Nahuacalli Educators Alliance Press Conference

Nahuacallli

Educators Alliance

Press Release

For Immediate Release

Date: Monday March 12, 2012

Contact: Tupac Enrique Acosta (602) 466-8367

Impact of the Doctrine of Discovery

Traditional Indigenous Mexican Communities Mobilize a Four-Day Direct Action in Response to the Regime of Intellectual Apartheid in Arizona

What:          PRESS CONFERENCE to announce Direct Action at the Arizona Department of Education

When:          10:00 AM Tuesday March 13, 2012

Where:           NAHUACALLI 802 N. 7^th Street Phoenix, AZ 

Phoenix, AZ – Working together under the auspices of the Calmecac Abya Yala, a continental consortium of Indigenous Universities from throughout the hemisphere, two traditional Indigenous Mexican communities will embark on a four day series of educational events and direct action that will mobilize from Tucson to Phoenix this week.

Under the theme of  “In Imiuh Tenamaztle” (The Arrow of Tenemaztle) the event will launch from Tucson on Wednesday March 14^th and arrive at the Arizona Department of Education on Friday the 16^th at 3:00 PM to deliver a set of demands and recommendations to Arizona Superintendent of Instruction John Huppenthal.

On Saturday the 17th dual actions in the form of "Teach Ins" in both Tucson and Phoenix will culminate the the 2012 Flecha de Tenamaztle. The Phoenix "teach in" is planned to take place at the Arizona State Capitol complex from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

The Calpolli Tlamanalco and the Calpolli Nahuacalco, working with the Alianza Indigena Sin Fronteras, are taking the action in response to the climate of “intellectual apartheid” which has become exacerbated by AZ HB2281, and in affirmation of the Right of Self Determination as Indigenous Peoples in regards to educational policies and practices in the realm of Public Education in the State of Arizona.

“The educational issues in Arizona are not limited to the banning of books, and the denial of culturally competent educational services such as the Mexican American studies program in Tucson, the issue at its core is the right as Indigenous Peoples to question the intellectual regimes of colonization and its agents of suppression in the form of institutions of the state.  We propose to engage in the peaceful exercise of the right of assembly to present our grievances, demands and recommendations to the State of Arizona, and we now propose that as a beginning point of reference in the dialogue we integrate the Preliminary Study on the Impact of the Doctrine of Discovery of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.”

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