.
.My brother recently returned from Latin America and brought me back this book 'City of Angels', an excellent study in cemetery sculptures. Why I place info on it in this post will become self evident in due course. There is much patriotic anxiety about of late as to fate of two Patagonian Girls being refused entry and right to stay in Wales, I join in the patriotic protest, and am quite happy to publish the appeal below.
.
This particularly exercises me, as having worked for many years in London in the catering industry, I am fully aware that young Brazilians have cornered the Waiter and Waitress trade in many up market catering establishments, that's alright by me, but how do they manage to make life and living in the British Isles when not Commonwealth or European Empire subjects. Of course it's because their recent ancestors were European born, mostly Portuguese, so why cannot Welsh Patagonians have the same rights, for similar reasons?
.
.The below quote from the aforementioned book may make a Patriotic heart beat fast and loud, the cemetery referred to is of course part of an Argentinian 'Nation building' scheme of things. However, within there is no room for the native peoples who were doomed to be vanquished in the 'Conquest of the Desert' which included much of Patagonia, not least Chubut where the Welsh Colonisers had settled (1865) and where the Native peoples were to make their last stand on 18 October 1884. Interestingly enough two years before Geronimo and the Apache in 1886, in an almost similar war, and for similar reasons.
.
For this reason, I think it is pertinent that whilst I place in this post an appeal to support the two Welsh Patagonian girls, I also include information on the history of the last struggle of the Native peoples. Indeed how can the Welsh not be sympathetic but we do tend to have tunnel vision and avoid such matters when ever discussing the Welsh Colonisers in Chubut. After all they as other European settlers were all part and parcel of the grand plan to make Argentina a 'European Nation' at the expense of the native peoples.
.
I do not think this is a case of the Welsh having any 'blood on their hands' as many white, inc Welsh settlers did in the conquest and colonisation of the North American west. But let us at least start to perhaps consider a few ''Home Truths'', there are plenty of Welsh Patriots out there who will be outraged by the Israeli Conquest & Colonisation of Palestine but fear to put Welsh Colonisation of Chubut too much under the telescope (that's not a good comparison I know but maybe it's got your attention). Myself, am pretty ignorant of the subject and will have to study up on to seek an history that has been perhaps much hidden, I do not know but I feel it is of need to prompt patriots to take a deeper look.
.
.
Patagonia Appeal for Support
.
Cyfeillion/Friends,Following the refusal by the Border Agency to grant 6-month visas to two Patagonian girls earlier this year, their cases are proceeding separately. This week Shirley Edwards, who has relations resident in the UK, was granted a visa after a long campaign by her family.
.
As for the other girl, Evelyn Calcabrini, her case will probably have to go to appeal. We ask for your help to show the Border Agency that there is no shortage ofpeople in Wales who will vouch for her by letter. This is onlynecessary because the Border Agency is acting in a way that defies commonsense. We need to show them that there is support for Evelyn,otherwise we fear that there is little hope as she has no relatives in the UK to speak up on her behalf.
.
Evelyn is a 20 year old whose father has passed away, whose mother is acleaner and who is from a poor and decent Welsh family (like her forebearswho came from Wales in 1865). Of course she has no assets or property in Argentina -what 20 year old anywhere does?! But she has a good job, as her employer hasattested, and lives at home with her mother and sister. She just wants to improve her Welsh language skills here in Wales.
.
At Heathrow Airport she was treated virtually as a criminal; by the factthat no one made it clear to her for some considerable period of time whyshe was being detained, by the fact that she was given no opportunity to liedown and rest after an all night flight from South America, by the fact thatshe was terrified by the hostile nature of the Border Agency's questioning,by not being given the opportunity to contact anyone (including her embassyand her sponsor) for a period of almost 5 hours - and then only on thecondition that she could pay for a phone call with British coins, and by thefact that her luggage was searched and contents removed without eitherinforming her or seeking her permission. She was unceremoniously put on the next plane back to Argentina having spent all her savings on the flight to the UK.
.
We ask you to send a short email/letter in Welsh, English or Spanish to support Evelyn Calcabrini’s appeal to the following address: Jonathan Edwards, "Cilgwyn", 17, Parc y Ffynnon, CAERFYRDDIN. SA31 1DS. email:- jgme@btinternet.com
.
If you would like to contribute to her expenses, please enclose a chequemade payable to “Capel Rehoboth-Cronfa Patagonia” to: 7, Nant Ffynnon, Nant Peris, Gwynedd, LL55 4UG.
.
Eilian Williams, Rhobert ap Steffan, Jeremy Wood, Jonathan Edwards.
(Patagonia Support Group)
..
.
The foto below, from 'City of Angels' is of the Tomb of General Julio Argentino Roca, 'the fox'. It was he that led with an Army, armed by the North Americans and paid for by Argentinian Land owners, that carried out the 'Conquest of the Desert'. See links below for further information.
.
..Conquest of the Desert Summary Conquest of the Desert summary with 5 pages of encyclopedia entries, ... over 3000 members under the command of caciques Inacayal and Foyel surrendered two ...www.bookrags.com/wiki/Conquest_of_the_Desert - Similar -
.. .
SUPPORT PRESENT DAY STRUGGLES OF THE NATIVE PEOPLES.
.
Mapuche - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Mapuche International Link official website · Mapuche-nation.org ... Mapulink website · Mapuche Health · Website of the Kingdom of Araucania and Patagonia ...en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mapuche - Cached - Similar
..
Afterthought: Some where at back of my mind is a memory of being told that the Welsh of Patagonia had a good record as to treatment of the native peoples. That they often protected by hiding them from Argentinia Troops and police. Whatever, subject for some one to start up a a discussion and debate on in a forum perhaps. Alternativelly, anyone want to submit a post article, send in.
.
G.Gruffydd.
