Friends of Sabeel-North America (FOSNA), 5/11/20
From Palestine to Turtle Island (North America) settler colonialism continues to exploit land and natural resources to the detriment of indigenous communities. To commemorate Nakba Day, when 700,000 Palestinians were violently displaced from their lands, FOSNA has lined up a powerful conversation with Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi, Indigenous scholar-activist Melanie Yazzie and Palestinian American activist Nadya Tannous. These powerful women will share past and present stories of Indigenous resistance to colonialism. Please join us on May 16 at 9am Pacific, 12pm Eastern for “Commemorate by Resisting: The Nakba and Indigenous Struggles.”
Panelist Bios:
Ahed Tamimi is a 19 year old Palestinian, living in Al Nabi Saleh, Northwest of Ramallah. Currently she is a Law student at Birzeit University. She spent 8 months in Israeli prisons after being accused of slapping an Israeli soldier, and other charges. Her continual resistance to the Israeli occupation has earned her then nickname, the Lioness of Palestine.
Melanie Yazzie is an Assistant Professor of Native American Studies and American Studies at the University of New Mexico. She co-founded and helps lead The Red Nation, a grassroots organization committed to the liberation of Indigenous people from colonialism and capitalism. She specializes in Navajo/American Indian history, political ecology, Indigenous feminisms, queer Indigenous studies, and theories of policing and the state.
Nadya Tannous is a passionate community organizer with a focus on refugee rights, transitional justice, youth education, and inter-community empowerment. She is a member of the Palestinian Youth Movement –USA and was previously on staff of Friends of Sabeel North America. Nadya holds an MSc in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies from the University of Oxford and a BA in Anthropology and Global Information and Social Enterprise Studies from UC Santa Cruz.