Nataanii Means Meets with Spain's Parliament as Water Protectors Urge Divestment

Nataanii Means meeting with members of Spain's Parliament. Photo courtesy Nataanii Means

Nataanii Means, Dine' Lakota from Chinle on the Navajo Nation, met with members of Parliament in Spain, as Water Protectors from Standing Rock camps concluded their 11 Country Tour of Europe

By Nataanii Nez Means, Dine' Lakota

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Today we met with MP's from Spanish parliament, asking that they take action with BBVA, a Spanish bank that is invested in fossil fuel extraction on Turtle Island (DAPL and other pipelines). We asked that regulations be made for free and prior informed consent with indigenous nations and also transparency with their investments. I can say that this specific party in Spanish parliament, from my understanding is very new, but is also very progressive with stopping fracking and other destructions of Mother Earth. This isn't my normal course of taking action but I'm learning a lot and education is key in these fights.
So yeah. That was my day. Now I'm in Barcelona, two more days, one more show, and I'm heading home.
I ain't gonna lie, it's was very difficult being in the Spanish Congress knowing the history that has happened in the southwest, and all the other invaded territories they occupied, also the doctrine of discovery. But I've had good conversations with everyone I've talked with. Still, it's difficult.

-- June 12, 2017

Celebrating Water Protectors from Standing Rock Camps in Barcelona, Spain
Photo by Rachel Heaton, Muckleshoot

Nataanii Nez Means on European Tour

Nataanii Nez Means, son of Gloria Grant Means of Chinle on the Navajo Nation and Lakota activist Russell Means, performed as a Hip Hop artist on the 11 country tour of Europe, with Rafael Gonzalez, Dakota from Minneapolis. With Waste Win Young, Dakota Lakota from Standing Rock, and Rachael Heaton, Muckleshoot from Washington State, water protectors from Standing Rock camps, urged divestment in Dakota Access Pipeline and fossil fuel extraction, investing in clean energy, and respect for Indigenous rights. While meeting with members of Spain's Parliament, Means urged respect and compliance with the U.N. Declaration of Rights for Indigenous Peoples, which requires free, prior and informed consent before entering the territories of Indigenous Peoples for development.

Congress of Deputies of Spain

The Congress of Deputies of Spain, commonly referred to as simply the Congress of Deputies (Spanish: Congreso de los Diputados; Basque: Diputatuen Kongresua; Catalan: Congrés dels Diputats; Galician: Congreso dos Deputados) is the lower house of the Cortes Generales, Spain's legislative branch. It is located in the Palace of the Parliament (Plaza de las Cortes, Madrid).

It has 350 members elected by constituencies (matching Spanish provinces) by proportional representation using the D'Hondt method. Congressmen serve four-year terms. The President of the Congress of Deputies is the analogue to a speaker and presides over debates.

In the Congress, members of the Parliament from the political parties, or groups of parties, form parliamentary groups. Groups must be formed by at least 15 MPs, but a group can also be formed with only five MPs if the parties got at least 5% of the nationwide vote, or 15% of the votes in the constituencies in which they ran. The MPs belonging to parties who cannot create their own parliamentary group form the Mixed Group. -- Wikipedia