It’s officially been over a year since a Notification to Halt the excavation of LA CUIDAD was sent to the City of Phoenix and other participating entities. Unfortunately, the Notification has neither been acknowledged or addressed. Talk about being ghosted..

Unfortunately, this type of behavior was expected from the city, as they exhibit the same toxic traits as those of the much larger organization they belong to. Sneaking, stealing, lying, then playing oblivion. The United States government has failed amend it’s relationship with the Indigenous Peoples and continues to abuse and rape our people and homelands. To this day, we are still being assimilated. 

Therefore, I am turning to the people for help. There needs to be a perspective change. As Indigenous Peoples, we are not asking that we go back in time to live like “cavemen”. As humans, we ALL descend from intelligent beings who at one point in time lived in abundance, balance, and harmony with the natural world. Colonization has pulled us so far from who and what we are. The lack of balance and loss of respect towards cultural and generational knowledge reveals itself through the climate crisis we currently face as a species. As Indigenous Peoples, we are demanding that our knowledge and presence within our own home start to be respected.

During the last year, I have had a tremendous amount of guidance and support in creating the Let Our Ancestors Rest campaign - an avenue to educate on Indigenous Rights and uplift the Indigenous Voice. Change cannot start without revealing the truth. During my journey fighting for my ancestors' respect, my eyes had been opened to so many wounds, yet so much hope and beauty that I now have a story of my own to share - which has guided me to people and places I would have never before seen myself. This has given me the strength as a mother, a daughter, an auntie, a sister, a friend, an O’odham to fight for the health of Mother Earth and our upcoming generations. 

Today I asking all my relatives to help raise awareness of the Let Our Ancestors Rest campaign by giving a shout out to their ancestors or acknowledging that no one person would be here without their ancestors, using #LetOurAncestorsRest. An Instagram has just been set up and educational material is being posted! Doing this in the hopes, not only to raise awareness of the campaign, but to also start reminding people of who they are and where they come from. 

Sapa,

Marina Thomas - Running Deer