“On October 11-14, 2007, indigenous peoples and organizations of the Americas will meet in Sonora, Mexico. The gathering is being convened by the Yaqui Tribe of Vicam Community, Sonora (Mexico), the National Indigenous Congress (Mexico), the Nde Cultural Historical Organization of the Nde Apache Nation (USA), "Tierra y Libertad" / Chicana Indigenous Organization, Tucson, Arizona (USA), the Dene Nation/Navajo, the Native and Immigrant Indigenous Development Organization (Mexico-USA), the Tohono O'Odham Nation, (Mexico-USA) and the Zapatista National Liberation Army (Mexico).

In the Call to the meeting, the convening groups state: "Five hundred fifteen years after the first invasion of our ancestral territories, the war of conquest, the plunder, and capitalist exploitation have not altered their course, but rather have become a new war of extermination, a war designed for the destruction and utter plunder of all the original peoples of the Americas."

Therefore, this encounter - where thousands of indigenous representatives and sister organizations from all the Americas are expected to gather - aims to focus discussion around three central themes, all related to the situation of marginalization and exclusion that indigenous peoples suffer throughout the continent, and to the plunder and abuse of their cultures, territories and natural resources. The themes are:

1 - The war of capitalist conquest in the indigenous communities in the Americas 2 - The resistance of the indigenous peoples of the Americas: our defense of Mother Earth, our territories, and our cultures. 3 - Why do we, the indigenous peoples of the Americas, struggle?

To see the Call and further information about the Gathering, please see: http://www.encuentroindigena.org/?p=5

We are writing now at the request of the Traditional Authorities of the Yaqui Tribe of Vicam, Sonora, Mexico, the hosts of the Oct. 11-14 Gathering. It was decided to hold this meeting within the indigenous communities of the North of Mexico in order to make their existence, life conditions and struggles visible to the whole country and to the rest of the world. Like the majority of indigenous communities, the Vicam Community lacks financial resources after centuries of plunder, though they've maintained their wisdom, culture and dignity.

To cover the expenses of hosting the Gathering, the authorities of the Yaqui Tribe have opened a bank account to receive solidarity contributions. However, with delegates arriving in just a few weeks, there is not enough money to meet the basic needs for the Gathering. There are still are still not enough resources to repair and build spaces for meetings and lodging, for radio and computer equipment, and for a small water filtering plant. (At the meeting place, there are no phone lines and no potable water). When the gathering is over, these accommodations will continue to be useful for the Yaqui Tribe, and they will allow for future events.

We are therefore asking you to consider making a contribution to make this gathering possible, either by wiring directly to the account for the event (information below) or, if you have a credit card, by making an on-line donation https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?aid=896, noting your donation is intended for the Indigenous Gathering.

Please, if possible, disseminate this request to other organizations and those you think may be interested.

Thanks in advance, ETC Group”

To make a bank wire transfer: Bank name & address: HSBC Sucursal Plaza Tutuli Av. Guerrero y Quintana Roo, Local B12 Colonia Cumuripa, Ciudad Obregon, CP 85140 SONORA, Mexico Bank account: 6260668944 Account holder: Loreto Ramirez Mapoumea International keycode (CLABE): 021767062606689444

For more information about the Indigenous Gathering of the Americas: http://www.encuentroindigena.org/ or information about this request: grupoetc@etcgroup.org