"Men feel that cruelty to the poor is a kind of cruelty to animals.
They never feel that it is an injustice to equals; nay it is treachery to comrades."

-G. K. Chesterton


HUMAN RIGHT 5

No torture

"No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment"

 

 

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©Steven Two Hawk

Taking the Land Back

"Injustice, racism, and discrimination against my Native people from Alaska to Argentina.

Since the first Spanish explorer sailed into the Americas in the late 1400's, Native Americans have been seen not as humans, but as slaves, hethens, and blood-thristy savages. This United States, Canada, Mexico, all of it sits on crimes against humanity in order to be who they are today. The massacre at Mystic River in the 1600's, the English colonists attack a Mashentucket Pequot village, killing all that considered themselves one, women and children. Our president Andrew Jackson on the 20 dollar bill is best known for his Indian Removal Act in the 1830's, stating any Indian west of the Mississippi River that would not conform to white American society and convert to Christianity would be forced to move west into "Indian Territory", a flat, barren, treeless land for Indians that lived in the dense forests of the southeast and ohio valley. The attack on peaceful reservations such as Sand Creek, where the Cheyenne were promised if an American flag had flown above their camp, they would not be attacked, and of course attacked they were, killing and scalping them all. Soldiers sexually mutilated Indian women's breasts after the massacre and played "catch" with them. The Wounded Knee massacre of 1890, where over 230 fleeing Lakota-Sioux were slaughtered by howitzers and surrounded by firing soldiers. A white doctor accounted helping save a 6 year old girl after Wounded Knee, and in giving her water it all drained out of a bullet hole in her neck......What help have we been given now?

Becides our reservations shrinking from encroachment, even in modern day, the Great Sioux Reservation was cut into pieces according to band, and the land taken was land rich in uranium and coal deposits. The U.S. Goverment forcing reservations to be in poverty as we speak, to encourage Native Americans to move to the cities to make a better living, and lose they're Indian indentity and traditional ways of life, spiritual traditions, and overall sense of pride in being a minority.

In 1990, The Oka Crisis in Canada started when Quebec wanted to sede Kanesatake-Mohawk reservation land to extend a golf course, the land on it filled with dense pine forests and an ancient burial ground. When the Mohawks led protests in the streets, the bulldozers came and started clearing. When the Mohawks militantly resisted by arming themselves and creating blockcades..the media and government labeled them terrorists, murderers, and criminals to gain public support. This is why I have drawn this way, this is why I am now proud to be Native American, and this is certainly why I use art to portray activism for my people...a change needs to occur.
Please e-mail me with any questions on any of these events."

Artist: Steven Two Hawk - Native American (Blackfoot)/French Canadian
Medium: Ballpoint Pen
Website: http://lakota-eyes.deviantart.com

 

Betray This Moment

"Being abused and trying to heal from it. This is self expression of the hurt I felt and hope that it brings awarness to people about abuse of people and or any living thing like animals. To show the pain. I feel that noliving thing should be treated with cruelty."

Artist: Aunja Kahn - Mutt
Medium: Mixed media
Website: www.auniakahn.com