Major Climate Change Litigation in Bagley, Minnesota?

Tags

activism

I  never would have dreamed that the next time I would see Bill McKibben in person might be Bagley, Minnesota.  Or that there would be potential to meet James Hanson ~ yes, the dude who challenged NASA for suppressing his work on Climate Change ~ in this tiny county seat!  But Bagley, a town of less than 1400 people, may very well become the place where Climate Change Activists make their next major step forward.

I had no idea what I was getting into when Dan and I agreed to attend the hearing for a couple women in Clearwater County.  I actually thought it was two young ladies who had been hanging with Winona LaDuke, one of whom I’d met, so I was anxious to show support.  If I hadn’t been so busy, I might have actually read the event, Googled the names, and realized how major this case was going to be.  And if I’d thought about it for a second, I’d have realized the girl I’d met was facing an issue in North Dakota, not Minnesota.  But I showed up, believing I was supporting folks in the Anti-Tar Sands Pipeline Climate Change movement.  And once things got rolling, I was amazed.

When the hearing began, it was to arraign a fourth defendant in the case, Benjamin Joldersma, who was late in being charged with a felony crime.  His role in the event would become clear in later testimony but first we walked through his getting consolidated into the case with the three other defendants, Annette Klapstein, Emily Johnston, and Steve Liptay.

So, what did these people do to warrant felony charges?  They carried out an act of civil disobedience in the name of protecting the planet.  They put their lives on the line to help increase awareness, among the rest of us, that the world is running out of time to make the changes necessary to prevent even more catastrophic climate events.  They put themselves at risk for arrest to show that we need to act now if we’re going to prevent the 100,000+ lives lost every year to Climate Change.

On October 11, 2016, the two women reportedly entered the Leonard, Minnesota valve station and started to shut down the pipeline.  This action was planned to coincide with the International Days of Prayer and Action With Standing Rock.  Along with their cohorts, they were able to shut down every tar sands pipeline entering the US in an act of love & solidarity.  In Leonard, Minnesota, a shut down of Enbridge’s line 4 and 67; TransCanada’s Keystone pipeline was closed in Walhalla, North Dakota; Spectra Energy’s Express pipeline in Coal Banks Landing, Montana was eliminated; and Kinder-Morgan’s Trans-Mountain pipeline in Anacortes, Washington, reportedly offline anyway, was also stopped.  Democracy Now! had a brief report.

Here’s the report from the industry… sounds like they are saying, if you use the Emergency Shutoff Valve, you could rupture the pipeline.  I think that is something we might want to investigate, don’t you??  Since Enbridge has shown us that they can take up to 17 hours to “realize” a ruptured line is a ruptured line and not a bubble they need to push from the system with increased pressure, it might be nice to think we citizens could, should a spill be happening, turn off the valve and save our town.  What we really need is to stop relying on fossil fuels and move to renewables with intensity.  NOW.

Back to our hearing…

Annette Klapstein took the stand and explained her history with the Climate Change movement.  She became active in 2009 and was one of the Seattle Raging Grannies that chained themselves together in rocking chairs to stop a Shell oil rig from heading out for Arctic Drilling. By the end of the summer, Shell sent ships back to Norway and abandoned drilling efforts in the Arctic.  Annette testified that she realized, in order to fight for social justice, it would require work in the arena of climate change.  In 2014, she was part of an effort to block oil trains in Anacortes, Washington and Shell subsequently dropped plans to add a rail spur… once an EIS was required.  Annette’s position: Civil disobedience is the only option citizens have left with a government beholden to banks and fossil fuels.

She explained that their intent in closing the line was to stop Tar Sands oil flow to prevent ecocide.  The operation was done safely by giving notification to Enbridge 15 minutes prior to closing the valve and again 5 minutes before the action happened.  In fact, when they began to turn the valve to close it, they could see the screw turning down as Enbridge closed down the line remotely.  When asked if there was an imminent threat, Annette explained that there is.  We have super typhoons increasing in the Philipines, Washington has had the worst air quality for the last two weeks, and there are fires raging in British Columbia.  Over 100,000 people are dying annually due to Climate Change, we’re in the middle of the 6th Great Extinction, and each year, the scientists explain that the trends are looking worse.  Climate Change is happening faster than we predicted every year.  Coastal cities are facing crisis and droughts continue to intensify.

On cross-examination, the Prosecutor asked a few main questions to each Defendant.  Side note, just after the Judge accepted a motion to join all the cases as one for efficiency,  the Prosecutor made a request to sequester the Defendants.  This means that they would not be able to hear each other’s testimony.  A discussion ensued with the Defense Attorney noting that allowing each Defendant to hear the other would prevent reiteration of details already explained by the other Defendants.  The Judge agreed that sequestration would defeat the purpose of joining all the cases and prevent the Defendants from their right to be present at each critical stage of their trial.  The Prosecutor’s request was denied.  I’m thinking he didn’t want them to hear his questions as he basically had the same questions for each Defendant:

• Are you a Scientist?
• Was there an active oil spill present?
• Were there individuals in immediate danger on the site?
• Have you engaged in letter writing or legislative contacts in Minnesota prior to this action?
• How much carbon dioxide did you prevent with the shutdown?

Annette also got extra questions: Can you define ecocide? and When will the world end?  Oh, yeah, and How did you get here? (implying that she is a fossil fuel user).  Annette had an excellent response to this question in noting that the system is set up to require her physical presence but that she was able to secure a ride from Seattle with a friend who was delivering a car to Minnesota.  So basically, she had very little carbon footprint above what was already needed for the friend’s original journey.

Emily Johnston was our next Defendant.  She has been active in Climate Change work since 2011 when she got involved with 350.org and participated in the Keystone XL protests.  KXL was subsequently denied by President Obama.  Sounds like that civil disobedience worked!  By the way, 350.org was named based on the fact that, if we want to keep the Earth viable, we need to remain below 350 ppm of CO2.  Where are we now?  About 410 ppm.

Emily was a part of the Kayaktivists who rode kayaks to prevent the Shell oil rig from leaving port.  This is not only risking arrest but literally putting her life on the line.  Emily was willing to risk a felony charge because when Activists take a personal legal risk, they show their vulnerability and this increases the chance that people will take their actions seriously.  She noted the science that says we have about 3 years until we hit 4.5°F (2°C), the point of no return… the point where we can’t really make a difference that will allow our planet to remain viable.   She contends that we have no time for small changes.  The solution is to reduce emissions by 15% each year as we begin reforestation and regenerative agriculture.

Emily also explained that Civil Disobedience is a derivative of English Common Law which allows if, say, a house is burning and a baby is inside, you to override the law of breaking and entering the private residence to save the life of the baby.  In other words, it’s acceptable to break the law for a greater good, a higher law.  [On cross-examination, the Prosecutor would ask her if there were any “babies attached to the pipeline”.]

Emily made clear that the Activists are not “fighting Enbridge”, they are “fighting Tar Sands”.  She believes that civil disobedience is required to increase consciousness of the danger of Tar Sands.

Benjamin Joldersma was our third Defendant to take the stand.  Benjamin has three children from 2-7 years old.  His most compelling testimony regarded explaining the tough decision he and his wife made in him being a part of this work.  I was in tears as he noted that he wanted to be able to look his young daughter in the eyes when she one day asked what he did to try to stop Climate Change.  I cried because I too feel an obligation to my son when I think about the work I do in water protection.  Ben discussed the effect the Paris Climate Talks had on him: even with agreement by 197 countries that we must to something, we will still bypass 2°C.  All legal efforts have been exhausted.  Civil disobedience is our only option.  He told a story of a 2015 camping trip where he met some climate scientists and, based on their stories, he realized we were out of time.  Ben’s role on October 11th was to call Enbridge with a notification of the pending action at 15 minutes out and 5 minutes out.

Steven Liptay was our final witness and he was simply a cameraman documenting the activity.  He believed he was within his First Amendment rights to document the happenings and share the information with media outlets.  He had a pretty impressive array of Climate Change work to date including work as an intern on Everything’s Cool, cameraman on Do the Math, and he worked on the HBO documentary How to Let Go of the World And Love All the Things Climate Can’t Change.  And, he IS a scientist, having an MS in Environmental Policy and working as a Biologist for Audubon.  He believes that when mainstream media is not telling the story, it requires independent media to inform people on what is happening.  There is a Climate Change Emergency and he wants to inspire others to take action.

I was so impressed with each of these four people.  Not only for their courage to take a strong stand in fighting Climate Change, but for their coherent and articulate explanations of what they are doing and why they are doing it.  Their passion to save our planet from its imminent destruction is admirable.  Their commitment to civil disobedience is commendable.

In the end, each of the four Defendants plead Not Guilty to the charges.  They are claiming their actions are “Necessary” as the legal means for addressing climate change have been exhausted without response from our government and corporate leaders. As citizens, our only recourse remaining is civil disobedience.

I think the fact that 45 just disbanded an Advisory Committee on Climate Change is a good indication that they are on the right track.

Photo credit to Daniel Gaither.

DEIS Comments – A Review

Tags

activism, Line 3, MEPA, MPUC

The Draft Environmental Impact Statement Public Comments are in and I’ve read hundreds of pages of commentary from my fellow Minnesotans and others who have expressed concern and support for Enbridge’s proposed Line 3.  Mine is not a thorough analysis as there are thousands of pages of commentary to peruse and I’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg.  However, I thought I would provide a brief update from my explorations.

The comments have been published alphabetically by submitter’s last name.  In the case of organizations, they are listed by the organization’s name.  I received eight email messages of the comments, each with a listing of files.  The first email included:

1. DEIS – Local Units of Government
2. DEIS – Federal Agencies
3. DEIS – State Agencies and Legislators
4. DEIS – Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
5. DEIS – Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
6. DEIS – Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
7. DEIS – 1854 Treaty Authority
8. DEIS – White Earth Band of Ojibwe

The third email had:

1) DEIS – Citizen Written Comments, A
2) DEIS – Citizen Written Comments, Anonymous, Part 1 of 2
3) DEIS – Citizen Written Comments, Anonymous, Part 2 of 2
4) DEIS – Citizen Written Comments, B
5) DEIS – Citizen Written Comments, C
6) DEIS – Citizen Written Comments, D
7) DEIS – Citizen Written Comments, E, Part 1 of 3
8) DEIS – Citizen Written Comments, E, Part 2 of 3
9) DEIS – Citizen Written Comments, E, Part 3 of 3

Comments from the letter H took up three of the email notices with 20 sets of documents total.  The eighth email covered letters R-Z.  But I want to talk about the G letters.

I was tickled to see Dan’s letter first, followed by mine.  We both sent several pages of input: science and emotion, along with DEIS page numbers to which we referred.  We’d put some time, thought, and consideration into the letters we sent.  I was surprised to see an almost even response in the Pro-Pipeline and Anti-Pipeline comments.  But when I looked at the detail, here’s what I found.

Occasionally a letter was hard to tell whether it was positive or negative to the pipeline but with a bit more reading and investigation I was able to classify them all in the end.

The number of Pro-Pipeline comments was 34 while Anti-Pipeline had 37 comments.  This seems like even support for both options on its face.  But a deeper look reveals some interesting detail.  Also, as I paged up and down through the letters in writing this blog, I realized some people had provided input multiple times.  If we remove the duplicate entries from the same person, the Pros go to 32 [one guy sent in two pre-printed cards, though he did have different comments on his cards; the first said “Pipelines suport good paying jobs. They Also put alot of money into Local economy!” and the second said, “I support the Line 3 project.  It produces good jobs!” – at least he spelled ‘support’ correctly the second time around] and the Antis go to 31.  [More on this below.]  For analysis purposes, I counted each response individually, even if it was one of three responses from a given individual.

Of the 34 support letters, 24 were simply pre-printed postcards, many with little or no comments at all, just a name, address and phone/email.  Three were DEIS Public Meeting Comment Sheets (papers provided at the public open houses for people to provide commentary).  Five were emails and two were letters.

Compared with the letters speaking to opposition to the Line 3 project, there was only one pre-printed card and even it had some commentary.  There were two DEIS Public Meeting Comment Sheets, one handwritten letter, and 32 emails, many of which were multiple page documents.

Looking solely at the pages of input, there were 89 pages total.  Each email had its own page in the document, as did each pre-printed card.  There were 34 pages for Pro-Pipeline, and 55 pages for Anti-Pipeline.  Dan and my letters accounted for seven of the pages.  Ken Graeve of St. Paul accounted for seven pages on his own but did so via three messages, each with a different focus: one on invasive species and the threat to agriculture and forestry industries in Minnesota; one on energy policy and whether this “facility” can comply with relevant policies, rules, and regulations of other state and federal agencies and requesting a review of alternative energy sources; and one on the flaws in the DEIS analysis of impacts to wetlands from inconsistencies in the reported acreages (313 in one table and 440 in another) to the failure to consider hydrologic connectivity of wetlands to false assumptions made about stormwater runoff and erosion.  Ken’s professional experience lies in the fields of ecological restoration, environmental compliance on construction projects, and invasive species control and prevention.

Other Anti-Pipeline multiple submissions were made by Jo George, Eileen Grunstrom and Roger Grussing of Pillager. Roger focused on the same issue of “4 times safe” rules which should be required of pipelines in both submissions but he provided an email and a more detailed DEIS Public Meeting Comment Sheet.  Eileen submitted support of the Friends of the Headwaters stance in opposition to the pipeline with a list of the many waterways at risk in the corridor and then replied with additional personal information for consideration asking in the end, “What kind of legacy am I leaving to my children and grandchildren?” Jo George of Minneapolis noted three focuses in as many contacts:  what the state (not national) need is for the pipeline in light of falling fuel demand; the absence of spill data provided by Enbridge (much of it was redacted from the public information shared); and consideration for the greater economic picture including fishing, tourism, and recreation industries among others.

 

On the Pro-pipeline side, the two multi-submissions of two individuals account for their loss of two counts.  Similarly to Eric Gulland of Duluth, John Gilbertson of Puposky submitted two pre-printed cards: one with no comment and one stating: “It is rediculos that all these meetings need be. After 60+ years of using pipelines to move oil, without a doubt its proven to be by far the safest way. Everything is in place lets get to work.”

I did read most all the letters for the R-Z section and one of my favorites was this from David Reisenweber of Duluth: “It’s really stupid to run tar sands oil through water rich Mn.”  He pretty much states the obvious simplicity of this debate.  Water is life.  The oil, tar sands not the conventional crude with which Minnesotans have a long history, is not destined for us but will most likely end up as exports to China.

The Sierra Club gave me high hopes with their exhaustive (33 pages of legalese) explanation on how the Department of Commerce’s (DOC) DEIS did not meet the MN Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) requirements of an EIS and that there were multiple failures in methodology for evaluating impacts.  They soft-pedaled their criticism of the DOC in saying these errors are due to the highly complex nature of an EIS, especially considering the “scale and range of the project and the many impacts to water, land, air, health, safety, security, and communities”.  Sierra Club encouraged “the Department to prepare a new DEIS in close coordination and consultation with the Department of Natural Resources, the Pollution Control Agency, and other agencies who can lend both their knowledge and experience on how to prepare an EIS so that it complies with the requirements of MEPA “.

I’d second that.

 

 

Love Water Not Oil Tour 2017

Tags

activism, fun, local music, Women

What a fantastic weekend we had in Duluth!  We headed over to hit the Honor the Earth 5th Annual Love Water Not Oil Tour featuring Nahko Bear and Annie Humphrey among others.  We decided to go over Saturday and get oriented and see town before the Sunday concert.

We arrived in the afternoon and headed to the AirBnB in Hermantown.  When we arrived, Josh, our host, was building a pergola on the large patio deck.  They have a private entrance space with a living room, dining area with refrigerator, coffee maker and microwave, bathroom and three bedrooms each with a queen bed.  It’s a lovely and simple space with a nice bed and enough pillows.  Super clean and quiet.  We really enjoyed relaxing in this space late in the evening but first, we headed to the Canal Walk.

We found tremendous traffic at the Canal Park.  We finally found a parking space under the solar panels near Sister Cities Park and the Lakewalk.  We enjoyed rock spotting and seeing the wide open Lake Superior as we walked the shore but it was dirtier than the North Shore – a little too industrial for me.  There were a bunch of young men enjoying The CRIBS, also referred to as Uncle Harvey’s Mortuary, a large concrete structure of varied legend.  Like little crabs, the boys scuttled along the thin walls of the structure, occasionally jumping from the heights.

We headed inland toward the Dewitt-Seitz Marketplace, recommended by friend Anne Paulson who once lived in Duluth.  We found the Blue Heron, like a compact Crate and Barrel, to be full of lovely spices, sauces, cookware, tools and table coverings. A really fun space to explore.  Just across the way is the Art Dock, full of fun treasures.  We didn’t have time to head up to J. Skylark  but their lower level window display looked really enticing.  We were out of time and had to head to our parking space.  From there we headed up to Downtown and stopped after finding a back alley parking spot (free!) to the Electric Fetus.   It was like going back in time and I took some time to listen to the top albums – none of which was familiar and only one of which made an impression.  Sammy Brue might be worth a listen if you’re into young upcomers.

We decided to head to the neighborhood with the Co-op grocery on 4^th Street – neighborhoods with co-op groceries are usually pretty great.  We found some good stuff – raw cashews for more Ambrosia, some quick packs of Indian food for dinner, cheese curds (hey we are super close to Wisconsin here – they gotta be good!), and some organic tortilla chips (not very good but cheap).  At the checkout, we asked the guy if there was a good place for a little picnic lunch.  He directed us toward Canal Park and we said, “No, no… that’s too People-y.  You know any place less People-y?”  “Ah,” he says, “Lester Park.  There are nice waterfalls.  It’s a little hike in but worth it.”  So we put it in the Google Map and head toward 51^st and Juniata.  We get there and it’s a pump house. 😦  Just to the left, there appears to be a small parking area… and we see a Butterfly Garden (sorry no pic as we were super non-plussed) which had a couple benches among some sparse wildflowers.  We found a short trail and hiked over the flora finally stumbling upon a small creek.  We decided this could NOT be the right place – no waterfalls.  So we checked again and Google said we need to be at 61^st and Superior.  Ah, yes, this is the place!  We drove up in search of a parking place and find the entrance to The Deeps at the top of the hill. If you go in at the trail at the purple circle, you will hike a mere 20 feet and find yourself at an amazing space in the middle of town.  There are 30’ falls that pour into what is called The Deeps – a deep hole into which the locals cliff dive.  Above this space is a rolling rocky creek with smaller falls where Dan took this photo.

We lounged in the water, climbed the rocks and explored for a bit before heading back to the AirBnB taking the Seven Bridges Road ~ we’ve traveled it now!  We took Skyline road up to the top and saw the Hawk Ridge Reserve though no migrations are scheduled until fall… mid-September looks like prime time, though you’ll want Halloween time for seeing the big Eagles.

We actually watched some TV at the AriBnB – Red Green.  Nothing really worth watching on that black box.  Don’t miss TV a bit.

The next morning, we headed into Superior, Wisconsin to hit the Anchor Bar and Grill – Yep, Sunday is a busy day for this little dive.  Their menu is hilarious!  I highly recommend this super cheap burger joint.  Fresh fries and good burgers.  Dan had the Bacon Cheeseburger and I had the Cashew Burger (cashews and swiss – yum).  There was another couple looking for a quiet table – the Elvis was blasting.  Since we’d done the same thing minutes before and had room at our table, we asked them to join us.  They were waiting for their friend, “Crazy Nancy Nelson” (who did turn out to be a HOOT!), and we had room for three so the two sat.  Julie and Joey Sando turned out to be a splendid addition to our party.  She soon mentioned they were seeking driftwood for her art.  Art?  What kind of art does she do?  Stained glass.  And driftwood???  Well, you should check out her stuff – it’s pretty awesome. I forwarded her info to the Rec Lab Creative Activities committee because she’s seems like a lot of fun.  Looking forward to seeing her again sometime.  So glad we invited them all to join us as it made our brunch a super fun time.

After burger breakfast, we headed to the Bayfront Festival Park for the Love Water Not Oil show.  Arriving early again, we walked directly into the venue and found the Honor The Earth organizers who asked if we were volunteers.  So I guess we could have volunteered and got in the show free but we’re happy to send funds to HTE.  We ended up volunteering anyway and were assigned the vendor gate.  This was a happening place and I only got one F-Bomb from a lady who was really pissed she had to walk to the north entrance to enter with her ticket after walking all the way to this vendor gate already (like 100′).  It wasn’t that far a walk (maybe 100 paces further?) and I’m hopeful her day ended up going better.  The rest of the day I thanked the people we kept directing to the ticket entrance for not F-you-ing me and it gave us all lots of laughs… and perspective.  I guess that was payback for all the F-yous I’ve dished out to customer service people on the phone over the years!  I’m better than I used to be but still a work in progress.

So, the big perks of being at the vendor gate?  Got to see:

• Corey Medina ride out on his motorcycle for some wind in the hair before the show started.
• Friends Nicolette, Sarah & Keri from HTE coming in to set up tables and Cedar heading in and out for lunch.
• Greeting Winona LaDuke as she came in to begin the festivities with ceremony.
• Saying hi to Don again – he remembered me from the Futurists conference where we first met!  {Dan says I’m pretty unforgettable.  Aw, ain’t that sweet?}
• The arrival of the Teepees.
• Nahko Bear driving into the venue – AWESOME Groupie Moment. 🙂
• The adjacent and handy port-o-potties! We let several folks in to pee before they headed to the ticket entrance.  It was a super laid back show and fun to be a part of it all.

I was impressed with the ceremony that opened the show.  There were some prayers and songs and the elder that did ceremony for Winona spoke of the importance of honoring women – how we treat our women is how we treat the Earth.  So true.  It’s time for change.  She challenged us all to bring respect to how we allow others to treat us as women and to protect women assuring safety and respect for them all.  Maybe if we can find love and respect for each other, we can start to heal this planet in a big way.

The teepees were also inspiring.  They had the Keystone XL teepee and the teepee from Standing Rock.  Dan got some good shots.  The musical line-up followed:

• Elizabeth Jaakola & Family – Fond du Lac Musicians who sang great original songs with my favorite probably being Covfefe, which consisted of a bunch of mush mouth, jive talk and a perfectly understood chorus of “Covfefe”.  😉 I’d heard them doing this one at sound check and had chuckled my way to the vendor gate as I listened.  http://www.firstpeoplesfund.org/elizabeth-jaakola/ Nice songs about standing up for Mother Earth, being strong as Indigenous, and having fun too.
• Thomas X from the Red Lake Tribe – really nice Rez Rap. https://thomasx.bandcamp.com/  His tunes are all available online.  Support him if you can – he had a sweet little baby on the blanket with him when I stopped by to give him props.  Welcome to the Rez is a nice mix and I had my fist in the air for Standing Rock.  TOTALLY love this dude after giving more of his albums a listen today.  Check him out.
• Two for One – a South Minneapolis hip hop rapper. Couldn’t find him online anywhere but he had some good lyrics and seemed like a nice kid.
• Maria Isa, a self-described SotaRican, rapped her way through a set. I thought it was a strange sound – kind of all over the place – couldn’t really get into it before it changed into something else.  https://www.facebook.com/pg/iammariaisa/videos/?ref=page_internal
• Two short stints by the Sunshine Boys and a guy from California – both presented indigenous songs from their traditions – really nice stuff.
• Annie Humphrey – first time FINALLY getting to see her play live. What a powerful woman!  Here’s a great video perfect for this Love Water Not Oil show which is all about celebrating riding horses against the flow of the proposed pipeline… in case you didn’t know, Horses can Kill Snakes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gd6wsVgWoUI  It’s so interesting to see her perform – she is such a blend of her mother and daughter, both of whom I know better than I know Annie, that it creates a wonderful feeling inside me.  Thomas X mentioned that he first saw Annie perform when he was 13 and her performance brought him to tears.  I can definitely relate.  Beautiful voice, lovely music.  Definitely find your way to listening to some of Annie’s work.  Here’s Edge of America.
• Corey Medina and Brothers. FANTASTIC.  Great blues/rock sound.  Dan kept watching them thinking they looked really familiar… until we decided Corey reminds us a lot of Alex Crankshaft.  Here’s a Tiny Desk Concert they did (though the two cats with Corey in this one are much younger versions of the two on stage this weekend, Gary Broste & Eric Sundeen).  Ah, here’s one with them playing Want it All at Rail River Folk School.
• Nahko, AKA Nahko Bear, leader of Medicine for the People.  This was the artist that brought us to this show.  He spent most of the afternoon hanging out with the crowd… giving bear hugs, taking photos, chatting.  I was astounded at the variety of people coming out to see him.  I expected the hippies, the water protectors, the Indians but not the young white moms, old white ladies, three older white dudes from the Cities.  All ages from toddler to seniors, all colors.  I guess the only ones not represented were oil men and dumbass rednecks.  Dan and I were grateful to be the final photo op before he headed in for some lunch and pre-show preparation. And he remembered me as the one who welcomed him at the gate!

Definitely check out his music.  Here are a few videos:

• Love Letters to God: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPVhnlZaZWs
• One of my faves… Vultures of Culture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P__iE8ISF5c
• And this one… super fun!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wd1CHFfym1s
• Well, I just don’t think there’s any better ending for the blog than that.  Unless it’s this…  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHMsOXgSb9o

Enbridge Line 3 “Replacement” DEIS Commentary

Tags

activism, sustainability

So I took time to read some of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Line 3 “Replacement” Proposal that is currently open for public comment. [Through July 10^th, if you want to add your commentary.]  I think anyone in the middle U.S. should be submitting comment as the Mississippi Watershed is pretty large.  If we fuck it up here near the headwaters, the rest of you are screwed.   You can read it here: https://mn.gov/commerce/energyfacilities/resource.html?Id=34695 (see below on how to submit your comments).

I was offended that the DEIS sounded in large part like a very cheery presentation from the conscientious, safety focused, public utility giant… Enbridge.  Yes, there were statements and commentary from various groups that appeared to be concerned more with Mother Earth than the profits of a large corporation.  But these were in the Appendices.  It appears that Enbridge’s account has been taken at face value and presented as fact with the most likely plan being implementing this pipeline.  There does not appear to be much consideration for telling Enbridge to simply go through Canada and leave Minnesota alone.

In addition, when I asked Department of Commerce representative Jamie MacAlister whether Tribal Resources were being given priority consideration in the matter, I was assured they were NOT.  WHAT?!?  The right of people to live by their ways with regard to their food, water and spirituality took no bigger place in the decision than a company’s desire to make some money?  It does not seem to me that the needs of the citizens of Minnesota (and anyone downstream of us) are being given due consideration.

There is an ability to see where Enbridge concerns lie if you look at this passage (Appendix P, Volume 1, page 253). The main concerns are with infrastructure and inconvenience, not less dense human populations, food foraging environments, or birthing grounds of our migratory birds.  In fact, they are more concerned about “crude oil flooding the highway, causing accidents” than how that crude oil flooding might affect the way of life for those of us who rely on wild rice and fresh fish as part of our diets.

While Enbridge calls this a Line 3 Replacement, it’s in actuality a Dumping of the old Line 3 and an Addition of a new, bigger Line 3 through a new corridor.  Did you know that while you can’t leave a fuel tank buried in the ground long-term, we currently have no policy requiring the removal of an oil pipeline once it is no longer actively used?  Why would we NOT require this dirty infrastructure be removed rather than leaving it for the next generation to clean up?  Enbridge again seems pretty concerned with infrastructure issues rather than clean water or wildlife and human impacts.  (Appendix B, pg 14)

Enbridge assures us that, if abandoned, the old line will be purged and cleaned.  If it’s done in any way similarly to the “clean-up” done in Kalamazoo, reason would predict low expectations of a thorough job. The inadequate work done by Enbridge to clean up oil spills should be considered when evaluating their proposed methodology for cleaning up their abandoned pipeline.   Their integrity leaves much to be desired, so much so that to work with this corporation should be seen as illogical and foolish.

When you consider Enbridge’s track record, it is just a matter of time before Minnesota has to deal with ANOTHER spill.  We (Minnesota AND Enbridge) already hold the record for the largest inland spill in US History.  http://www.grandrapidsmn.com/opinion/happy-anniversary-the-largest-inland-oil-spill-in-u-s/article_2ade2706-004f-11e7-9023-2b31a01741a6.html  Now Enbridge is looking at running pipeline that carries substances they can’t even reveal the nature of to us in the public.  In addition, they want to run it in places where no pipeline has gone before, including many wetlands, creeks, and large rivers.  I’m hopeful the powers that be in Minnesota come to their senses and refuse to allow this to happen.

Enbridge reports in the DEIS that they have all kinds of safety programs in place to prevent “accidental releases”, their euphemism for oil spills.  The report says there would be a 10- minute response time to stopping a leak.  (Chapter 10, pg 98) In light of Enbridge’s safety record, we need to not only consider what they propose to do but how they have done things in the past.  How long did it take to respond to the leak alert on the Kalamazoo River oil spill, AKA The Dilbit Disaster?  Ten minutes? Ah, no.  It was slightly longer.

The first alert came on Sunday, July 25, 2010, at about 5:58 p.m. Eastern time when there was a rupture in Line 6B near Talmadge Creek, a tributary of the Kalamazoo River and a little more than a half mile downstream of the Marshall, Michigan pumping station.  At first Enbridge ignored the alarm.  Then the operators assumed it was a “bubble” in the line so they increased pressure (resulting in more oil spilling faster) for hours.  So when did they finally believe the alarms and shut down the line?  More than 17 hours later.

Yeah, let’s just let that sink in for a moment.  17 HOURS.  That’s a LOT longer than 10 minutes.  Regardless of what Enbridge claims they “will do”, we know what they HAVE DONE and that needs a full review in the DEIS.  A review for EVERY SINGLE SPILL.  Enbridge has a worse track record than their competitors and this should be considered as we decide whether or not to grant a Certificate of Need to THIS corporation.

Also, knowing that it’s only a matter of time before there is a release of dilbit into our environment, should the State of MN decide to grant a Certificate of Need and/or Routing Permit on this project, we need to know exactly WHAT is in this dilbit.  What is dilbit?  It is a form of bitumen (tar sands are pretty much asphalt) that has been diluted with a chemical solution to make it flow through the pipeline.  Without it, the thick sludge Enbridge proposes to transport just cannot move.  It is illogical that a proper evaluation of the environmental impact of installing this line can be done if there is not full disclosure of the products that will be coursing through the pipeline and, should there be a failure, spreading into our natural world contaminating both land and water, animals and people.   The National Science Foundation has already warned of the use of dilbit in areas with high moisture content (i.e., wetlands) due to the way the cathodic protection is affected. Yes, much of the new proposed path lies in areas of wetlands.  And reduced cathodic protection means there will be a greater propensity for pipeline degradation… and thus, leak points.  In addition, it’s been noted that the density of dilbit means it will sink in water, not rise, so how are we to know when there is a release if it all stays at the bottom of the wetlands, creek or river?

If the MN Department of Commerce agrees that Enbridge has a need and allows the pipeline to be installed, the accountability for all spills will land on this Department.  All lawsuits, all cleanup, all injuries and deaths, including those of plants and wildlife, would be the result of the Department of Commerce decision.  When the pipeline leaks, and it will as all pipelines eventually leak, the State of Minnesota will hold all accountability.

It is far wiser to err on the side of caution, especially as the world has already reached peak oil – the hypothetical point in time when the global production of oil reaches its maximum rate, after which production will gradually decline.  We are at the end of the fossil fuel era and any attempt to continue the pursuit of fossil fuels only prolongs the time until we make a transition to renewable energy.  There will come a day when there is NO MORE to suck from the Earth and we humans will have to finally come to terms with the development of cleaner, safer sources of energy.  We will either do it in a way that is planned or in a crisis, but we will eventually convert to renewables.

Minnesota needs to be a leader in this process.  We need to show that hemp is another way to meet our energy needs.  We’ve started that with recent legislation.  If oil spills ruin our farmland, that will be a dead end.  Not to mention the effect on our tourism industry.  We need to continue the path of innovation and energy conservation and abandon the path of dirty oil.  I say that Minnesota must, if morality is to brought to bear, act in the interest of clean water, healthy people, and safe environments.  We need to say NO to another pipeline coming through our state.  And we need to tell Enbridge it’s time to remove the old Line 3 from the ground to assure we prevent ongoing and long-term contamination possibilities.

The above are my comments sent to the Department of Commerce on the Line 3 Replacement Draft Environmental Impact Statement.  If you’d like to send you comments, you need to do so by July 10th.  Email your comments here: pipeline.comments@state.mn.us

Stopping Line 3: The Real Work Starts Now

Tags

activism, Enbridge, Line 3, Pipeline

I had the privilege and joy of attending the Rice Lake Community screening of First Daughter and the Black Snake last week.  Keri Pickett, the filmmaker, was present as was Daniel Geiger, who edited through over 800 hours of footage to bring us a coherent and detailed film.  And though we didn’t know it on arrival, we were surrounded by movie stars as many in the Rice Lake Community were in the film.

The event was amazing.  Dawn was in the kitchen organizing when I arrived.  I then met Keri and talked with her about the movie.  She is a joyful person.  I also met Nicolette Slagle who talked with me about what Honor The Earth (HTE) is doing moving forward.  There are a lot of initiatives for starting local sustainability projects – local food, local energy (solar installation training), local art – with a focus on Pine Point as an example for how it’s done.  http://www.honorearth.org/pinepoint  Also met Kaylie, one of the young ladies facing felony charges from the Standing Rock event on October 27^th.  In case you don’t recall, this was the day that Water Protectors and Law Enforcement clashed, resulting in over 140 arrests.  The event became chaotic, largely due to the excessive and disproportionate force by Law Enforcement.  I remember seeing inappropriate action when I was at Standing Rock in mid-August and there has been much evidence of the continued escalation of force against the Water Protectors.  The repercussions of Standing Rock on the Native Community continue.

By this time, everyone was ready to eat.  Dinner was terrific – wild rice, fresh fish, berries.  All the foods that are endangered by the pipeline running through this area.  These people LIVE from the land.  They rely on Mother Earth’s abundant food and they know this is what is at risk by burying pipe in the earth and using it to move some of the dirtiest products the fossil fuel industry has ever developed.  And the chemicals used to make them flow aren’t things you want to ingest… things like benzene.  These chemicals are pulled out and piped back north to  be used again.  Lots of dangerous things to be piping through the waters of Minnesota where water is the lifeblood of our economy.

• http://americablog.com/2013/06/what-does-a-tar-sand-pipeline-actually-contain-among-other-things-sulphur-arcenic-mercury.html
• https://thinkprogress.org/must-read-investigation-reveals-true-hazards-of-piping-tar-sands-across-america-2e033df5f476

The movie was powerful. Winona LaDuke is the focus with her organization Honor The Earth but there is a large portion of time spent in showing everyday people and their day-to-day interactions with the clean waters, harvesting the abundant food.  This is not easy work.  There is a detailed review of the ricing process and you realize just how much work goes into the harvest and processing of wild rice.  It’s a beautiful endeavor that brings delicious food.  And, as hard as it can be, none present at this screening are willing to risk it for a Tar Sands Oil pipeline.

At the end Keri asked what we thought and I piped up with my typical but sometimes inappropriate humor, “You should bill it as ‘See Winona LaDuke naked’.”  You see, there was a photo of her as a toddler in the film, completely naked, a toy gun dangling from her hand.  It was the most adorable photo and I realized later that this is kind of a metaphor for what the film actually depicted.  Winona bares herself, shows her home, shares this process revealing much about her fight, her friends, her family and fellow Water Protectors.  The film tells a story of all that is precious and in need of protection from the pipeline plans.  And, (spoiler alert!), in the end, she shoots them down.  The Sandpiper line was abandoned by Enbridge.  We won.

And then we lost.  Kind of.  Enbridge moved from Sandpiper to Dakota Access.  While this was a loss, as we didn’t prevent the completion of the pipeline in North Dakota as hoped, it can’t be considered a win by DAPL proponents either.  You see, the pipeline has yet to flow.  They are testing the line and keep finding leaks.  Gee… I think some Water Protectors mentioned this as a concern and here we are.  LEAKING!

And the work continues.  We now are facing the long haul to prevent Line 3 in Minnesota. What do we need to do?

• Stand up and speak about objections.  Get to the public meetings.  Here Enbridge and the PUC will present the Draft Environmental Impact Study for Line 3 and secure public comment.  Public meetings begin TOMORROW, June 6, 2017.  Here’s where you can attend: https://mn.gov/commerce/energyfacilities/documents/34079/Notice%20of%20DEIS%20Availability,%20Meetings,%20Comment%20Period,%20Line%203,%205.15.17.pdf  I’ll be there in Bagley to start it off.
• Write to the MN Public Utilities Commission about why we oppose risking Minnesota’s environment to push dirty Tar Sands (it’s not oil!) through the ground from Canada to elsewhere.  As James Botsford argued in Keri’s film, it’s not a public service… it’s not a waterway we can access or even an electrical conduit into which we can tap to pay for electricity.  It is a risk for our land to support a commercial corporate venture.  And it’s a risk not worth taking.  Write to Jamie MacAlister, Environmental Review Manager Minnesota Department of Commerce 85 7th Place East, Suite 280 St. Paul, MN 55101-2198 or email pipeline.comments@state.mn.us,   Fax is 651.539.0109.  Comments will be accepted through July 10^th.

How to write good comments:  The best comments point to specific sections or page numbers of the DEIS and explain precisely how and why they are inaccurate, incomplete, biased, based on unfair assumptions, etc.  It is also good to reference credible sources of information that you think the State should take into account.  Feel free to include personal stories or accounts of how the project will directly affect you, your rights, your community, the resources you depend on, etc.   Comments such as “Please build the pipeline because I need a job” or “Water is Life, No Pipelines!” do not have much impact…but may be counted in an overall tally, so something is better than nothing!  ~ From Honor The Earth website

• Write to your Representatives. Get contact info here: https://www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/districtfinder
• Join Honor The Earth and support their efforts.  Find out more here: https://www.stopline3.org/news/deis

This will be a harder fight than we might imagine.  There is much going on of which we are not aware.  Just today, Dan and I had two young men enter our property without permission.  They THOUGHT they had permission.  They’d talked with their Enbridge contact that morning and were under the impression we had been contacted about the pipeline project and that they had a right-of-way.  I explained that Enbridge has not been in contact and we had no information from Enbridge about the possible reroute of the pipeline through our back yard.  We found out about it when, several months after orange flags showed up along our East property line, the neighbor mentioned that pipeline people had been by to talk with them about putting the line through their property.  Only the property in question wasn’t that neighbor’s property. Seems Enbridge has a piss poor understanding of plat books or just doesn’t comprehend how maps work.  These neighbors had no property in the proposed area of the pipeline re-route.  They pointed the oil man to our neighbor to the south who owns the piece in question.  The pipeline people reportedly noted they, “had talked with him”…  Didn’t sound like they’d made much progress.

I also let those boys know that they ought to be careful as most folks up in these parts aren’t real keen about strangers coming onto their property unbidden.  Some even have guns and will shoot first and ask questions later.  They appeared to be nice boys and they may end up being on the right side.  Seems they work for West which does bat surveys.  You see the Long Eared Bat is endangered and they are looking to do surveys to find out if these bats are present on the proposed pipeline grounds.  Sounds like Enbridge is looking closely at this re-route to run through our neighbor’s property…  And maybe a bat will save the day and stop Line 3.  In the end, they decided to leave until they could figure out where they were really supposed to be.  I told them they should ask Enbridge to be in touch at the address on the mailbox at the driveway.  We also gave them our number.  It might make me feel like they actually care about communication with the people they are potentially going to affect.

So glad we attended the movie screening for First Daughter and the Black Snake.  It was an encouragement.  I know it’s just a small group but there is a lot of power in this little group of people.  You can see more here: http://www.blacksnakefilm.com/

All the yard signs at that event were taken by the end of the night, but my favorite is the one that supports Enbridge cleaning up their mess with pipeline removal.  Now those are some jobs we need.

 

Pipeline Walk & Writer Retreat Dreams

Tags

activism

This past week has been another busy one with a Pipeline Walk, some Public Singing, a Visit to Cass Lake, our first “Writer” at the Harn, a Trip to Alex for U-Group, and more progress at the Harn.

The Pipeline Walk was an event sponsored by Honor the Earth (http://www.honorearth.org/) to give people an exposure to how close the pipelines are in our area.  Cass Lake has multiple pipelines through it and we began the walk at the Rest Stop on U.S. 2.

The day began with Annie Humphrey making a Spirit Plate to begin our lunch.  Anne Dunn offered up the plate and also a song, which she asked me to help her sing for the folks.  This was a transformative experience for me as I am NOT a public singer.  But how could I leave Anne to do it alone?  She had asked me to come up with her as I’d been a part of the group from Mallard Island that developed the song last year.  I didn’t think fast enough to realize that her granddaughter Cedar, also at that retreat, could have joined us as well. So here I was… my first singing engagement.  It worked out fine as no one threw anything. I have to think that maybe the reaction from the group was the same as my reaction when someone sings as a leader.  Namely, “Wow, that is pretty brave of her to get up and sing in front of everyone.” And they must have thought me extra brave as I’m not a good singer!!  Dan says I did OK and it was good that the song was simple so people could jump in right away.  We got through it and then Anne said, “OK, now we know it, let’s sing it for real.”  WHAT?!?!?  And then she also walked away!  So here I am at the front on my own trying to lead this song.  Well it must have been a good experience cause when Sadie asked me to sing the song for her the next evening, I did.  It is a really nice song thanks to Patty Kakac.

Marty Cobenais, long-time and successful pipeline resistor, showed us the pipelines running under Cass Lake (1 & 2) which have been there since 1950.  Spent some time watching Sarah Littleredfeather documenting the event on livestream for Honor the Earth.   Here’s her video on this portion of the day: https://www.facebook.com/WinonaLaDukeHonorTheEarth/?ref=br_rs At about 2 minutes in, Marty talks about the lines running under the lake. We discussed how, if there was a leak on the decades old lines, the lake would be poisoned with the chemicals used to make the sticky stuff flow through the pipelines. Benzene, Toluene, 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene… nothing you’d want in your water.

We then walked across the road to where three lines ran on the opposite side (67, 4 & 3).  12.5 minutes into the above video, Marty talks about Enbridge providing the parking lot for the public and then the shutdown processes in case of a leak. At 15 minutes in, he talks about Enbridge’s recycling program. And then he discusses the thousands of integrity digs awaiting Enbridge attention (like 6000). While at this stop, Dan happened to notice a white truck so he went down to investigate.  Dan wandered down and the driver got out of the truck.  After noting the chevrons on Dan’s jean jacket, he asked if he was in the Marines and they started a brief conversation. He was wearing a private security uniform. He was watching the group of Water Walkers… for Enbridge (more on how we know that later).

The group headed back across the street to the Rest Area, and from there, to an area across the lake where the pipeline was exposed, even though they are supposed to be buried three feet deep (four feet in agricultural land to prevent the farmer from plowing into them). Dan stayed back at the Rest Area with Anne and Cedar and a few others who didn’t want to make the hike.  This hike was about ¾ mile back through the woods and into a swampy area where the lines are above ground and you can walk on them.  I didn’t opt for a photo, instead watching others walk the line well into the wetlands.  Some examined the exposed pipe and found the protective rubber coating to be spalling, exposing the pipe surface to the elements.  https://www.facebook.com/WinonaLaDukeHonorTheEarth/photos/p.1300132750107171/1300132750107171/?type=3&theater Here’s Sarah’s video for segment 2 of the day: https://www.facebook.com/WinonaLaDukeHonorTheEarth/?ref=br_rs – we reached the site about 18 minutes into the video and you can see the deterioration of the pipeline.

It was a long walk and I enjoyed the conversation with other Water Protectors.  We were gone for quite some time and I worried if Dan was keeping occupied.  Well, he was as I found out later.  While we were at the hike, the Enbridge guard, paid time-and-a-half that day to watch the Water Protectors, had gone back to the Rest Area.  Turns out, when we all headed out to the hike, he thought we’d be going to the Superfund site (our last stop of the day) where they planned to intercept the group with law enforcement.  So as we headed East, he headed in the opposite direction.  After realizing he’d lost us, he went back to the Rest Area where Dan was hanging out waiting for my return.  They had a longer conversation this time. Unfortunately Dan could offer no information to him on “where’d they go?”  The amazing part is that he headed out of the Rest Area moments before we arrived back to take a break and then head to our final stop!  From the below video, it looks like there was almost a half hour before law enforcement was called to intercept these dangerous citizens.

This video is from the last stop which is a Superfund site near Norway Beach. https://www.facebook.com/WinonaLaDukeHonorTheEarth/?ref=br_rs At about 7 minutes, Marty gives an explanation of the 2010 spill near Deer River.  At 9.5 minutes, he mentions the spill nearby whose size is still unknown though 200 cubic yards of waste have been removed thus far.  Spill levels are self-reported so there was some speculation on how accurate they are.  I know in previous jobs I’ve had, we worked hard to minimize the negative information getting to our customers.  I’ve heard dozens of stories of people being paid to lie for their companies and I’d imagine Enbridge is no different.  At 12 minutes, Marty discusses the Mayflower, Arkansas line which was de-commissioned and then re-used.  At 17 minutes in, there is a discussion on what we can do.  At 22 minutes, it’s noted that they are standing on a leak – it’s underground and not visible but it’s there. There was a law enforcement interception at this final stop which I missed as we had another appointment in Cass Lake. But my friend Joshua filmed it here: https://www.facebook.com/JoshuaHWatkins?ref=br_rs (best portion is 1:20-3 minutes, and one great ending at 5:25 where Joshua states the obvious to the oblivious officers). At 1:20, Annie tries to address the Sheriff.  At 2:30, the Sheriff addresses the group and tells them, “The Railroad has called and asked that you please leave.”  REALLY???  The Railroad has some kind of camera on their “right-of-way” and monitors it and then calls the Sheriff to ask people to leave the right-of-way??  Has this EVER happened to you?  I call BULLSHIT.  Probably a good thing I wasn’t there.  I might have been arrested for being belligerent.

Meanwhile, Dan and I were visiting Milt and Jamie Lee, a couple that does the radio show Call of the Wild (LINK) for KAXE/KBXE.  They’d interviewed us for the Harn Edition of the show and having learned of their strawbale homestead, we had to go and see it.  What a treat!  They have been developing their place about as long as we have ours and it was fun to compare stories on the development process.  Jamie is also a local writer and I’d had a workshop with her at Farm by the Lake where I received her book.  Well, I finally took time to open it this week and I couldn’t put it down.  I finished it in one sitting and it has become the third book to make my Top Five Favorite books.  It is a lovely, spiritual, story and the way it came about is pretty magical as well.  I highly recommend you to read Washaka the Bear Dreamer: A Lakota Story Based On Leon Hale’s Dream https://www.amazon.com/Washaka-Bear-Dreamer-Lakota-Story/dp/0972900241

Having met up with Sadie at the Pipeline Walk – she’s working on a thesis related to pipelines – we headed home to the Harn with her after a lovely dinner with the Lees.  Milt is an awesome cook!  Sadie ended up staying a couple nights and while we had loads of good conversation, she also was able to complete some writing.  I realized she could be the seed of the Writer’s Retreat I dream of one day opening.  🙂  Had a lovely time with a bonfire at the full moon.

Once we had our guest on her way, we were back to real work.  We had started clearing the deadwood from the woods surrounding the Harn proper and were able to resume this work.  We pulled small trees, large branches, and sticks it into clear areas, and now have a load of wood to process in a place where we can do so without major tick troubles.  So far, things are pretty quiet on the tick front but they’re coming…

We received our plants from Edible Acres (http://www.edibleacres.org/) this week and began planting our orchard with nut tree guilds.  What are guilds?  In Permaculture, a guild is a grouping a plants, trees, animals, insects, and other components that work together to help ensure their health and productivity.  There’s a quick overview here: http://www.neverendingfood.org/b-what-is-permaculture/permaculture-guilds/ We still have to get the grass covered but we have hazelnut trees, bee balm, black current, and onions planted thus far.  Thanks go to Connie for our bee balm and black currents as we spent a morning splitting plants at her place for the upcoming plant sale and headed home with a truck full of beauties: Asters, Purple and Yellow Coneflowers, Bee Balm, Curly Chives, Day Lily, Oxeye Daisy, Sweet William, Rudbeckia, Perennial Onions, and Mullein.  So we have spent several days planting.  We did:

• 5 hazelnut trees (3 in the Orchard clearing and 2 at the Greenhouse clearing)
• 9 walking onions (some with the hazelnuts and others near the house)
• 9 holes with coneflowers (purple & yellow) Along the wetland at drive curve by Big Rock
• 7 day yellow-orange/rust lilies (divided from one large clump) at front entrance by Big Rock
• Couple dozen perennial onions (near hazels and near house)
• 3 black currants (near hazels)
• 6 holes with bee balm (near hazels)
• 7 holes with asters (at turn north in the drive)
• 4 raspberries (in the zone 2 woods)
• 3 black caps (in the orchard clearing)
• 3 sun chokes (on the garden hugelbed)
• Two plots of rhubarb (heirloom no less – one full sun and one on hugelbed in garden)
• A bunch of curly chives (in hugelbed)

I am amazed at the fun we’re having and the progress we’re making.  I can’t believe we got the Hugelbed done and planted in a single afternoon!!  As I wrote to several people in thank you cards and notes this week, it really seems that the Universe is bringing messages, almost faster than we can read them, that this is a true and good path for Dan and me.

Public Hearing on the Enbridge Line 67 Border Crossing

Tags

activism, communication

The Department of State held a Public Hearing in Bemidji last week.  I attended along with hundreds of others.  I heard there were Enbridge representatives present, though I wasn’t aware of any.  The majority of those present were in opposition to the approval of a border crossing for Line 67 (previously called the Alberta Clipper).

Earlier in the afternoon, dozens of people met at Rail River Folk School where there were several speakers including Brandy Toft, Lindsey Ketchel, Jason Edens, Erica Bailey-Johnson, and Winona LaDuke.  The final speaker – apparently ad hoc? – was Marty Cabenais but I was astonished to see him on stage as I’d met him the previous night but had no idea he was a pipeline guy (or I’m sure we’d have chatted away quite a bit more – mostly I was cooing over his new grandchild).  I found out later that he’s also my mailman.  Small world in rural parts!

While I knew Winona was going to speak – really wish I’d heard her and hope there is a link to hear the earlier talks – I arrived just in time to hear a portion of Marty’s sharing.  It was really wonderful to see the large group of people who braved the cold to walk from Rail River to Sanford Center – a 2 mile walk in blustery cold winter winds.  Sylvia and I drove to Sanford hoping to be able to walk back to meet the group and return to Sanford with them but we realized it was quite cold and we’d be walking into the wind.  We decided to drive to meet the group and see if there were any people who needed a ride to finish their journey.  We didn’t get any takers and we were amazed to see how quickly they made their way on this route.  I was excited to be able to film them coming into Sanford.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufR-qTMZeH8

There were some chants and callbacks along the march to the event and on arrival. But the real treat was seeing the jingle dress dancers and hearing the singing and drumming. Varied spontaneous chants began from a number of people with everyone joining in as we caught the pattern. We were quite cold so headed inside to see the Hearing Room.  There were a few dozen people from Duluth/Grand Rapids and close to or over 100 from The Cities there to speak their concern regarding this pipeline.

The format of the meeting was posters with representatives to answer questions which really limited the information sharing to a few people at a time with much repetition.  There was no overall communication where all participants would hear the same information.  There were a few tables over which the presenter could show papers or the Environmental Impact Study while discussing questions but most stations were simply a standing place with a poster on an easel.  There was a video presentation with a couple dozen chairs and about 12-15 round tables with chairs for people to gather and relax.  You had to wander the room and figure out who could answer what questions by looking at the poster they stood adjacent to.  Oh, and some of the representatives are actually consultants.  Security from the Department of State in DC was also flown in for this hearing.

The event had no real format other than citizens milling about seeking answers.  The only announcements were when the event was opened and when it ended.  There were displays by the people in opposition to Line 67.  There was a Native circle dance, there was a film-crew recording, several news people doing interviews and filming the crowd.  Many felt like the State Dept people were uninformed/evasive/overly positive about pipelines.  I had some disturbing experiences with a couple reps – VERY UNINFORMED & VERY DEFENSIVE – but also some good interactions.

The attorney representing on the Presidential decree seemed to have a VERY limited understanding of the issue.  She looked at me like I had two heads when I asked about the legality of the switcharoo. http://www.oilandgas360.com/alberta-clipper-pipeline-faces-opposition-keystone-xl-vote/ https://insideclimatenews.org/news/20140917/state-department-draws-fire-allowing-tar-sands-pipeline-detour   When I explained that this was the Line 3 border crossing which was used to get line 67 crude across the border prior to getting approval for its own border crossing, she said she had no idea what I was talking about and backed away from me like I was a witch or goblin, like she was so uncomfortable as to not want to be in my presence. She truly looked frightened. It was so over the top I struggled to comprehend her fear.  She said she didn’t like the way the conversation was going and she didn’t want to talk with me any longer.  I asked if, as the attorney in the room, she might have an understanding of the legality of the happenings upon which this whole event is based and she said she “only knows about the Presidential Permit”.  Then she basically was able to read the poster.  [I had several people share with me that they had a similar experience with her where she had no answers and was very defensive.]  I decided to cut bait and find a better informed and more willing representative.  I found a woman who seemed to have a level of authority in the room and she directed me to the Engineer whose company had written the Supplemental Environmental Impact Study (SEIS) for the border crossing.

I spent quite a bit of time with the Civil Engineer and consultant company Project Manager, Fred Carey, from Potomac-Hudson Engineering, Inc.  He was being challenged by three people when I arrived.  And I was piling on.  He got pretty defensive but described himself as “objective”.  I think he was in a really tough situation but stayed pretty calm and definitely answered questions, though would not answer our questions about his personal beliefs on the pipeline.  Fred was able to review the SEIS and direct us to areas on which we had questions.  The big question was how does Enbridge monitor areas that are remote and inaccessible.  There was not a real confident answer to this question.  When questioned whether he’d walked the pipeline, whether he’d been to any of the remote areas, he agreed he’d not.  It was stated that, without seeing the property where this pipeline runs, there is no way he can give an accurate appraisal of the effect it will have on the environment.

Among multiple participants, we all agreed he was probably the best person we’d found that night that was willing to try to answer questions.  About the only person really.  Mary Hassell – how’s that for a name? – is the State Department Project Manager for this work and she was the only other person who seemed willing and capable of answering questions.  She came across also as nervous.  It was really strange to see so many people exhibiting fear and pleading ignorance in this Public Hearing which you would assume to be filled with confident, well-spoken, forthright, well-informed representatives from the US Department of State.  I mean, they flew in dozens of people it seemed.  And there was a massive security presence – always a cop or USDoS officer in view. But this didn’t appear to quell fear in the visiting representatives.

I did meet John Enger from MPR News – he was preparing to talk with Winona LaDuke and I asked who he was with as he had a large microphone in his hand.  Told him I LOVE MPR and would listen for him now that I had a face with the name.  Another older woman (Emily) also came up about the same time to greet Winona and when she realized we were both in line, she started to walk away but I told her to stay – she could be after John.  So when Winona freed up, Joe grabbed her for an interview.  Emily and I chatted and I found out that she actually lived in Noblesville for 2 months when her husband was on a 2-year stint as the Director of Connor Prairie.  Small world!  I had shared with her a neat story of Winona that she really loved. As Winona wrapped up with Joe, I called to her so Emily could say hello and I walked on to my next adventure.  I ran into Winona later and she asked me to tell her the story too.  Pretty exciting for this Groupie!

Had an unexpected encounter that was a real joy. After seeing her three times and thinking, “I know this girl” (but feeling unsure as she was not with the normal associates I see her with)… I was elated when Brandy Toft came up and gave me a hug.  I asked where her partner was and she reported that she was here on official business – turns out she is a Leech Lake Environmental Advisor.  [As you highly observant folks will remember from above, she was one of the Rail River speakers.  I was doubly sorry to have arrived late.]  It was a great joy to introduce her to Sylvia who was sure Brandy would be a great contact for Sadie, her daughter who is studying oil issues and will be stateside soon.

All-in-all, I felt a vibe of not really seeing how the public viewpoint was really going to matter much.  I think there was a feeling by many that this was more a dog-and-pony show than anything that will truly be considered and possibly make a difference.  But it was good to feel the solidarity of the crowd, participate in the shout-outs and see some media presence.  It was good to see so many people participating in civic responsibility.  I did ask every representative with whom I spoke that night, “What does all this matter really? If 90% of us all say we’re in opposition, will it truly change anything?” and what I got in response was a lot of cheerleading for the process.  “This is the most exciting part of our work.” “It’s so important to have citizen input.”  “There will be a response to every one of the public comments.” [I found out later it’s every “unique” comment.  So only every topic will be addressed, not every comment.]  No one would commit to whether or not the public comments would really make a difference in the decision made by the US Department of State.

Here are several links regarding the event:

http://www.honorearth.org/bemidjiclipper

News Coverage of the event:

http://www.mprnews.org/story/2017/03/08/hundreds-protest-proposed-alberta-clipper-oil-expansion

http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/news/4230774-pipeline-opponents-supporters-gather-bemidji-meeting-enbridge-expansion-request

Fun fact: I think I was the last person to submit public comment via the computers at the event which were logged in to www.Regulations.gov.  The gal providing tech support was Jamie and I noted that I was also Jami.  A third gal came up while we were getting me set to make my comment – she had a question – and it turns out she is Jaime.  We had to take a photo.  That’s Jaime, Jamie and Jami. 🙂

Here’s the comment I posted as the evening came to a close:

Agency: U.S. Department of State (DOS)
Document Type: Nonrulemaking
Title: Environmental Impact Statements; Availability, etc.: Proposed Enbridge Energy, Limited Partnership Line 67 Expansion Project; Public Meeting
Document ID: DOS-2017-0009-0001

Comment:
With everything there is some level of risk. And this study is geared to assess the risk. Having not yet read it in detail, I will make general comments here.
What do we know for sure? We know that we got the run-around from Enbridge in using Line 3 to work around the fact that they did not have approval to cross the border with Line 67. This deception should clearly show the lengths to which they are willing to go to make a dime.
We know that water is essential for life. And we know that oil pipelines tend, more and more of late, to leak. We also know that this oil in Line 67 is some of the worst of the worst, the most corrosive of products, the most energy intensive from which to gain energy. Are we truly considering how much energy goes in to getting a product to make energy? Are we at the point of insanity where we’re expending more on this than we’re gaining?
And we should all see the changing and worsening effects on our climate to the carbon we continue to pump into our atmosphere. If we listen to Bill McKibben and Do the Math (Rolling Stone article denoting the risk of continuing to add carbon to our air), then we will see that the risk of approving this pipeline crossing, only so they can pump more and more oil out of the ground, is too much.
We also know that this oil is basically going from one country, through our land, only to be exported. We have no gain in this and only risk of losing the cleanliness of our water, the beauty of our environment.
Because we also know that, once the oil does leak, it’s impossible to contain. It’s impossible to clean up the mess. Look at Kalamazoo. Should we blame Enbridge for hiding the fact that they weren’t really cleaning up but covering up? Didn’t they have an impossible task? If you can’t truly clean it up, why not try to cover it up instead? It’s more cost effective. Have we incorporated this deceit into the report? Or are we turning a blind eye, pretending they didn’t really do that?
So, to be truly complete, this study needs to consider that we need LESS carbon in our air. We need to KEEP IT IN THE GROUND.
I don’t know that we can stop the powers that be. The big corporation that wants to make money from selling oil, no matter how cheap it gets, making those profits smaller and smaller. The thirst of the world, with America being a huge portion of the problem, for oil. The addiction we have to a fuel that makes everything so much easier.
But this is my small attempt to give voice to Mother Earth. To stand for the Water. To stand for the People whose land will be destroyed if we continue this madness.
I am hopeful that we are truly considering, in their full impact, the above concerns as the decision is made on whether this pipeline crossing is approved.

(One typo fixed from addition to addiction.)

I encourage you to also post a comment should you feel so drawn.  You can do so here: https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=DOS-2017-0009-0001  I plan to read more deeply into the SEIS and post further comment as is necessary.

BTW, here’s some totally unrelated but really good news of people power.  http://www.yesmagazine.org/peace-justice/defunding-police-how-antiracist-organizers-got-seattle-to-listen-20170309?utm_source=YTW&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=20170310

Running Away to the Woods

Tags

sustainability, Trump

I am feeling better and better about our timing for this move to the woods.  The country seems to be falling apart quickly and I hope to find some safety amongst the trees.   While I listen to NPR quite a lot, I’m no longer feeling like I live in “civilization”, which may be a good decision… as “civilization” seems to be in rapid decline of late.

Some feel that I am hiding out, copping out, not doing all I can to help make a difference.   And even I feel like there are things I would like to do: tie myself to a barrel like my friend Katherine to oppose the pipeline in Iowa https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1780391688952255&set=a.1757318134592944.1073741834.100009443235384&type=3&theater; write articles for The Nation like my comrade Bill McKibben https://www.thenation.com/article/exxon-knew-everything-there-was-to-know-about-climate-change-by-the-mid-1980s-and-denied-it/; disrupt local propaganda meetings by Enbridge  like my sister Winona LaDuke http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/news/local/4179373-you-couldnt-hear-you-couldnt-sit-activists-asked-leave-enbridge-meeting-tuesday.  These people are my heroes.  But these are not my strengths.  And these are not where my heart is being called.  Maybe I will do some of these things again someday.  But for today, I am largely observant of the world at large.  This is in part due to feeling a bit helpless to make a difference, though I do continue to burn sage and send out positive energy, but also more in my desire to focus on learning to live more simply.  It’s what my heart has been called to do for some time now.

In this time of observation, I am standing for a life that is more sustainable.  Rather than marching or going someplace to be counted, to have my voice heard, I stay here.  I am quietly living a life that is less dependent on fossil fuels than I have ever lived in the past.  Yes, I still go to town occasionally and I still use electricity, more than I’d like at present.  I still buy juice in plastic containers and have too much garbage.  I still have a long way to go.  But I have come a long way too.  I use a lot less fossil fuel products than I ever have.  And it feels good to be in the process of transitioning to a simpler, more sustainable life.

I am confident in saying I am a better steward of water than most.  I do not poop and pee in potable water.  I gather water from the dehumidifier and use it for showers or other non-potable purposes.  Until this week, I have lived on water carried in – typically less than two gallons/day, sometimes less than one.  But now that I have running water, I am using only water gathered from the sky.  I continue to use as little as possible because the cisterns only hold so much and there are no guarantees on when they will have additions.

I happened upon The Farm Whisperer website the other day and I think this explains it well.  http://farmwhisperer.com/about-website

“Rather than spend your time, effort, money, and energy on fighting the juggernaut, invest it in your own projects which set you free of the need for those products. Rather than march in protest, plant a garden. Why carry signs when you can use the lumber and time to build a chicken coop? Every little thing you do for yourself is a protest. Take away their power by becoming independent. Share what you are doing, help spread this knowledge so that others can repeat and build upon your efforts.” ~ Ken Peavey

The fact that Dan and I are working to get more and more independent for our daily needs is our own form of protest.  We are saying goodbye to the American Dream of working for 30-45 years, consuming our share (more really as Americans use a disproportionate share of the world’s resources), and then retiring to a life of leisure.  We have worked, have earned some income, which allowed us to build this dream.  Now we plan to work for ourselves to grow food, care for the forest, and share surplus with friends and neighbors.  We will still be a part of the consumer society as we can never be fully self-sufficient.  But we will hopefully make a much lighter impact on Mother Earth traveling this new path.

It’s a quieter life but there is also a sense of Rewilding here.

Rewild, v; to return to a more wild or self-willed state; the process of undoing domestication. Synonyms: undomesticate, uncivilize. ~ http://www.urbanscout.org/

Our home is not unlike other cabins in that I have a bed in which to sleep, comfy chairs, a refrigerator, a microwave, a washing machine, a radio.  I have four sewing machines for goodness sake!  Way more than most “cabins” probably.  But I don’t have all the creature comforts many Americans enjoy: a furnace to regulate heat, a conventional stove, TV with cable, flush toilets, cell phone service.  I have a cell phone, just not really any service!  And I have returned to the world of land lines… a requirement for having internet access here in Rural America (because they get a kickback from the government for every “telephone” they install).

So in a sense I am “uncivilized”.  And I am mostly happy without these things.  I prefer watching the birds to the television, hearing the fire instead of the furnace clicking on, taking time to commune with the trees as I gather deadwood for fires.  Snuggling with the cat and reading a book gives me comfort.  Passing the days in solitude finds me taking time to craft and create, cook a pot of soup, make a cup of tea.

I’ve recently been talking with friends about “A” women (those who would rather pee inside) and “B” women (those comfortable peeing outside).  https://permies.com/t/3965/women-peeing-outdoors  Peeing outside gives me a sense of being a pioneer.  Before I became a convert at Dancing Rabbit in 2014, I thought it would be awkward, gross, weird.  And it’s still some of those things sometimes.  But I feel good knowing that I’m giving back nitrogen and phosphorus to the planet and that I’m preventing the waste of water, a most valuable resource, on something as mundane as carrying my waste to… somewhere?

Seeing the trees all day long, hearing the birds, watching the squirrels chase.  It is all making me feel more in touch with our planet.  I feel a greater need to make decisions about how I live in a way that will protect these things… act as if they too are important, just as important to this planet as human life.  Actually, they are MORE important than human life.  I am of the camp that believes humans, as a species, have been the most devastating plague this planet has ever experienced.  And I think it may be that Gaia is trying to shake us off with the earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, floods, droughts and hurricanes.

So I listen to NPR and keep up with the world happenings to a degree.  I will say it’s quite embarrassing listening to the coverage of 45 talking with other world leaders.  While they sound diplomatic, tactful, respectful… he sounds like an unpolished nube (I know, you thought I was going to say turd, but I didn’t), oblivious to the effect his off-the-cuff remarks may have.  I admit that I still laugh when the obvious questions are asked.  “What should we tell the citizens of countries who are concerned about your statements?”  He doesn’t care!  Why waste breath asking this question?  He’s in his own alternate reality where he is a superstar and everyone thinks he’s “great” and all the problems are fixed with the stroke of his pen.

And I fear that many in this country still believe he can too.  They are breathlessly awaiting the magic moment when all will be “great again”.  They don’t understand how people think 45 is “arrogant”.  They still see him as the answer.  And 45 lives in a world where he has no critics (or at least none with any validity).    Did you hear he reported no complaints about pushing for the go ahead for DAPL?  I think unplugging the White House phones to incoming calls was the reason why.  While there may be good things that come of his tenure, I truly feel that they will mostly come from the opposition to his ideas, not from the implementation of them.  And it’s good to see people standing up.  It gives me hope that we won’t just go down without a fight.  And that there is hope for not becoming a despotic nation.

Meanwhile, I’ll be here in the woods… trying to figure out how to live more sustainably each day and less reliant on the workings of “civilization”.  As this dream has materialized, many have changed from calling me crazy a decade ago to saying now, “I think you may be on the right track with that plan.”  I’ve issued invites for friends and acquaintances to come see what we’re doing.  I’ve even noted that we would enjoy some company on the journey.  Most just shake their heads, unable to see reason, desire or ability (I’m never sure which) to join us.  But if things keep going downhill at the rate they are, I just hope they don’t all decide to come up and join us next week!  Maybe we’ll have some good supports in place in a year or two.  And maybe by then, some will be ready to head to the woods too.

A Political Perspective Before our Electoral College Votes

Tags

Democrats

Well, the night of the election I was pretty much in shock.  While I was not a Hillary supporter, I truly did think she’d win.  I knew she was unpopular. I knew she wouldn’t bring out the vote the way Bernie brought out the masses.  But I had no idea the troll she opposed would garner the voter turnout he did as people looked past the limited vocabulary, the misogynistic comments, the grade school bully behavior, and the crude tweets.   But he did.

By the second day I was at a point where I could think, “Well, the Universe knows what it’s doing.  All will be well.  There will be a groundswell of grassroots resistance to his ideas and we’ll all survive.”  I was able to stay there for a few weeks but the more he revealed his picks for cabinet appointments and other top posts, the more concerned I became.  And now, with the nomination of Big Oil ally and climate change denier Scott Pruitt to head the EPA, I’m realizing this may be more that we can overcome.  http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/07/us/politics/scott-pruitt-epa-trump.html

I had some hope when I heard about Trump’s meeting with the NY Times where he did agree that there is a man-made effect on climate change. http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2016/11/trump-now-believes-manmade-climate-change-real But this guy Pruitt?  Really?  This is the guy who still thinks the jury is out on Climate Change while the rest of the world has been able to look at the data, or at least their own weather, and realize there is definitely something different about our world these days.  He even sued the EPA – this agency he’s being nominated to lead – to try to block the Clean Power Plan.  https://www.epa.gov/cleanpowerplan/fact-sheet-clean-power-plan-overview

But I think I’ve figured it out.  Have you heard that Trump hasn’t been attending the security briefings?  http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/donald-trump-has-attended-only-two-intel-briefings-steep-drop-n687916  Yeah, the Nube to politics doesn’t think he needs to attend these {though his call with Taiwan’s president clearly showed he can use some schooling}.  But have you noticed who is attending?  Pence!  And this morning, while listening to Kerri Miller on MPR, I realized Trump’s plan.  He’s just going to leave the work to Pence while he visits stadiums full of supporters and gets his weekly fix to keep his ego fed.  Yes, Pence will actually BE the president while Trump takes credit for all that works and (Pence might not have figured this part out yet…) throws Pence under the bus for each failure.

There was a brief but eye-opening summary in, of all places, the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette.  {Thankfully I have a friend there who forwards info to my dad and I was in the loop when he shared it}.  http://www.journalgazette.net/opinion/columns/Historically–GOP-power-bad-for-nation-16485881  Here’s the basics.  The last two times we’ve had a Republican President with majorities in both houses of Congress were 1) GW Bush from 2003-2007 and 2) Hoover in 1928 following Coolidge.  What did they give us?

1. GW’s Republican national government took us into two wars, passed tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, and increased the rate of government growth by 11 percent.  In a mere eight years, they doubled the national debt leaving an annual deficit of $1.4 trillion while America was shedding 800,000 jobs per month. The Dow Jones had declined to 6,900.  And worse…
2. The Republican plan in 1928 of tax cuts, immigration restrictions, deregulation of Wall Street, high tariffs and low wages created the greatest economic crisis our country has faced – the Great Depression.

OK, now I’m scared.  I think our only hope now is that the Electoral College voters have been watching and realizing they must cast for Clinton if we have any chance of saving our planet, let alone our republic.  Otherwise, it’s gonna be up to the “publicity-addicted casino operator”.

Photo Credits: http://fortune.com/video/2016/04/21/donald-trump-businessman/ & a book about 1993

Standing with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe for No DAPL

Tags

activism, DAPL, sustainability

I was in disbelief on hearing about what is being reported by Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier about “reports of uh, weapons, of uh, pipebombs, of some shots fired, of vandalism happening in that area, and uh, assaults on private security”… and you should be in disbelief too.  The focus of this endeavor has been repeated time and again by leaders at the protest:

This is a non-violent, peaceful action.  No weapons, drugs or alcohol are allowed.  We are here to peacefully Protect the Earth and Defend the Water.

Our trip to Cannon Ball, ND was quite an experience.  Since we were on a short trip, we agreed getting arrested was not advisable.  I was expecting a bail of $100-150 but bail was set at $250.  I didn’t bring quite that much cash and did not want to be a burden on the tribal funds supporting the bail efforts.  If you’d like to donate, you can contribute to the fundrazr here:  https://fundrazr.com/d19fAf

The arrival began with a roadblock as concrete barriers were being put in place to “protect the construction workers”.  While the Water Defenders are participating in a non-violent resistance where no weapons are permitted, the security workers and police are heavily armed with automatic weapons and tasers.  https://youtu.be/K_FKlo9VhLc

Once we passed the block, we pulled over to park and join the Resistance.  It was inspiring.  There was praying and singing and dancing as I cried and stood awestruck by the peaceful power.  https://youtu.be/AvYycioWjBc

I was quite excited to meet Kevin (K-Love) almost immediately on our arrival.  I’d seen video of him on FB prior to our departure from Alexandria where he was fulfilling one of the items I have on my bucket list, getting arrested as an activist. He gave me a
long and warm hug which was a big welcome. I also spoke to one of the Sheriffs to thank him for his service and to let him know we appreciated that they didn’t really want to be here either.  He said he understood our stance and if I could spread a good word about them, that would be good.  I told him we’re not the ones they should worry about, we’re not the ones with the guns.  The security from the pipeline are the ones to fear I told him. They’re carrying the big guns.  (No hug from the Sheriff…) 🙂

We found Joye and she gave directed us to first set camp at the Sacred Stone campground (on land provided by LaDonna Brave Bull Allard, the historic preservation officer for SRST).  Once we set camp and delivered the food and supplies we’d brought, we were to work to set up a charging station for cell phones and laptops.  In the end, the equipment was not capable to provide what we needed.  Prior to leaving for town on a fruitless search to find needed equipment, we witnessed the arrest of Heather Belgarde.  She stood on the barricade with a flag.  Others had been walking and standing on the barricade all day but for some reason, the law enforcement could not abide her standing in place with her flag.  They asked her to stand down and then pulled her from the barricade to arrest her. There were no female officers attending to her arrest. Here is video of the event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4mAT1L5KBg

Following this arrest, invited leader Mekasi Horinek, stood on the barrier admonishing the officers.  What they were doing was wrong.  Yet he humbly reminded everyone that we are standing in peace.  We will not resort to violence.  I couldn’t help but wonder how they do it.  With such unfair treatment, over and over again, they continued to stand together peaceably.

We arrived back at the protest area to find that there had been a major change in events.  The Oglala Spirit Riders had risen up, pushing law enforcement back.  And, an unplanned youth action where several young women jumped the fence to run toward the equipment in the construction area had resulted in a shutdown of activity for the day.  They approached the men asking if they had children, admonishing them to find alternative work.  When asked what they were doing, they said, “taking a stroll”. One crew member informed them this was private land and Black Shawl Woman replied that this was why the construction crew needed to leave.  The men were bewildered and did not know what to do.  The girls ran for the river and swam over to the camp at Sacred Stone.  (Later you will get a better idea of how long a journey this was.)

Our efforts soon after focused on helping prepare the evening meal.  Sylvia is a wonderful cook and she created an amazing goulash from random donated food we dug up in the supply tents.  I was helpful in keeping the mini “rocket” stove stoked to heat her pot.  Meanwhile, Rita worked on finalizing the salad she’d brought partially prepared.  These dishes were both delish additions to the other dishes that were provided to serve the over 200 people.  Our numbers increased greatly today with about 250 arriving from Cheyenne River and more on the way.  A second overflow camp was started closer to the Protest Site with lovely teepees sprouting up one after another.

We enjoyed getting to know people from all across the nation who have gathered together here to stand for the water.  Met Adam from Up to Us – he’s from Dayton, Ohio and was amazed to meet a girl from Fairborn.  Met Phil from Colorado – he and his buddy have been travelling, most recently to the DNC, protesting.  Billy and her kids who were hanging around after dinner – they are local and, like many, made us feel so welcome.  Bess, from Washington State, who is free as a bird with no debt and few possessions and who cracked us up with her hilarious statements.  Sylvia and Rita shared that during lunch prep the next day, she noted that they were slapping together sandwiches so efficiently that they “could start a church”.

The first night had been spent in a hotel after arriving at 1 AM to the Bismark area and this second night in our tent would be quite different.  While it was comfortable with only a blanket initially, it soon became clear that the sleeping bags would be necessary.  I can’t imagine how cold it’s been camping here since April!  It is the height of summer for crying out loud!  And I’m bundled in a sleeping bag!  Since we’d staked our tent on a bit of a hill, we had to keep re-positioning throughout the night.  At one point, I awoke, half off my mat, and as I pushed up to regain the lost ground, I looked over to find Rita curled up with her head on the sleeping mat and the rest of her body in a ball at the door to the tent. I had to laugh out loud.

The next morning we were aroused with a loudspeaker playing drums and chants and a guy yelling to “Get up, Get Up” and get to the site.  We dressed quickly, hoping to be present at the prayer circle held every morning prior to the arrival of the construction crew.  We were there in plenty of time and were able to receive purification smudge and listen as the leaders reminded us of the primary criteria we needed to keep in mind:

• This is a peaceful protest. No guns or weapons of any kind are allowed.  We are not violent in any way.  We are simply standing together for our water.
• We are a unified gathering. While we may have different practices and ways, we are all together here for one reason, to protect our river. Native people have gathered in these lands for centuries with no bloodshed because of respect for each other’s rights.  We ask to be included, to be welcomed, and we respect each other’s ways.  And we do not act as individuals but as a tribe with a single purpose, peacefully resisting the potential destruction a pipeline would bring.

Our leader, Mekasi, asked his sister to do the prayer, after we heard from Dana of Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and she gave a wonderful prayer while Mekasi sang.  Shortly after, we received word that the construction crew that normally awaits the Sheriff escort, a ways north up the road, was nowhere to be seen.  No construction crew, no law enforcement, no one was coming!!  Phyllis gave us a history and legal review and then Mekasi took a moment to recognize Heather Belgarde from the day before.  While her action was not planned, it was driven by her heart and she was recognized as a Warrior.  She was walked around the circle so we could all see her and thank her.  I felt blessed to be standing so near to Mekasi’s sister (I’d moved up earlier to be able to hear Phyllis speak) who stopped Mekasi after this presentation and asked to speak about Heather’s dad.  She told Heather, and us all, that she knew Heather’s Father.  She had been one of the few women on the first Dakota 38 ride and he’d been instrumental in that ride, working with the horses and making sure all went well.  He was a Warrior and she too was a Warrior.  It was
a beautiful recognition, honoring both Heather and her Father.  Heather teared up as she spoke and then came over to give her a hug in thanks.  Heather is young.  I kept thinking she was too young to have lost her father already.  But I will remember her name.  And I will remember that she is a Warrior.

Rita and Sylvia went back to camp for coffee and to cook while I stayed at the Protest Site.  There were songs, stories and gatherings as we kept watch.  From atop the hill to the north, there continued to be a single vehicle, parked watching the site.  We were under surveillance.  But we were going nowhere.

Several people spoke or sang songs, like Tyrell from Pine Ridge, a “common man” who sang beautifully. One girl, Black Shawl Woman, had jumped the fence to run the previous day and she recounted her feelings as she ran.  She spoke of feeling her ancestors with her and the drumbeat of her heart as their feet pounding the earth beside her.  As I had sat with these young women recounting their story of running the previous day, Chuck, a Cheyenne River member, noted that, in olden days, they would be singing their stories.  One of the most beautiful things I heard this morning was from Chuck.

Here are security men in body armor holding tasers and automatic weapons faced by Women and Children with Sage in their Hands

Chuck was one of the most hospitable people I met in these two days.  He was a bright light for me.  I met many others too.  Waldo who shared the story of losing his wife and how it affected his daughters, and him.  Nicholas who’d been a Super volunteer for Bernie’s campaign – we had a lot to share together.  Donna who’d brought Johnny from Stevens Point, WI.  Shunka and his humans who’d come from Philly.  Frank Martin, a teacher on the Rez.  Richard Gray Day who encouraged us with stories on arrival of the pending masses.  Ryan from Aloha Ke Akua Healing Center.

Later Rita and Sylvia brought peach oatmeal and sandwiches for the hungry people.  And we ate some of the cabbage and peanut butter I’d brought.  I noticed that the gates were open and Water Defenders were streaming through into the construction site.  I wondered aloud what was happening.  We headed to the gate and though we asked several what was happening, all we heard was, “They’re walking to the river.”  We didn’t know if this was sanctioned but I knew I wanted to see over the hill.  We could see very little from the Protest Site, just the beginning of a road.  So we headed inside. https://youtu.be/xOtskgHG9Rw

It was amazing to me that the distance to the river was quite far.  Each time we’d think we would be there, there was another distance to cross.  I don’t know how they are going to make it to the river from 1806 – it’s a long way.  We walked for about an hour to get to the Missouri River.  And the river itself is a massive expanse.  It’s edges ever-changing.  Why on Earth would we think it’s a good idea to put a pipeline carrying dirty oil under this source of life?

Along the way, we were blessed by a young girl handing us stems of sage.  Her name was Delilah and she was a delight.  We met up again with her at the river where we dipped our sage.  I was not willing to let this sacred memento go into the river but instead offered tobacco.  I will burn this sage some special time to come.  Perhaps when we have won this battle.  Delilah’s aunt Dominique also gave us a blessing from the Creator, bringing us to tears.  The loving kindness of these people we have met is palpable.  We swallow it whole and carry it with us from here onward.

It was often the case that we felt completely welcome and involved.  It was very rare to feel any distrust or negativity.  But I would like to review one experience as it was a big realization for me on this journey.  Two young women were talking near me.  After they’d been talking for some time, I’d asked politely if I could join them and Black Shawl Woman welcomed me but the other woman seemed nonplussed by my arrival.  I listened to their stories and thanked them for their bravery but the one woman never seemed to warm to me, directing all her commentary to only Black Shawl Woman and turning away from me.  My friend Rita educated me on the fact that, in Native culture, it is common that  eyes don’t meet until there is trust and knowledge of each other.  There are so many subtle layers of culture and this was one of many aspects not firmly ingrained in my wheelhouse.  And, while I know there was no reason for any of these people to trust me, it was simply one instance that felt different after so many open and friendly welcomes.  Later, when we arrived at home in Alexandria, while telling Danny and Jon about our journey, Danny noted that there were probably many who were wary of us.  We were strangers coming into their space and surely it would be easy to pose as a protester while truly working for the pipeline people.  WOW!  This just didn’t even cross my mind.  With these new pieces of information, I could let go of any hard feeling I had felt toward the quiet woman.  I have a deeper kind of understanding, a new perspective to consider.  That husband of mine is quite thoughtful.  And this is why I keep him around… or so he sometimes jokes.

There is so little on this in the media but many videographers and bloggers keeping the messages coming.  Here are some things you might want to review for more information.

An associated article from Winona LaDuke relating the MN happenings to this situation: http://www.inforum.com/opinion/4095347-laduke-column-dakota-access-pipeline-purchaser-looking-enron

http://www.unicornriot.ninja/?p=8409 Unicorn Riot excellent reporting on the issue

Videos:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80Ecs80tYYU&feature=em-share_video_user Kristen Graves beautiful song and video on the fight.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC66Biusccc  LAKOTA PROTEST USING THE SPIRIT HORSES
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-B-RI_utUw  Standing Rock Leadership Arrested at No Dakota Access Protest 8/12/16

Initial Press Release: http://indigenousrising.org/spirit-camp-warriors-stand-in-path-of-the-dakota-access-pipeline/

Good summary with details: http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2016/08/dakota-access-pipeline-digging-up-human.html

Victory!! (For the moment) http://www.mitchellrepublic.com/news/state/4097005-north-dakota-pipeline-construction-halted-until-court-date#.V7YOEuu6kBg.facebook