HONDURAS INDIANS

MISKITO INDIANS HAVE ABOUT 300,00 FOLKS IN THEIR TRIBE . THEY ARE POSSIBLY GOING TO LOSE ACCESS TO THE ARCHIPELAGO THEY HAVE RELIED ON FOR CENTURIES BECAUSE A U.S. DEVELOPER IS SELLING OR LEASING WHAT HE ASSERTS AS HIS RIGHTS .

A HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER MARIA ACOSTA, DIRECTS THE CENTER FOR LEGAL ASSISTANTS FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE TO TAKE ON THE FIGHT FOR MISKITO PEOPLE . DURING HER DISPUTE HER HUSBAND AT 45 (A CHAMBER PRESIDENT) WAS MURDERED IN THEIR HOME IN 2002. ACOSTA BELIEVE THE ASSASSINS INTENDED TO KILL HER BECAUSE OF HER INVOLVEMENT. IN AN INTERVIEW "I'M SAID NOT ANGRY. AND I FEEL THE NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. SHE'S WORKING THROUGH HER GRIEF BY RAISING THE PROFILE OF THE MURDER CASE AS WELL AS THE PLIGHT OF THESE PEOPLE (75,000 MISKITOS, 9,000 SUMAS, AND 1750 GARIFUNAS).

LEGISLATURE OF NICARAGUA IN 1987 SAID THE INDIGENOUS FOLKS SHOULD HAVE NRIGHTS TO THEIR LANDS THEY HISTORICALLY LAND THEY HISTORICALLY WERE FROM. SHE EXPLAINED THEY SHOULD NOT BE BOUGHT OR SOLD/

CALPI FOUND THE DEVELOPER PAID $35,000 FOR THEIR LAND AND THEY ARE SELLING IT FOR $2.6 MILLION! THE SELLER SAID SHE DID NOT HAVE TITLE TO THE LAND.

THREE YEARS AGO SHE HAD THE MIKITO PEOPLE COME TO HER OFFICE IN ORDER TO TRY TO FISH AND GATHER COCONUTS ON THEIR LAND. THEIR WERE GUARD DOGS ON THE ISLAND AND THE NATIONAL POLICE OFFICERS WERE PAID TO KEEP THE MISKITOS OFF OF THEIR LAND! ACCORDING TO THE ORGANIZATION CALLED DEFEND THE ISLAND PART OF THE NICARAGUA NETWORK HAS BLOCKED A FRESH WATER SPRING THAT WAS USED FOR CENTURIES AND ECOLODGE RESORTS ARE PLANNED FOR THEIR LANDS.

LAST YEAR THE DEVELOPER ACQUIRED ANOTHER PIECE OF LAND ON THE ATLANTIC COAST . HE BOUGHT SOME LAND FOR $10,000 AND IS ASKING $695,000 for these lands! ACOSTA HAS ABANDONED HER HOUSE AND IS LIVING IN NICARAGUA WITH HER GIRLS. SHE STILL WORKS FOR CALPIT AND HAS HAD 1 PERSON ARRESTED AND HOPES TO REOPEN HER CASE. SHE CONTINUES TO FIGHT FOR THE MIKISITO.

A MIKASITO MYTH IS ABOUT A MAN NAMED NAKILI WHO LOST HIS WIFE HE LOVED VERY MUSH. HE FOUND HER SOUL ONCE WHEN HE VISITED HER GRAVE. HER SOUL WAS ABOUT 2 ' HIGH AND WAS PREPARING FOR HER JOURNEY TO THE AFTERLIFE. THE HUSBAND WANTED TO GO WITH HER BUT SHE ANSWERED IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE SINCE HE WAS ALIVE. THE HUSBAND INSISTED THAT THEY BEGIN THE JOURNEY TOGETHER. SOME LED THEM ON NARROW FOOT PATH WHERE MANY BIRDS OF PREY WERE FLYING.SHE JUMPED BACK IN FEAR . THEY PASSED BETWEEN 2 PINES ON THE TRAIL THAT WERE CLOSE TO EACH OTHER, THE LADY WENT THROUGH WITHOUT A PROBLEM. THE HUSBAND WAS TOO LARGE AND WENT AROUND THE TREES

THEY CONTINUED AND ARRIVED AT A BRIDGE THE WIDTH OF A HUMAN HAIR. BENEATH THE WALL WAS A GIANT POT OF BOILING WATER. THE WIFE WAS SO SMALL SHE BALANCED ACROSS THE BRIDGE , WHILE NAKILI CROSSED THE BRIDGE WITH A JUMP.

THEY ARRIVED AT A RIVER WITH SARDINES. THE TWO SAW ACROSS THE RIVER AND THE WORLD OF THE AFTERLIFE WHERE EVERYONE SEEMED HAPPY. WHEN THE SOULS OF PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T LEAD VIRTUOUS LIVES JUMPED IN THE CANOE AND THE GUIDE TIPPED THEM INTO THE LAKE AND THE SARDINES ATE THEM.THE TOAD FERRIED THE WIFE ACROSS WHEN HER HUSBAND SWAM.

THERE THEY WERE GREETED BY A ROBUST WOMAN WHO TOLD NAKILI HE MUST RETURN RETURN TO EARTH HE BEGGED HER . FINALLY SHE SAID HE COULD REMAIN HERE. NOBODY HAD TO WORK AND THERE WAS ABUNDANT FOOD. AFTER STAYING HERE HE SAID I NEED TO RETURN TO MY CHILDREN IN EARTH.THE ROBUST WOMAN GAVE HIM PERMISSION TO RETURN. SHE PLACED HIM ON A STALK OF BAMBOO AND DROPPED IT IN THE RIVER AFTER A WHILE HE WAS IN THE OCEAN AND A GREAT WAVE LEFT HIM RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIS HOUSE.

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