Dine' CARE Earth Day Action -- San Francisco April 21, 2017

Dear friends,

We are one month away from what will be an historic Earth Day Action for Environmental and Climate Justice, Friday, April 21st at 12 noon in front of USEPA Region IX, 75 Hawthorne Street in downtown San Francisco. About 60 groups from urban, rural and Indigenous communities and allies are co-sponsoring, with delegations coming from across California and Arizona!      Following the rally we will march to the Federal Building at the corner of 7th and Mission Streets.

With the Trump regime's escalating attacks on environmental protections, health, civil rights, and justice, April 21st is truly becoming more urgent by the day - as is our movement's need to unite and resist.

That morning at 9 am Greenaction and the California Environmental Justice Coalition will be working with many of you in a community/environmental/climate justice presentation inside the EPA building, with community/ej leaders speaking to a large group of EPA officials and staff. While we can bring about representatives into that briefing, priority will be given to grassroots community/ej groups to represent our diverse movement. ALL COMMUNITY/EJ GROUPS interested in participating in the briefing please let me know asap via email so your voices can be heard by USEPA.

The latest flyer is attached to this email.

NEXT STEPS AND HOW YOU CAN HELP!

* TUESDAY, MARCH 28TH AT 12 NOON.....PLANNING CALL TO DISCUSS THE RALLY AND MORNING BRIEFING TO EPA:
CALL IN NUMBER IS 641-715-0861  passcode 353279#

* invite everyone you know and share the link for the facebook event
https://www.facebook.com/events/242890026154345/

* Funds are needed to provide travel assistance to grassroots groups coming from communities far from San Francisco - this includes Indigenous groups from Arizona and the Mohave Desert/lower Colorado River, and community groups from the Imperial Valley, San Joaquin Valley and elsewhere. Donations for the event can be made through www.greenaction.org but please specify that it is for the April 21st Earth Day Action. Checks can also be made to Greenaction, 559 Ellis Street, San Francisco, CA 94109 and please indicate it is for this action. 

* We have thousands of postcards for the action....they are at Greenaction's office, or we can mail them to you, and/or you can come to this Saturday's California Environmental Justice Coalition northern California strategy conference in SF and pick them up there (and participate in the conference!)  www.cejcoalition.org

* Volunteers are needed for the day of the event to help with logistics and as traffic monitors during the march to the federal building

Thanks,

Bradley Angel

Long Walkers Reach Utah 2017 Photos by Bad Bear

The Longest Walk 5 is now at the Utah border. Thank you to Carl 'Bad Bear' Sampson, Western Shoshone, who is walking across this land one more time. Bad Bear shared his photos with Censored News from the Longest Walk 2, 3 and 4.

Photos copyright Carl 'Bad Bear' Sampson

'Killing Mother Earth with every toxic oil and gas spill' -- Lisa DeVille, Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara

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Killing Mother Earth with Blood Oil

Article by Brenda Norrell

Testimony by Lisa DeVille

Three Affiliated Tribes, Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation

Censored News

FORT BERTHOLD, North Dakota -- Lisa DeVille, Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation, described to the United Nations Rapporteur for Indigenous Peoples Victoria Tauli-Corpuz how the oil and gas industry has devastated the way of her life for her people forever.

DeVille's written testimony to the U.N. details the disastrous outcome of the widespread destruction, most of it initiated by former Chairman Tex Hall, once popular in Indian country. Hall seized his recognition and created widespread oil and gas drilling on his homeland, and widespread devastation for his people. The oil and gas industry Hall created barren, polluted lands and crime-infested man camps endangering women, children and youths.

Tragically, Hall's oil and gas ventures for his personal profit ended in the murders of two his business partners, carried out as murders for hire by a third business partner, James Henrickson, now in prison. Spokane businessman Doug Carlile was murdered in his home, and young KC Clarke was bludgeoned to death in North Dakota.

The tragedy does not end there.

DeVille told the United Nations, "Oil and Gas development has changed our way of life and put our future generations in jeopardy. We have lost our way as Native Americans and replaced our culture with material things. Our instructions were to protect Mother Earth.  We are killing Mother Earth with every toxic oil and gas spill and every hole drilled into her."

"The Bureau of Indian Affairs has been ineffective in protecting tribal land and mineral owners. The confusion of jurisdiction between authority of siting infrastructure between tribe and the BIA’s impede on tribal sovereignty, leaving members of the tribe out of the decision-making process."

Read Lisa DeVille's three statements to the U.N:

February 28, 2017

Ms. Victoria Tauli-Corpuz

United Nations

RE:  United Nations Consultation Fort Berthold (MHA Nation), ND

Dear Ms. Victoria Tauli-Corpuz:

My name is Lisa DeVille.  I am enrolled member of the Three Affiliated Tribes (MHA Nation).  I am going to read an article I wrote when the Modern Day Warriors were being attacked on facebook and by the pipeline babies and their families when they rallied against Sacacagewea Pipeline and other pipelines.

Water Protectors Awaken Global Movement of Pipeline Resistance and Divestment

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ARKANSAS DIAMOND PIPELINE LOCKDOWN MONDAY

Water protector Tyler Hamilton was arrested Monday. Tyler is being held without bail in the Pope County jail in Russellville, Arkansas. Tyler is being charged with 3 misdemeanors and one felony (criminal mischief in the second degree). The arresting officer stated that this class D felony charge is being pursued by the prosecuting attorney as a direct result of time and money lost by Diamond Pipeline.

Water Protectors Inspire New Resistance Camps, Global Divestment in Dakota Access Pipeline

By Brenda Norrell
Censored News

Because of the water protectors who stood on the frontlines and were shot with rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannons in freezing weather, who locked down and went to jail and were abused in jail, the movement is now a rallying point for the world.

Divestment in the banks funding the Dakota Access Pipeline is one of the victories of the water protectors who camped at Standing Rock.

An Indigenous Women's Delegation to Norway was announced today, carrying the voices of the water protectors at Standing Rock to Europe, and urging divestment in Dakota Access Pipeline.

The delegates to Norway include Dr. Sarah Jumping Eagle (Oglala Lakota and Mdewakantonwan Dakota living and working on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation); Wasté Win Young (Ihunktowanna/Hunkpapa of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Former Tribal Historic Preservation Officer); Tara Houska (Anishinaabe, tribal attorney, National Campaigns Director of Honor the Earth, former advisor on Native American affairs to Bernie Sanders); Autumn Chacon (Diné/Navajo writer and performance artist); and Michelle Cook (Diné/Navajo, human rights lawyer and founding member of the Water Protector Legal Collective at Standing Rock) - with the support of Delegate organizer Osprey Orielle Lake (Executive Director of the Women's Earth and Climate Action Network, WECAN) and Tanyette Colon (documentary filmmaker). Read more at Censored News http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2017/03/indigenous-womens-divestment-delegation.html

Now, throughout the United States new camps are fighting other pipelines and water protectors are rising with the same fortitude, dedication and courage to protect the water, rivers, land and sacred places.
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Photo courtesy Arkansas Rising

On Monday, Tyler Hamilton was arrested as he locked down to halt the Diamond pipeline in Arkansas. Water protectors on the border of Texas and Mexico are battling the Trans Pecos pipeline owned by Dakota Access Pipeline, Energy Transfer Partner owner Kelcy Warren.

In Oklahoma, a new camp is rising on Choctaw land. In Iowa, water protectors have created the Little Creek Camp. In Florida, water protectors are battling the Sabal Trail pipeline. New water protector camps are rising as the KXL pipeline from the dirty oil tarsands in Alberta, Canada, again threatens the Ogallala Aquifer and heartland.
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Sicangu Lakota youth Destiny Wilcuts locked down to halt Trans Pecos
pipeline on Texas border during January.

The movement is intensifying as farmers, ranchers and small families are now having their lands seized by eminent domain for private pipelines -- as President Trump pushes the agenda of big oil over people and their land rights.

Indigenous Sami Lead Way for Divestment

Sami with Water Protectors at Standing Rock Camp

"In an act of international solidarity between indigenous peoples, the Sami parliament in Norway has persuaded the country’s second largest pension fund to withdraw its money from companies linked to a controversial oil project backed by Donald Trump," The Guardian in London reports.
After lobbying by the Sami parliament, Norway’s local authority pension fund KLP announced it would sell of shares worth $58m in companies building the pipeline.

Seattle, Davis and Santa Monica withdrawing billions from Wells Fargo
Bloomberg reports Wells Fargo and Company shareholders will vote next month on whether to require the bank to adopt policies to help protect indigenous groups after protesters targeted its role in financing the Dakota Access pipeline.

On Feb. 7, Seattle severed its relationship with Wells Fargo, leading the way for other cities.

The Nation reports, "Now, inspired by the Seattle model, campaigners in cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Bellingham, Raleigh, Albuquerque, and even Berlin, are bringing DAPL divestment to their communities."

"As of late February, officials in two other California cities, Davis and Santa Monica, had also pledged to bail on future banking contracts with Wells Fargo. Davis will be withdrawing its $124 million account from the bank; Santa Monica plans to take its $1 billion elsewhere as well."

More:
The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/mar/17/sami-dakota-access-pipeline-norway-pension-fund-divest
Bloomberg:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-15/wells-fargo-s-dakota-access-financing-prompts-a-shareholder-vote
The Nation:
https://www.thenation.com/article/these-cities-are-divesting-from-the-banks-that-support-the-dakota-access-pipeline/