Gov. Doug Burgum and authorities recently peddled a story to the media about the feces and garbage runoff into the river from the Oceti Sakowin Camp requiring immediate attention as a public health risk. That's rather ironic considering the state long ago removed all sanitation support to the thousands of people who had come to live in the state's 14th largest city. The spin continues in North Dakota's corporate-fed media.

On Tuesday, March 7, hundreds braved blizzard conditions to attend a US State Department meeting in Bemidji, MN, about the Alberta Clipper pipeline.  Honor the Earth was part of a coalition that organized a “Solutions Summit” event beforehand, and a march to the meeting, where despite the State’s efforts to criminalize us and neutralize our power with an “open house” format, we celebrated our resistance with traditional drum, song, jingle dress dancing, and ceremonial foods.  Here’s why the meeting was important....

On Tuesday, March 7, hundreds of concerned community members will attend the US State Department’s only public meeting on the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the expansion of the Alberta Clipper crude oil pipeline, which transports tar sands across the lake country of Northern Minnesota, including the Leech Lake and Fond du Lac Reservations.   A rally outside the event will include traditional Ojibwe drumming and jingle-dress dance, and local leaders will hold a press conference.  

Read on for event details, links, the full text of the SEIS, and instructions on how to submit written or verbal public comments to the US State Department, including suggested talking points from Honor the Earth....

We are seeking a summer intern to assist with our Pine Point Mino-bimaatisiiwin (the good life) project. 
Application Deadline: February 28, 2017.  Read more for details and instructions on how to apply...

This is an update on the fight at Standing Rock against the Dakota Access pipeline, and a call to action.  

On January 31st, President Trump issued a presidential memorandum directing the Army Corps to expedite approval of the Dakota Access pipeline.  On February 8, the Army Corps issued the final easement for the crossing of the Mni Sose (Missouri River).  Without a single word of explanation, this reversed the December 4th Army Corps decision to conduct an Environmental Impact Statement on the river crossing.  Now DAPL is drilling under the river, around the clock.  

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe both filed lawsuits today, and water protectors continue to fight back, not only at Standing Rock, but across Turtle Island.  Meanwhile, the State's tactics of repression are escalating rapidly. At least one grand jury is active and cranking out federal indictments, and federal agencies are interrogating people's families at home.  

So for this particular fight, the frontlines are moving to the courtroom.  And frankly we are unprepared.  Over 700 water protectors face charges.  The Sacred Stone Legal Defense Fund has raised about $3m so far and basically, that needs to double.   Read more for details and action steps......

Today, Tuesday February 7, the US Army Corps gave notice of intent to grant the final easement for the Dakota Access Pipeline to cross the Mni Sose (Missouri River).  They are skipping the EIS ordered in December, and skipping the congressional notification period required by law.  This is a response to President Trump’s Presidential Memorandum directing the Corps to expedite approval of the project.  

The Indigenous Coalition at Standing Rock is calling for February 8th to be an international day of emergency actions to disrupt business as usual and unleash a global intersectional resistance to fossil fuels and fascism.  Connect with other struggles.  Think long-term movement building.  We are in this for the long haul.

Read more for details and resources to take action....

On January 31, two members of the U.S. Congress from North Dakota released statements saying that the Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army directed the Army Corpsto notify Congress that it is granting the final easement for the Dakota Access Pipeline.

On January 25, President Trump issued 4 executive actions intended to streamline the approval of the Dakota Access Pipeline, the Keystone XL Pipeline, and other “high priority infrastructure projects” that may come before his administration in the future.  This article summarizes each of the 4 actions and explains their anticipated impact.  

This short article explains what's happening with the Environmental Impact Statement for the Dakota Access pipeline, and how to submit strong public comments on the scope of the EIS.  The "scope" is basically a definition of what the study will include.   The Army Corps has to receive public input on that before it can begin the study.