This article writes of solidarity and allyship with undocumented folks, migrant ‘dreamers’, and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) receipts from an Onondaga writer. The piece’s author, Betty Lyons, uplifts many important considerations for those deciding about the fate of undocumented folks, whether they be civilians, politicians, or community members. Lyons discusses how many undocumented folks came to the U.S. seeking refuge and, as DACA recipients, came as children with their families, often from their own Indigenous homelands to different parts of Turtle Island for refuge. Recognizing an Indigenous history of gentility, accomodation, and care for settler-colonizers, the violence to be experienced in the future unknown, Lyons recognizes the need for Indigenous solidarity and accommodation for migrants, as they are often Indigenous peoples and as they are worthy human beings, deserving of rights and livelihoods. Lyons closes her piece by affirming “[n]o one is illegal. Human rights cannot be deferred” (2018, para. 13), referencing her earlier argument that DACA solidarity is a human rights issue, not an immigration issue. Her call to action echos a call-in for people to embrace compassion, solidarity, and decolonial human justice.
I believe this article is important to Feminism Beyond Borders for demonstrating Indigenous sovereignty, autonomy, and independence from nation-state, but also for showing how colonial-state powers simultaneously challenge Indigenous and migrant justice. The argument of Lyons shows the valuable solidarity between Indigenous peoples and migrants, who are sometimes portrayed as in opposition to each other, or that migrants are often used as weapons by the state against Indigenous peoples. Lyons’ work shows that colonization continues to violate and harm many peoples in many ways, but that Haudenosaunee and Indigenous sovereignty is an important, irreplaceable solidarity for migrants, especially undocumented migrants.
URL/Link: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/mar/03/dreamers-daca-indigenous-peoples-americas
Keywords: undocumented, migrant justice, transnational feminism, indigenous feminism, solidarity
Author: DjangoJane
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