Moccasins on the Ground To Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline
By Owe Aku International Justice Project, Kent Lebsock
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| Debra White Plume/White House Keystone protest arrest |
“The
training will be held at Takini School, a few miles from Bridger, as it
is the largest venue that can hold the hundreds of people who will
participate in the training,” says Debra White Plume, lead organizer and
Director of the grassroots non governmental organization, Owe Aku
(Bring Back the Way), “this part of the Eagle Butte Homelands is the
first Lakota Community to face the tarsands to come through the proposed
Keystone XL pipeline, which is awaiting denial or approval from
President Obama.”
The
training focuses on skills, tactics, and techniques of nonviolent
direct action such as blockading heavy equipment, also emphasized in the
three day training session are workshops on Strategic Media, Street
Medic Training, Knowing Your Legal Rights Under Civil Disobedience,
Building Solidarity, Human Rights and the Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples, Lakota Sacred Teachings on Water, and many other
topics under the umbrella of direct action.
There
will be First Nations people from Canada present to share their
experience of impacts of the tarsands oil mine on their traditional
territories, waters and the wildlife they depend on for subsistence
hunting and gathering; as well as discussions on how other tarsands and
oil pipelines have resulted in their people becoming displaced and ill
from the mining and pipeline impacts.
“It
is my job to educate our people on their rights, and how to protect
their rights, this KXL pipeline may be the biggest issue of our
lifetimes,” said Robin LeBeaux, Tribal Council Representative from the
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. A presentation will be made by the CRST’s
Tribal Historic Preservation Officer Steve Vance regarding sacred sites
that are along the proposed route.
“As
the process of public comment, hearings, and other aspects of an
international application continue, each door is closing to protecting
sacred water and our Human Right to Water. Soon the only door left open
will be the door to direct action. An organized, prepared community is
our best protection if President Obama chooses to issue the KXL permit.
Of course, we are hopeful that he will truly be revolutionary in the
green sense, and say no to the permit, and lead the world in moving away
from destruction and toward a sustainable energy future. But we cannot
sit and wait for his decision, we must act now and be ready to protect
our sacred water, our lands, our families, so we take the Moccasins on
the Ground Tour of Resistance to Lakota communities that invite us to
provide the training. We have been to several Lakota communities, more
trainings are scheduled through the fall. We will provide training until
the decision is made by President Obama,” said White Plume.
Trainers
and presenters include White Plume of Owe Aku, Tantoo Cardinal of Ft
McMurray, Canada, Winona LaDuke of Honor the Earth, Kandi Mosset of the
Indigenous Environmental Network, Nina Waste of Idle No More, Manitoba,
Canada, Bruce Ellison of the National Lawyers Guild, Alex White Plume of
the Black Hills Sioux Nation Treaty Council, Faith Spotted Eagle of
Treaty to Protect the Sacred, Vic Camp and Jo Red Sky of the Warriors
Alliance, and more. Trainers also include activists from the Great
Plains Tarsands Resistance, Texas Blockade, People’s Media Project of
Chicago, Ill, Protect the Sacred of Ihanktowan Nation, Christian Peace
Maker Team, Lakota Media Project, Deep Green Resistance and many other
organizations and individuals.
“Delegations
are coming from the four directions to participate in this training,
all people who want to learn are welcome,” says Vic Camp, organizer for
Owe Aku.
There is no registration fee, but donations are welcome (www.oweakuinternational.org).
Bring your sleeping bag, showers are available. Meals are provided.
For more information please contact organizers TJ Afraid of Hawk at
605-200-0732 or Vic Camp at 605-407-7484.
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