Action Item

Shaker GimliGirl emails (which I am publishing with her permission):

Just got a heads up via Survival International.org regarding an indigenous tribe in India who are facing aggressive attempts to force them into the "mainstream," including splitting up families by taking children away into residential schools. I couldn't read the whole thing before I was in tears. I go to a university that used to BE a residential school. Many of my classmates are school survivors or children or grandchildren of residential school survivors; I've heard more stories than I ever cared to about drug and alcohol abuse, physical and emotional abuse, and suicide. The damage done by these systems cannot be underestimated and cannot be allowed to be inflicted on yet another indigenous people who are vulnerable due to their lack of contact with the modern world. Please share this with Shakesville.

As requested.

Survival International recommends helping in the following ways:

• Donate to Survival’s campaign for the Jarawa and other threatened tribal peoples
• Write to the Indian government using Survival’s online letter-writing tool
• Write to your MP or MEP (UK) or Senators and members of Congress (US).
• Write to your local Indian high commission or embassy