The "New" CAC

The Caribbean Amerindian Centrelink has been revised, restructured and redesigned. There will be more content to add, and current content that needs to be corrected. However, a much slimmer and easier to use CAC is now available, starting with the front page itself. Previously, visitors were faced with a wall of text and a possibly confusing array of options, few of which really indicated the nature and purpose of the site. Here is a screen capture of the previous version:

The present version, starting from the first screen, presents the main options available on the site, and an immediate indication of the scope and content of the site:

The site is more navigable now, with a more logical structure and a menu bar that appears on each of the pages of the site.

The following pages have been eliminated from the CAC:

http://www.centrelink.org/Discussion.html
http://www.centrelink.org/Webhosting.html
http://www.centrelink.org/Services.html
http://www.centrelink.org/Survey.html
http://www.centrelink.org/Carbet.html
http://www.centrelink.org/ReferenceRes.html
http://www.centrelink.org/EducationalRes.html
http://www.centrelink.org/Field.html
http://www.centrelink.org/Mail.html
http://www.centrelink.org/SitePolicy.html
http://www.centrelink.org/sitemap.html
http://www.centrelink.org/Projects.html
http://www.centrelink.org/Webrings.html
http://www.centrelink.org/books.html
http://www.centrelink.org/plan.html
http://www.centrelink.org/mission.html
http://www.centrelink.org/Addresses.html
http://www.centrelink.org/Links.html
http://www.centrelink.org/Data.html
http://www.centrelink.org/Institutions.html
http://www.centrelink.org/Colombia.html
http://www.centrelink.org/MessageArchive.html
http://www.centrelink.org/messageresponse.html

The following services will either no longer be available or will not be maintained and presented on the CAC itself:

Guestbook

FAQ

USERS SURVEY

Message Board

Mail Form

Webring
Carbet-L

The CAC Discussion Board and Chat Area

Free Hosting

Classified Ads

Free E-Mail

CAC Users Survey

CAC Website Awards

We look forward to your visits and your feedback.

Breaking Bread

[I felt compelled to present this letter from Joel Bastedo to the Caledonia Citizens' Alliance, regarding residents of Caledonia and their physical attacks against Natives reoccupying their lands. Given that the media have popularized characterizations of Six Nations protesters as "terrorists," who should be dealt with in the same way as a foreign military force ("call in the army!"--presumably to ultimately shoot at peaceful civilians), that the United States' ATF was called in for surveillance (an ironic, voluntary surrender of Canadian sovereignty in an attempt to assert Canadian sovereignty), and condemnations of Natives acting as a "nation within a nation," Joel Bastedo's letter underscores the sad ironies underlying these positions. I thank him for his kind permission to reproduce his letter below.]

From: Joel Bastedo

Subject: Bread and Cheese day

Date: Tue, 20 Jun 2006

To: webmaster@CitizensOfCaledonia.ca

Hello Citizens of Caledonia Webmaster,

I have heard that on Victoria Day, citizens of Caledonia threw bread and cheese at the Six Nations protesters, in reference to the Six Nations' custom of distributing bread and cheese in their May 24th celebrations. I certainly hope I'm misinformed. That day is used to commemorate the military service of Six Nations people in defense of the crown during the War of 1812-1814, and during the American Revolution. For that service, they were granted the land they occupy (and a good deal more), in much the same way as the white Loyalists in the rest of Ontario were granted the land they occupy as a reward for their loyalty (except that the whites were subjects of the crown, whereas the Six Nations were independent allies).

If the reports of this "bread and cheese fight" are true, then as your website predicts, the day may well live long in the history books as one of the grossest infamy conceivable, where white residents of Caledonia twisted the most enduring symbol of friendship and common cause between the Six Nations and white Canadians into an offensive and bitter memory for all....We can never undo those things, but I hope Caledonians will realize the extent of their offense and try to make amends.

In closing, I find it appalling that protesters from Caledonia were singing "Oh Canada" and waving their maple leaf flags as they protested against a group that did much to make the True North "strong and free." If I could send a message to Caledonians, it is that Canadians are sympathetic to their plight (being caught in the middle because of a negligent government is completely unfair, no question), but that we cannot support intolerance and hatred, no matter how provoked and warranted Caledonians believe those feelings to be. Please stop defiling Canada's national symbols.

Yours respectfully,

Joel Bastedo.

Garifuna Protest Disney, Anaheim, CA, June 24

Garifuna American Heritage Foundation United
GAHFU
Cheryl L. Noralez
Phone (562)366-9396
cnoralez@garifunaheritagefoundation.org
P.O. Box 10054
Long Beach, CA 90810

Press Release

June 20, 2006

Garifuna American Heritage Foundation United organizes a protest against the World Premiere of Walt Disney Pictures’ Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man’s Chest.

Long Beach, California – Tuesday, June 20 2006: GAHFU’s President and Founder Ms. Cheryl Noralez announced that on Saturday, June 24 2006 between the hours of 2:00 to 4:00 pm, her organization along with a group of concerned Garifuna leaders in the Los Angeles area will be protesting the premiere of Disney Pictures’ Pirates of the Caribbean – Dead Man’s Chest at Disneyland in Anaheim, California.

GAHFU, Inc. is a non-profit organization based in Long Beach, California. Our purpose is to preserve the uniqueness of the Garifuna culture, history, language, music, arts & crafts and values by working closely with the Garifuna community not only in Los Angeles County, but throughout the world. We seek to enhance and showcase the image and vision of the Garifuna people through education, music and the arts.

“It has been brought to our attention that the Walt Disney Company intends to film a movie called The Pirates of the Caribbean in which the Caribs or Calinago, the ancestors of the Garinagu (as we refer to ourselves in our language) are portrayed as cannibals.” These are the words of Michael Polonio, of the National Garifuna Council of Belize.

We believe that not only the Garifuna people have been wrongfully portrayed in the movie as cannibals but also other indigenous people of the Caribbean who are closely related to us as in the case of the Taino people; therefore, we have invited the Taino community in Los Angeles to participate and they have promptly accepted the invitation to stand united with the Garinagu.

We are inviting all of the indigenous people of the Caribbean to join us in this protest. The meeting place to protest will be at Harbor Blvd.’s front entrance of Disneyland in Anaheim, California starting at 1:30 pm. We strongly urge participants not to bring sticks, drums, shakers or anything that could be used as a weapon to the event. Also, teenagers are encouraged to come with their parents to join us for this peaceful protest.

“Eibugaba lidan ligemeri Inaruni - Walk in the light of truth “- James Lovell

Cheryl L. Noralez, President & Founder
GARIFUNA AMERICAN HERITAGE FOUNDATION UNITED
www.garifunaheritagefoundation.org
events@garifunaheritagefoundation.org

"Canada" Opposes UN Draft Charter for Indigenous Peoples

The Government of "Canada" is determined to oppose the United Nations Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, joining other colonial powers also opposing the motion, such as the United States, Australia and New Zealand. "Canada's" opposition was announced in Parliament by Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, Jim Prentice. Ironically, just a few short weeks ago, Phil Fontaine, the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, had praised Jim Prentice on CBC News as someone who was sensitive to the situation of aboriginal peoples in "Canada," as someone who was very knowledgeable, "someone we can work with"--comments made by Fontaine as he opposed the Six Nations protesters in Caledonia. Fontaine's reward for loyalty? Nothing.

More on this story appeared in CBC News online at:

http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2006/06/20/aboriginal-declaration.html?print