Archive for December, 2016

VICTORY in #STANDINGROCK

Sunday, December 4th, 2016

VICTORY in #STANDINGROCK

Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s Statement on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Decision to Not Grant Easement

Cannon Ball, N.D.— The department of the Army will not approve an easement that will allow the proposed Dakota Access Pipeline to cross under Lake Oahe. The following statement was released by Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Chairman Dave Archambault II.

“Today, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that it will not be granting the easement to cross Lake Oahe for the proposed Dakota Access Pipeline. Instead, the Corps will be undertaking an environmental impact statement to look at possible alternative routes. We wholeheartedly support the decision of the administration and commend with the utmost gratitude the courage it took on the part of President Obama, the Army Corps, the Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior to take steps to correct the course of history and to do the right thing.

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and all of Indian Country will be forever grateful to the Obama Administration for this historic decision.

We want to thank everyone who played a role in advocating for this cause. We thank the tribal youth who initiated this movement. We thank the millions of people around the globe who expressed support for our cause. We thank the thousands of people who came to the camps to support us, and the tens of thousands who donated time, talent, and money to our efforts to stand against this pipeline in the name of protecting our water. We especially thank all of the other tribal nations and jurisdictions who stood in solidarity with us, and we stand ready to stand with you if and when your people are in need.

Throughout this effort I have stressed the importance of acting at all times in a peaceful and prayerful manner – and that is how we will respond to this decision. With this decision we look forward to being able to return home and spend the winter with our families and loved ones, many of whom have sacrificed as well. We look forward to celebrating in wopila, in thanks, in the coming days.

We hope that Kelcey Warren, Governor Dalrymple, and the incoming Trump administration respect this decision and understand the complex process that led us to this point. When it comes to infrastructure development in Indian Country and with respect to treaty lands, we must strive to work together to reach decisions that reflect the multifaceted considerations of tribes.

Treaties are paramount law and must be respected, and we welcome dialogue on how to continue to honor that moving forward. We are not opposed to energy independence, economic development, or national security concerns but we must ensure that these decisions are made with the considerations of our Indigenous peoples.

To our local law enforcement, I hope that we can work together to heal our relationship as we all work to protect the lives and safety of our people. I recognize the extreme stress that the situation caused and look forward to a future that reflects more mutual understanding and respect.

Again, we are deeply appreciative that the Obama Administration took the time and effort to genuinely consider the broad spectrum of tribal concerns. In a system that has continuously been stacked against us from every angle, it took tremendous courage to take a new approach to our nation-to-nation relationship, and we will be forever grateful.

Learn more about the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe at standwithstandingrock.net. For incremental updates please follow our Facebook page at Standing Rock Sioux Tribe or follow us on Twitter @standingrockst.

Contact

Chelsea Hawkins
chawkins@pyramidcommunications.com
206.556.1653

Sue Evans
sevans@pyramidcommunications.com
253.592.1590

Your Support for Malu ‘Aina is Needed

Friday, December 2nd, 2016

Annual Christmas Appeal

December 2016 

Dear Friends,  

     Once a year, I write to ask for your help to sustain the work of Malu ‘Aina for justice, peace and a healthy planet. As an all volunteer organization, with no corporate or government funding, Malu ‘Aina has been planting seeds and sharing food with people in need for the past 36 years.  In all that we do, the spirit of Aloha ‘Aina (Love for the Land) and nonviolence guide us. But we know we can’t do it alone. It takes a movement of people power, commitment, and donations to carry on.  You have been an important part of this effort and we thank you for your solidarity in the journey.

     The stakes couldn’t be higher. One of our recent weekly Peace Vigil leaflets sums it up. “Prevent Climate Disaster & Nuclear War,” and stand in solidarity with people struggling for justice and protecting the Sacred in every way possible. In an increasingly militarized and corporate dominated world, it is hard to learn the lesson that we cannot bomb, kill, and exploit our way to justice, peace, and a healthy planet.

     Your support and solidarity keep us from being discouraged and remind us that we are stronger together. We pledge to you our commitment to carry on and never give up. Blessings of this holy season to you and your loved ones.

With gratitude and aloha,
Jim Albertini

dove-graphicPS. Donations are tax deductible if checks are made to Center for Non-violent Education & Action P.O. Box 489 ‘Ola’a (Kurtistown), Hawai`i 96760. A Pay Pal account (Donate button) has also been setup on our webpage www.malu-aina.org as another convenient way to make donations. Please click “Subscribe” to receive the Malu ‘Aina weekly peace vigil leaflet (now approaching 800 consecutive weeks) and other posts for peace, justice and the environment. Other contact information: Phone (808) 966-7622. Email: ja@malu-aina.org Mahalo.