Call to Action: Take Down Serra Statue
URGENT CALL TO ACTION!!
TODAY, Wednesday July 15th, join our collective movement demanding that Ventura City Council take down the Junipero Serra statue. For far too long our indigenous relatives have been forced to endure the sight of this symbol, representing land theft, genocide, rape, enslavement and erasure of indigenous people.
Removing the Serra statue will bring forth a new era of healing from generational trauma for our Chumash relatives, and for our community living on Chumash territory. And let’s be clear, our collective work toward justice will not stop here.
Call in to TONIGHT’S Special City Council Meeting!! We need everyone to give a public comment. You will have roughly 1-3 minutes to speak on why the statue must come down. Be sure to speak slowly and clearly, remember to breathe, and speak your authentic truth to power.
Join the meeting at 5:40 pm in order to be at the front of the line of those making comments : https://bit.ly/FatherSerraMeeting
(see instructions below to submit request for speaking)
Click this link to see our campaign toolkit (talking points, how to log in to tonight’s meeting, etc.): https://bit.ly/TakeDownSerraStatue
#TakeDownSerraStatue
#ChumashTerritory
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Directions for Submitting Written Public Comment and Live Comment TONIGHT
BEFORE THE MEETING TONIGHT:
You can submit public comment for the Ventura City Council record via email (see sample template in this folder) from now until 4:00 pm tonight, Wednesday July 15. Please submit your comment to the City Clerk using this form (1000 characters) or send an email to cityclerk@cityofventura.ca.gov (no word limit). When sending an email, please indicate in the Subject Line, the Agenda item number: Formal Item 12A. Your form/email will be read by City Council and placed into the item’s record at the meeting.
DURING TONIGHT’S SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING:
Step 1: Open this link to see the agenda for tonight’s meeting:
https://www.cityofventura.ca.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_07152020-2224
Step 2: Ventura City Council uses a program called WebEx. You must join the WebEx Meeting to provide Public Comment. You may log in by computer or phone depending on your device and may need to download the WebEx app. You must attend the WebEx Meeting with audio connected to your computer/device. Log on early! Click this link at 5:40 pm to join the 6 pm meeting: https://bit.ly/FatherSerraMeeting
Clicking the green bar will take you into the meeting.
Step 3: Once logged in, you will see an outline of a person icon in the upper right hand corner. Click that and you will see a list of participants and the city clerk should be up too. Click on the city clerks line and one of them will actively allow you to chat. You can write, "I would like to speak about the Serra statue” in the chat feature at the bottom.
Step 4. When it’s your turn to speak, the city clerk will announce your name and unmute your mic. You will be heard, but not visible on screen. You will have 1-3 minutes to provide your comments. When you are finished, your mic will be muted.
TIPS:
The 1-3 minutes go by quickly. Write out your talking points and time what you plan to say. It’s most important that you speak slowly and clearly so the council members can hear and process your message. Don’t forget to take time to breathe!
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TALKING POINTS
Please continue making the City's future a diverse and inclusive one by taking down the statue.
The Chumash People have been asking for this statue to be removed for years.
The statue has been standing in a place of mockery to them for too long.
People lived on this land long before the Missionaries came and were still here during that time!
Moving the statue was agreed by both Father Tom, of the Mission and Julie Tumamait Stenslie, the tribal chair, when Mayor Matt LaVere met with them.
There should be separation of Church and State:
Although the statue, and the saint he represents, may be beloved by many Catholics, it does not belong up on a pedestal in front of City Hall that represents citizens of all faiths and heritage.
It's now a total eyesore - in a cage with dead flowers and flags at its feet - do you want to put that in the tourist brochure of Ventura?
It's time to move away from our Colonial past: as a human race, we should always be learning, always be trying to do things better, to improve our lives and those of the future generations.
Placing this in a museum, provides the opportunity to better educate people on the full history of our City, something which cannot be communicated easily in its current location.
The Chumash People are one of the minorities in our City, however it is always the responsibility of the majority to support and care for the well being of all our residents.
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Published Materials of essays, articles, and first hand accounts
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334367721_Junipero_Serra's_Canonization_or_Eurocentric_Heteronomy
https://indiancountrytoday.com/archive/serra-gate-the-fabrication-of-a-saint-cZ_gP4F0M0WPPNbyc_AKZw