#EnvironmentalRacism

Re: The stealing of land…

/ aztec8888 / Leave a comment
 From Facebook:

Yesterday

It’s nice that Patagonia is trying to hit this issue, but the Indigenous communities affected by this move most MUST be heard. Not one tribal government who has significant stakes in this have been talked to or included in this effort. 5 tribal governments have had their tribal sovereignty cast aside making this the second major move Trump has made against Indigenous people in this move that is less unprecedented and more falling in line with the American tradition of disregarding this land’s first people. The space proposed for industrialization is filled with over 100,000 sacred sites, ceremonial grounds, and burials of old ones. This is Indian Land. This is the land our Creator has covenanted to us. We are the stewards of this land, and we will fight to protect it always. (design concept by Alexis Munoa Dyer and Katie Wilderness Brown! THANK YOU!) #savebearsland grab.jpgears #protectthesacred

Today, December 8, 2017

/ aztec8888 / Leave a comment

Ana Tijou

I am very upset at the course of the U.S. Here is a list so far (let me know if I forgot something) foreign and domestic mismanagement, foolishness, bullying behavior, meddling, wreaking havoc, negligence, lying, cheating, unlawful behavior, disrespect. I have never in my 61 years experienced such a mess. The people in charge need to be immediately fired.
Foreign –
North Korea,
Yemen,
Russia,
Honduras,
Venezuela,
Afghanistan,
Iran,
Syria,
Israel/Palestine,
Nigeria,
Niger,
Somalia,
Iraq,
Libya,
Mexico,
Domestic –
Puerto Rico,
Alaska Wilderness open to mining,
National Park reduction,
treaty violations and abuse of indigenous populations,
Flint, Michigan water,
oil and gas pipeline proliferation,
fracking and the use of eminent domain,
climate change denial,
elimination of the EPA,
geoengineering,
GMOs,
militarization of police, police brutality, a broken criminal justice system
gun violence,
a WTF wall,
deportations,
reduction of medical care and insurance,
high cost of higher education,
privatization of public school,
increase in taxes,
shrinking of the middle class,
reduction of civil rights,
invasion of privacy,
curtailing free press,
attack on unions,
attack on women’s reproductive rights,
ending net neutrality,
increase in domestic surveillance,
The War on Terror,
The War on Drugs,
It is a war on the common people right now in a prelude to an actual devastating real war and I am wondering how long this list has to get before everyone wakes up that it is not business as usual and something must be done.

Active Pipeline

/ aztec8888 / Leave a comment

Personally, my trip to Standing Rock has committed me to change my life. I have spent the past months selling and giving away most of my personal belongings. I am leaving the country to adopt a different lifestyle. I will fight the fight from outside this corrupt system because as long as I live here, buy things here, drive my car here, shop here, I am contributing to the mess here. I encourage everyone to come up with their own personal plan of action. Every action you take is political. This cannot keep going on without the total destruction of our environment. As people have pointed out – it is not a matter of “if” but “when” this pipeline leaks. I really do not want to be the one to say “I told you so” when it so does. We ALL lose when it does. The point to be made is to shut it down before it leaks. Too bad it was built in the first place.

The School Banner

/ aztec8888 / Leave a comment

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 banner

Tar Sands: A Primer

/ aztec8888 / Leave a comment

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

 

Standing Rock

/ aztec8888 / Leave a comment

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.

Who is Protecting the Water?

/ aztec8888 / Leave a comment

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

/ aztec8888 / Leave a comment

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.