Standing Rock supported in Sonoma County
Around 300 people gathered Nov. 15 at the downtown Santa Rosa Citibank to protest its funding the four-state Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) in North Dakota. It was one of hundreds of protests at Citibanks. An estimated 600 people attended an inspiring Nov. 6 benefit at the Sebastopol Grange for the indigenous people and their allies, raising nearly $29,000.
“This is the rebirth of the native nation,” declared an indigenous man named Adam, who led the drummers and chanters at both events. “This is a spiritual movement connected to our legal rights. This is the traditional relating to the political. We have kept our word, but the U.S. government has not.” Young people and elders have been at the fronts of both the Sonoma County and North Dakota events.
“Wars are fought primarily over land and resources,” Adam declared. “The prophecy of a black snake is coming true. Standing Rock is a continuation of the Indian Wars that we have dealt with for a long time,” Adam asserted as he explained the threat of the 1,172 miles long DAPL. It costs $3.8 million and would cross both the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers to carry fracked oil.
“This is blood oil,” declared elder Tom Goldtooth, interviewed on KPFA.FM’s Flashpoint program on Nov. 17. “They are degrading our sacred space. They are making nature into a commodity. We’re fighting for everyone, not just for Native people. 17 million people live downstream from this site on the Missouri River and depend on it for their water, which an oil spill could pollute.” He also described this struggle in the context of “unpredictable global climate change.”
“This is about the privatization of water by corporations,” Goldtooth continued.” At both the Sonoma County gatherings children and adults held signs like “Water is Sacred,” “Love Your Mother,” and “Water is Life.”
The Army Corps of Engineers halted construction of the Texas-based Energy Transfer Partner’s pipeline on Nov. 14 and called for “additional discussion and analysis.” Donald Trump supports the pipeline.
More information: https://standingrock.org
Re: Standing Rock supported in Sonoma County
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: J. Kevin Jones Jr., Chair
(707) 565-2693
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The County of Sonoma Commission on Human Rights Passes Resolution in Opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline
SANTA ROSA, Calif. – November 18, 2016 - Think global and act local. This is the intention behind the actions of the Commission on Human Rights, which passed a resolution on Tuesday night in opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline. “We wanted to support the Standing Rock Sioux, but also the actions of our local tribal leadership from the Coyote Valley Band and Kashia Band of Pomo, Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria and Ya-Ka-Ama, as well as the many residents of Sonoma County who have mobilized around this issue,” says Vice Chair Dmitra Smith.
“We also wanted to reinforce the 2006 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the 2011 United Nations Human Rights Council Resolution, noting the links between environmental and human rights. Environmental damage can have serious negative implications on the human rights of the most vulnerable groups. We felt that the risks of this project, combined with the historical human rights violations of Native Americans in this country, warranted an official statement on this issue. We all need clean water and the water protectors are holding the line for all of us with their peaceful demonstrations, against great challenges.”
The Commission joins nineteen U.S. city governments and more than 300 tribes who have rallied in support of the Standing Rock Sioux’s stance against the routing of the Dakota Access oil pipeline under the Missouri River near their reservation. After last night’s unanimous vote, the Commission is urging elected officials to consider adopting similar proclamations county wide.
The Commission on Human Rights is an appointed advisory board to the County Board of Supervisors. The mission (role) of the Sonoma County Commission on Human Rights is to provide leadership, guidance, and assistance in insuring that all members of our community – especially those among us who are marginalized or disadvantaged – enjoy the full range of human rights to which every person is entitled.
