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by Joaquin C./Copwatch LA and Mari Villaluna/PNN Indigenous People's Media Project
"The cops are at DQU!" the text message showed up on my phone just
before I was about to continue walking on the Longest Walk 2, a walk of
resistance by native peoples to bring attention to sacred burial sites
and native movements across the US. I have been walking for the next
seven generations, for my descendants. I pray for them with every step
I take.
On February 22, 2008 at 12:18 p.m. Yolo County Sheriffs arrested three
DQU students with alleged charges of trespassing and served with an
eviction notice. Students have occupied DQU since January of 2005,
demanding the re-opening of DQU and maintaining classes every semester.
DQU is the only off-reservation college in the US. It has been under
threat of closure for several months. POOR's Indigenous Peoples media
project held a rally in support of DQU in February
DQU was founded by Natives and Chicanos to reflect an Indigenous
education that covered all of the Americas. In 2005, the university
lost it's accreditation after the former administration mishandled
school funds.
The night before the arrest, some DQU students arrived to participate
in the longest walk. That same night I met a journalist from L.A. named
Joaquin Cienfuegos and we talked about D-Q University and the Longest
Walk 2 and how they are interconnected. We talked about the importance
of collaborating on media, and how not that often you see the North and
South Natives coming together on a media tip. That night I knew it was
important for him to interview Caske Limon, a DQU Student so Joaquin
could understand the spiritual importance of DQU and its connections to
the Longest Walk 2.
"It's important because it's unique. It highly stresses culture
and traditions. It has more hands-on learning experience and
environment" said Caske Limon, DQU Student. "It's a place for
healing. It's a very sacred place. The name of the school
itself was brought to the school by means of ceremony. They used
to hold the AIM Sundance at the DQ University back in the day" he
continued.
Caske continued to talk to Joaquin about how D-Q University has been as
a used as a model for self determination and sovereignty for Native
people.
"It's creating a prototype, a microcosm, of a better society.
It's giving a visual example of not polluting healthy life and
eliminating diseases by eating healthy" he said. "We want to
revert back to the structure of how indigenous societies used to work."
DQU is very sacred to the students who are currently occupying it so
much so that three of them recently got arrested because they believe
in D-Q University. They believe in the vision of North and South
Natives coming together to learn as their ancestors once did, without
borders but having a epistemic location in a Indigenous traditional
identity.
I was lucky enough to have a conversation with an elder named Dr. Adam
Fournate Eagle, who was one of the Natives to jump over the fence to
reposses the former Army Communications center and started a tribal
college called D-Q University. He talked about Alcatraz Island, DQU,
Longest Walk of 1978, sacred sites, and cracked jokes the whole time.
The words that I remember the most is "Its up to the youth to continue
the struggles that we once fought for." Those youth at D-Q University
are making sure that the next seven generations have an Indigenous
University that uses our ways of educating our people.
For informaiton on DQ you can visit their myspace at: www.myspace.com/dquniversity. To read more about DQ go on-line to
www.poormagazine.org and click on Indigenous Peoples Media Project
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