Aug 2, 2014 - Honor the Earth Environmental Features: Eastern Indigenous Resistance And Paddling For Protection

Today we’ll hear about Indigenous resistance to environmental destruction in the Eastern part of Turtle Island and on Aanishinaabe territories in the mid West.

https://soundcloud.com/honortheearth/eastern-indigenous-resistance-and-paddling-for-protection

From the homelands of the Wetsuweten First Nation at the Unist’ot’en Action Camp, an active blockade against a proposed energy cooridor that would cross the territories of the Unist’ot’en Clan, hear from really inspiring young people taking on energy extraction in their own communities. Today’s show will feature an interview with youth from the Aamjiwnaang First Nation and a workshop about the proposed “Energy East” – or “Energy Beast” – pipeline.

Speaking at the Unistoten Action camp, workshop presenters Amanda Lickers and Crystal Greene gave a teach in and strategy session on extractive energy projects in the East of what is called “Canada” on Turtle Island, focusing specifically on the TranCanada Energy East, or “Energy Beast” pipeline project. First Crystal and Amanda talk about the details of the proposed pipeline project, which is larger than the Keystone XL, and then we will hear an example from Amanda about ways in which people and communities opposed to these projects can stop them, from the second half of the workshop which focused on strategizing about resistance to resource extraction and environmental racism. Hear the whole workshop presentation here: A_mhb – Presentation-on-resistance-to-the-energy-beast-pipeline-at-unistoten-camp-2014
For more information and for updates, visit: reclaimturtleisland.com/

Then, we hear from three youth from the Aamjiwinanng FN, Lindsay, Vanessa and Josh, who live in a place in so-called Canada that is known as “Chemical Valley”. They share the impacts of the environmental racism and resource extraction on the community and the resistance and campaigns taking place to oppose the projects, which is led by youth and elders. For more, visit: aamjiwnaangsolidarity.com/

In addition, today we will hear from participants at the “Paddle for Protection” event that took place in Bemidji, where community members rallied and canoed in opposition to the Sandpiper pipeline that is proposed to cross precious ricing lakes in Northern Minnesota and trespass over Indigenous lands, carrying heavy crude fracked from the Bakken oil fields in North Dakota, where impacted communities are being treated as “sacrifice zones”.

Community members in Bemidji Minnesota on Aanishinaabe territories gathered to “Paddle for Protection” and take a stand against the Sandpiper proposed pipeline. Shirley and Andreas Nordram share why they came out and Aaron Tank describes his transporation to the event, a truck converted to use bio-diesel, and sings a song for the people who gathered. To learn more about the current campaign against the Sandpiper proposed pipeline, visit: www.honorearth.org/action_alert_stop_the_sandpiper. And to hear more from Aaron Tank, visit: aarontank.com/