Censored News Heroes 2016 -- Water Protectors of Standing Rock Camp

Censored News Heroes 2016

Water Protectors of Standing Rock Camp

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Red Warrior Camp

Frontline Water Defenders

SiouxZ Dezbah, shot in the eye with

a rubber bullet by militarized police only six feet away.

Photo by Yvonne Gougelet

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                                   Sophia Wilansky, a water protector in Standing Rock Camp
                            from New York. Sophia's arm was shattered when militarized police 
                                              shot her with a grenade.

Native American Youths

Native youth riders

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Standing Rock Youth Runners to DC 

Special thanks to everyone who dashed into battle for protection of the water, the Missouri River and Cannon Ball River, as the Dakota Access Pipeline, its hired mercenaries, and the militarized police led by Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier, violated laws, civil rights and human rights to protect a private pipeline now threatening the water source of millions.
Thank you to the cooks, photographers, videographers, medics, healers, attorneys, wood choppers, drivers, horseback riders; those who cleaned; those who sang; those who reported; those who shared; those who cared; those who prayed; those who gave generously; and those who asked for nothing in return.
You are our heroes.

Censored News

Dec. 30, 2016

NOW! Standing Rock: Water Protectors Running, Surrounded, Arrests Underway Sat. Oct. 22, 2016

Standing Rock Water Protectors Beaten with Batons, Pepper Sprayed During Prayer

More than 140 arrested and taken to county jails throughout North Dakota on Saturday night

By RED WARRIOR CAMP
Censored News

In the early morning of October 22nd 2016, Water Protectors left the encampment to walk to DAPL work site #127, off highway 1806. We walked to the work site where our comrades locked themselves down to equipment to prevent any more work being done on the Black Snake. They took action because the Black Snake must not be built, the risk is too high and a devastating spill is an inevitability, we went because we too recognize our duty to take action. We went because we have had enough of Energy Transfer Partners and this pipeline, and so have all of us here at Oceti Sakowin, we have had enough of the heavy handed terrorism so casually deployed by Kyle Kerchmeier of the Morton County Sheriffs, DAPL Private Security G4S, and the National Guard.

Over 140+ Water Protectors were chased down by riot police, pepper sprayed, beaten with batons, and kettled in. The police made the mass arrests at this site, the charges were Criminal Trespass, and Engaging in a riot. The First wave of innocent Protectors were in court today and all pled not guilty, they are awaiting trial at this time.

DAPL is in direct violation UNDRIP on Sacred Sites and as well as in violation of all Indigenous Laws anywhere worldwide. To desecrate the bodies of our Ancestors is an abomination, yet somehow the illegal and corrupt Government and corporations give themselves permission to take these actions in the name of genocide and land theft. They work together and promote a capitalist lifestyle that is in direct opposition to natural law, they are rooted in profits and have no sense of the destruction to not only land and water but also to Indigenous Peoples lives they leave in their wake. They have no jurisdiction or permission from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe to build this pipeline, and it is not only our right and our duty to protect the Ancestors it is our responsibility to the future generations to take action to uphold the People’s right to say NO.

The future of the planet depends on what Indigenous Land Defenders and Water Protectors do NOW, we cannot afford to sell the future of the entire planet for momentary and monetary greed. They are unleashing a violent fascist police state on the people in a bid to make the most money the fastest, leaving our lands and water poisoned. We recognize that we the People acting in Unity and Prayer will stop this pipeline, and we are acting accordingly.

Red Warrior Camp
Guerrilla Media: West Coast Women Warriors Media Cooperative Ancestral Pride

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Unprovoked police brutality, watch video below of today:

Watch video above now!
By Brenda Norrell
Censored News
Message from water protector: "Sitting at the hospital in Fort Yates because today at the action the police maced, and hit innocent people with their batons. Our fellow youth council members were hit with a baton multiple times because they tried to protect the children. One of us got arrested and another is in the hospital. This is what they are doing to us. Police brutality at its finest people. We are unarmed. We are peaceful & prayerful. Come stand with standing rock. Pray for us please!"

Water protectors were pepper sprayed and thrown to the ground by police. About 200 water protectors carried out a prayer walk on Saturday morning, where one lock down was underway at sunrise.

The arrests include Lorenzo, Unicorn Riot live streamer. This makes the fifth Unicorn Riot live streamer arrested. The location is three miles west of 1806. Hwy 1806 closed in both directions Saturday morning.
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Arrests Underway

"We need cars from camp, we have elders."

"We are surrounded."

Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016

"They have us surrounded. This is not even Dakota Access property."

"We are peaceful."

"There are little children here."

Watch video below.

Below Lockdown at Dawn Saturday Oct. 22, 2016 Posted by West Coast Women Warriors

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Kanahus Arrested Today, from Tori:

You can see the videos of what went down on the link below:

https://www.facebook.com/IndigenousLifeMovement/videos/10153559675327255/

https://www.facebook.com/featherboy.eagleman/videos/391883267868401/

I have called the jail for details and when she will appear for bail. They told me to call back tonight, I will report she was less than helpful and you could hear a lot of loud background noise when I reached the jail by phone.
It has also been reported that Sasheen & Crow have also been arrested, however I cannot confirm that as of yet. I will try when I call back tonight.

The Morton County Sheriff's dep't posted about the arrests on their FB page. You can contact the MCS dep't here:

1-701-667-3330 Phone
1-701-667-3318 Jail
205 1st Ave NW, Mandan, ND 58554

UNICORN RIOT COVERAGE below:

http://www.unicornriot.ninja/?p=10256

Water Protectors’ Prayer Walk Confronts DAPL Construction near Lake Oahe

OCTOBER 22, 2016

Morton County, ND – Early on Saturday, October 22nd, water protectors from the camps near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation set out on foot to confront construction that threatens to destroy more sacred burial sites.

Dakota Access has continued with construction despite the September 9 request from the federal government to suspend construction within 20 miles east and west of Lake Oahe. On Saturday morning dozens of riot police were guarding the construction site, which is about five miles away from the encampments. Unicorn Riot was on the ground providing live streaming coverage today.

Unicorn Riot reporters’ live feed is here:

Breaking Action: Standing Rock 'NO DAPL' Sept. 27, 2016

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Water Protectors led by ceremony, moved in mass to halt pipeline construction

By Brenda Norrell
Censored News
Just added: YouTube video below

Standing Rock water protectors moved in mass today, by the hundreds, and halted construction at multiple sites of Dakota Access Pipeline, where work was supposed to be halted.
'The roads were blocked -- the eagle guided us," said one of the Lakota women, among hundreds who rushed to the sites to halt construction today.
Pipeline workers fled as water protectors arrived. Police arrived in riot gear with a sound canon, acoustic weapon, which has not been used as of now.
"We are going to come back every day until we shut this pipeline down," said one of the Lakota men protecting the land, water and air for future generations.
"As long as they're not working -- we're winning my Relatives," he said, with thanks to the Horse Nation for being here, on Treaty land.

Red Warrior Camp said, "Today, a 60+ vehicle caravan traveled to 3 Sacred Sites that are being threatened by the Dakota Access Pipeline, starting with the Sacred Ground Camp (where ancestral sites were desecrated and private security unleashed their dogs on unarmed protectors). The caravan then traveled and conducted ceremonies at 2 other DAPL construction sites. Water Protectors, Indigenous Peoples and allies united today to stop construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. The actions today were led by ceremony."

Despite the accusations by the police that there "were shots fired" at today's ceremonies and actions, we stand united that this was a peaceful act of prayer for our Water and our Lands, Red Warrior Camp.

In the news:
Five arrested at road blockade which allowed protectors to get to site:
http://www.kfyrtv.com/content/news/5-arrests-made-during-Dakota-Access-Pipeline-protest-near-St-Anthony-395020111.html

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Police sound canon

Below: YouTube video
"As long as they're not working, we're winning my Relatives."
Thankful to the Horse Nation for being here today,
on Treaty Land.

Police setting up blockade Monday morning Sacred Stone Camp

Drone video, now, four arrests Monday morning, Sacred Stones Camp

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Police setting up barricade at Sacred Stone Camp Monday morning at 6 am.

FBI reported present with police.

Aug. 15, 2016

Listen to Drum and Singers: NOW! at frontline, Sacred Stones Camp.
Video by Waniya Locke.

Standing Rock Sioux Nation: Now and Obama in 2014 at Standing Rock -- when the new tarsands pipeline system was secretly working behind the scenes getting permits.

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Zapatistas 'The Art that is neither seen nor heard'

THE ART THAT IS NEITHER SEEN NOR HEARD.

(Note: the following are the comments made by Subcomandante Insurgente Moisés to mark the conclusion of the Zapatista’s contribution to the CompArte, in the Caracol of Oventik, on July 29, 2016. The threat of rain and the pressure of time did not allow for the compañero to fully develop some of his points and there were others that he was unable to touch on at all. Here we present the original version that he was going to give. In his voice, our Zapatista word).

THE ZAPATISTA ARMY FOR NATIONAL LIBERATION

MEXICO.

July 29, 2016
http://enlacezapatista.ezln.org.mx/2016/08/08/the-art-that-is-neither-seen-nor-heard/

Artists of Mexico and the world:

Sisters, brothers, and hermanoas:

For us, Zapatistas, art is studied by creating many imaginations, reading the gaze, studying in listening, and practicing.

It is by putting it into practice, that is, by doing it, that you will begin to see the result of the science and the art of imagination – the art of creativity.

There is some science and art that is needed immediately, the kind that helps us imagine how to do it.

There can be medium term science and art, and there is long term science and art that improves over the course of time.

For example: To even make something tiny that will contribute to the new world requires that we involve ourselves profoundly in the science and art of imagination, in the gaze, in listening and in creativity, patience, and attention. It requires that we think about how to move forward while building and many other things that must be taken into account.

Because what we want, or what we think about, is a new world, a new system. We don’t want a copy of what we have, we don’t want to improve it a little bit. This is a problem, we say, because there is no book or manual that explains how to create this new world. This book or manual hasn’t been written yet, it is still in the heads of those with imagination, in the eyes that are ready to gaze at the new world that they want to see, in the ears that are attentive in order to hear the new world that they want.

This requires a lot of wisdom and intelligence, a good understanding of many words and thoughts.

We say that it works like this because this is how the development of our autonomy has been and will continue to be.

It was built by thousands of Zapatista men and women, with science and art, and for now it can be seen in the 5 zones of the caracoles.

The art that we are showing you, our compañeras and compañeros, had a crude birth, it emerged from the heads of those women and men who themselves decided how to present it to you, [it is] about how they have worked as Zapatistas and autonomous people, with their resistance and their rebellious ways.

The entire process was a chain of art – from the thinking about what they would present, whether it would be a dance number, song, poetry, sculpture, theater, or pottery, to the words, the ideas about how they would get from place to place, then where they were going to get the money for their rehearsal and performances, because they are collectives from the community, the region, the municipalities and the zone.

There were three rounds of selection. For the first round, the people got together in their regions; then the regions met as autonomous municipalities for the second selection; and the municipalities met in zones for the final round.

Their preparations took months.

For the communities of thousands of Zapatista men and women, it was another iteration of what we are, but in a different form, it didn’t happen through conversation or blah blah blah, but through the technique of Art, and everyone participated – children, teenagers, fathers, mothers, and grandparents.

In artistic form, in the art form of the Zapatista compañer@s, they were practicing their resistance and rebellion, their autonomous government of the Junta de Buen Gobierno, their MAREZ (Zapatista Autonomous Municipalities in Rebellion), their local authorities (comisariadas, comisariados, agentas, and agentes), their autonomous health systems, their autonomous education system, their autonomous radio stations, their 7 principles of lead by obeying in their new system of autonomous government, their democracy as communities, their justice, their freedom, their defense of mother earth, and their collective work on mother earth. This will all be the basis on which new generations of young women and young men will be formed, the basis for the Zapatista future.

This is what we presented to you, compañeras and compañeros of the national and international Sixth from Mexico and the world; only a small portion of the compañer@s that were going to participate actually participated. One day we will present the rest to you, but right now there isn’t time, because if we had all come, it would have taken over a month to do all of our presentations, and so that means that there is also an art and a science to how we planned to do a one-day presentation. Because the most marvelous of all of the arts is collective mutual support.

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Compañeras and compañeros from the National and International Sixth.

Sisters and brothers of Mexico and the world.

The storm and the hydra of monstrous capitalism wants to prevent us from seeing one another, but through our great effort we are seeing one another here and now.

The compañeras and compañeros from the thousands of Zapatista bases of support for the Zapatista Army for National Liberation want to show you their art.

You have seen one part here and in other caracoles you could see other parts. Because more than two thousand artists have been selected and there were even more who didn’t come, not because they didn’t make it through the selection process, but because we didn’t have the money to transport thousands of compañera and compañero artists.

Our compañera and compañero artists aren’t professional artists, but rather their profession is what we call “Everythingologist [Todólogo]” because they are carpenters, masons, shop keepers, they work the land, are radio hosts, milicianos and milicianas, insurgentas and insurgents, autonomous authorities, teachers at the Zapatista little school, health and education promoters, and they still find the time to be artists.

They are true artists in the art of constructing a new system of governance, the autonomy where the people command and the government obeys.

It is an art that you can see, study, and that exists in practice, that you can know through its sharing.

But the compañeras and compañeros also make other art that you don’t know about, that isn’t disclosed in any press releases.

It is the art of solidarity, the support for the people who struggle.

Because the other art and science that the compañera and compañero Zapatista bases of support practice is their support for the struggle of the teachers movement.

You did not see this science and art, but the way it was delivered; the food support was like the art of a hornet’s nest, but there was also an art and science that preceded this.

This is what happened:

We realized that we needed to support this struggle by the teachers who are resisting the capitalist hydra and storm, which we have been talking about for a year.

So then we figured out how much support we were able to give. First we used our word to support them, to say that their struggle is a just one.

Then we tried to figure out how to support the resistance at the sites where they were putting up roadblocks and sit-ins and we realized that we could support them by providing food.

Then we assessed how much support we could send them, and first, how our compañeras and compañeros would respond if we supported them with food from the little that we have as a result of our collective labors.

We figured out how, for example, the food support could work—the delivery, the bags, and all of that. But what you don’t see is the organization of the food collection community by community, the division of how much each community was supposed to provide, figuring out how many tons they were going to be able to get together so that they could figure out how they were going to transport it. Then there was the timing, because the news was saying that the blockades were still there, and then that the teachers were going to take them down to avoid being forcefully evicted because what they were doing was really hurting the rich, and this put a lot of pressure on us because the food that we collected would spoil if there wasn’t any place to take it to.

They had meetings everywhere in order to come to an agreement, because all of the compañer@s said that the support that we needed to give to the teachers’ movement was just and necessary.

So they started to do the math (i.e division), the accounts as we say, say of how much each zone, MAREZ, region, and community was responsible for. There were a few zones where the commissions failed to meet their goal, they didn’t fail in a bad way, but in a good way, because they had reported that their commission would provided 2 tons of food and when the time came they actually provided 7 tons more than they had promised, which was the case with the Zapatista bases of support in the North Zone of Chiapas, from the caracol of Roberto Barrios. And so, well, resolving the problem was Art, because no one had even imagined that they could provide 9 tons. We only had a 3-ton truck.

The compañeras’ work is really art, because they were asked how long it will take them to have 100 thousand tostadas ready – how could they calculate that when the corn is still on the cob?

Well the compañeras responded that the tostadas would be ready on x day at x time. Because they know how many hours it takes to cook the corn, and how many tostadas you can get from a kilo of corn.

And the compañeras even add flavor to the tostadas, from a little bit of beans, and salt, because they know that the tostadas are to support the teachers at the sit-ins and in resistance.

And that is how they did it and now it is done, but you can’t see it because it is already in people’s stomachs, or it has become fertilizer because the companer@ teachers have already consumed it.

Collective work, the common, made it so that they could move things easily, from one hand to another, others moved things on horses, others by foot and on their back, others by car.

Thanks to the collective work of the compañeras and compañeros.

It was all a mathematic calculation, from beginning to end.

All of this, it is all an expenditure, and the great majority is from collective work, communities, regions, autonomous municipalities. It is the real fruit of our work as organized communities of men and women.

But you didn’t see any of this and you wouldn’t know about it if we didn’t tell you about it, and it’s all the work of our Zapatista compañera and compañero bases of support, in order to show that we care about a people who struggles with resistance.

Why do we do this? Well, because we know and understand what it is to resist in struggle and how much work it takes to maintain a struggle in resistance.

Figuring out how to provide this support is an art of imagination by the Zapatista communities.  The “resistance” of the compañeras and compañeros has gone on for 22 years, and that’s a lot of experience and is a great building block solidarity. It is the demonstration of collectivity. For 22 years we Zapatistas have been in resistance and rebellion against capitalism, and we’ve had, for 22 years, a new system of governing ourselves where the people command and the government obeys.

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There are those who think that we should go out and struggle for the teachers. But if they think that way, then they haven’t understood anything at all. Because that would mean that that I want someone to come and struggle for me. We Zapatista men and women don’t ask for anyone to come and struggle for us. Each person must struggle, and we should mutually support one another, but that support cannot replace each person’s struggle. Whoever struggles has the right to decide the direction of their path and with whom they walk that path. If others insert themselves, then they are no longer supporting that struggle, but supplanting it. Support is respect, not trying to direct or command. Just as we have understood that no one is going to give us what we need to eat if we don’t work for it ourselves – it’s the same thing. No one is going to liberate us except for ourselves.

That is how we peoples of Mexico and the world organize ourselves, how we struggle in the world where we are in order to change it, as workers, teachers, peasants, all kinds of workers, we don’t hold out hope that someone is going to come and struggle for us.

This is how we already live, and they [the bad government] only come to try to manipulate us, to fool us and to do the all of the things they do to us.

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Art, brothers and sisters, compañeras and compañeros, is very important, because it is what provides us with an illustration of something new in life, something that illustrates something very different in real life—it doesn’t lie.

Art is so powerful because it is already real life in the communities where the people command and the government obeys, thanks to the art of the imagination and the knowledge of how to create a new society, how to create a life in common. Our art shows that it is possible to create another form of governing, one that is totally different, that it is possible to create another life working in common to benefit the community itself.

This makes me think of the deceased Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos, who often asked us questions when we were building a little house, there in the jungle, with Comandante Tacho. The deceased asked us, “These crossbeams, what are they for? Can you explain to me scientifically what they are for? And we were about to answer, when he hit us with another question, “Is it science, or is it custom?” Comandante Tacho and I looked at each other, and since he was in charge of the construction it was up to him to respond, “Well, I learned from my father, and my father learned from my grandfather, and so on,” said Comandante Tacho. The deceased responded, “Ah, well then it’s custom, and it’s not based on a scientific study.” So he explained to us why the sciences and the arts are so important. And now we are coming to understand this. But wait, I’ll tell you what the deceased scribbled down or wrote to us from the place where he now lives six feet under; we’re going to ask him to send it to us and we are going to publish it, those of us who are still alive here where he had been living before. So compañeras and compañeros, sisters and brothers. We Zapatistas think that now more than ever, we need ART, ORIGINARY PEOPLES, AND THE SCIENTISTS in order to give birth to a new world.

So compañera and compañero artists from the National and International Sixth, get involved in the work of art with a lot of enthusiasm.

Join us, brothers and sisters of Mexico and the world, in dreaming of an art where the people command, for their own good and the good of the people themselves.

Thank you,

From the mountains of Southeastern Mexico.

Subcomandante Insurgente Moisés.

Mexico, July 29, 2016.



Song, “The Capacity of Women”. Lyrics, music, and choreography from the young, female and musical Zapatista group “Dignity and Resistance,” bases of support from the Altos Zone of Chiapas. When they performed in Oventik, on June 29 in the afternoon, the sound system failed and it made them a little bit sad. And so on June 30, in CIDECI, SubMoy asked the compañero musicians Panteón Rococó and Oscar Chávez to stop for a minute and they gave up a few minutes of their time (Thank you Don Óscar, thank you Panteones). The compañeras were able to present what they had been preparing for more than 5 months. When they finished they reported back to SupMoy. “We’re back,” they said. SupMoy said, “How did it go?” and they said, “we won.” SupMoy didn’t say anything but he was definitely thinking,” “All in all, 500 years is a short time, but I never thought that I would get to hear this.”  They continued, “We felt a little bad because the people were asking for another. A lot of people were yelling ‘One more! One more!’ but we didn’t know another one. It took us a long time just to make this one. If they want another one, they are going to have to wait a another six months.” SubMoy asked, “And so what did you do?” “We left the stage quickly and hid ourselves among the compañeros.” That’s what they said and then they went to the dance floor for the Panteones’ ska.

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Dance number: “The Dance of the collective work of Maize.” Choreography by the Zapatista bases of support of the Altos Zone in Chiapas. This is the version that they presented during the selection process. For the presentation on July 29 in Oventik they added a few more things, as those who were there got to see. Maybe in the compa media they have a video of July 29 in Oventik.

...... Poetry: “When the Horizon looks to tomorrow.” Written by a young Zapatista base of support from the Altos Zone in Chiapas. This is the version that he presented in the selection process. When he presented it, he was told that there would be a lot of people there, but not to get nervous. “Keep your eyes on your notebook and don’t look up,” they recommended. He said that he wasn’t scared but he was confused about one thing. “What is it?” they asked him. He said, “I don’t know if you are supposed to say ‘poem’ or ‘poetry’. And so we ask you for a reply to his question.

BC: Secwepemc Blockade Mount Polley Mine Site

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Update: Land defender injured by Imperial Metals employee at blockade

http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2016/08/mount-polley-blockade-land-defender.html

Thank you Tori Cress for sharing photos of today!

August 4, 2016: BREAKING: SECWEPEMC BLOCKADE MOUNT POLLEY MINE SITE

Contact: Kanahus Freedom (Manuel)

kanahusmanuel@gmail.com

Censored News

Secwepemc land defenders and allies have set up a road blockade at Imperial Metals’ Mount Polley mine on the two year anniversary of the devastating tailings pond spill. Kanahus Freedom (Manuel), a member of the Secwepemc Women's Warrior Society says that the community is exercising its sovereignty and taking direct action, as the government of British Columbia recently issued a new operating permit to the mine.

“The province has no jurisdiction to be issuing permits to companies illegally operating on our Sovereign Territories without the free, prior, informed consent of the Secwepemc Tribal Peoples.”

Imperial Metals and the BC government claim to have the support of the Secwepemc, but in reality rely on select political figures and elected officials that do not represent the interests of the Secwepemc people or constitute their traditional sovereignty. “The DIA chiefs of the Soda Creek and Williams Lake Indian Bands have no jurisdiction or authority to support the re-opening of the Mount Polley mine,” states April Thomas, Secwepemculecw Grassroots Movement, who lobbied and presented to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) this past April regarding human and indigenous rights abuses on Secwepemc territory at the hands of government and industry.

The August 4, 2014, Mount Polley spill has been described as the the largest environmental disaster in British Columbia's history. It occurred when the mine's tailings pond dam gave way and unleashed 10 million cubic metres of contaminated water and 4.5 million cubic metres of metals-laden silt into Hazeltine Creek, Polley Lake and Quesnel Lake on the way to the Fraser River Watershed.

Despite government and industry promises at the time of the spill, very little in the way of site remediation has been done to clean up the toxic spill. A May 2016 report from the BC Auditor General Carol Bellringer found that the "monitoring and inspections of mines were inadequate to ensure mine operators complied with requirements.”

“As long as Imperial Metals and the government that backs them continue to devastate our lands with no accountability, we will take whatever action necessary to defend our lands. There will be an escalation in resistance, solidarity and pressure against their corporate interests. Today’s blockade is just the beginning.”

The Mount Polley blockade is part of a Resistance Gathering, a series of events taking place at the site that are commemorating the anniversary of the spill. The action and gathering has the support of a wide range of organizations and individuals, including non-Indigenous organizations like No One is Illegal and many local residents who have been alarmed by the environmental devastation--in many cases driven from their homes by the spill.

More photos at:

http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2016/08/bc-secwepemc-blockade-mount-polley-mine.html