolen homeland of the Palestinian people known as Gaza. LA Migra to DPW “This is your five minute warning,” said by PoLice, Caltrans and ICE agents across so-called California to houseless humans existing outside and indigenous peoples from the false side of the colonial border facing an ICE “raid” or ICE “sweep” of a workplace. There are so many connections. Beginning with the word Sweep, a hygienic metaphor used to describe the removal and criminalization, arrest and seizure of humans that this racist,classist, ableist, system no longer wants to see, use or exploit. “20 poLice and CalTrans workers are currently towing cars and arresting anyone who refuses to leave immediately,” said a post on a text thread by a mutual aide worker And then there is the fact that a large percentage of houseless humans being swept, seized, arrested and criminaized in cities from so-called Chicago to San Francisco are indigenous migrants themselves. The other lie that connects the struggles of homelessness and anti-immigrant attacks, is like us houseless people, indigenous relatives are used as political fodder for politricksters to gain points with the racist United Snakkkes population, Our protections are connected to our liberation This is stolen land and yet we as houseless people are criminalized for being on it. We are told this is public land, but its not public and is really only for the wite, rich public. The borders are a false colonial construct of the same colonial government that stole the land, killed the orginal inhabitants and commodified Mama Earth right out from under us. Article 10. - Indigenous peoples shall not be forcibly removed from their lands or territories . No relocation shall take place without the free and informed consent of the indigenous peoples concerned and after agreement on just and fair compensation and, where possible, with the option of return. From the UN Declaration on the Rghts of Indigenous Peoples The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) is a liberatory document created by leaders of indigenous nations all across Mama Earth over several painstaking years that must be included in our conversation, our overstanding and our resistance to this moment of so much racist, classist, ableist hate, harassment and illegal acts directed at indigenous relatives from the other sides of the false border by the US privileged wite settler class of illegal immigrants. “As Indigenous peoples we have the right to traverse anywhere and around our sacred mama earth. In our efforts to indigenize ourselves in society it is to recapture that relationship to the earth and our inherent rights, Tony Gonzalez, AIM-West to POOR Magazine reportera Teresa Molina in Los Viajes/The Journeys - a POOR Press publication Like our response as revolutionary houseless/landless peoples at Homefulness is to UnSell Mama Earth and work to build sweep-free sanctuary communities while the politricksters and wealth-hoarder settler class continue to sweep us like we are trash, we are lifting up liberatory documents like UNDRIP and using it to fight not only to end the false borders and false border terrorism but to demand LANDBACK and Reparations for the Indigenous peoples used and exploited to build, work, feed and care for occupied Turtle Island residents. As i proposed in the terrible climate change fueled fires of 2017, the wineries that were still having indigenous relatives pick grapes without masks or protections when they should have had them shelter in place and stay home, where are the Reparations payments from these billionaire wineries to their workers for years of unsafe and barely paid work. Similarly now, when will the reparations be paid to indigenous relatives from the US government for these violent PTSD causing, work-stopping, family and child abusing and terrorizing income interupting raids? image by Muslims For Just Futures There wasn't A Mumbling Word “There wasn’t a mumbling word said when thousands of Ukrainian immigrants came to the US,” said Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson who went on to say he would Not, as a Black man, let white supremacy pitt him against indigenous peoples (immigrants) whose land were stolen from them in the first place by this government. Mayor Johnson lifted up the other silent and never mentioned “immigrant” - the white immigrant and refugee, who last time I checked isn’t being deported, raided or harassed while so many Haitian, Mexican, Salvadoran and Guatemalan immigrants to name a few, face the terror of these raids right now. Proving once again white supremacy is alive and well in amerikkka in the 21st century like it always has been. In the end we are implementing protocols of protection within POOR Magazine’s and Homefulness family on our blocks, our communities, our barrios and our neighborhood. But we are also continuing with liberation and liberatory narratives. This land doesnt belong to the Illegal Wite Settler/immigrant. Mama Earth is Not now nor Never has been for sale, and it never will be and in the face of all of this collective terror and terrorist actions against Black and Brown relatives from all across Mama Earth, it is more important than ever to lift up liberation, love, interdependence and deep community care-giving, because Creator knows we need each other more than ever to keep us safe. And safety is entwined with our collective liberation and our Mama Earth’s and poor peoples protection. Stay tuned to Poor Peoples Radio for our forum on UNDRIP, Immigration and wite Illegal immigrants with indigenous leaders from across the US. As well, this year POOR Press will release the long-awaited KlanMarks, Plakkks and ManUmeants an UnTour Book Across Occupied Turtle Island - a new genre “guidebook” from Palestine to Turtle Island, to help us all honor the sacred and the true heroes, leaders, stewards and caregivers of our sacred Mama Earth as well as the Resistance Marks to honor all the victims of colonization, PoLice Terror, Homelessness and removal. Beginning with several dates in the Pacific NorthWest: Seattle on Feb 10th at Cafe Red and Bulldog News on Feb 11th - Olympia, Wa and on Feb 13th at Kings Books There will be three dates locally April 12th in So-called San Rafael at the Mission , April 26th at the East Side Arts Alliance and May 20th at City Lights Books for more information go to poormagazine.org/calendar or email poormag@gmail.com -
- HOMEFULNESS IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
HOMEFULNESS IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST: Book Release, Presentations and Workshops with houseless and housed allies Houseless/Indigenous/Black & Brown poets and cultural workers will visit so-called Seattle, Tacoma and Olympia in February to share an innovative, healing, rent-free, permanent housing solution to homelessness called HOMEFULNESS, along with a powerful new book highlighting the connections between Indigenous LANDBACK and Black Land Return Movements, Palestine Liberation and homelessness. PUBLIC EVENTS INCLUDE: Monday Feb 10 -- 6:00 PM: Book Release and Prayer Ceremony Café Red, 7148 Martin Luther King Jr Way S, Seattle, WA 98118 Tuesday Feb 11 -- 4:00pm: Book Release and Performance Bulldog News 4208 University Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105 Wednesday Feb 12 -- 6:00pm: Book Release and Performance Orca Books Cooperative, 315 5th Ave SE, Olympia, WA 98501 Thursday Feb 13 -- 1:30 pm: Workshop with Houseless community St. Vincent de Paul 4009 S 56th St, Tacoma, WA 98409 For anyone with current or past experience of houselessness, not general public Thursday Feb 13 -- 5pm pm: Book Release and Performance King's Books 218 St Helens Ave, Tacoma, WA 98402 A group of houseless, indigenous visionary poets and cultural workers from the Bay Area are coming back to the Pacific Northwest to release their powerful UnTour Book Through Occupied Turtle Island, a book of poetry, prayer, stories and art on indigenous resistance to settler colonial erasure, poLice terror, homelessness and the many acts of indigenous/Black/Brown-led resistance across Mama Earth and lift up the dream of Homefulness, a homeless peoples solution to homelessness with houseless/indigenous residents of Seattle, Olympia and Tacoma. “Homefulness is a practical dream rooted in self-determination and love," said Aunti Frances Moore, formerly houseless povertyskola, Black Panther and co-founder of Homefulness. “Sweeps are literally killing houseless people from Shannon Marie Bigley in California to Cornelius Taylor in Georgia, both run over by bulldozers in a 'Sweep' of their outdoor shelters. As poor, houseless, indigenous people we have our own healing, practical solutions to homelessness, and they do not include spending millions of tax dollars sweeping humans like we are trash,” said Tiny gray-garcia, formerly houseless, incarcerated povertyskola and co-founder of POOR Magazine Homefulness. Following the Grants Pass vs Johnson Supreme Court Ruling that deemed houseless residents of the US no longer protected by the 8th amendment of the constitution, state and city legislators, police and sheriffs enhanced their already violent "sweeps" policy of houseless people by directing state agencies to dismantle homeless encampments on state land. Hundreds of houseless elders and disabled adults have become gravely endangered and have died in increasing numbers due to this state sponsored violence over the last several months that is being threatened to get worse under the new administration. “200 years ago, before colonization there wasn’t even a concept of homelessness,” said Talking Chief/spokesperson of the confederated villages of Lisjan/Ohlone and co-founder of the Sogorea Te Land Trust and Family Elders Council member of Homefulness. KlanMarks, ManUMeants and Plakkks- UnTour Guide Across Occupied Turtle Island Everywhere across this stolen land, I hear the ancestors scream, I see occupied lies and violent settler propaganda and false-narrative-washing embodied in what I call KlanMarks, Plakkks, and MANumeants. We are in a pivotal moment of LandBack and Black Land return where we can shift the anthroWrongological, arkkkeaological HIStories and arkkkives built and told and sold by enslavers, eugenicists, settlers, and land stealers to HERstories and truth, reparations and HEALing for all of us together to rematriate* and return hurting and extracted Mama Earth to original peoples. To unSell and unHoard our sacred mother, she who was never meant to be bought and sold, and return her in right relationship with ancestors and all of life... -- excerpt from tiny gray-garcia's introduction to the UnTour Book - Across Occupied Turtle Island Book release events will be dedicated to John Williams, of the Williams Family Carvers, a houseless, indigenous wood carver from Seattle who was killed by Seattle PoLice dept in 2010 and will feature h,is brother and nephew Rick T Williams and EagleSun. 50% of book sales will go to the Williams Family Carvers and the remaining 50% to the building of Homefulness in the PNW. . Homefulness , a homeless peoples' solution to homelessness which just welcomed their 22nd houseless family into rent-free forever healing housing,is one of the models we are presenting on the UnTour. In addition to Seattle, we are currently working with houseless comeUnities in San Francisco and LA to create their own Homefulness Projects and on a second site of Homefulness in Oakland We will also be sharing and lifting up the powerful poor and houseless women led movement of Share/Wheel - and Tent City 3 - another example of a houseless peoples' solution to homelessness in action. See Testimonials from houseless (Now Homeful) residents of Homefulness by clicking here . @poormagazine poormagazine.org ###
- Its a fire everyday when you live outside- the answer to emergencies is NOT more scarcity
Aetna Street in Van Nuys with fire looming (foto by AetnaStreetSolidarity on IG) Its a fire everyday when you live outside Houseless peoples are living the everyday emergency of homelessness and Climate Terrorism. by tiny , daughter of Dee, mama of tiburcio The flames of intense heat dehydrate The water from floods drown our outside spaces The Cold seeps into our torn clothes Way down deep to our tired bones The tornado winds The sun beats in The smoke will choke But none so hard as the Cop Cars The park rangers and the DPW pickUp Yards Who take it all No matter who you call Who predate and tow and take Everything we have in our humble streetscape Until we can’t breathe or see Or live or even be Its called a sweep And it happens every day to houseless me This isnt climate change This is a poltricksters game For us impacted first and worst So close to mama earth So for all of u housed relatives too suffering the terrifying Hurricanes and fire moves I ask u to recognize the pain The absolute terror of losing all you have to your name And for this moment you might be able to see The violence of living homelessly Of daily and violent sweeps On all of these stolen land Turtle Island and Palestine streets “The roof (umbrella) blew off my home and the tarp blew away like a sail…” said Ruth Roofless, a houseless resident of Tovaangar (LA) “They took our last tarp and all of our blankets. I have frostbite in my hands now and i can’t go to work,” said Sidney,a houseless resident, recycler and RoofLESS radio reporter in Yelamu (San Francisco) who had just sufferred a sweep of all of his warm clothes and sleeping bag. Across the US the people impacted first and worst by climate change or what Dine brother Klee Benally called Climate Terrorism, are houseless people, living, hiding, surviving on Mama Earth while unhoused. Right now Los Angeles fires have consumed miles and miles of the county, have displaced at least 200,000 people and destroyed more than 12,000 homes and businesses including entire residential neighborhoods and so far 16 fatalities. The Veterans Affairs Medical Center “relocated” already houseless, disabled veteran residents from its community-living facility on the north campus to homelessness again. Aetna street houseless comeUnity is facing a threat of evacuation from their humble outside area in Van Nuys that they have already been violently removed and evicted from multiple times. On September 26, 2024, Hurricane Helene swept over Western North Carolina, bringing record levels of rainfall. Rainfall totals reached 12 to 16 inches (305-406mm) in some areas, leading to what is now referred to as one of the most severe floods in the state’s recent history. Entire streets where houseless elders would sit or stand in that state were flooded and the few homeless shelters spaces were closed. Houseless peoples were pushed into more unsafe homelessness. What is rarely, if ever, mentioned when these increasingly common disasters occur, is the impact on houseless residents of these areas. This is not strange. Houseless peoples are never mentioned or discussed except in some vague amorphous way as though we are all a monolith called the “homeless people” with no face or name or identity except our lack of secure housing. Whether it’s fires or floods, hurricanes or tornadoes, we ae dangerlousky impacted by these severe weather changes. As I often repeated in the Covid pandemic, and some of our California wildfire emergencies, “How do we shelter in place when we don’t have a place?” From the air we can’t breathe to the heat or water we can’t escape from, our lean-to’s, tarps, tents and/or cardboard motels are destroyed, blown-off, lost or crushed in torrential rains. Our lungs get no rest from smoke or soot. We have no windows to close, no air conditioners or purifiers to turn on or outlets to plug them into and rarely any covered areas or trees to shade under to get cool in extreme and dangerous heat. And when there are violent hurricanes like in Western North Carloina or never ending fires like the reality of LA right now and much of California these days, where can we, who are already evacuated, removed, swept and evicted people, go? A question articulated by comrades at Where Do We Go to the City of Berkeley, who like so many of these US towns have mandated its own non-fire related emergency of sweeps against its houseless residents. How do you evacuate when you have already been evacuated? RV home to houseless Oakland resident being towed to nowhere by City of Oakland (foto credit: Love and Justice in the streets) Because the other terrorism we face is the terroism of criminalization. Since June of last year after the Grants Pass versus Johnson Supreme Court ruling, every city in the US has waged an un-ending and deadly war on houseless peoples bodies. No matter where we sit, stand, walk or god forbid, try to sleep, we are forcibly evacuated, removed, swept or evicted from, only we have nowhere to go. In Callifornia Governor Newsom has threatened cities to remove and sweep or lose their state funding. Local Mayors of San Francisco, Oakland, Fresno, Sacramento, Berkeley and Los Angeles to name a few, have implemented their own endless attacks on houseless peoples bodies as well as new laws on top of the old laws that crimianlize our existence, and the result is houseless peoples don’t dare to rest for fear of removal. From everywhere. “The city of Oakland is towing houseless peoples RV’s in Estuary Park, they are not giving them any referrals to safe parking places, even though they have nowhere else to go,” Oakland_revealed reported out from a highway in East Oakland this week. Across the City of Oakland every single day under the guise of “encampment management” hundreds of houseless Oakland residents are subjected to violent sweeps with subsequent arrests if they don’t comply, resulting in the loss of most if not all of their belongings, no matter how important or necessary they are. In San Francisco, you can’t even sit down or put up a tent without facing forced removal, meaning that when the rain and cold comes you have no protection. Evacuation to Where? “I almost died in a fire (2018) and I have lasting breathing issues and can’t run for my life like I was able to then, I know the evacuation warnings are for people with phones and power and cars who can stay in hotels…they’re not for we the unhoused (who they then arrest under curfew orders)” concluded Ruth RoofLess In this terrifying and dangerous time poor and houseless peoples have proposed actual solutions. Solutions rooted in right relationship with Mama Earth, Solutions created by the people impacted first and worst by climate terrorism and the violent criminalization of our bodies. Solutions that actually house and heal, not harm and hurt. Solutions like Homefulness and Wood Street Commons On December 17th, several houseless peoples -led movements across California launched a state-wide sanctuary movement to respond to violence of sweeping peoples like we are trash For five days we held sweeps free sanctuary spaces in all of the impacted cities to lift up these actual solutions. Homefulness is poverty scholarship informed, rent-free forever healing housing. But it is also informed by ancient teachings and spiritual traditions of 1st Nations people. It is not rooted in more extraction like buildings made of wood and concrete, deep and violent cutting down of Mama Trees that we need to provide us all with urgently needed shade and coolness. Homefulness Projects launch with community gardens where there used to be asphalt. The planting of Ancestor forests where there used to be parking lots. Sliding Scale Cafes with free food and diapers and produce for the whole community for free and Humetkas (Ohlone concept of Emergency preparedness) to provide water and emergency support to the whole neighborhood when, not if, emergencies like the LA and Oakland Hills fires happen . Solar and wind power so we don’t CONtinue to steal from and poison Mama Earth and babies in the Congo just to have energy. Fire and Water and MamaEarth solutions based on Indigenous peoples ancient teachings (which should have been followed in Tovaangar and must be implemented across turtle island.) In addition HOMEfulness and Wood Street commons models include Liberation education for houseless youth and adults so we can all learn how to take care of mama Earth with humility and love for the next seven generations of fires and climate terrorism caused disasters that so many of us are complict in enabling. And finally Homefulness is actively working to take parcels of MamaEarth off the extractive real estate speculative market by working with conscious lawyers at Sustainable economies law center to create a liberation easement that ensures that land will only be used for rent-free forever housing and gardens and radical sharing and therefore humbly saving more mamatrees and safe spaces for all of us humans to benefit from. Emergency Vs Emergency - How do you respond to an emergency when there is already an emergency? Solutions like Homefulness are the answer with or without the compounded emergency of fires or Tornadoes, because its an emergency every day when you are houseless,. Everyday we have no home, no roof, no medicine, no toilets, no beds or safe places to sleep. Everyday we have the emergency of PTSD from our trauma filled lives that is only compounded and made worse by just trying to stay alive everyday outside in the ongoing emergency called homelessness Everyday we are scared for our lives and subject to cold so intense we almost die. Everyday we find ourselves outside, roofless without a dry blanket or a warm plate of food or a heater to stand next to or a swamp cooler to cool down next to. Everyday mutual aid warriors like Wood Street Commons, POOR Magazine, Aetna Street Solidarity, Punks With Lunch and JtownAction, Love and Justice in the Streets and so many more show up with love, resources, tents, sleeping bags, food and justice to radically share to houseless relatives. Oftentimes these beautiful love-workers (as we call them at POOR Magazine) are replacing what is procedurally stolen from houseless peoples daily. It is a bizarre whackamole and yet without this support people would die at greater rates than they already do. It’s up to 6 people dying on the streets in LA everyday from the fire called homelessness. In the end we must stop “responding” to emergencies as though they just started. We are living an emergency everyday when we live outside. And the answer to the emergency is to change the mind-set to liberation and love I am humbly asking resourced , housed residents of Turtle Island who are or have suffered the great loss of these Climate terrorism fueled disasters to consider them as a moment of great transformation, to embody what I'm calling radical empathy where you overstand that you will be able to rebuild and recoup, there is a motel room or a family member to stay with or an insurance claim to rebuild or even a decision to relocate, but imagine you had no such support and the same “disaster” was happening to you on a daily basis. From this overstanding reimagine the solution you could be a part of implementing with radically redistributed resources to support your fellow humans all the time not just in an “emergency” Respond now with MamaFesting, supporting, building and implementing actual love-centered solutions that have answers to climate Terrorism and answers to the spirtual terrorism and physical abuse of sweeping humans like we are trash. Scarcity is killing us, not fires, not hurricanes, not mama earth. The love and liberation of Homefulness and Wood Street community are solutions for now and later and forever. Not just now. Thanks to Ry and Ruth Roofless from Tovaangar and Oakland Revealed for contributions to this story To learn more about Homefulness and Poor and houseless peoples solutions to homelessness thru radical Redistribution come to PeopleSkool Degentrification /Decolonization two-day Seminar on zoom which happens twice a year- the next session is Jan 25/26 for more information go to www.poormagazine.org/ education . To redistribute now to Homefulness in Huchiun ( Oakland, SF or LA ) go to poormagazine.org/donate to support Wood Street Commons project go to www.woodstreetcommons.org
- Book Review: The Mayor of the Tenderloin, by Alison Owings
Del Seymour’s journey from living on the Streets to Fighting Homelessness in San Francisco Momii Palapaz, PNN poverty scholar I really like this book. It’s funny, heart aching, an easy read and full of gratitude. And full of stories. Stories of his experiences formulating into an idea and a plan made Del Seymour the Mayor of the Tenderloin. He had many jobs and professions, such as electrician, carpenter, public speaker, organizer, teacher, lecturer, Vietnam vet medic, plumber and fireman. He was also a pimp, drug addict and at different times in his life, houseless. Code Tenderloin, Mr Seymour says, is like saying “Code 911” or Code Blue”. The immediacy of life and death service was initiated in a project called “job interviews”. Del gives confidence unlike what I had going to seek a job. He calls it a business meeting. Here’s a chapter quote from p.58. “ Let me say this first: This is the only day we use the word ‘interview’. From here, we call it a business meeting. We feel you are equal to that guy you’re going to talk to. You’re trying to see if your resume will fit his job needs. It’s an across-the-board business meeting, that’s all.” I was never taught that perspective going to a job interview. I always went with the attitude of, i need a job. I need money. It was hit or miss. When Del Seymour talks about job seeking and preparation, he plans each and every step based on his knowledge of the community. Since he was living and working in the Tenderloin, he knew exactly what to expect from his neighbors on the streets of the Tenderloin SF. Roofless Radio reporter with Frankie and tiny, Poor News Network and South of Market and Tenderloin SF Before Code Tenderloin, Del Seymour made lots of money, even invented an alarm system for cars. His design was then stolen by a major car manufacturer. (Evidence is in an installment of an SF Chronicle Herb Caen column) His “hustle” or entrepeneur working nature has kept his perseverance in the face of addiction and homelessness. With so many professions, Del made a lot of money. The one thing that didn’t seem so important to him was that he made a lot of money. He could take it or leave it. He proved that despite the drug dealing, pimping and addictions, he was not only a survivor but a leader for the most dehumanized and neglected. When Del, who is from Chicago, IL, was living in the bay area, he had many creative ways to get business. He calls it a “hustle”. “I had my own plumbing company called Shitman Plumbing. People always laughed…It was Shitman Plumbing. Once I tell you my company name, when your pipe busts in the middle of the night: ‘a plumber, a plumber. Shitman’. This was a marketing ploy. You could only do it in San Francisco.” In 1960’s Tenderloin, there were Newman’s boxing gym, Sam’s Hofbrau, movie theatres, the Downtown bowling alley and the SRO’s housing families of poor, Black and Brown working class, elders, immigrants, and the off Market Street entertainment trades. Many Saturdays, my friends and I would get on the bus and go to Downtown Bowl on Jones and Eddy. Right around the corner was Del’s and many other drug dealer’s offices on the street. Even younger, my family ate at the Polo’s Restaurant on Mason and Turk. Around the corner was Original Joe’s on Taylor between Turk and Eddy. It then became Piano Fight, and also housed the Code Tenderloin. Down the street on the Turk corner of Taylor was La Bamba Restaurant. Reading “The Mayor of Tenderloin” brought memories of days when the Tenderloin community, although poor and a drug destination, my parents never worried. It was safe enough. Homelessness had yet to be an issue. It was an era of working people, poor people, thousands who lived and worked in SF. You didn’t hear about people commuting to work. One thing I realized reading Del Seymour was my own addiction to cocaine and liquor. I was and am still housed. I was never homeless, so the thought of having a drug addiction AND being houseless would send me further into a deep hole. I had already hit bottom as a housed person. My jobs went to drugs, liquor and paying the rent. Saving money in the credit union went to $0. But I was still housed. I did this for 20 years. I had to leave SF and move to Oakland. But to do this while unhoused? And have a job? In the depths of addiction, I was lucky to not get fired from a 5 and 10 cent store, FW Woolworth, a few blocks from ground zero; the Tenderloin. “I served in the Vietnam War,” said Del Seymour, “served the streets of South Central LA as a firefighter paramedic. I saw a lot of stuff. You know what my nightmares are about? Being homeless in the Tenderloin. I think I’m homeless again...I wake up in a sweat, running out of the room. How can this happen? I’m homeless again. That surpasses all that trauma, is being homeless.” Del Seymour taught me about resilience. It was the one thing that kept me from continuing on that dark bottomless path. At a meet, greet and hear him talk, I had that opportunity. Along with the author, Alison Owings, and Reverend Harry Williams, Tiny, co-founder with Mama Dee of POOR MAGAZINE, confirmed the scam of homelessness. The houseless movement to homefulness is deep and wide. The daunting work over the past years has come to bear fruit everyday. The houseless community found me as I was looking for them. Now it’s we. If you have a home please consider redistributing whatever you can so houseless peoples can build/house ourselves1) $1.00 to 1 million To build rent-free forever homes for houseless families, & elders www.poormagazine.org/homefulness -currently housing 21 houseless youth adults and elders in Deep East Huchiun (Oakland)
















