Confederation Welcomes New Representative in Connecticut

Connecticut (UCTP Taino News) – This month, the United Confederation of Taino People (UCTP) welcomed Hector “Baracutey” Gonzalez as its Liaison Officer in the State of Connecticut. A Boriken Taino whose family comes from Puerto Rico’s Aibonito, Orocovis, Naranjito and Coamo areas, Gonzalez will be responsible for UCTP outreach in Connecticut.

Since 1996, Gonzalez has been working for the Mashantucket Peqout Tribal Nation as a Security Enforcement Officer under the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Police Department. A veteran, Gonzalez started his military service in Boriken (Puerto Rico) with the old 65th Infantry Div. (Ranger) Army National Guard in Camp Tortugero, in Vega Baja. Later he served with the U.S. Army Special forces as a Light Weapons Specialist and a Medic. Gonzalez did 2 tours in South East Asia and during tours as a medic he was an adviser to Indigenous communities in Central and South America.

On his creative side, Gonzalez plays the Native Flute and makes them only for children who have a terminal illness at no charge to their family. He continues to visit middle and high schools to educate students on Taino culture.

Contact information for Hector Baracutey Gonzalez will soon be made available at the UCTP webportal at www.uctp.org.

UCTPTN 03.16.2009

Bolivia Proposing UN Day of Mother Earth

New York (UCTP Taino News) - Bolivia’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations has announced plans to introduce a draft resolution to the UN to create “International Mother Earth Day." If approved by UN Member Countries, Mother Earth Day would be celebrated each April 22nd. The concept for the day is based on the broad notion that that all people must strive to live in harmony with nature and one another in order to avoid crises such as global warming.

With this proposal, Bolivia hopes to pay homage to the intimate relationship that many cultures see as existing between humans and the environment. Although April 22nd is currently known as “Earth Day” it is not officially recognized at the United Nations. Bolivia asserts that International Mother Day would not conflict with Earth Day as it is celebrated in approximately 170 nations.

In solidarity with the proposal, the Chairman of the NGO Committee on the UN International Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, Roberto Borrero (Taino) stated “promoting a sustainable relationship with the environment is a positive initiative that all people can embrace.”

According to the Bolivian Mission, the celebration of the “International Mother Earth Day” would focus on raising public consciousness about climate change, biodiversity, and other environmental issues in order to benefit the future generations of all regions and countries.

Photo: Bolivian President Evo Morales Ayma

UCTPTN 03.09.2009