What’s Thanksgiving all about Really?

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Thanksgiving

This past Thursday, I spent quite a lot of time reading about the history of the Thanksgiving holiday. It’s been a topic for a while now.  And having more and more interaction with the Indigenous friends in our lives makes this kind of contemplation ever more prevalent.

I think it started with a call to some friends, a couple we know – one Indigenous and one non-Indigenous, about a family matter.  After discussing the situation, I ended up asking what their Thanksgiving plans were.  There was hesitation.  Then one said they were working.  And I got this kind of uncomfortable feeling like I’d committed a social faux pas as I hung up the phone.  I texted an Anishanaabe Elder I know for an opinion.  I know their opinion isn’t the be all end all.  I know there are a WIDE variety of opinions and beliefs but I trusted this person to know my heart and give me thoughtful input about the situation.  They assured me that they are not usually offended by someone asking of their Thanksgiving Day plans as they get what people mean by asking.  Personally, they just answer “honestly and briefly…  No political debate necessary”.  If it becomes a big deal, they suggested, perhaps these folks just don’t want to be friends.  Well, I will definitely talk this through with my friends when I see them again in person and hopefully their input will again give me more food for thought.

I do agree with my Elder friend that this is typically just a day to join with others, have a meal, and be thankful for the harvest.  And I think more than ever these days, it’s just a mindless part of our culture – yes, a predominantly white colonizer culture (is mindless a necessary descriptor or inherent in this one?)  It’s very complex.  For most in the Unites States I would guess it’s just “what we do every year”.  We have turkey and dressing, cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes.  It’s maybe that one time a year yams get any attention for many.

Then I noticed much more posting this year on FB about the downside of this holiday, the horror of it.  And so I began to think about it a bit more.  I began reading.  And I started considering the thoughtlessness and materialism of it all as I became more informed.

It’s largely a capitalist dream come true for turkey sellers, cranberry growers, grocery stores, airlines, and Big Oil as the biggest travel day of the year.  Everyone makes plans to begin the “holiday season” (though I guess some consider Halloween the start of the season now…) with visits and overeating and football.  Oh, yeah, the NFL.  Oh, and I guess basketball too.  Eat and watch TV.  This is pretty much the holiday for many.  And if you really think about it, it’s kind of a mindless mess.  And it’s very typical of what has been United States mainstream culture for most of my life.

Our holiday was not exactly typical: nuclear family sitting down for a meal that took all day to prepare with multiple layers of appetizers, drinks, meal, dessert, coffee, sandwiches later, more dessert, more drinks.  But it wasn’t too far from typical.  Mom and I prepared some simple food.  Dan and I brought a pork roast from a pig friends of ours raised that we cooked overnight in the crock pot (and which turned out pretty amazing if I do say so myself).  Mom baked a cherry pie and I made pumpkin custard (though I forgot my own organic pumpkin prepared last fall and frozen so had to get some canned organic pumpkin puree while we were in Duluth just prior to being at Mom’s).  She found a GF corn soufflé recipe and made it and we boiled some potatoes for mashing.   We took the juice from the roast and made a quick corn starch gravy and I baked some new GF rolls I’ve been trying to perfect.  This was the third attempt and they were once again good… but AGAIN the yeast failed me – they were not light and fluffy.  They were, once again, more biscuits than rolls.  But they were tasty.  All in all, we put in a couple hours on preparation but we were not harried, we were relaxed.  It was not super complex, it was a pretty simple meal.  And we invited over a friend who lives alone to join us.  We called the boy in Colorado and chatted with him and his partner.  We spent much more time and attention on their cat, Jax, than psychologists would likely say is healthy.  After dinner, we did a brief round of saying what we’re thankful for and I felt like we’d put at least some thought into it.  Could it have been much more thoughtful? Yes.  And perhaps next year we will have a better plan as this seems for me to be a year of learning.

While we were at Mom’s, MSNBC had a brief story about Lincoln’s declaration of the Thanksgiving holiday back in 1863. Dan informed me that Lincoln made his declaration for a day of thanksgiving just after the battle of Chickamouga, one of the bloodiest losses of the Civil War with 34,624 casualties.  However, Lincoln’s proclamation said nothing of pilgrims or Indians or turkeys for that matter.  It was a imploring that God heal the “wounds of the nation” and restore a “full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and union.”

Washington issued a similar proclamation 74 years earlier to the day on 10-3-1789.  While his did not create a national holiday, it too had nothing to do with pilgrims, Indians, or turkey.  Again, it was in deference to “Almighty God” and requested our humble thanks for “his Providence in the courfe and conclufion of the late war” (Revolutionary) among other things.  [I’m not sure if there just weren’t enough “s” type pieces or if the “f” and “s” pieces were somehow in proximity and thus often interchanged during typesetting.]

And now there is evidence that the “first” Thanksgiving may have happened in St Augustine, Florida!  (1565)  [But, of course, this is Fox News so there is little evidence or fact offered in the story… ] The Catholics had more on it along with a second “Thanksgiving” held April 30^, 1598 in Texas!  This Texas Almanac link was full of details on this and closes with enough examples of claims to the holiday to prove there are too many claims to the beginnings of “Thanksgiving” to give an exhaustive list.

In reality, any discussions of the “first Thanksgiving” are wrong regardless as peoples of all kinds have for centuries practiced feasts of “thanksgiving”.  Even though it began officially in the U.S. as the last Thursday in November under Lincoln, Roosevelt moved it to the earlier fourth Thursday in 1939, prompted by requests from the National Retail Dry Goods Association because the later date only allowed 20 shopping days for Christmas!  [Told you it was a capitalist dream come true!]  Roosevelt had declined their request in 1933 as he thought it would create confusion and he proved this was the case in 1939 when he granted it and only 23 states joined him in the move while 23 states stayed with the original last Thursday. Texas and Colorado apparently celebrated both days…   Confusion continued in 1940 and, in 1941 Roosevelt made it official with a national law declaring the fourth Thursday as Thanksgiving Day. Texas held out until 1957 in adhering to the new national law by finally changing their state law to match.

After quite a bit of time reading about the history and the mythology, I found many good links for further edification.   Rebecca Beatrice Brooks gave a shorter historical review of what many think of as the “first Thanksgiving”  in her History of Massachusetts Blog.   A longer and more complex explanation, with detailed journal entries, was given by Karen Felte in 2001.

For most Americans, the main idea of Thanksgiving’s beginnings lie in the mythology of a struggling colonial population learning skills from their Native friends , which culminated in a celebration in 1621 of a great “thanksgiving” feast after the harvest.

The details are a bit trickier when you dig into it.  The colonists did struggle after arriving in 1607 at Jamestown because of severe drought and cold winters.   Their arrival coincided with a seven-year drought (1606–1612), the driest stretch in 770 years.   The subsequent pressure by the English on the Natives for help led to conflict and eventually a siege of their fort by Powhatan, the main chief of many local Natives, in 1609 that resulted in something I don’t recall learning about, the Starving Time.  This only ended when reinforcements brought advantage back to the English and allowed the capture of Powhatan’s daughter – someone you might have heard of… Pocahontas – who was used as leverage to negotiate a peace.  After all this, I find it hard to believe there could ever have been a “peaceful celebration feast between pilgrims and Indians” less than ten years later.

There is also belief that the true meaning of Thanksgiving is a result of the Mystic Massacre of 1637.  Part of the Pequot Wars, this May 23^rd attack occurred during the Native’s own Green Corn Festival.  The two exits to the Pequot Fort were set afire by forces commanded by Captains John Mason and John Underhill after an initial rush into Fort Mystic was found to be overwhelming.  In this burning, the colonists killed hundreds, most of the village, including many women, elderly, and children.  Anyone who attempted escape was killed by the English forces or the Narragansett and Mohegan allies that backed them.  Following the attack, the Governor John Winthrop of Massachusetts Bay Colony declared a “day of thanksgiving”.

“The 12th of the 8th m. was ordered to bee kept a day of publicke thanksgiving to God for his great m’cies in subdewing the Pecoits, bringing the soldiers in safety, the successe of the conference, & good news from Germany.”  ~ Nathaniel Shurtleff, ed. Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England, Vol I. Boston, 1853. p.204

As with any portion of history, there are many sides to the story and many perspectives of belief.   Yes, some were grateful for the Fort Mystic Massacre.  But others expressed regret for the injustice. Just like the German Holocaust, some Germans failed to evade the brainwashing of the Nazis while others, namely the White Rose Society members, stood strongly against them throughout.  Even today we cannot find common ground on killings.  And while some in the long ago past may have celebrated a massacre of the Pequot with a day of “publicke thanksgiving to God for his great m’cies in subdewing the Pecoits”, I would hope to believe that few if anyone today is celebrating Thanksgiving with the massacre of Indians in mind.

“While few would suggest that Thanksgiving should become the occasion for a yearly guilt trip, we would do well to remember the price the first Americans paid for European expansion into their territories as we sit around the bountiful table with our family and friends. Only by openly acknowledging the sins of our collective past, is it possible to proceed toward a future that all Americans can feel thankful for.” ~ Richard Schiffman, Huffington Post

In reality, every time we feast, we are truly, consciously or subconsciously, giving thanks.  And this is more in line with an idea expressed in Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer where she discusses The Thanksgiving Address of the Haudenosaunee.   In this video, these people discuss the beauty and power of this practice.  We are dependent on Creator and all of Creation for our continued survival.  It is thoughtful and respectful to remember this with ongoing thanks-giving.  To remember that we are all connected to Mother Earth and all her residents.

I have friends who offer tobacco (aka kinikinik) daily.  Not growing up in a religious household or one that followed any daily rituals, this is somewhat foreign to me.  Though I have incorporated some forms of ritual that I’ve gathered over the years as part of my own practices, I’m quite inconsistent with anything.  I have quite an eclectic mix of practices but I am more of an as-it-comes-to-mind-in-my-daily-endeavors kind of practitioner rather than one who prays before each meal or as a morning routine.  But I kind of live in a constant state of gratitude as best I can.  It’s difficult in these trying times to hold to gratitude but I do my best.

From this year’s coverage, I thought these stories were interesting:

Sioux Chef Sean Sherman shares his perspective with Carol Hills of PRI’s The World.

After years of racism and sexist news out of NC, this story highlights a controversy regarding teaching of Thanksgiving in schools that occurred in North Carolina’s Wake County public schools district after a tweet by Lauryn Mascareñaz of the district’s Office of Equity Affairs.   IMO, this article appropriately references this excerpt:

“More than a century later, the U.S. still wrestles with challenges of diversity, and we’re still tempted to distort the “first Thanksgiving” into one of two equally present-minded morality tales: the heart-warming multicultural celebration or the cruel reminder of European colonialism. Both tell us more about current perspectives than historical realities. If such caricatures are really our best options, historical truth would be better served by deleting Thanksgiving from the curriculum entirely.” ~   NY Times opinion by Robert Tracy McKenzie

I believe what’s important to remember is that there are many ideas and memories around this holiday.  Some are happy and inclusive and compassionate and some are horrible and cruel and brutal.  I believe they are all a part of the history of where we are today and can be thoughtfully incorporated into perhaps a new day in the future where we heal the hurts of the past and celebrate our communal bounty.  But first we must find a way to come together to determine what wounds need healing and how we can best go about doing that.  And likely first we need to find a way to find common ground together as we strive to forge a more loving and compassionate world.  We have a long way to go… but we can take a first step.

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Water Work Continues

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Enbridge, Line 3, MN PUC, MN350, Pipeline, StopLine3

The latest Minnesota Public Utilities Commission meeting was another disappointment.  But the expectation level for them is so low now that it wasn’t that far of a fall.  Expecting to hear from the Intervening Parties and from all parties on the technical merits and shortcomings, I expected a full day potentially going into Tuesday.  But no.  The PUC adjourned the meeting at 2 hours 8 minutes.

From the outset, Chairwoman Lange made clear that there would be no opening statements taken today.  “Questions will happen and parties will come to mic to answer.”  Later in the day, Senator John Marty read, to a group of Water Protectors gathered at the Senate Building, the statement he’d prepared to read to the PUC today.  They’d previously allowed State Representatives give statements in the proceedings but perhaps that’s only if you’re a pro-pipeine member…  They told him today that “this was not the beginning of a meeting but the continuation of a past one…”

The PUCowards asked no questions and had little comment on the first two items on the agenda.

1. What action should the Commission take on the Enbridge Motion to Strike Filings?
2. Should the Commission reconsider its September 5, 2018 Order Granting Certificate of Need as Modified and Requiring Filings?

In the motion to strike fillings, Lipschultz moved to deny admission of reconsiderations as they were late.  Motion Carried 5-0  9:35 AM  The timely motions for reconsideration were denied with a motion, again from Lipschultz, to deny reconsideration. Chairwoman Lange noted Reconsideration is a time to see if there were any errors by law or reason or judgment – none of these conditions exist, no new ideas to consider except DOC’s idea that they can’t consider current line which does not make sense.  Carried 5-0  9:41 AM

This decision was followed by about a minute of LOUD Protest in the room.  “Scientists have spoken – 12 years to resolve.” and multiple rounds of “Line 3 is an immediate climate disaster – we will stop Line 3.”  Order was restored by 9:42 AM

The next agenda item was…

3. What action should the Commission take on the Honor the Earth Motion to Disclose Insurance Exclusion Clauses?

Chairwoman Lange asked for any questions.  NONE!!  WTF!  Sieben moved to deny HTE as the information was not justified to be released to the public.  Tuma seconded.  Lipschultz noted that the parties had access to this information; he supports the motion too.  Carried 5-0  9:44 AM  [I’m thinking, “This could be done by 10 AM!!]

4. What action should the Commission take concerning the certificate of need modifications compliance filing filed by Enbridge on July 16, 2018, pursuant to the Commission’s June 28, 2018 oral directives on certificate of need modifications?  Specifically, regarding these five items: Parental Guarantee, Landowner Choice, Decommissioning Trust, Neutral Footprint Program/Tree for Tree Replacement, and Enbridge Liability Insurance.

There were gory details for all of these issues as this was the ONLY portion of the day when Commissioners asked questions.  This item accounted for 88% of the meeting time. But nothing really meaningful resulted…

Election Results Final Yet?

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Big Oil, Chris Eaton MN SD 40, Jim Carlson MN SD 51, John Marty MN SD 66, Juliana v. United States, Keystone XL, MN PUC, MN Senator, Patricia Torres-Ray MN SD 63

While I was not happy with some of the highlighted elections that could have gone more progressive, this year’s midterms were not as disappointing as they could have been.  It would have been nice to have Gillum, O’Roarke, and Abrahms elected, it’s kind of nice to think about them possibly being available for the next Democratic Presidential run… However, the midterms were bad enough with the many corporate candidates, especially here in Minnesota.  The only good thing on our ballot was Ellison who might give us a chance at defeating Enbridge.  Walz has given no indication to date that he will be any help.  But we can continue to pressure him and give him reason to change his tune.  You can click here to give him your input.  The Transition Team is awaiting our voices.   Please Speak Up!  Perhaps Dayton will do something prior to leaving office.  That would be exciting.  But I’m not holding my breath…  The PUC had another hearing starting today on the Line 3 issue.  I was not expecting it to be such a railroaded process but in just over two hours, they made all their needed decisions and adjourned.  They continue to act as Enbrige Lap Dogs, to show they have no respect for Treaty Rights, to give no consideration to the Climate Catastrophe they are resigning this state to endure.  There will be more on this next week because I want us to continue to comprehend how the PUC is letting down the people of Minnesota.  But for today I will focus on election results and why we need to maintain hope.

With many positives happening in the courts favoring fossil fuel opposition you’d hope that we’d see government entities beginning to ditch Big Oil too.  Keystone XL was recently stopped, and Juliana v. United States should soon be moving forward again… or maybe not.  But hey, did I mention Keystone XL was stopped?!?  Globally the Dutch courts are holding their government to account, and there are similar cases in the US, Belgium, Norway and Ireland.  But then, there’s also three dudes in Delaware who want to challenge climate change regulations because their electricity bills will increase…

Big Oil Money seemed to still be powerful in the midterms, defeating opponents in both of their highly financed campaigns against Washington Initiative 1631 (which would have implemented a fee on carbon emissions) and Proposition 112 in Colorado (which would impose a 2500′ minimum from buildings and vulnerable areas for new gas and oil developments – instead leaving in place restrictions specifying that wells must be 1,000 feet from high-occupancy buildings such as schools and hospitals, 500 feet from occupied buildings such as homes, and 350 feet from outdoor areas like playgrounds…  Sorry, kids!) They also killed Ballot Measure 1 with 12:1 spending though I’m not sure that oil and gas state Alaska would have found protections for salmon – there’s just more money in oil than fish… for now.

Have I mentioned I don’t think enough people are contemplating how long we will be able to grow food for ourselves? Maybe you read last week’s blog which started a bit on our growing food concerns.  I mean, what about a recurrence of the Great Drought?  See South Africa, India, lots of other places where we are seeing ground water shortages already.  Park Rapids just had to re-dig a well to support the city due to agricultural damage.  Or what about how fast we’ve killed off all other mammals? 60% since 1970??  And that’s not to mention insects…  Wonder how we’ll all feel about our special paint brushes we carry everywhere once our pollinators are decimated.

“God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches, and a thousand tempests and floods. But he cannot save them from fools.” ~ John Muir (1838-1914), Father of the National Parks

Activists like Muir who went ahead of us, gives me hope that we may win some upcoming battles.  A recent letter from MN Senator John Marty (DFL Senate District 66) to the PUC made excellent points and I include it here.

 

More on John Marty and his three fellow DFL Senators (Jim Carlson – SD 51, Chris Eaton -SD 40, and Patricia Torres-Ray – SD 63) who are supporting the StopLine3 movement in next week’s blog…

And what was the GOOD NEWS from the midterms?

Nevada did pass Question 6 regarding a 50 percent renewable energy mandate on state utilities by 2030.  And Amendment 9 in Florida passed banning offshore oil and natural gas drilling (but it’s not clear if that was due more to people who are annoyed by vaping, rather than those concerned with climate change, as these two unrelated ideas were slammed together in this Amendment).

And there is lots more happening.  Here are the cases to watch as we close out 2018.

Try not to lose hope.  And PLEASE DO ANYTHING YOU CAN.  Write to Governor Dayton.  Call your Senators and Representatives.  Talk with your neighbors.  Here is what I sent Governor-Elect Tim Walz today:

Many of the people I know and love met today with your Transition Team. I am hopeful that you will heed their advice and do everything you can to Stop Line 3. There is nothing more than MN can do as a state to mitigate the current Climate Catastrophe than to Stop Line 3. It is the equivalent to stopping 50 coal burning power plants. It will help us preserve the pristine waters of our North Woods and honor the Treaty Rights we agreed to uphold (I’m hopeful that you need no reminder that this is the highest law of the land), not to mention prevent the loss of thousands of tourism jobs that will be affected by a spill. Never forget. ALL PIPELINES LEAK.
There is much in the record of the Line 3 PUC Hearings: Intervenor Testimony, Public Commentary, Expert Evidence. But you can look no further than the latest news to see evidence of the Climate Crisis on our planet.
As a Native Nebraskan, you likely understand better than others the water crisis fast approaching. Nebraska is doing much to mitigate that aspect of our Climate Crisis. Protecting our Water means protecting our Farmers, the source of our local food. As a member of the National Guard, perhaps you were privy to the planning being done in our Military to assure needed resources for National Security. You may well know of the work being done on renewables as we siphon out the last of the dinosaur blood in the rocks below us. As an educator and father, you know the importance of our children. Hope and Gus are counting on you to protect this planet, not only for them, but for their children… and theirs. If only so you can proudly look them in the eye, do what is right for our planet, our country, and our state… our water, our land, our wildlife… our Indigenous and our loved ones.
Thank you for your consideration.

I know I can look myself in the eye when I look in the mirror.  I know my son is proud of the work his dad and I are doing.  My momma is proud too.  Take a moment today and do one thing to help in some way to keep our planet livable.  And then do it again tomorrow.

We are our best hope.

Book Review: This Blessed Earth by Ted Genoways

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books

I recently joined the Non-Fiction Book Club of Alexandria, Minnesota in reading This Blessed Earth: A Year in the Life of an American Family Farm.  This is a beautifully written and very informative book on the history of agriculture in the United States.  And it includes stories from the Hammonds, a Nebraska farming family that grows crops and runs cattle.  I highly recommend it.  I only wish I could have had internet to be able to join the club for their meeting to discuss this work as I’m sure it would have informed this blog…

The writing is a mix of investigative reporting and chronicle of life for Rick and Heidi as well as their daughter Meghan and her husband Kyle, the next generation in this farm family.  I learned about moisture levels and pricing, irrigation and Roundup, community and the importance of family.  But first?  Soybeans.  A timely subject matter.

The book begins with the tale of how soybeans became “the most successful crop introduced to the American farm in the last century.”  Going from less than a million acres in 1920 to over 85 million acres today, you might be surprised to learn that Henry Ford played the biggest role in this transition.  His vision of a decentralized production plant was revolutionary, as was his use of soybeans for everything from lubricants to raw materials for gear shift knobs. If it hadn’t been for the discovery of the oil reserves in Saudi Arabia in 1938, the soybean might have held prominence for decades.  Genoways gives a detailed history of how Archer Daniels Midland and Cargill (Monsanto came later) became who they are in large part due to the bean.  The government too had much to do with the way things developed.  But the farmer’s own work ethic and willingness to buy into the “bigger is better” mentality may have been the biggest factors in their own demise over time as family farms were replaced by giant corporate farms.

The story is not just crops but also cattle. The coverage of the pros and cons of branding is eye-opening but particularly interesting is that on implants.  If a producer is NI, no implants, it means that their cattle do not have implanted growth stimulant pellets.  These cattle often fetch a slightly higher price at auction.  However, these cattle may very well end up being injected with hormones at the feedlot – where they will have a big reaction to them – thus making them just like all the other cattle in the lot which have been raised with hormones all along.

The history of how Centennial Hill became this family’s farm is an interesting one and likely similar to that of many family farms that grew out of the Homestead Act. Thomas Barber (Heidi’s great-great-grandfather) came from Suffolk, England and, through hard work and saving (along with bad environmental luck of those already settled in Nebraska), he was able to secure a piece of land in 1874.  Though he ended up losing the farm, it was reacquired later through extraordinary means. As Genoways tells the stories of land ownership changes, he notes, “it is a kind of geography of the gone… all the people and families that disappeared off the land, leaving only their names, like tombstones, as a record of the generations spent there.”

Also interwoven is the story of Meghan’s high school sweetheart who was killed in Iraq, re-iterating the importance of community.  And the brief explanations of the family’s opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline, shows how quickly that community support can fade.

Rick knew from natural gas lines in his Curtis, Nebraska farm how pipelines ruin the land so when the TransCanada land agent assured the community that he would give them a fair deal, Rick was doubtful.  He researched tar sands and the summer of 2010 brought the massive failure of Enbridge’s tar sands pipeline in Marshall, Michigan, making the dangers even more clear.  He was angry.  And afraid.

Along with TransCanada’s talk of fairness were threats of land seizures if landowners dared resist.  In the end, after being threatened twice with eminent domain, Rick signed the easement, regretting it immediately.  He felt he could not win against their lawyers.  All he had was a gut feeling that what they were doing was illegal.  In the end, TransCanada moved the pipeline route.  But they refused to give back the easement Rick had signed over to them. And repercussions didn’t end there.  The new route was even worse for his family’s farm business and, when they worked to resist the pipeline, their neighbors to the south withdrew from the contract that had allowed the Hammonds to farm the land.

This Blessed Earth gives as in-depth presentation on the development and controls around seed corn, including the geopolitical ramifications.  Genoway’s discussion on the development and health hazards of farm chemicals is disturbing, as is the sad state of where we are now agriculturally.  There are no easy answers.

There is a thorough discussion of irrigation, including the history of the author’s own family in this arena. The water shortages faced by families like the Hammonds should be of concern for every American, or at least those of us who don’t grow all our own food.  The fact that we irrigate much of our farmland is obvious from the crop circles you can see as you fly across America.  Each bright green circle represents an irrigation system that pivots around a center point, bringing growth.  But many of us do not comprehend the entire system.  Aquifer data is scary as we use more and more water for cattle and crops.  And little heed seems to be given to those crying, “Conserve!”

Ted notes a 2015 US Geological Survey study that reported on aquifer levels compared to the two decades previous which found alarming decreases of 64% across all wells.  Some areas were harder hit than others.  Southwestern Kansas, after 70 years of tapping the aquifer, showed water at 25% of the original level and in the southern High Plains of Texas some farmers had no water at all.  Without serious conservation efforts, the Hammond family reports, there will not be enough rain to grow crops like we have been.

Again, Genoways delves into a historical review of water usage in agriculture, including the discovery of the Ogallala aquifer.  Depending on where a farm is in relation to the aquifer determines availability of water and how fast the source recharges.  In places where the water does not recharge, the water is referred to as “fossil water”… like oil, a nonrenewable and finite resource.  And while we don’t think of it, just having the water in the aquifer is not the only need.  If we want to use it for growing, we need to have a way to bring it to the surface.

The Great Cattle Bust of the mid-twentieth century should have been a sign.  But as with most history, it is not always widely shared and, oftener than not, quickly forgotten.  Some though, including David Eigenberg of the Upper Big Blue Natural Resource District (NRD), are working to try to educate farmers on the importance of conservation.  In Nebraska they use a system of “reasonable use” as opposed to Texas’ method of “rule of capture”.  Reasonable use ensures oversight by locally elected boards while rule of capture allows each farmer to use what they can tap from their property – which can be very much based in luck of the draw and often leads to competitive overuse.  In 2012, a study comparing an NRD managed field (using soil-moisture monitors) with one managed by a farmer applying water to his own judgment found similar crop yields with the NRD field using only a third of the water used by the farmer.

As climate change effects continue to develop, we could be facing catastrophe.  A 2013 study by Don Wilhite (founding director of both the International Drought Mitigation Center and the International Drought Information Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln) foresaw an increase of as much as 9 degrees in Nebraska temperatures in less than a few years.  Temps will regularly exceed 100°F by 2060 and the water available will not be capable of supporting demand at those temperatures.

And worse yet, we’ve been fooling ourselves to a degree by pumping up cold water from the aquifer, thus reducing temps and increasing humidity.  By masking the effects of climate change, we’ve doomed ourselves to a more sudden wake up once we are past the current mitigation capabilities.

Another key example is the Texas Water Report of May 2015 which showed the drop in water level for their aquifer fell 300 feet since the 1940s but a third of that happened between 2001 & 2011.  California too has been known to pump their water until it is gone.  The cautionary tales are being ignored in large part.

Even the saying “knee high by the 4^th of July” seems dead in this era of chest or even head high by July hybrids… another illusion of technology that blinds us to the coming hardships caused by climate change.  As water supplies diminish, farmers continue to think only as far ahead as next season rather than further down the road. And with the enormous debt in land and machinery that farming entails, that can be catastrophic when the bills come due.  Especially now.  With all the farms that foreclosed in the Farm Crisis of the late 1980s, each farm that dies today carries the weight that four did back then.

How do we fix this?  Genoways writes: “To address the problem adequately, we may need to rethink what kind of food we grow where, and how much agriculture is feasible in certain landscapes.”  And current trends do not look good.  Rick Hammond, in 2014, warned of big trouble if record harvests continued for two more years… and that is exactly what happened.  Excess production drives pricing down,  As pricing on livestock fell as well, there was no capitalizing on the low grain prices.  Farmers are holding tight at present – no new equipment, no new trucks, no visits to town for dinner and a movie.  And this not only affects the rural economy but our economy as a whole.

Perhaps the most damning lines in the book ~ and possibly the most sadly ironic for farmers that voted in force for “Trump and his protectionist, antiglobalist policies” ~ are on the last page.

“Now Trump is threatening to cancel manufacturing trade deals with China, and China is responding by threatening to cancel its purchases of American grains.  If such a thing were ever to happen, it would make the Farm Crisis seem like a minor economic ripple.” This Blessed Earth, p. 221

Sorry, soybean farmers.  The future may be more dire than the next year looks to you right now.  And sadly, it’s likely you aren’t looking any farther ahead than that.

MN Neighbors Protecting MN Waters

Tags

Justice, Line 3, local, Pipeline, Sierra Club

As some of you knew, I participated in a direct action  in downtown Bemidji on August 29 this past summer.  We blocked an intersection for several hours and ended up being cited for disorderly conduct after refusing to disperse.  The event was only the third civil disobedience direct action that Sierra Club has supported in its 120+ year history.  The  first two civil disobedience actions were in Washington, D.C., one in opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline and a second regarding voting rights.  This third action was requested by local SC Ex Comm member, Marty Cobenais, and, after much deliberation and planning, Sierra Club agreed to support it.  Bemidji would be the first trial of a civil disobedience outside D.C.

One of the main reasons we got a “Yes” from Sierra Club is because of the tremendous strength of the local Line 3 opposition movement.   While most Minnesotans may have heard of Enbridge’s Line 3 Replacement project, via articles in the news or coverage on FB, it still amazes me how little many know about this project and the devastating effects it would have on our state, our people, our environment, and our wildlife.   In this area, there are many of us who have been protecting the water for some time and watching closely as this Enbridge proposal processes through our legal and political systems.  The sad part is how many of our neighbors we know would oppose it if the facts about this line were clearly presented.  And the most difficult thing for me of late is how few have answered the call for support in light of the grave danger this line poses, not just for Minnesota, but for the entire planet.  I don’t know if Governor Dayton will realize the enormity of the problem if there are only a couple dozen of us holding signs and banners telling him to stop the project.

• Did you know that the Alberta Tar Sands are the largest source of air pollution in North America?
• Did you know that Enbridge’s preferred route will require their new Line 3 pipeline to cross under the Mississippi not once, but twice?
• Did you know their corridor easement for this new pipeline is not 50-70’ as for most new pipelines, but 220’?  [This is because it’s not just planned as a “replacement” pipeline but is in fact where they plan to move all their pipelines once the leases run out on their pipelines running through Reservation lands.]

So on August 29^th, about 100 people joined forces to chant and speak and hold an intersection while we livestreamed into Governor Dayton’s office asking him to stop this Tar Sands pipeline project.  Loren Blackburn, President of Sierra Club wrote a nice piece after participating in this event.

There were people in the Governor’s office, assuring the live stream was being seen.  There were people holding signs and banners around the intersection in Bemidji.  There were police liaisons and marshalls and support people assuring that we could hold the intersection with our presence.  And there were 26 of us who ended up being cited and had to appear in court to plead our case last Friday.

The FB Event MN Neighbors Protecting MN Waters was meant to bring out supporters for the Resistance to Line 3.  This 11/2 event consisted of an update on where we are in the fight to Stop Line 3, lunch and socializing, a press conference on why we took direct action, and our first appearance in court defending ourselves on the charges from 8/29/18.  Optimist I am, I hoped for a couple hundred people standing alongside us showing Governor Dayton that we have big numbers supporting the StopLine3 effort.  I was very happy for those who did come out, even if it was less than 10% of my anticipated presence.

We had local friends Ron and Dawn Sjostrand.  Even though she has difficulty leaving the house for long these days, he pushed her in a wheelchair all the way to the courthouse!  And they both were on stage behind our press conference speakers as they expressed why they’d done the direct action.  Nerd got there after we finished court but we were excited to have her join us for the celebration at Rail River Folk School.  Sharon from Bemidji, Sarah and Finn, family members, and a handful of others cheered us on as we headed to court.  We even got some cars honking support as we walked with our banners and signs.

At the press conference, Margaret Levin, Sierra Club North Star Chapter Director, gave the welcome and reviewed the goals we had in taking our direct action: highlighting risks; calling on Governor Dayton to act; assuring the stories of what motivated us are heard.   She introduced Dawn Goodwin, Anishinaabe from White Earth and expert witness at the PUC hearings on Line 3, who was granted permission to speak on behalf of her people.  She explained how the Treaty Rights were not given to the Indigenous by the colonists, they were allowed by the Natives to the settlers.  In order for these rights to be honored  we must assure clean water and a healthy ecosystem.  She explained the serious danger the Tar Sands would bring.  Akilah Sanders-Reed, Youth Climate Intervenor, was the next speaker.  She focused on how the system failed them as they presented data, scientific experts, elders, and more but were simply dismissed by the Public Utility Commissioners.  The PUC failed the public but young people will not abide this failure.  They are taking the PUC to court!

My fried, Doug Rasch of Horsehill Gardens in Clearbrook explained the diversity of our group.  While claims were made by politicians that the protesters were out of state elements and Natives, he confirmed that there were 2 of 26 from out of state (I believe one of them was a Native Minnesotan), 12 were from the Cities, and 12 were local.  Of our group, only 8 were Native.  And then he explained how a pipeline is built.  Specifically the process of clearing the land to be able to dig a pipeline.  He explained how Enbridge’s easement of 220’ is far in excess of what was needed to run another pipeline 10 years ago in this area.  In wetlands, all the brush is stripped from the surface and ground into the dirt to freeze the ground hard.  All the Black Ash, all the White Ash, all the Willows, all the Red-stemmed Dogwoods, all the Cattails.  And for all the wildlife in the area, the frogs, the turtles, all the wildlife, this terminates their hibernation.  In the uplands, forests of Spruce, Balsam Fir, Sugar Maples, and Basswood are ground to nothing as Enbridge prepares to install their pipeline.  Doug explained how the way people feed themselves, how they earn and spend money, and how they obtain energy has resulted in the loss of 60% of our wildlife.  And he stressed that all Enbridge can say about their pipeline is that it is “safe” and they have to say this because it’s implicitly dangerous.  Scott Russell, Co-Chair, Beyond Oil and Tar Sands Committee, Sierra Club North Star Chapter shared about how we have played by the PUC rules and have been disappointed.  Enbridge could not prove a need for Line 3 but the PUC ignored the Department of Commerce.  Science experts were ignored by the PUC in making their decisions.  They ignored the Administrative Law Judge and Treaty Law and Indigenous Rights.  He stands today with his MN Neighbors standing together against a PUC decision that ignored our input to the process.  [You should check out his blog Healing Minnesota Stories…]  And Tom Schmidt, Bemidji area Interfaith Minister, wrapped us up with a message on how Faith Looks Forward.  He spoke of how Line 3 serves the past and gives no benefit to Minnesota.  Investment in the future that our youth deserve must happen now.  Faith calls us forward to renewables, which are already the second largest form of our energy at 25%.  Climate change requires mitigation and that means we need to keep the fossil fuels in the ground and build an energy infrastructure that supports the future of Minnesotans.

We enjoyed a few more rays of sunshine as we made our way into the courthouse for our appearance.  There was an extremely high population of deputies at the entrance.  We each filed through the metal detector at the entrance, squeezing more people into the entry as we could, and eventually made our way to the courtroom lobby.  When they opened the doors for the 2 o’clock appearances, we filed in and filled the rows.

I was late in the group coming into the courtroom and found most of the first and second rows full.  Andy Pearson was sitting on the open end in row 2 and I went to sit next to him.  As I was sitting, I realized I was sitting next to him as the Valve Turners were acquitted and I said, “Well, the last time I sat by you in court turned out pretty good…”

Judge John Melbye came in and quickly got to work.  He confirmed that Frank Bibeau was representing 17 of our group (we had 22 of 26 present ~ several took a Rule 15 to make a plea without appearance via the attorney.)  He would deal with Frank’s clients first and then the remaining half dozen of us.  I hadn’t resolved to be represented by Bibeau.  In fact, I was still arguing in my head as to whether I was going to plead guilty or not guilty.

You see, the county attorney was currently prosecuting City of Bemidji cases on their behalf, including this one, but the contract for that work will end 12/31/18.  SO… this would push any “not guilty” cases today to the City docket and, with all the other cases that may be coming their way as this contract ends, they could decide to simply dismiss it.  That’s what I wanted to try to accomplish – a dismissal.

So our appearances started with Chelsea DeArmond who plead guilty and made a short statement about being proud to stand in civil disobedience with this group of people today.  The punishment for the charge against her was read by the county prosecutor as, “$150 fine and a 1-month stay of adjudication”.  When Frank asked him to clarify if he’d heard correctly, the prosecutor said, “One year, not one month”.  Frank and the judge both assured him that he had said one “month” and then the judge told him that, in this case, he felt a 6-month stay would be more appropriate.  Whoo-hoo!  It’s getting better already!!  That’s a big reduction in our sentence!  One of my fears with pleading guilty was that I’d have to not support protests for a whole year!  I was really hoping for a not guilty plea resulting in the dismissal by the City, leaving me free of punishment and restriction.

The next defendant was Dawn Goodwin who pleaded not guilty.  She was given a new court date of 1/25/19 – but all I heard was the judge offering 11/30/18 as he thought he would schedule any second appearances 4 weeks out from today… which would kill my strategy in pleading not guilty. I’d still be on the County docket.  So I basically decided at that point that I’d plead guilty.  Even though Doug was sitting right next to me teasing that a real activist response would be to plead not guilty – just to fuck with the system. 🙂

A few more people plead guilty and made statements.  The judge had already acknowledged that what we were doing was civil disobedience and that he appreciated our efforts being respectful and controlled during our day of action.  But after Brian PaStarr gave his statement to the judge for why he’d joined the action that day, the judge asked the room, “Is everybody still here? Is everyone who has been charged today still in the courtroom?” The room assured him we all were still present.  He then agreed that our group was so socially active in our communities that, in lieu of payment for our fines today, he would accept community service hours as payment.  The response from our crowd was appreciative disbelief. This was making a guilty plea look even better.

Once Frank’s clients were completed, Nancy Beaulieu was up.  She too pleaded not guilty and when I heard the judge say her next court date would be 1/25/19, I was like, “I COULD plead not guilty too! There’s still a possibility for dismissal!”  But I was up next so I had to decide quickly.  I struggled with this plea decision until the point at which the judge asked me how I would plead.  I literally said, “I’m not sure how I should plead but think I want to plead guilty.”  And he said (smiling), “Well, you need to be sure.” 🙂 He was really lovely.  He’d just admonished me for nodding in answer to his question on knowing my rights noting that the record can’t hear that kind of answer.  🙂

So I took the deal.  And I did so in part because I really admired this judge for his leniency and his appreciation of us.  I told him I didn’t think I could ever hope for a better day in court.  In fact,  I don’t know that any other group has ever had such a lovely day in court!!

I then read this statement, struggling with tears as I did:

I stood in that intersection to defend the water, the plants, the animals, my grandchildren yet to be born – all those who cannot speak for themselves.

I stood as an act of civil disobedience, an idea which has allowed protection for the weak from the strong and powerful throughout our country’s history from the Boston Tea Party to Women’s Suffrage to Civil Rights.

I knew there would be little risk for public harm as the police knew we were coming.

I knew we were representing tens of thousands of our fellow citizens who wrote in opposition to Line 3.  Anti-Line 3 comments outnumbered pro-pipeline comments 17:1.  The Department of Commerce, Department of Natural Resources, and Pollution Control Agency have all opposed the project.  Yet just last week, the PUC gave approval for the Route Permit, even with conditions around the Certificate of Need not yet being resolved.  It is clear that our system of governance is not working to protect Minnesota’s people and environment.

I watched the PUC hearings as the Youth Climate Intervenors were given patronizing treatment in their very serious pursuit of justice for their generation.  I watched as the Tribes were teased with questions about which route they would prefer and then tortured with a decision by the PUC selecting the absolute worst, Enbridge’s preferred route that would create a new 200’ wide scar, hundreds of miles long, through our state.

It is clear we are running out of time to address climate change.  Our stand in Bemidji was a small piece in the larger puzzle of what we need to do as a society to fight for our very continued existence.  I am hopeful that the court will show mercy in its verdict of my behavior.  It would seem the fair thing, the just thing, in light of all we are facing as a civilization.

I believe it was at this moment that the judge turned to the room and explained that he wanted to thank us for making this such a pleasant day.  He said that the courtroom is not typically a fun place to be.  He deals with divorce and criminals and people who find themselves in hard circumstances.  The only happy days are the Adoption Days.  But this day was really enjoyable for him and he thanked us for making it so.

We wrapped up the last few defendants and the judge prepared to end our day together.  He’d earlier mentioned that they were concerned they would be faced with an angry mob.  So as he closed court for the day, I reminded him to spread the word about who we are.  I’m pretty sure he’ll be sharing about how “Minnesota Nice” we Water Protectors are.  [Especially if all those us who pledged to get a card in the mail to him…]

Our press conference was important for us as participants and I hope it brings recognition to the dangers of a Tar Sands pipeline, the importance of Treaty Rights, the injustice of the PUC process, and the solidarity of this diverse group. However, I believe that the best part of our November 2nd day in that Bemidji courtroom was in our respectful treatment of the officers, the court, the judge, and the process.  We made clear that we are citizens who are standing for our children, our environment, our clean water, our treaties, our faith.  We showed that Water Protectors are good people, kind people, civic minded people.  Thanks much to Ellen Hadley for her Livestreaming of our success that day (and for her coverage of so many of the Water Protector events statewide).

I’m grateful for the judge’s leniency and happy to report that, as of this morning, I already have 2 hours of community service under my belt for entering some tabling data for Bimi’ji 350 from the BSU Pow Wow event (my first!!). Only 15 more hours to go!

My only disappointment for the day was in not having more support.  I try to comfort myself with an understanding that all who were supposed to be there were.  I know a Friday afternoon isn’t great timing.  I’m sure most had better things to do that hang out to watch a press conference or witness to our day in court.  But I have to wonder to myself… if the Governor doesn’t see a large crowd supporting him in opposing Line 3, why would we think he’d have a reason to heed our request to stop it?  If you’d like to tell Governor Dayton you don’t want Line 3, you can do so right here.

And I thank you for your support.