Help Native Political Prisoner's Family Rebuild After Fire

Relatives of long-time political prisoner and Indigenous activist Oso Blanco (AKA Byron Shane Chubbuck) need our support! Life in a cage is hard, and it gets harder when you learn that there’s family on the outside who need you there—but the State won’t let you be. It’s up to all of us on the outside to make sure support gets to where it needs to go!

Who is Oso Blanco?

Indigenous radical activist and organizer Oso Blanco (AKA Byron Shane Chubbuck) was arrested and summarily sentenced to 55 years in prison for expropriating funds from US banks to support the revolutionary project of the Zapatistas in the Chiapas region of Mexico and for allegedly defending himself against federal agents who failed to identify themselves before attempting his arrest through use of force. Although Oso Blanco self-liberated and immediately resumed expropriating funds to support the Zapatista comrades, he was apprehended again and is currently serving his time at USP Victorville.

Who Needs Our Help? What Happened?

In the early morning hours of April 5, 2024, Oso Blanco’s relative, an eighty-year-old Cherokee elder—and the family living with her in so-called “Oklahoma”—experienced a heartbreaking disaster. Faulty wiring resulted in an electrical fire tha traveled to their mobile home’s gas tank, causing a massive explosion. We are happy to say that no injuries were sustained. But virtually everything in the home—furniture, appliances, family pictures, essential medications, and more—was destroyed in the blaze. Fortunately, the family is currently living in a motel room due to much-needed and much-appreciated tribal support. This support, however, is understandably, but also sadly, temporary.

How Can You Help?

Oso Blanco’s relatives are still reeling from this enormous loss. At Oso Blanco’s request, we as members of his core support team, along with our friends and comrades, are attempting to raise $50K to partially cover the cost of a new or used mobile home, the cost of relocation, and the cost of replacing what material objects may be replaced. Cost of a mobile home in the area starts at or around $50-60K with higher-end models costing in excess of $170K. Our friend and comrade took the ultimate stand in the fight against exploitation and oppression. And he paid for it with his freedom. It’s up to us to help him get meaningful material support to his family on the outside. As Oso Blanco’s family continues doing their best to pick up the pieces of their lives and move forward, we are hoping to meet and even to go beyond our goal with support from all of you. We are asking any and all of you who have the capacity to donate, share, and support our efforts to help our friend’s family heal.

Updates regarding the family’s situation will be poste as they arrive. In the meantime, please send some support to Oso Blanco’s family if you can. We are all we have, and we are all we need!