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THE INT'L DAY OF AFRICAN DIASPORA AND THE FEDERATION OF ABORIGINAL NATIONS OF THE AMERICAS- Part 1 [1]

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Date: 2025-07-09

THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF AFRICAN DIASPORA AND THE FEDERATION OF ABORIGINAL NATIONS OF THE AMERICAS-PART 1

On July 1, 2025, I had the honor to attend a profoundly significant event, The International Day of African Diaspora: Let's Unite Forging New Alliances: Diaspora, Africa, and Indigenous Nations, hosted by The STATE OF AFRICAN DIASPORA.

It was a Historic gathering of Hope, Unity, and Action in remembrance of the International Day of African Diaspora. This was not just another typical virtual gathering; it was a global call to remembrance, resilience, and reconnection.

For those unfamiliar with what The State of African Diaspora (SOAD) is, SOAD represents far more than just another organization. It is a living symbol of resistance, unity, and reclamation. As noted in my July 21, 2023, Daily Kos article, "Federation of Aboriginal Nations of the Americas and SOAD Sign Historic Cooperation Agreement":

"The SOAD was recognized by the African Union as an organization that contributed greatly to the continuing development of Africa. So much so that it became a State with a constitution, laws, and government in 2014, it is also working diligently to reach out to Africans who had left their homelands for whatever reason or were forced to leave their homelands due to wars in Africa and had to settle in a different African Nation or in other countries, as well as establishing contact with descendants of the Africans who were captured and enslaved to help them rediscover their culture and history. SOAD has helped different African groups to reclaim their stolen artifacts, land, and history." Please click here for its website.

The July 1st event was a global convergence, uniting Nations, Federations, and Indigenous Peoples from across the globe: Africa, South America, North America, Hawai'i, Australia, New Zealand, and beyond. This diverse participation was a powerful testament to the unbroken spirit of people whose histories were fractured, yet whose determination remains unshaken.

The list of dignitaries was both humbling and inspiring: Presidents, Prime Ministers, Indigenous Chiefs, Spiritual Leaders, and community advocates, all united in a shared vision of restoration, justice, and Sovereignty. Among them were representatives from SOAD, the Federation of Aboriginal Nations of the Americas (FANA), the Lakota and Cheyenne Nations, the Kingdom of Kailasa, the Chagos Islands, the Kingdom of Kongo, and Canada's First Nations, among others.

DJ Dr. P of the United Kingdom was the moderator. He has moderated such events before and is well known for his poised moderation ability. The event began with SOAD's National Anthem, a solemn yet uplifting reminder that SOAD is not bound by any borders. Prime Minister Dr. Louie Georges Tin of SOAD gave the opening celebration speech. He informed those present that July 18, 2018, marked the birth of SOAD as the Sixth Region of the African Union, a region without geographic boundaries, stretching across continents wherever the African spirit endures.

This event was not ceremonial; it was quite literally a call to action. It is a call to begin rebuilding the ancient trade routes, alliances, cultural exchanges, and diplomatic relationships that once thrived across all the Indigenous nations, long before the arrival of European colonizers. Colonization, enslavement, and systemic oppression may have fragmented these connections, but the will to restore them persists.

This historic gathering had nothing to do with nostalgia; it was about Actionable Sovereignty. It was not just about the right to self-rule, but also the collective ability to reclaim their autonomy, govern with dignity, establish equitable trade, and interact with the world on their own terms.

The best way to explain Actionable Sovereignty is to give the dictionary meaning, which is: "Actionable Sovereignty refers to the practical ability of a state or entity to exercise its sovereign powers and make decisions independently, rather than simply holding a theoretical right to self-governance. It encompasses the capacity to implement policies, control territory, and engage with other actors on the international stage effectively…" This concept of Actionable Sovereignty is not just a theoretical right, but a practical and achievable goal that empowers communities to govern with dignity and autonomy.

The speakers brought the concept of Actionable Sovereignty to life. The SOAD representatives were the first to address the gathering, sharing their journey and vision. The powerful speakers from FANA followed them. The order of FANA speakers was: FANA's Ambassador to the United Nations and the Director of Cultural Outreach and Indigenous Affairs, Maria Lorena Cosme-Holloway; The Minister of International Affairs, Principal Chief Dr. Ronald Yonaguska Holloway, who is a tireless advocate for Indigenous rights; The First Tapau and Lord Chief Justice, H. E. Judge Lord Sir Robert Orville Thomas, whose words carried the weight of what I can only call ancestral wisdom; and FANA's dedicated Ambassador to Africa, Dr. Stephen Sackey.

Each speaker reiterated a common truth: though their lands were stolen, their people scattered, their cultures attacked, they remain. Scattered, perhaps, but unbroken. Across oceans, across continents, the descendants of Africa and Indigenous Nations stand ready to rebuild, reconnect, and reclaim.

This event will undoubtedly be etched in the annals of history, not as a one-time gathering, but as the first step in a global movement of healing, solidarity, and action. A movement that boldly declares: They are not remnants of the past. They are architects of the future. Together, they rise, for their ancestors, for their descendants, for themselves. (To learn more or hear the speakers, please click here.

I am including the link to their press release that I received very early this morning.

The First FANA Speaker was Maria Lorena Cosme-Holloway. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from East Stroudsburg University. I will list the speeches of the other speakers in Articles Part 2, 3, and 4.

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(I made no corrections to the speech below, as this was an oral presentation and written in the way she would deliver it.)

Good afternoon, Ladies, Gentlemen, Distinguished heads of state, tribal leaders, chiefs, casiques, royal houses and officials. It is with great pride that I address you here today on this day of celebration for our friends and partners in SOAD. I am honored to have been invited to witness such a profound gathering of indigenous leadership, and to have the opportunity to speak before you. My name is Maria Lorena Cosme-Holloway. I am the Ambassador for FANA to the United Nations and the Director of Cultural Outreach and Indigenous Affairs

I have been asked today to say a few words on the concept of Actionable Sovereignty. Before I attempt to clarify actionable Sovereignty as a concept separate from Sovereignty itself, I would like to take a moment to introduce or, depending on your familiarity, re-introduce FANA to this assembly. I will read for a moment from the FANA global website:

<< "The Federation of Aboriginal Nations of the Americas (FANA), is a confederation of pre-colonial American Indian Tribes and Nations that are ancestral inhabitants to the lands contemporarily referred to as the Americas. FANA works collectively to develop and implement policies, procedures and initiatives that ensure and support the public safety, economic and cultural progress, and general well-being of the FANA Member Nation Tribal Citizens.

Operating through private foreign American Aborigine Tribal Trust established according to international Hague Trust Treaty standards, FANA assists its Member Nations in addressing violations of their inherent aboriginal and human rights by shedding light on the over 600 years of ancestral lineage the FANA Member Nations possess.

The Mission of FANA is "To provide leadership and serve as the collective voice for the development of the mass unification of the Aboriginal Tribes and Nations of the Americas."

The Vision of FANA is "To be the catalyst and foundational federation for the progression of global respect and support for the Aboriginal Tribes and Nations of the Americas." >>

FANA is all these things and more. In the 12 years that I have been privileged to witness the growth and evolution of FANA, I am continually astounded at the capability of its leadership to rise to the historic moment and exceed all expectations. As an organization, FANA holds equanimity, freedom and mutual aid in accordance with an acute understanding of the interconnectedness of its peoples and the lands they belong to as paramount to its internal architecture. Every action, treaty, memo, MOU and press release moves in a direction through time that arcs towards the manifestation of what we like to call "Actionable Sovereignty".

I would like to take an opportunity to explain the difference between the" sovereignty"", which the US allows for recognized tribes under the BIA system and actionable Sovereignty, which is what we seek. We seek the ability to complete our projects, and to create the infrastructure – economic, legal, educational, and health systems for our future – with our indigenous ways at the forefront. The promise of the colonial powers was to give us this power, but it was a ruse. We've survived up to this point with our systems intact, but we were not given what was promised. We need our own indigenous cultures to support our people to thrive in an increasingly unmoored world.

Actionable Sovereignty is not a delineation. Actionable Sovereignty is not that which is conferred or bestowed. It is a non-negotiable, creator-given right. Actionable Sovereignty is a lived experience that requires doing. It exists and is simultaneously achieved, without asking for permission. It is self determination IN COOPERATION with others who seek within their own self-determination to create a better world where we are all recognized. Many FANA tribes have been offered BIA recognition within the US system, but have refused, because it affectually makes those tribes wards of the state, which is not real freedom, nor is it cooperative. FANA has taken every step towards making treaties and federations, building infrastructure so that legal language exists to carry us further into actual globally recognized statehood as indigenous peoples.

As indigenous peoples, we must remember that what binds us, what connects us culturally, regardless of region, is our INDIGENEITY. This shared cultural identity bonds us one to another through time, and keeps our connections to the animal, plant, mineral and spirit worlds alive. Indigeneity allows us access to the galactic wisdom of our ancestors and its focus on regeneration and posterity. The vibrancy of our cultural expression through music, food, dress, and song; The sacredness of our medicine ways; The openness of our hearts. All these elements are bound together as they continue to bind by a thread that starts with community and ends in fidelity.

While we applaud the industriousness of the individual, it is the betterment and evolution of our collective human health that powers and fuels us. Our ways are still preserved. Through Actionable Sovereignty we propel our cultural ways to the forefront of our legal, economic and political actions. We negotiate our futures together through free-trade partnerships, land sharing agreements, friendship, and health and wellness treaties. We safeguard our cultural heritage when we unite in honor of this gift of existence. In our ways of telling history, we honor the past by constructing a better future… We weave into existence our intentions and birth a new world forward in word, deed, and song.

Our rights as fellow humans were questioned when we were branded "barbarians" at the stroke of a quill under a hastily written papal bull, because, as far as the colonizers understood, we "did not know god". We were branded "primitive" because our aesthetic and artistry was a manifestation of our understanding of the very omnipresent beauty of the natural world, of the rhythms of nature and the cosmos, which, for us as indigenous peoples, is the sacred body of the "creator" manifest. History has made it clear, this papal bull had nothing to do with "god" and everything to do with the west's desire to build empire and accumulate capital by any means available.

In a historic moment when the rule of law is being examined for its weaknesses, systematically poked and prodded by interests focused only on a desire for the accumulation of power, Actionable Sovereignty is the only way forward. The Vatican has apologized publicly for colonialism. Nations one after the other are now forced to contend with aspects of colonialism that have left lands desecrated, rivers poisoned, forests on fire and many in the throes of brutal poverty. While many nation-states have issued full apologies; some nation states such as Spain, Britain and the United States fall short of admitting or apologizing for the genocidal brutality of their colonies, it is clear: The colonial experiment is failing.

It is drawing its last genocidal breaths in places like the DRC and Palestine for the entire world to see. We declare through actionable Sovereignty, that colonialism is over. Burkina Faso is actively being liberated; Nigeria is liberated; Ghana is liberated. The indigenous absolute original peoples of the western hemisphere will follow along shortly.

At the endgame of their capitalism without boundaries and without conscience, after centuries of exploitation, violence and oppression, the very "rule of law" that they used as the conceptual framework undergirding a logic and reasoning that would come to confer to their societies "civilization" and to our indigenous societies "barbarism" is now being completely ignored.

There is a growing sense of urgency that this is our moment. The world is finally recognizing that humanity's current trajectory is unsustainable, and that this is a direct result of Western European colonial practices that have grated down global confidence and led leaders to rely on poorly developed and understood computational systems like AI. The core issue lies in the suppression of indigenous cultures and worldviews, which offer the most stable solutions to our social, environmental, cultural, and economic crises. While rewilding is a start, a deep cultural shift embracing indigenous ideals is needed to be at the vanguard of rebuilding our world. As Franz Fanon said, "Europe is indefensible, America is indefensible," driven by a profit motive and imperialistic ambitions, which lead to depletion and exploitation. The notion of making an empire "great again" is a dangerous fallacy, as empire, by its very nature, is extractive and destructive. Civilizations, however, are eternal. They live in the culture and language of a people, in the logical frameworks of pluralism, at the heart of the social contract. Groups such as The State of the African diaspora and FANA are making progress towards reviving already great and powerful pre-colonial civilizations and returning them to their global positions of prominence through the use of actionable Sovereignty.

I am blessed and privileged beyond belief to play any role whatsoever in the fulfilment of the actionable Sovereignty of FANA and its global partners. Again, I thank you for your time and for the opportunity to address everyone gathered in this assembly today.

thestateofafricandiaspora.com/...

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