Battling the Black Snake

The coming of the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines have fulfilled the Lakota prophecy of a terrible black snake meant to bring harm to the people of Turtle Island. Native organizers stand on the front lines every day to protect the sacred systems of Unci Maka, our Grandmother Earth. Mni Wiconi -- water is life!

Your voice is needed. For though the resistance at Standing Rock has been forcibly paused and oil now flows through the Dakota Access pipeline, the struggle to protect the health and safety of the tribe and people downstream isn't over. Quickly and quietly, Energy Transfer Partners is planning to more than double the amount of oil DAPL carries, to more than a million barrels a day. And they're doing this -- once more -- without the consent of the people.
 

Big Oil assures us that increasing oil flow through pipelines isn't dangerous, but U.S. regulators say their information doesn't back that claim. And tar sands crude -- the type of oil DAPL carries -- is a special threat: corrosive to infrastructure, it caused a million-gallon spill into the Kalamazoo River in Michigan not long ago. The United States suffers hundreds of liquid pipeline incidents every year. Why should we trust Big Oil's word?
 

Between now and the deadline for input on Aug. 9, we will do everything we can to ensure a public hearing -- the first step in stopping DAPL from becoming twice as dangerous. The Black Snake's presence must not be allowed to fester and grow without pushback from every corner of Turtle Island. Will you stand with us once again to ensure the safety of our people and our sacred land and water? You can use our form to send an email telling North Dakota’s Public Service Commission that the people must be heard!

Wopila Tanka -- Thank you for making a difference! Mni Wiconi.

Chase Iron Eyes
Lead Counsel
The Lakota People's Law Project

Victory for Pine Ridge!

Mission accomplished! After more than 1,200 of you sent emails in a single day, the White House declared a public assistance disaster for the Oglala Sioux Tribe -- a major victory for Pine Ridge, where 97 percent of the people live below the poverty line. This incredible news means that the Oglala will receive more than $10 million in support to rebuild public infrastructure like roads, water systems, and public housing. While it's an extremely satisfying conclusion to months of hard work, we must not rest on our laurels. Lakota People's Law Project's flood relief efforts have been costly but well worth the investment. Your generosity now can provide for the crucial battles ahead. Please give today -- and consider making a monthly contribution -- as we gear up to defeat the Keystone XL pipeline and assist Pine Ridge's full recovery.

Oglala President Calls for Federal Disaster Relief

Over the past month, two massive Winter Storms brought flooding and chaos to the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Flooding from the first storm alone displaced 1,500 tribal citizens from their homes and damaged nearly 100 structures. Many still remain without access to potable water and many roads are still impassable. Top priorities to care for displaced families and elders are bottled water and storage containers, nonperishable food, diapers, toilet paper, and hygiene products. They also need things as simple as generators, fuel containers, water pumps, shovels, and other tools. Pine Ridge now faces millions of dollars of damage. Recovery will take a long time. Join Oglala Sioux Tribal President Julian Bear Runner in calling for a federal declaration of disaster in South Dakota. Please send an email to President Trump today! To join the call for a federal declaration of disaster in South Dakota please visit the OGLALA OYANKE RELIEF website.

Mongolia's Ten Sacred Mountains

Mongolia is unique in that it has ten sacred mountains protected by Presidential Decree. Paying homage to sacred mountains has been integral to shamanic practice in Mongolia, and the country has some of the oldest, official, continuously protected sites in the world, dating back to the 13th century. Mongolia's commitment to the veneration and protection of sacred natural sites is both a spiritual and practical custom that weaves together religious traditions, cultural practices and political legitimacy. The rituals and practices involved with revering these sacred places -- and the environmental stewardship that results -- intersects with longstanding political tradition and leadership of the state. No other country in the world can claim this history. Mongolia's political respect for and deference to the sacred landscape connects the sacred with the profane, equating spiritual well-being with the health of the people and the interests of the nation. In turn, these policies have become central to ecological conservation today. While other countries search for ways to incorporate environmentalism into their national conversation and impress upon their citizens the need for ecological awareness and conservation, Mongolia's approach to conservation as both a spiritual and practical matter is compelling. As Mongolian shaman Buyanbadrakh says, "The traditional ways of worshiping and protecting sacred places are the best way to care for nature." Read more.

Native American Voter Suppression

Standing Rock is now known worldwide for the protests over the Dakota Access pipeline, which were ongoing in the period leading up to the 2016 elections. But the advocates and celebrities who flooded into the region have nearly all left. And Standing Rock's own energy and activism hasn't translated to the ballot box, for reasons both ancient and recent. This week the United States Supreme Court chose not to overturn a new North Dakota voter ID requirement that could effectively disenfranchise thousands of Native voters for the upcoming election on Nov. 6. It's pure institutionalized racism, and it threatens the future of North Dakota and our nation. Mobilization is now more important than ever. In North Dakota, every vote really does count. Because of their relatively small population, it's possible for statewide election results to change based on a couple hundred votes -- and as of now, the court's ruling means thousands of Native voices could be eliminated from the rolls on election day. Read more.

Support Standing Rock's Landmark Case

The Lakota People's Law Project is asking for donations to fund the upcoming legal battle to protect Standing Rock activist, Chase Iron Eyes. The necessity defense of Chase could set a precedent to protect not only land and water, but freedom of speech itself. This trial can help create a permanent legal framework to protect indigenous, environmental, and civil rights. This trial may prove to be the most important of our generation. At this crucial juncture, they ask you to give once again. They must raise $200,000 for expert witnesses, investigators, their travel, and the capacity to categorize all the evidence. As Lakota People’s Law Project Chief Counsel Daniel Sheehan discusses in a new video, the information they have already gathered from deposing law enforcement officials is very encouraging. When people go under oath, they often stop lying.

Standing Rock Defense Fund

Photo by Lucas Zhao

The Lakota People's Law Project is asking for donations to fund the upcoming legal battles to protect Standing Rock activists, Chase Iron Eyes and HolyElk Lafferty. The necessity defenses of Chase and HolyElk could set a precedent to protect not only land and water, but freedom of speech itself. These trials can help create a permanent legal framework to protect indigenous, environmental, and civil rights. If you choose not to give monetarily, they ask your thoughts and prayers for these two brave warriors. All the medicine you can provide is much appreciated as the team gathers evidence and prepares for the fight. These trials may prove to be two of the most important of our generation. Heal. Unify. Resist.

"My Seven Months of Living at Standing Rock"

Photo by Desiree Kane

Desiree Kane arrived at Standing Rock in the very last days of May, alongside some comrades, at the request of Wiyaka Eagleman, the first firekeeper at Camp of the Sacred Stones and a founding member of the Keystone XL campaign. He had put out a call to folks in Indian Country for support, and she answered. Over the months, Desiree worked on the security and media teams and always had her camera. Her photos show some of the defining moments of the past seven months--some that made it to mainstream media coverage and others unseen until now. At its peak, Oceti Sakowin Camp has supported as many as 11,000 people, all focused on standing in solidarity with the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota people who lay claim to land through the 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie. Both the pipeline and the camps are on these lands. Read more.

Peace at Standing Rock

Latest news, – A Huge Win! Just announced. President Obama has instructed the Army Corps of Engineers to deny the easement required to run the Dakota Access Pipeline past Standing Rock! A notice of intent has been issued. A Notice of Intent (NOI) is a formal announcement of intent to prepare an EIS as defined in Council. The Environmental Impact Statement is a more thorough and in-depth evaluation of the risks of building the pipeline either under or close to Lake Oahe, the water supply the demonstrators have been protecting since April 2016. Your voice, and the voices of thousands of others, helped tip the balance in favor of the Water Protectors bravely standing to block the pipeline's passage through fragile, sacred lands. Read more.

Lakota People's Law Project

The Lakota People's Law Project is committed to defending the rights of South Dakota's Native American families, exposing the epidemic of illegal seizures of Lakota children by the state of South Dakota, working towards the structural solution to end this injustice, and stopping the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). The movement to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline continues into the New Year, and the Lakota people need your support now more than ever. President Obama's denial of the permit to drill beneath Lake Oahe hasn't deterred the pipeline's developers, Energy Transfer Partners. They immediately vowed to ignore the order, and President elect Donald Trump has already stated he will ensure the pipeline is finished once he takes office. To learn how you can help visit http://lakotalaw.org/.

Standing Rock Wins Big Victory

Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Fireworks filled the night sky above Oceti Sakowin Camp as activists celebrated after learning an easement had been denied for the Dakota Access Pipeline near the edge of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation on December 4, 2016 outside Cannon Ball, North Dakota. The US Army Corps of Engineers announced Sunday that it will not grant an easement to the Dakota Access Pipeline to cross under Lake Oahe on the Sioux Tribes Standing Rock reservation, ending a months-long standoff. Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Chairman Dave Archambault II released a Statement on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers decision to not grant easement.

Now is the Time to Stand

Dakota Access Pipeline Protest

Now is the time to take action. It's time to build a reciprocal relationship of meaning to the Earth and to each other. Protect the Waters in the place you call home -- this is our first source of life. Become a person of place. Put down roots where you are; learn the people, animals, and plants. Love the water, air, and land. No great healing of the planet will take place until humans adopt and adapt to a biocentric standard of "nature first." Consideration must be given to the seventh generation in every decision that we make and in every action that we take. As Earthkeepers, we should adopt lives of voluntary simplicity so we have both the time and economic resources to support environmental action. Read more.

Joining Sacred Pipes For Standing Rock

"Drumbeat of the Rainbow Fire"

Joining Sacred Pipes for Standing Rock. It is a BIG WEEKEND at Standing Rock this weekend, and people are praying for the situation, all over the world. There are many in America and Europe who are pipe carriers, pipe holders - we can all help to hold sacred space. If you can, join your pipes each day and make prayers for the Water Protectors between the 4th and the 6th of December. I know many of you reading this will not have pipes, but you can still help in a sacred manner. This is a critical time to unite in prayer for all our relations. Aho Mitakuye Oyasin!

Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Releases Documentary

In the midst of federal government deliberations over the Dakota Access Pipeline, the Standing Rock Sioux tribe has released a short film titled "Mni Wiconi: The Stand at Standing Rock," a new, eight-minute film exploring the nearly eight-month battle to stop construction of the pipeline on sacred tribal lands.

"This film tells the story of our prayerful and peaceful demonstrations by water protectors that have motivated thousands of tribal members and non-Native people around the world to take a stand," said the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s Chairman, Dave Archambault II in a release. "In it, you hear the voices of people fighting for their lives, because water is life."

Sioux Nation Defends Its Waters from Pipeline

Elder Addressing Crowd

According to the Standing Rock Sioux Chairman, the Dakota Access Pipeline "Is Threatening the Lives of My Tribe." In North Dakota, indigenous activists are continuing to protest the proposed $3.8 billion Dakota Access pipeline, which they say would threaten to contaminate the Missouri River. More than a thousand indigenous activists from dozens of different tribes across the country have traveled to the Sacred Stone Spirit Camp, which was launched on April 1 by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. The protests have so far shut down construction along parts of the pipeline. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has also sued the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over its approval of the pipeline. Read more at Democracy Now. Photo by Shane Balkowitsch: Dakota Access Pipeline Native American protest site, on Highway 1806 near Cannonball, ND.

Battling for the Earth: the Huicholes

In the fight for the land against mining multinationals, the Huicholes represent us all. They are the last Peyote Guardians.

In his two-hour indie documentary, Huicholes: The Last Peyote Guardians, Hernán Vilchez captures one of the last Mesoamerican civilizations to preserve their distinctive way of life in an ever-globalizing world – still able, until now. The Huicholes tribe has been a largely resilient culture that lives in parallel to contemporary Mexico. Carbon dating proves their people’s existence long before Christ and their beliefs predate those of mainstream religions, practicing an early form of animistic and pantheistic mysticism.

Every year they perform an 800-kilometre pilgrimage to the top of the Cerro Quemado, a sacred mountain in the fertile semi-desert area of Catorce, where the hallucinogenic Peyote cactus grows. Eating the fleshy gourd is at the heart of the tribe’s spiritual knowledge and core to their existence, connecting them to their ancestors and guardian spirits through psychedelic visions.

The earth where the cacti cultivate has evaded drought – which is widespread in surrounding regions – but is now falling foul to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). N.A.F.T.A. grants mining concessions to Canadian multinationals out to quarry natural riches in the Huicholes’ holy land. Read more.

Huichol Shaman photo by Kila: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Huichol_shaman.jpg

Bolivia's Law of Mother Earth

Imagine a lake having the same rights as a landowner. Or a condor with the same rights as a child. Under Bolivia's historic Law of Mother Earth ("Ley de Derechos de La Madre Tierra"), signed into law in 2010, all entities in nature have equal rights to humans. The law holds the land as sacred and holds it as a living system with rights to be protected from exploitation. Based on Andean spiritual principles, the law was enacted in an effort to curb climate change and the exploitation of Bolivia's natural resources. It spells out seven specific rights that nature and all its constituents have. Read nature's rights and find out more about this groundbreaking, comprehensive plan to protect the environment.

For The Next 7 Generations

For The Next 7 Generations is a documentary that reveals the importance of Indigenous knowledge in our world today as shared by thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers, wise elders, shamans and medicine women, from all four corners of the world. In 2004, thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers from around the world, moved by their concern for our planet, came together at a historic gathering, where they decided to form an alliance: The International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers. This is their story. Four years in-the-making and shot on location in the Amazon rainforest, the mountains of Mexico, North America, and at a private meeting with the Dalai Lama in India, For the Next 7 Generations follows what happens when these wise women unite. This film reveals timeless wisdom to help us make a difference in our every day lives in service of peace, of Mother Earth and healing in the world. Watch the trailer.

Global Indigenous Wisdom Summit 2015

The second annual Global Indigenous Wisdom Summit 2015 (GIWS) is a powerful 3-day no-cost event taking place November 17-19 -- online and on the phone -- where thousands of Indigenous brothers and sisters and their kindred relations from around the world are gathering to learn how the human family can overcome our challenges and walk a unified path of healing and sacred action.

Some of the world's most esteemed Indigenous voices will share prayers, sacred songs, prophecies, spiritual teachings and pathways to healing. They'll also highlight concrete examples for birthing a new era -- one in which ALL beings are treated with respect, understanding, compassion and justice.

On Day 3, the summit will be hosting an exciting "Festival of the Americas" Video Day, featuring interviews conducted at The Indigenous Summit of the Americas in Panama. Through these powerful interviews, Indigenous leaders are able to share their sacred wisdom with our global community and ignite entire generations to launch a culturally and spiritually-based movement of unprecedented, unified action.

When you sign up for The Global Indigenous Wisdom Summit, you'll be inspired by the many positive and constructive aspects that are coming to fruition based upon sacred Indigenous principles. You'll also discover why NOW is the time to start co-creating a harmonious world that can fully realize the unlimited potential of the human family -- both individually and collectively. And it's all absolutely FREE! Get all the details, and sign up here: www.indigenouswisdomsummit.com.

A Shaman's Perspective on Western Civilization

Davi Kopenawa has been dubbed the Dalai Lama of the Rainforest and is considered one of the most influential tribal leaders in Brazil. The Yanomami number about 30,000 and occupy a vast territory stretching across northern Brazil and southern Venezuela. They only made full contact with the west in the 1950s when their lands were overrun by thousands of gold prospectors and loggers. After waves of epidemics and cultural and environmental devastation, one in three of all Yanomami, including Davi's mother, died.

Davi's experience of white people has been dreadful but he is unusual because he trained not just as a shaman but also worked with the Brazilian government as a guide and learned western languages. In the past 25 years, he has traveled widely to represent indigenous peoples in meetings and, having lived in both societies, he has a unique viewpoint of western culture. With the help of an anthropologist, Bruce Albert, who interviewed him over several years, he has written his autobiography The Falling Sky: Words of a Yanomami Shaman. It is not just an insight into what a Yanomami leader really thinks, but a devastating critique of how the west lives, showing the gulf between primordial forest and modern city world views. By way of his autobiography, and other conversations, the Guardian News recently compiled several of Kopenawa's observations. Read More.