I had messaged Ashley about locating the school banner and making sure it was safely sent to the tribe. I was worried that it would get destroyed by the Morton County officials or DAPL as the camp is cleaned up for spring. Ashley was so kind to have it retrieved for safe keeping. My students were very excited and happy to see this! I really appreciate the effort because the water protectors are extremely busy trying to clean up everything at camp before the end of the month. My prayers go out to them. #WaterisLife 
Author: aztec8888
Tar Sands: A Primer
An ecological disaster.
I had students research where we get our oil. I am so tired of the misleading news that gets repeated how Saudi Arabia is our source of oil. Please educate yourself by looking at the record. It is easy to research. I think that we are told Saudi Arabia is the largest supplier of our oil so that people will accept our meddling and wars in the middle east. Our largest suppliers have been Canada and Mexico. Hello everyone – educate yourself.
https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/pet_move_impcus_a2_nus_epc0_im0_mbblpd_a.htm
Last Child Camp
There is a constant narrative coming from North Dakota that these people who are against the pipeline are inciting riots and are trespassing on private land. The land in question is part of treaty land, territory that is in dispute. I encourage everyone to research this and spread the truth. I believe this is the exact reason WHY the pipeline was routed where it is.
Land Ownership
LaDonna Brave Bull Allard explains the land ownership issue and how her rights were violated. The Young Turks (TYT) has been a valuable news resource in reporting on Standing Rock. LaDonna Brave Bull Allard was the woman who founded the Sacred Stone Camp when she saw that construction of this oil pipeline was going to cross on sacred land.
Standing Rock
There was a lot of drama in camp between water protectors that played out over social media. Ultimately, everyone stands solidly against the pipeline. Trump has signed an executive memo saying that he gives the go ahead for not only the Dakota Access pipeline, but the Keystone XL pipeline also. Look back at the post about how these two pipelines are related.
The camp must be moved to higher ground and the land cleaned up before the snow thaws and flooding. It is being done by wonderful volunteers who are going there even in the freezing cold. The governor just announced that all law enforcement must pull back, open the barricaded bridge and stop using weapons against the water protectors. Could it be because of the presence of mainstream media and the United Nations hearings that are going on in Standing Rock? However, it has been reported by water protectors trying to clean camp that the Morton County Sheriffs are harassing drivers who are on the long road to Bismark for supplies and medicine.
Meanwhile, everyone is awake to police militarization and brutality. There are marches and actions every week against other pipelines. There have also been several pipeline leaks since December. Research: shale tar sands. It is highly corrosive to metal pipe.
The Veterans: A Positive Impact
So many came, there were logistical problems getting enough shelter for them. Everyone was helped and fed, but the numbers were just not expected and it strained resources of the Lakota. The weather did not help – there was a very bad blizzard. The positive outcome was that the mainstream media had to take notice, the Army Corps had to decline the pending permit to drill under the river. There was too much pressure and the presence of our military veterans was not going to help public opinion in favor of the Morton County Sheriff’s Department or the North Dakota governor.
Relighting the Fire
A recording of a live announcement from Oceti Sakowin Camp today 12/11/2016
Move to higher ground, for safety. Attack the corporation on every legal front. Get control of the narrative by having press conferences. Daily reports are essential to keep people informed, that way rumors do not spread and everyone is constantly reminded of how this issue is not over.
Primary Source Material about The IRA of 1830
https://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/Indian.html
https://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/Indian.html
A message from young warriors: We who are not leaving. 12/10/2016
Clearly, Energy Transfer Partners are still working: drone footage from 12/9/2016
When you are in camp, you can hear the construction going on. I heard it when I was there and they were told by The Army Corps of Engineers months ago to stop construction. Just scroll back to previous posts in October.
Message to Chairman Archambault
I agree with Chairman Archambault about his intentions and where he is coming from. I have watched and read about how the tribal council has tried to handle this problem. On the other hand, the powers arrayed against the indigenous do not play nice. They could care less about prayers, they laugh at good intentions and always have. As long as money and profit are the ends to the means, the corporation will be ruthless. Ruthlessness in business is an asset for them. They want you to go away, walk away in peace. When you walk away, you will lose. If you stay and force them to do something publicly, they absolutely hate that and with public opinion on your side, with actual world opinion on your side, you will win. That is why there is a media blackout and media control of the narrative. I want you to revisit the Civil Rights Movement and how it was won, and how it was successful. #1 There were clear goals laid out, and there were always legal strategies used and made very public. #2 Then, there was the public opinion strategy which required sacrifice. Many were hurt, many were arrested, many were brutalized, and many were killed. All of it was on national TV. I witnessed it back then as a child and it affected me. Every day there were protests, and there were police actions filmed on unarmed peaceful citizens. #3 The next strategies used were speeches and organized marches that spread the message through word and song. This worked on the people and forced the powerful elite to make concessions. If at any time the people had relented and relaxed, nothing would have been won. What has been missing from this very important fight for our water is accurate mainstream media coverage, detailed and repeated public messages about what needs to happen, what is the clear, stated goal. And very importantly: the constant peaceful actions need to continue. As long as the public witnesses that people are laying their lives on the line for this, that this is THAT important, you will get their support in increasing numbers. Water is THAT important. ANY battle will have sacrifices and I know when I entered Standing Rock, I went in with my eyes wide open and my heart wide open, knowing that I could be killed or seriously hurt – that this movement is that important. More important than my comfort and my safety. See, as long as that pipeline is being built, all of our safety is currently being put at risk. In fact, Chairman Archambault is totally correct in saying that safety is the main concern. You cannot walk away from cultural sites and burial places being destroyed, you cannot walk away from the people who went in willing to sacrifice their comfort, their lives, and their financial security. In fact, just as with the Civil Rights Movement, this thing became bigger than this one pipeline and this particular reservation next to this particular river. We need to record everything, walk away from nothing, and know that we will protect our people as much as we can, but this is a battle and we are battling for all of those unknown millions of future generations. This is bigger than just us now. Chairman Archambault, I was honored to be a guest at your home. I respect you and your words. Just as I know you care number one for the safety of the people, know that many people have totally changed their lives to support this movement and as you pointed out, it is not just at Standing Rock, it is all over the United States. But you have the special honor of being on the front line – Standing Rock is now a symbol and a monument to a world struggle by indigenous people against the destruction of their lands and water, and a world struggle to end the reliance on fossil fuels and to end climate change. I want you to think carefully about the untold numbers of people that will die if we do not change course. Now.
Who is Protecting the Water?
Today I finished this video about some of the people I met. This was filmed over just a few short hours. I met many more people in the days I was in Oceti Sakowin. It was a very incredible experience to share so much, so deeply, with so many people, about something as needed by all as – water.
While I worked on this video, I saw that the veterans are arriving at Standing Rock. I am saying prayers that the increase in media coverage, and in citizen involvement, will change this situation and the pipeline will be stopped. It must be stopped.
Day #9 The Last Full Day in Bismarck
Sunday, November 27th, 2016 It was time to get over whatever the bug was that hit me. I had a major backup of mucus in my lungs. I had seen the small plane flying around over the camp every day I was there. It looked like it was spraying something. I had noticed people coughing a lot. Many complained of a sore throat first. I got very congested lungs. Maybe from the smoke from warming fires, maybe a combination. I stayed inside my room the whole day, washing clothes and packing. The day got colder and drearier by the hour. It began to rain and by morning, this is what I saw out my hotel window. The white car is my rental.
I found out that Bismarck residents had made a big rally in support of their law enforcement on Saturday. I had witnessed no support in town for the water protectors. I had heard from people in camp that some residents had called the indigenous water protectors prairie niggers. I hate to write it, but I think that everyone needs to know the level of hate that has been ramped up here. This city has displayed bigotry, hate, and injustice to people trying to protect everyone’s water. The corporation (with help of Morton County Sheriff’s Department) has used racial hatred to turn the population of the city of Bismarck against any protest of this pipeline. What a clever distraction. The town did not want the pipeline to go north of them, upstream. How easily Energy Transfer Partners were able to re-route this pipeline. I do not think they ever really planned to put the pipeline north of Bismarck. I think the whole process was used to make one side feel superior than the other. Thus distracting from the real issues of safety, the environment, and clean water.
While I was sad to leave Standing Rock, I was very glad to leave Bismarck.