Category: Serra Canonization
Radio KPFA’s Visionary Activist Show
The July 23 program features Valentin Lopez of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, and authors Matthew Fox and Elias Castillo discussing their opposition to plans to canonize Junipero Serra. (Audio)
Letter to Gov. Jerry Brown Regarding Serra Canonization
The Amah Mutsun Tribal Band Chairman Valentin Lopez has asked Gov. Jerry Brown to join the tribe in opposing the canonization of Junipero Serra. The request was made in a letter delivered to the Governor’s Office July 17, 2015.Letter to Gov Brown re Serra
Sign the Petition Opposing Serra Canonization
Thousands already have signed a petition urging Pope Francis not to canonize Junipero Serra. We have until his Sept. 22 visit to the United States to send our message to the Pope.
Demanding the pope’s attention
San Jose Mercury News, July 12, 2015 By Tracy Seipel Several hundred people gathered at Mission San Juan Bautista July 11 calling for the Vatican to halt it’s plans to canonize Junipero Serra, founder of the California Missions. “The true history of what happened here has never been told,” said Valentin Lopez, chairman of the Read more…
Author Shatters the Image of California’s Missions
In a presentation to the San Francisco Commonwealth Club, Author Elias Castillo refutes the myth that the 21 Franciscan missions in California were idyllic sites where Franciscan padres and Native Americans lovingly commingled. In reality, the missions were death camps in which the Catholic missionaries, guided by mission founder Junípero Serra’s direction that the “savage” Read more…
Respuesta de Amah Mutsun a la Encíclica de la Iglesia Católica con relación al Medio Ambiente
1ero. de Julio del 2015 Su Santidad Papa Francis Casa de Marta Ciudad del Vaticano, Roma 00120 Italia Re: Respuesta de Amah Mutsun a la Encíclica de la Iglesia Católica con relación al Medio Ambiente. Su Santidad, Papa Francis, Mi nombre es Valentin Lopez y soy el presidente de la Banda Tribal Amah Mutsun. Read more…
Historic Trauma is Real, Valentin Lopez Tells a Symposium at UC Riverside (Video)
Valentin Lopez, chairman of the Amah Mutsun Band, argued against canonizing Junipero Serra at a symposium at UC Riverside on March 13, 2015. “Historic trauma is real and it ties back to mission times,” he said.
Letter to Pope Francis regarding the Encyclical July 1, 2015
Letter-to-Pope-Francis-re-Encyclical-1 July 2015 The Amah Mutsun’s Response supporting the Catholic Church Encyclical on the Environment and reiterating the request that the Pope reverse his decision to canonize Junipero Serra. Respuesta de Amah Mutsun a la Encíclica de la Iglesia Católica con relación al Medio Ambiente (en Español)
Letter to the Pope from Donna Schindler, April 24, 2014
April 25, 2014 Your Holiness, Pope Francis It was with great pleasure that we received your letter of Oct 19, 2013. As a sign of our gratitude, we are sending you a t-shirt of the Amah Mutsen tribe and a necklace of abalone in a traditional Mutsen design, which Val Lopez has made for Read more…
Letter to Pope Francis from Donna Schindler March 15, 2015
Pope Francis Vatican City March 12, 2015 Your Holiness, After two centuries of struggling to heal since being enslaved by Franciscan priests, California mission tribes will be hit with another damaging blow: the upcoming canonization of Junipero Serra. As the founder of the California missions, Fr. Serra is responsible for a legacy of cruelty to Read more…
Testimony at the The United Nations United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
Valentin Lopez, Chairman, Amah Mutsun Tribal Band Speech Delivered to The United Nations United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues: Intervention April 23, 2014 New York City miSmin Tuuhis, kan-raakat Valentin Lopez, tumsan-ak kannis riccami makke nii. Dear distinguished members of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, my name is Valentin Read more…