DPP STANDING ROCK/ DAPL EVENT FOLLOW-UP
Emmy writes:
The situation as of now, is that there has been a military occupation of the main camp at Standing Rock and other camps have been forced to evacuate by heavily armed government personnel. The water protectors have dispersed. Some have returned home, some are looking for new homes, some are heading to other protest sights where pipelines are being challenged. We raised over a thousand dollars which helped people with funds to relocate and get their things out of camp before they were confiscated.
The media continues to ignore or misrepresent the events. What we do know is that what happened at Standing Rock remains an inspiration for climate activists all over the world.
Indigenous People’s March in Washington DC, March 10
Also a Boston Rise with Standing Rock event with march at the State House Friday, March 10, 12-3. https://www.facebook.com/eve
Greetings to Participants at Dorchester People for Peace Standing Rock Solidarity Event February 16, 2017
We want to thank you for being one of 126 people present at our report back from the Standing Rock Resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). This past week has been very difficult and we know you share our concern and deep distress about the assault against peaceful Water Protectors. We are writing with an update and ideas for action.
Brief Recap of Event: Thank you for your great feedback about our event. People left feeling enriched and uplifted by the speakers, most of whom had just returned from Standing Rock. Wyze Love, urban Native activist, reminding us that protecting water is a gift to all humanity; Jude Glaubman, member of Water Protector Legal Collective who explained the various legal needs they fulfilled; The Reverend Mariama White-Hammond who spoke about the spiritual foundation of the Standing Rock movement and our moral, human responsibility to look after the earth; Dan Luker who related the truth that Veterans for have made an oath to protect Americans, and cannot accept gunning down people and hosing down women and children; Emmy Rainwalker, DPP member, who was a stalwart support system for her husband Dan, and others at Standing Rock, providing listening, counseling and resources.
We raised $1,000 at the event and contributions are still coming in. Thanks to all of you for your wonderful response to the immediate and urgent needs at Standing Rock. Your support was used for the evacuation of two of the camps (Oceti and Rosebud) and helped us to purchase equipment to expand the capacity of the kitchen to feed Water Protectors at Sacred Stone Camp. Funds are still welcome.
Present Situation: Conditions at Standing Rock continue in a state of crisis. On February 23, we watched with great sadness, the invasion of Oceti and Rosebud Camps as militarized local and federal law enforcement personnel established territorial control of these two camps, violating treaty rights. They arrested people, prevented journalists from reporting, interfered with social media streaming of the news, and bulldozed the camps. The governor of North Dakota held a long press conference where he characterized the Water protectors as eco-terrorists, among other misrepresentations of the situation.
This Republican administration is determined to carry on the construction of the DAPL by allowing Energy Transfer Partners to dig beneath the Missouri River, without a prior environmental impact assessment. Reports are that the pipeline is completed and oil will be flowing within two weeks. Furthermore, the entire territory is on ancestral land that belongs to the Sioux by an 1851 Treaty. It is clear that local, federal and private security forces in North Dakota are in the service of Energy Transfer Partners, and not the public interest.
The Movement, however, is far from over and will now move to the Courts and other pipeline protests around the country. Native people have vowed to fight on, because much is at stake. Linda Black Elk, head of the Healer Council at Standing Rock, says this necessary fight is about protecting water, but also more than that. It is also about treaty rights, protection of the spiritual and sacred heritage of the Native people, about edible plants, about medicinal plants. It is about preventing cultural genocide.
Taking Action together
Because we agree that there is a better way to live on this earth, in harmony and in fairness, together with you, we will continue to be allies in this fight. We are writing to share some ideas for what we can all accomplish together to support the resistance by the Native Communities.
First, we are sending you the electronic version of our program. In it there are some excellent links to useful resources. They will give you your own opportunity to research how you can support the brave people of Standing Rock. In addition, we invite you to join us in three kinds of actions we can take together.
a) Actions with others
b) Actions we can do on our own
c) Supporting the resistance by raising money for the movement
a) Defunding DAPL: 17 Banks are the funding source for the pipeline in North Dakota. Bank Exits are actions where individuals, groups, universities, even city councils withdraw funds from these institutions as a protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline. These actions are happening all over the world, sending a message that funding fossil fuels is no longer a good or attractive thing to be doing!
Following the guidance of Native American leaders, we are forming a “#NoDAPL Support Team” to do Bank Exits. WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN US! Some of us will be trained by the Bank Exit core team to organize the Bank Exits. If you would like to be trained as an organizer/or if you can take part in the actions, please contact Dorchester People for Peace member, Emmy, who will be coordinating. Please contact us at: emmyrain@gmail.com
b) Supporting Prisoners of Conscience
There are presently 4 Water Protectors from Standing Rock in federal custody for pretrial detention. Some more information can be found at: http://www.nodaplarchive.c
They need letters of encouragement and support. It would be wonderful if you would write to them regularly, using the contact information below.
Red Fawn Fallis
A beautiful video about Red Fawn at http://indi.com/FreeRedFawn
Rattler, (aka Michael Marcus)
Rattler is Lakota Oglala and a US Marine veteran
Burleigh County Detention Center, PO BOX 1416, Bismarck, ND 58502-1416
Scorch Jordan (aka Charles Jordan)
Scorch has been held for 2 months, for support for divesting from Wells Fargo.
Burleigh County Detention Center, PO BOX 1416, Bismarck, ND 58502-1416
Krow (aka Katie Kloth)
An activist, artist, forager, sustainable farmer, biologist, and amazing person loved by many, she was arrested at Standing Rock. For more see http://supportkrow.org/
Morton County Correctional Center
205 1st Ave. NW, Mandan, ND 58554
205 1st Ave. NW, Mandan, ND 58554
c) Raising Money for the Lakota Law Project Legal Fund
This movement depends on our support. As the fight moves to the Courts, substantial funds will be required for legal defense. It’s time for us to step up to the plate by sacrificing a little on behalf of the Native people, putting lives on the line.
We propose that we create: “100 for Water Protectors!”
There were over 100 people at our event! We invite 100 of us to commit $10 a month for 1 year towards the Lakota People’s Law Project. That adds up to $1000 a month, or $12,000 a year, for defending the legal and treaty rights of our Native brothers and sisters.
How to do this:
Google: Lakotalaw.org/ ; Click on Be a protector, donate today
Tick box: Make it monthly; Choose amount: $10.00
Share: your payment information
VERY IMPORTANT STEP: Let us know you have joined: “100 for Water Protectors!”
Other Ideas!
1. Call Governor Burgum of ND; ask him to respect the water protectors; shame on him for calling them eco-terrorists: 701-328-2200. Tell Army Corps of Engineers to honor the treaties: 202.761.8700.
2. In Massachusetts, work for Indigenous Day instead of Columbus Day. Change the Massachusetts racist State Seal too!
3. Call your news sources and tell them to report accurately on the military occupation in our own country.
Emmy, Kelley, Hayat, Jane, for DPP emmyrain@gmail.com
* * * *
How Will Native Tribes Fight the Dakota Access Pipeline in Court?
On Feb. 8 the US Army Corps of Engineers reversed course and issued an easement allowing the installation of the Dakota Access Pipeline under Lake Oahe in North Dakota. That decision followed a presidential memorandum indicating that construction and operation of the pipeline would be in the "national interest," and set the stage for a final showdown over the pipeline's fate. In response, two Indian tribes, the Standing Rock and Cheyenne River Sioux, filed new motions to halt the pipeline's construction and operation. After an initial hearing on those motions, the federal judge on the case allowed construction to proceed but will be considering the tribes' claims before oil will pass through the pipeline under Lake Oahe. That means, unlike the voices of thousands who joined the Standing Rock Sioux tribe in protest against the pipeline, the next chapter of this fight will be argued by a few lawyers in the pin drop silence of a federal courtroom.
No comments:
Post a Comment