Knifing tipis and pointing loaded rifles at indigenous organizers: That’s how they cleared the prayer camp at Standing Rock.1
The closure of the main camp at Standing Rock was a hard thing to watch, even from afar. Police moved through the smoke of structures burned in ceremonial fires, arresting and chasing down anyone who remained.2 But if, like me, you watched the final hours of Oceti Sakowin Camp with deep sadness, you should know this is not the end of our movement or fight. We have work to do.
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Indigenous Environmental Network, Native Organizers Alliance and many of our other allies have called for a mass demonstration on March 10th to carry the momentum from Standing Rock forward.3
Join ‘Native Nations Rising: Rise with Standing Rock’ on March 10 to stand in solidarity with Standing Rock and Indigenous nations across the county.
If you live elsewhere, not to worry, there are sister marches planned in major cities around the country. Click here to search for a March 10 event near you, or sign up to host one.
The camps at Standing Rock aren’t gone, but they did have to relocate. With the imminent flooding and order by the North Dakota Governor to vacate the land, new camps are forming on higher ground.4 And while closing of the Oceti Sakowin Camp is deeply sad, it’s not the end of our fight to stop this pipeline.
Beginning on March 7, an Indigenous-led coalition will establish a tipi camp near the Washington Monument. For the next two days we’ll rally, plan and strategize. Then, on March 10, our actions will culminate in a march through Washington D.C., and solidarity marches and rallies around the country.
Our actions support 3 main demands:
- Take The Meeting: President Trump must meet with tribal leaders to hear why it’s critical that the US government respect tribal rights. This administration must work with us.
- Consent Not Consultation: Tribal interests cannot continue to be marginalized in favor of the interests of corporations and other governments. Consultation is not enough– we must require consent.
- Native Nations Rise: Calling on all tribal nations to rise with Standing Rock to protect our rights and to take a stand for our sovereignty.
To all of those who were spurred to action because of this fight, we need you now more than ever. Come what may, no one can extinguish the fire that Standing Rock started. It burns within each of us. So let’s rise, let’s resist, let’s thrive.
If you’ll be in or near Washington D.C. next week, RSVP here to join us for a march to the White House. If you live elsewhere, please click here to search for a March 10 event near you, or sign up to host one.
See you in the streets on March 10,
Drew and the 198 methods to stop a pipeline crew.
Photo in header by Lucas Zhao
1 – https://twitter.com/RuthHHopkins/status/834845947138023424
2 – http://nyti.ms/2m3JGz7
– https://www.democracynow.org/2017/2/23/we_have_to_keep_fighting_water
3 – http://nativenationsrise.org
4 – https://medium.com/@jade.begay/standing-rock-the-fight-to-keep-fossil-fuels-in-the-ground-c4cbd5c229b7#.z4ys3q91x
Just for fun – https://youtu.be/XV1DK9tSHio