Virginia Flores, O'dam: Message to the O'otham Nations

March 23, 2012
Arizona State Capitol House of Representatives
Indigenous Peoples Forum on the Doctrine of  Discovery
YouTube:

Message to the O'otham Nations 

“Yo soy O’dam de Durango Mexico. Muchos me han preguntado que significa ser O’dam.
Para nosotros ser O’dam es Ser Humano.”

“I am O’dam from Durango, Mexico.  Many people have asked me what does it mean to be O’dam.  For us to be O’dam is to be a Human Being.”

 O'dam of Durango, Mexico

26,000 O’dam in Two Municipalities - Six Communities

Each Community has a defined territory. 

"I am from the community of Santa Maria Ocotan."

“As Indigenous Peoples we have been marginalized and excluded. They have called us ignorant savages without culture. They have imposed ideas, languages and religions and this is why I believe it is important that we elaborate these issues and we shall make our voice be heard. That our ideas be known and that we will not be diminished.”

In Mexico, there are still spoken some 72 Indigenous languages.  We have lived through the policy of Castillianization by imposition of the Spanish language upon of our peoples. The object was to Hispanicize the Indigenous Peoples, and promote the extermination of our native languages.

Yet in spite of all of this we are still here, looking always for the way to continue moving forward, that our Human Rights should be respected.  Our rights to our culture, to rights to our language, our right to be who we are.

I propose that we look to organize an encounter, to bring together the O’dam from Durango, from Sonora, from Arizona and come together to speak with each other about those things that we may want to discuss.  Maybe in Mexico, maybe here in Arizona and hopefully soon.

 

NAHUACALLI

Embassy of Indigenous Peoples

TONATIERRA

www.tonatierra.org