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These feelings stem from continual decreases in wage earnings for RUSH couriers over the past year. While those in charge at Uber feel that lowering wages will result in an increase in demand and therefore total earnings, the bike couriers feel differently.

On December 1st, an UberRUSH strike took place at 633 West 27th Street. There were 18 couriers in attendance during a meeting with their Uber representative, Andrew Austin. The couriers came with a two page print out containing their list of complaints and demands. In short, the couriers argued that the wages should be increased back to the initial amount. After the meeting, there were feelings of optimism among the bike couriers, with the hopes and expectations that change will occur within Uber.

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The sounds of beating drums, rhythmic chants, and joyous people brought gatherers, near and far, to the Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx Sunday afternoon to celebrate a proud culture.

The Native American Festival, or yearly pow wow attracted hundreds of diverse people to celebrate native culture. They danced traditional Native American dances, ate Native foods, like fry bread, and listened to stories and admired the dreamcatchers that were sprinkled throughout the event.

“This is a unique opportunity for non-natives to interact one-on-one with native people,” said organizer and master of ceremonies, Bobby Gonzalez, 64, of Melrose, Bronx. “And, it’s a way of dispelling commonly held stereotypes about native people.”

There are 567 recognized Native American tribes in the United States, but the diversity within the culture is not often celebrated.

“We’re lawyers, doctors, nurses, teachers,  we’re not all casino Indians,” said Kevin Tarrant, 46, who identified as part Hopi and part HoChunk, which are indigenous tribes from Arizona and Wisconsin. “We all look different. You could be riding the subway everyday next to an Indian, and you wouldn’t even know it.”

Tarrant said that the goal for the festival was to bring knowledge and exposure to native culture in the Bronx, which has roughly 41,706 people that identify as American Indian or Alaska Native alone. That is 2.9% of the estimated 1,438,159 people living in the Bronx.

Tarrant, the head singer for the Silver Cloud Singers and the Executive Director of the American Indian Community House based in New York, played a pow wow drum during the festival.

The drum used was made of Buffalo Hide in Washington state. The pow wow drum, like other aspects of indigenous culture, is intended to bring people together. Its design allows multiple people to play it at once, and it is used for a lot of the music at pow wows.

Toni Ceaser, 61, of Long Island City, Queens, participated in a women’s traditional dance – a very slow dance in Native American culture. While not Native American herself, Ceaser’s husband is and she has been immersed in his culture for over 40 years and participating in similar festivals for over 20 years.

“It’s really important for people to share culture with one another, because everybody’s got their own culture, and if we can share and appreciate each other’s culture, then I think it brings people closer together,” said Ceaser.

Skye Cabrera, 26, of the Bronx, who identified as Dominican and Greek, said that although she is not Native American, she loved the culture and felt that there was a connection between Native American culture and her own.

Skye Cabrera, 26, stands in front of a collection of dream catchers at the festival. Photo by Wyatt Salsbury

“If you look at our history – Dominicans, Taino culture – we stem from that, especially being American,” said Cabrera. “There’s a lot of Native American history in New York in general.”

According to Path Through History NY – “Native Americans” there were multiple New York tribes that occupied the state many centuries ago. The largest was the Iroquis tribe, who the European settlers first met when they arrived 400 years ago.

Ceaser said being able to connect to the past is an important part of the festival.

“In New York City, it’s become so modern, that it’s really important to be able to connect with the old ways,” she said.

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As the sun began to set over the Manhattan skyline yesterday, and the day began to turn to night, the action off 42^nd and Broadway was just getting started. The sounds of car horns, peddlers selling goods and advertisements on the jumbo screens were met with a different sound. It was the sound of a group of people, united by a single cause that filled the nearby street corners with observers, listeners and chanters.

It was a demonstration over the conflict at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, between Israel and Palestinians. A crowd gathered on the nearby streets to listen to the words, chants and thoughts of those in support of the Palestinians The mosque has been at the heart of a lot of unrest because it is an 8^th century holy site, revered by both Jews and Muslims. For Jews it is known as the Temple Mount, where Abraham offered his son as a sacrifice and the location of two revered Jewish temples. But Jews have not been allowed to pray there. The mosque is considered the third holiest site in Islam and now there is fear that the rules will soon change because conservatives have been pushing for more access to the site. Recently Israeli police raided the mosque in what they called a security operation.

Diab Mustafa, 47, President of the Palestinian American Community Center, said Israeli forces entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque and attacked Palestinians using a wide array of tactics including, bombs, bullets and even tear gas canisters. In the process of these attacks, damage was done to the mosque itself.

Diab Mustafa, President of the Palestinian American Community Center, stands at the back of the demonstration, wearing a Palestinian flag. Photo by Wyatt Salsbury

“The Palestinians and the Muslims and all freedom loving people are here to demonstrate against what Israel is doing to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Palestine,” said Mustafa. “Basically, we as Muslims, as Palestinians, are protesting today for the message of Aqsa, for the safety of the message of Aqsa, and for keeping the Israeli settlers and Israeli army from entering and desecrating the Al-Aqsa Mosque.”

But the pull to the site is strong for the Jewish people.

“This is a holy site,” said Eli Akbar, 78, a Muslim originally from Guyana, South America, who attended the demonstration. “This is where Christ was crucified… and the prophet of Islam ascended in air to the heavens to receive God’s final commandments to mankind.”

Palestinians and Muslims can’t demonstrate in Jerusualam, Akabar said,

“They lock up the Muslims,” he said. “They find an excuse to use brute force and for a small demonstration…they shoot to kill.”

About 200 people attended the Times Square demonstration, which was part of a two day effort.

“Free Free Palestine. Long Live Palestine,” they chanted

For many, the demonstrators was a human rights issue.

“It’s all about human rights,” said protestor Denise Rickels. “And we (the U.S.) talk about human rights, and then we support governments that abuse human rights.”

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