From Deb Hansen, part of our local chevre:
I will be part of a small multi-faith delegation heading to Minnesota on Saturday [ed: 6/5/21] to affirm life and treaties in the face of a massive fossil fuel infrastructure project, now underway. The replacement for Enbridge’s Line 3 tar sands pipeline is being rerouted despite objections through the sensitive tribal lands of the White Earth Nation where wild rice is a food staple. On Monday, June 5, arrests are likely. Blessings and prayers for the safety of all gathered and a shift of consciousness are most welcome.
As you may know, Enbridge has defied the Governor’s order for Line 5 to cease operation at the Straits of Mackinac. That means the company is operating illegally in the Great Lakes and also on the reservation of the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians in Wisconsin who did not renew their easement with the company.
I expect to stay on for a bit and look forward to updating you on the journey after I return. The move away from fueling our lives with fossil fuels is a challenging one. Everything we love, including the future of our kids and grandkids is at stake. Winona LaDuke recently spoke at the Straits for Evict Enbridge events. It was inspiring to hear her talk about farming industrial hemp, reclaiming indigenous food ways, and an economy that enables life to thrive. She said, “The next economy needs to be restorative and regenerative. It needs to not poison people and land. And, it needs to be compassionate and maternal – looking out for relatives whether they have hands, paws, roots, claws or fins.”
With gratitude,
Deb
For more information:
Indigenous Women Lead the Movement to Stop Line 3 Pipeline: This is Everything We Have
The photos in this post are from the Line 5 eviction events in Mackinaw City and St. Ignace. Above, water ceremony at dawn.
