Navajo-Hopi Observer 9/21/04

FLAGSTAFF- The All Peoples Power Summit, hosted by the Black Mesa Water Coalition, produced a tremendous amount of support for the grassroots organization.  Participants gathered about 30 miles northeast of Flagstaff off Forest Service access Road 245 from July 15-18.

The summit included presenters form areas in and around the northern Arizona area as well as from the Buraku Liberation League of Japan and the Original Skin Inc. out of Seattle.  There were native presenters like Jonah Hill, a traditional Hopi carver; and Marina Xoc Castillo de Vasquez, a Mayan basket maker and activist, as well as ethnobotanist Phyllis Hogan.

The event also included entertainment from 4th Worlds Entertainment and the Jones Benally family, who provided the opening blessing as well as Blackfire, who performed after the opening address.  The entire performance was fueled by solar energy, provided by Native Sun, the Hopi-owned solar company out of Kykotsmovi.

The four-day gathering was designed to provide the young students with information about environmental issues that the country faces on a day-to-day basis. Some of the students come from areas in Arizona, Atlanta, Seattle, Japan and other areas throughout the world.

The presentations planned were by Original Skin Inc. called "A Day In The Life Of Hip-Hop," where the students heard the history and origins of Hip-hop from the 1950’s to present day, and were introduced to the different movements within the Hip-hop world.  The presentation was part of original Skin’s three-part educational facet.  The other two are a media portion that includes a Hip-hop documentary on artist, Fotocriminal, and music production for such artists like O.1.O (Pronounced Oh-one-Oh, short for Only One Ocean) and a politically charged MC named Josiah.
"Our company focuses on educating the youth about Hip-hop and the arts.  We designed our presentations to include participation from our audience.  We have a program called "Creatively Speaking." It allows people that we present to have a voice and the freedom to express their feelings about issues that they face everyday.  The program encourages students to express themselves through music, through art, like drawing or painting or by a performance,"said Faiza Mohammed, who, along with Rice Baker-Yeboah, is co-owner of Original Skin Inc. 

The Buraku Liberation League also gave a presentation, which covered the history and current day issues that the Buraku people face today in Japanese society such as the oppression of women and other social minorities.

The Buraku people are the most heavily discriminated against minority people in Japan.  They are not a racially different group, but rather descendents from ancestors who were assigned the talks such as slaughtering of animals, the arrest and executions of criminals (considered polluting acts in the two dominating religions of that era, Buddhism and Shitoism).

Buraku were the collection of these outcasts in Japanese society, that later were heavily oppressed.  The Buraku endured verbal harassment, even from members of the government, as well a denial of marriage and higher paying jobs.  Due to the neglect by the governmental services, their communities were forced into lifestyles that were extremely poor and had to struggle to develop a movement to change their plights.

Today, the Buraku Liberation league and Human Rights Research Institute has developed literacy schools.  Due to the heavy suppression of education to the Buraku, many, especially the older population, have experienced high rates of illiteracy.  They have worked to abolish public discrimination in the workplace and in marriage choices and have begun the steps to getting government legislation passed to benefit the Buraku communities.

"Our goal at this summit is to present the issues that we a Buraku people face.  We face oppression of Buraku women and of other minorities in Japan, and I know that many minorities here in the United States also have endured the same types of discrimination that are quite common throughout the world," stated Ego Tomonaga of the BLL.

For information on the next summit, the Black Mesa Water Coalition or other programs offered through Flagstaff’s Sierra Club Office, call 928-774-6103.