Alma de Mujer Center for Social Change

05/29/2026

Today marks the 48th anniversary of the Panzós Massacre. On May 29, 1978, at the request of large-landowning elites, members of the Guatemalan army and municipal police opened fire on Q’eqchi’ Maya peasants who were gathered by invitation on market day in the town square, awaiting updates on land and labor rights issues. More than 30 people were killed in the gunfire and subsequent attacks in the square, and even more passed from their injuries in the following days. News of the massacre hit the international news wires within a couple of days and protestors filled the streets of Guatemala City and beyond. The Massacre was not the first, but it was the first in which the collusion among elites and agents of the State in perpetrating such spectacular violence against peasants was too obvious to deny. It would come to mark a turning point into the State’s genocidal violence against the indigenous population.

Mamá Maquín was there with some members of her family and community to hear updates on their efforts to secure ownership rights to the lands on which they had previously been indentured laborers. She was shot first, in the head at short range, when she asked for that update, after the soldier told her she’d get her land in the cemetery.

48 years and the fight for justice and for Q’eqchi’ rights and stewardship of their homelands and waters, continues.

Today we come together to commemorate the struggle and all those it has taken from us, and we center ourselves and our prayers as we move forward with intentions for an equitable and just, peaceful, and secure future in which Q’eqchi’ and all indigenous and poor communities can flourish without threat.

05/28/2026

We are deeply concerned by reports that Redwood National Park flagged Native books and materials for possible removal or review.

These actions raise serious questions about whose histories are being protected, whose voices are being silenced, and how public institutions fulfill their responsibility to educate honestly and inclusively.

These books are not political threats. They are essential records of Indigenous knowledge, culture, history, and lived experience.

Removing or targeting these works undermines decades of progress toward truth-telling, representation, and respect for Tribal Nations whose homelands include the very landscapes national parks were created to preserve.

Efforts to restrict access to Native perspectives erase context, diminish understanding, and perpetuate harmful narratives that have historically excluded Indigenous peoples from telling their own stories.

ATALM is calling for transparency and accountability in this process. Public lands and public institutions must remain places where diverse histories are acknowledged and where Indigenous knowledge is respected, not censored.

We encourage our members and partners to continue supporting Native literature, amplifying Indigenous voices, and defending intellectual freedom in all spaces where cultural memory is preserved and shared.

Here is a list of the books on the chopping block:

1. We Are the Land: A History of Native California by Damon B. Akins and William J. Bauer Jr.

2. California Through Native Eyes: Reclaiming History by William J. Bauer Jr.

3. We Are Dancing for You: Native Feminisms and the Revitalization of Women's Coming-of-Age Ceremonies by Cutcha Risling Baldy

4. California Indians and Their Environment by Kent Lightfoot

5. Adopted by Indians by Thomas Jefferson Mayfield :

6. Changing the Way We See Native America by Matika Wilbur

7. Women's Prose and Poetry About Nature by Lorraine Anderson Grave

8. Matters: Excavating the Dreams of the Dead in Nineteenth-Century 9. Notable Native People: 50 Indigenous Leaders, Dreamers, and Changemakers with Spirit by Adrienne Keene

05/28/2026

05/24/2026

A new developer is planning a 10-year buildout of the Tree Hill site but has pledged to "honor the rich historical and cultural contributions made by the Powhatan Chiefdom" there. It's unclear, though, exactly how the developer intends to recognize that history; the company has not yet responded to the Citizen's request for comment.

https://www.henricocitizen.com/birthplace-of-pocahontas-in-henrico-added-to-list-of-virginias/

05/24/2026

🎉 The Mattaponi Indian Tribe & Reservation would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our current Powwow sponsors, Dominion Energy and Modr's Service Center, for their generous support of our upcoming Powwow!

Your contributions help us continue celebrating and sharing our culture, traditions, and community with all who attend. ❤️🪶

Interested in becoming a sponsor for this year’s Powwow? We’d love to partner with you!
📧 Please email: [email protected]

05/19/2026

So proud of and happy for our Karankawa sisters and brothers.

🪶 Texas history got this story wrong for generations.

A new exhibit at Galveston’s Bryan Museum is working to correct decades of myths about the Karankawa people, from false claims of cannibalism to the long-repeated lie that they no longer exist. “Karankawa: Voices From the Texas Gulf Coast” opens Saturday and runs through Sept. 13.

05/13/2026

05/12/2026

05/08/2026

Mohawk basket maker Carrie Hill creates stunning black ash and sweetgrass baskets under the name Chill Baskets. Some of her creations are the size of thimbles, while others are so big they must be photographed outside under natural light. But whether small or large, her baskets are intricate, colorful and beautifully designed. Hill lives and works in Akwesasne, New York, a unique place for Indigenous basketry.
A large basket by Carrie Hill (St. Regis Mohawk)