We support the struggle for Indigenous Ainu people's right!

photo: courtesy of Prof. Hiroshi Maruyama 

                        

In the light of recent events and the tense political situation in various countries that endangers the rights of minority groups (PL included), we find it more and more necessary to make the current context of the Japanese Ainu group more visible. 

Here you can find a brief outline of the most recent events in the struggle for Indigenous Ainu people's rights (the outline is based on Prof. Hiroshi Maruyama's reports): 

🗣 On 30 August 2019, Ainu human remains were returned from the Sapporo Medical University to Satoshi Hatakeyama in response to his request. However, they were returned WITHOUT ANY CEREMONY OR APOLOGY. This inhumane attitude adopted by the university authorities towards the Ainu elder and his colleagues was met with a great criticism on behalf of the Indigenous Ainu people's rights defenders.

photo: courtesy of Prof. Hiroshi Maruyama 

Satoshi Hatakeyama just received Ainu human remains 

🗣 On 1 September 2019, Satoshi Hatakeyama fished salmon for the welcoming salmon ceremony of the Mombetsu Ainu Association. He did without the official permission from the Hokkaido Prefectural government, to highlight his refusal to accept the fact that the Japanese law stands in opposition to the UNDRIP policies.

photo: courtesy of Prof. Hiroshi Maruyama 

🗣 On 15 September 2019, together with Prof. Hiroshi Maruyama, Masahiro Koizumi, Prof. Jeff Gayman and Amareya Theatre & Guests members (Natalia Chylińska, Aleksandra Śliwińska, Katarzyna Pastuszak) we participated in the press conference held at the  さっぽろ自由学校「遊」to support Satoshi Hatakeyama's struggle for regaining the right for indigenous ritual Ainu fishing.

🗣 In March 2020, a number of Ainu activists/artists called for a unity of the Ainu people In solidarity with Satoshi Hatakeyama, who has been fighting with the Hokkaido Prefectural government for Indigenous Ainu people's rights to fish salmon and to repatriate his ancestral remains to the place where those were buried. Among the activists/artists who gathered to support Hatakeyama's case was the legendary Ainu artist and activist Shizue Ukaji and the well-known Ainu activist Koichi Kaizawa. Unfortunately, the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic forced the activities of the Ainu solidarity movement to be suspended. Nevertheless, the Ainu artists/activists did not stop campaigning for supporting Satoshi Hatakeyama. The Citizen's Alliance has officially uttered the support of the solidarity movement and Satoshi Hatakeyama's case. [Fig.1 and 2: Photos of the press conference held in March at the Sapporo Freedom School by Shizue, Koichi and other Ainu activists/artists].

🗣 On 30 July 2020 – The Prosecutors' Office in Asahikawa (Hokkaido) dropped the Hatakeyama Ekashi's case. Hatakeyama Ekashi commented on the non-prosecution in the following way – "It doesn't matter whether I am prosecuted or not. The Japanese authorities can't change my mind. I will continue fighting for our fishing right for future generations of the Ainu." (translation from Japanese into English – Prof. Hiroshi Maruyama).

Together with Cemipos, Sapporo Freedom School and Ainu activists we want to support Hatakeyama Ekashi in his fight for justice against colonialism and racism.

We will soon revisit Hokkaido to continue our cooperation with our key partner Hiroshi Maruyama and Cemipos, the Ainu Women Association and さっぽろ自由学校「遊」 (Sapporo Freedom School).