Native Women's Association of Canada

The Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC), www.mwac.ca or Association des Femmes Autochthones au Canada (AFAC) in French, is a National Indigenous Organization representing the political voice of Indigenous women, girls, and gender-diverse people in Canada, inclusive of First Nations on and off reserve, status and non-status, disenfranchised, Métis, and Inuit. An aggregate of Indigenous women's organizations from across the country, NWAC was founded on the collective goal to enhance, promote, and foster the social, economic, cultural and political well-being of Indigenous women within their respective communities and Canadian societies. 

Since 1974, NWAC has established governance structures, decision-making processes, financial policies and procedures, and networks. NWAC engages in national and international advocacy aimed at legislative and policy reforms that promote equality for Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people, including LGBTQ+ people. Through advocacy, policy, and legislative analysis, NWAC works to preserve Indigenous culture and advance the well-being of all Indigenous women, girls, and gender-diverse people, as well as their families and communities. 

WWII veteran Lives 101 years, eating organic foods and herbs 

by Lester “Mac” McCurtis

William "Bill" McCurtis, Sr. (Oct.,7, 1918 - Oct., 11, 2019) born in Waverly, Alabama, the youngest of four siblings. Bill graduated from Interurban Heights Industrial Highschool in Birmingham, Alabama, where he learned the trade of a ”Cobbler" (Shoe repair)  in 1939. Soon after he joined the U.S. Navy during WWII as a Steward, and also attended military school for Photography. Bill served two tours in the U.S. Navy earning the WWII Victory Medal and Asiatic Pacific Sea Medal. Unfortunately, after his second tour ending on August 4, 1952, he was given an "Other than Honorable" discharge. Bill's family fought to get his discharge upgraded to "Honorable" during his 90's and finally, 24 hours after his 101st birthday, the Veteran's Administration upgraded his status to an "Honorable discharge". Bill had many battles which he persevered during his life.

Enero Zapatista is a month-long series of political and culturally conscious event that commemorate the uprising of the Zapatistas in January 1994. These series of events will take place this upcoming January 2020, in San Diego, California.

On January 1, 1994, the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) took up arms and crowded the streets of San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas (México). They denounced injustices like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the humiliation and genocide of indigenous peoples, neoliberalism, the World Bank, and the increasing sore gap between the rich and the poor. Zapatistas demanded the right to land, life, education, autonomy, self-determination, and dignity. To this day, Zapatista communities continue to organize and engage people on a local and global scale. They work in humble and dignified ways to fight toward “a world in which many worlds fit”.

This year, we will be celebrating the 16th Annual Enero Zapatista in San Diego, and 26 years of resistance since the 1994 Zapatista uprising. ¡Que Viva La Lucha Colectiva! 

We extend an invitation to communities throughout San Diego County to stand with our Zapatista brothers and sisters to create and organize spaces/events throughout the month of January that transcend borders. Let’s continue this fight against the system that affects us all on a local and global scale! Let’s fight across the world, no matter what age, sexual orientations, abilities, religion, ethnicity, nationality, and many other social categories, we must not let the bad government (el mal gobierno) divide us! We must unite!

This year’s theme is “People’s Rebellion: Nuestra Lucha Es Por La Vida!”, because the peoples’ sense of collective power is growing around the world. We must not let this moment go to waste asking those at the top to reform the system, we must work from below to bring about change, not lift those that only seek to raise themselves. We must strive to  deconstruct colonizing mindsets in order to create a world in which many worlds fit. As imperialism brings the world to the brink of destruction the people must know of their power because our fight is for life.

Organizations/individuals participating must have events that uphold Zapatismo (i.e. self- determination, anti-capitalism, and anti-imperialism). Events should be a safe space for all (no alcohol or drugs). In order to organize collectively Enero Zapatista with good communication and transparency, we ask that all participating organizations send a representative to attend all of the bi-weekly meetings. If your organization would like to take part in Enero Zapatista 2020, please notify the committee and send a representative by Thursday, October 10, 2019. In participating in Enero you will need to agree and respect all community agreements and commit to volunteer hours.

For more information on the planning meetings, or about volunteer opportunities at events for Enero Zapatista in San Diego, please contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Power…

...is the ability to define reality and to get others to act on that definition, as if it were their own.

 This is a definition of power that is used in the context of community organizing. This is the definition of power that was used, very successfully, for civic engagement. I think I have asked this before, but since I haven’t seen much change in the Black community in the many years I have been in San Diego I will ask it again. Is the Black community of San Diego ready to be empowered? 

 African Americans, and by extension Africans are ascendent. By that I mean that the priorities and purposes of Black people, especially what are now being called American Descendants of Slavery or ADOS, are being elevated to a level of importance that has not been seen since the days of the Civil Rights movement. Even the non-Black Democratic candidates for president of the United States are talking about reparations. Just a quick point: reparations is not just about money. There is much more that was taken from Africans enslaved in America that must be repaired; like culture, identity, family and history, among others.

 Aside from reparations there is much the Black community can and must do to be empowered. From my perspective, the basis of empowerment is self-sufficiency and self-determination. 

 By self-sufficiency I mean that Black people must marshall the resources necessary to take care of our own material needs, even if no one who is not Black/African American assists us. That means even if others will not employ us, or give us business loans, or share information with us, or do business with us, etc. 

 By self-determination I mean working together to make sure that the needs of all African Americans are being met on a regular basis. There should be no homeless Black people in San Diego. There should be no Black people who don’t have access to health care. Black people should not be engaging the criminal justice system without adequate legal representation. Black children should not have to endure neglect and abuse in the education systems - and so much more. Self-determination means that Black people are making sure that Black people are taken care of, no matter who is in office, or who runs the businesses, or who runs the schools. If others (who have benefitted from us and our ancestors) will not assist us, we will take care of it ourselves. 

 This is the reality I am seeking to define in the Black community in San Diego. This is the reality that I think we should be insisting that others act on. This is a reality of our own making. No one is coming to save us but us. We must save ourselves. 

 Are we ready to be self-sufficient and self-determining? From what I see of the landscape of the Black community there are many who are ready. They are already taking the bull by the horns and setting up shop (YB&NB), opening schools (Beta Salaam Academy), running for office (many - mostly women!), intervening in the legal system (Pillars of the Community), starting community service and employment training CBOs (Paving Great Futures), to name a few. MOST of these are owned and operated by younger members of the community who are coming into their own. They are defining reality in our their/own image, and empowering themselves and others to be self-sufficient and self-determined. Most importantly, if they are to be empowered, they must be supported by the rest of the community. So, the question is, are you ready to support those who are being empowered to empower you?

Be The Right Person, In The Right Place, At The Right Time, Doing The Right Thing, In The Right Way, For The Right Reason.

"No one is coming to save us but us."  (Rev Eugene Williams)

Clovis M. Honoré