Standing Rock Resources/Reportback from Standing Rock

once the bridge was taken with the north camp (October 27th), people were cut off from the worksite and had a bridge between
 * The original pipeline was to lay north of Bismarck, but the residents didn’t want it that close; instead, it was placed “most efficiently” through the vulnerable land of the native people.
 * North Dakota = Mississippi of the north
 * you can be helpful without getting arrested by camp involvement: help in kitchen; cut wood; pick up trash; help build structures; etc.
 * plan to be self-sufficient! (weather-wise, food-wise, camping-wise, etc.)
 * press gets targeted!
 * LRAD (Long range audio devices) is in use — sonic assault on auditory systems that can be painful and cause hearing damage with prolonged, unprotected exposure
 * front lines — have ear and eye protection!! wear wind protection!!
 * NO children on the front lines
 * Trump wants to open all pipelines — this is just the beginning!
 * people feel they’re jumping in at the middle of this, but if this presidential term reigns as promised, this is just the beginning of the movement…
 * leave behind: oversensitivity; anger; ego
 * this is our time to say we will no longer be selfish at the cost of our future generations!
 * all of us are indigenous to this planet!
 * This is a survival story
 * This is a feminine movement (started with teenage girls running for awareness of the pipeline)
 * Take your money out of the banks!
 * Free your mind of thinking we have to be part of this broken system
 * filming: no prayers; no ceremonies; no children; no people without asking
 * get a press pass via the media tent on “Facebook Hill” by the law tent
 * don’t take it personally: let it go if someone doesn’t want you to photograph them; say thank you
 * end of September/beginning of October:
 * camps were full
 * people were caravanning with 80-120 car caravans to work sites and slowing/stopping work
 * most every action was well attended and well executed; the ones that didn’t have large numbers, many arrests were made
 * agricultural plane sprayed people at one action with chemicals
 * going to camp in general, not just the front lines, there is a risk of arrest
 * be mindful of threat of law enforcement in surrounding states: if you get pulled over and your destination is revealed, there is risk of a heightened response
 * they have weaponized drones; they have planes; they have flashbang grenades; guns; military vehicles; armed forces; bean bag launchers; rubber bullets; etc.
 * they are purposefully keeping people on edge/sleep deprived by flying planes 24 hours a day and heightening noise from aircrafts dawn to mid-morning and dusk to late night
 * the one night it was quiet from planes and helicopters was the night the fires burned on the hillside
 * what’s happened has happened; now, we must move forward
 * what are our goals? what actions can we take to make those dreams a reality?
 * police vehicles have been parked upon sacred burials of two highly respected women beloved by the community
 * we need to fight against the systems of power and profit, but we also need to begin to build new sustainable systems so we can totally abandon the systems in place
 * we need to hold ourselves, each other, the community, and the world to higher standards of care for the earth, the people, and sustainable systems
 * besides the physical tools and weapons, we’re up against the largest propaganda machine known to man
 * public opinion hasn’t condoned civil disobedience, but public opinion also hasn’t had a direct presence at Standing Rock and hasn’t witnessed the full truth of the earth/people treatment

=Front Line Activity=
 * no expectations
 * let go of the ego
 * ask questions respectfully
 * be mindful that while there are chaos-ready cops, there ARE good cops, too
 * the police don’t practice peace; help them learn
 * women protectors—be aware and cautious
 * wash supplies prior to drop off
 * be prepared to have a different job everyday
 * ask yourself: “Am I arrestable?” (professional affiliations; ethnicity; gender identity)

=Two Main Camps:=
 * Sacred Stone — original camp on LaDonna’s private land within reservation borders that is prayer only and fairly structured with many rules (about people)
 * Oceti Sikowan — on an exposed flood plain that will make winterization difficult; on Army Corps of Engineer’s land for which a permit was obtained to be present (about 5000 people strong)