American Indian Movement warriors occupying Wounded Knee in February 1973

Occupy Austin’s Indigenous Struggle Solidarity Statement

Approved by the Occupy Austin General Assembly (7pm) on 10/8/11

Occupy Austin recognizes that the land now referred to as Austin, Texas is already occupied. It was stolen from the indigenous peoples, including the Tonkawa and Apache, in a genocide against indigenous peoples that continues to this day.

Before colonization, this land was the home to several truly sustainable cultures; cultures that were integrated into the land-base, cultures that did not have to worry about corporate influence on the political process. These cultures were destroyed and are being destroyed by the corporate state, starting with Columbus’ state-sponsored invasion of North America more than five hundred years ago. This invasion is not something to celebrate.

Occupy Austin recognizes that the injustice of colonization by the culture of the corporate state is a wrong that must ultimately be righted, and as such we stand in solidarity with the struggles of indigenous peoples in North America and all over the world.

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For more information on such matters, please check out: DGR Indigenous Solidarity Guidelines, a href=”http://unsettlingamerica.wordpress.com”>unsettlingamerica.wordpress.com, aimovement.org, defendersoftheland.org, ienearth.org, waziyatawin.net, lakotaoyate.net, enlacezapatista.ezln.org.mx, transformcolumbusday.org