In solidarity with protests across the nation, most notably in Washington, D.C., which was the largest climate change rally in U.S. history (and others around the world), the campaign's message is to urge President Obama to reject the development of the Keystone XL pipeline, an extension of a tar-sand oil pipeline that connects Alberta, Canada and multiple Midwest cities.
I've been following the #IdleNoMore campaign as well on this issue, since the Keystone Pipleling project has numerous connections to my tribe and the overall indigenous resistance to this threat to our ways of life and self-determination.
I attended as a member of the steering committee of Bay Localize, an organization that inspires and supports Bay Area residents in building equitable, resilient communities. We confront the challenges of climate instability, rising energy costs, and recession by boosting our region's capacity to provide for everyone's needs, sustainably and equitably. We achieve this by equipping local leaders with flexible tools, models, and policies that strengthen their communities.
See pictures from the march and rally below:
Idle No More had a strong showing at the rally.
San Francisco Supervisor John Avalos speaks at the rally.
Organizers estimated 4,000 people in attendance in San Francisco and 40,000 in Washington, D.C.
Artist Shepard Fairey and photographer Aaron Huey created this image in reference to the U.S. government's policy of ignoring the 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie.Not long ago I wrote a post, Vistory at Pe'Sla, about how Chase Iron Eyes, an attorney in South Dakota, wrote an article on LastRealIndians.com to raise money to purchase Pe'Sla, a sacred site in the Black Hills. At the time, it seemed like a true success story about a group of young, professional, 21st Century American Indians reclaiming our land through grassroots activism.
Sadly, the victory call was too good to be true. For now.
According to The Washington Post, the land holds sacred significance for the Lakotas: "The property is important to their creation story, and tribal members have long held ceremonies there. When the land was put up for sale, tribal members worried it would be developed because of its proximity to Mount Rushmore."
This area is partly owned by the Reynolds family. They planned to auction off almost 2,000 acres on August 25, 2012 to the highest bidder. According to The Washington Post, "Landowners Leonard and Margaret Reynolds canceled a public auction of the property earlier this year after tribal members expressed outrage. The Reynolds then accepted the tribes’ bid to purchase the land for $9 million if they have the money by November 30, 2012."
The Great Sioux Nation must raise $9 million to purchase the land by November 30, 2012, securing it as a sacred, undeveloped site, accessible to all. They've raised $6.5million and with the help of a number of influential celebrities, are on track to get the rest. Spread this video far and wide. Donate and get more info at lastrealindians.com and indiegogo.com/pesla.
This is what the American Indian Movement looks like in the 21st Century. Digital media, social media, and traditional media are spreading the message: NOW is the time to act! Hoka hey!
Artist Shepard Fairey and photographer Aaron Huey created this image in reference to the U.S. government's policy of ignoring the 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie.
Although I live in California, far from the the Black Hills and my family in Montana, South Dakota, and Wyoming, I am still very encouraged to learn about the grassroots efforts of people in my generation making positive contributions to the Lakota people by protecting our sacred lands.
On August 1, Chase Iron Eyes, an attorney in South Dakota, wrote an article on LastRealIndians.com to raise money to purchase Pe'Sla, a sacred site in the Black Hills. He explains:
"Pe' Sla is an area in the Black Hills of South Dakota (just west of Rapid City) that is considered by the Lakota people to be the Center and heart of everything that is. It is part of our creation story. It is a sacred place. We perform certain ceremonies at Pe' Sla which sustain the Lakota way of life and keep the universe in harmony.
This area is partly owned by the Reynolds family. They plan to auction off almost 2,000 acres on August 25, 2012 to the highest bidder. It is likely that the state of South Dakota will put a road directly through Pe' Sla and open up this sacred place for development.
The seven bands of the Lakota/Dakota/Nakota Oyate (people) aka Oceti Sakowin (Great Sioux Nation) have a collective effort to buy as much of Pe'Sla as we can at this auction (although we also believe that the land cannot be owned and that our sacred places were illegally taken by the United States). Yet we are trying to work within the current U.S. laws to regain custody of our sacred sites and prevent future road and industrial development. Our sacred ways must be protected and passed on to our future generations so that our children may live.
This area of the Paha Sapa (Black Hills) is also home to many plants and animals who should also be protected. In fact, many consider that the area should possibly be a historical site, which would also assist in protecting it from future development as well.
As Lakota people, our ancestors prayed here, at Pe' Sla, at certain times of year, when the stars aligned. We cannot go elsewhere to pray. We were meant to pray here. This is what they do not understand. Please help the Lakota people. "Let us put our minds together and see what life we can make for our children." - Chief Sitting Bull, 1877.
We have a group of young professional Native people that are dedicated to the promotion of education, health, leadership, and sovereignity among our indigenous Nations. Our goal is to assist in any way possible the purchase of Pe' Sla and other sites by a collective effort of the seven bands of the Oceti Sakowin (Great Sioux Nation) - the Lakota/Dakota/Nakota people. All proceeds from this campaign will go towards that effort. This area would be open to tribal nations for ceremonial purposes. The plants, animals, water, and air in the area would be respected and honored."
Over the course of the month, the website raised more than $300,000 that was combined with $1.3 million from the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. Together, they are credited for purchasing and saving the sacred site:
"We are greatly encouraged by the enormous outpouring of support to protect Pe'Sla and for the reigniting of our collective consciousness related to sacred sites and the Black Hills - Wamaka Ognaka y Cante (the Heart of Everything that is)" reads a press release on LastRealIndians.com.
Family and friends in Rapid City, a rally will be held Wednesday, September 5 at 5 p.m. to celebrate the purchase of Pe’ Sla at the Memorial Park Band Shell.
Watch this video from their press conference on Saturday, September 1, 2012 - Chase Iron Eyes tells the story of this important victory for the Lakota:
Mid-month, I was at a BBQ event in San Francisco and a friend told me about how his family, on vacation, watched a documentary by Aaron Huey, Honor the Treaties. It was in viewing these videos that I came to learn about Chase Iron Eyes' efforts to mobilize people to protect our lands. The documentary, with many hard truths, sends our message of self-determination. Watch the video:
When I was in graduate school, I took a course on organization behavior and we had a conversation about "nonprofits acting like people," which led us to the funny image of "kids playing in a sandbox." A recent project that I've been working on has been one such example of organizations collaborating, fittingly in a park setting.
On May 12, 2012, the Stanford Alumni Association is holding the annual Global Day of Service known as "Beyond the Farm" that extends Stanford's spirit of service to communities around the world through the volunteer efforts of alumni, family and friends. As an alumnus and board member of Stanford Pride, I'm putting together a project to work at the National AIDS Memorial in Golden Gate Park (full disclosure: I'm on the board of the National AIDS Memorial, too!). We're promoting the event with the Stanford Club of San Francisco in our outreach efforts, among many other service projects in San Francisco on that day.
Our volunteers will help maintain the memorial by clearing weeds and debris, mulching and hauling topsoil, planting new trees and shrubs, and other related projects.
Grab your shovel and join me! Let's play well together in the sanbox!
On Monday February 28 and Tuesday March 1 over 320 museum advocates – museum professionals, trustees, students and supporters – will be gathering in Washington, DC for the third annual Museums Advocacy Day.
According to the American Association of Museums, it is important to remember that museums play a key role in education, job creation, tourism, economic development, historic preservation, environmental conservation, global competitiveness, and more. The museum community - which includes aquariums, art museums, children’s museums, historic sites, history museums, maritime museums, military museums, natural history museums, planetariums, presidential libraries, public gardens, science centers, zoos, and more – has worked together to develop positions on the vital federal issues affecting museums.
If you're like me and unable to attend the events in Washington, DC, you can be part of the action in your hometown:
Watch live streaming of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (a grant-making federal agency supporting museums and libraries of all types) Director Susan Hildreth's address (9:55 a.m. ET Monday) and the Congressional Breakfast (8:15 a.m. ET Tuesday)
Learn how to advocate from home —through economic impact statements, dear colleague letters and encouraging those in your community to write to their elected officials on the value of museums.
AAM Statement on NEA Funding Cut
The House of Representatives' 217-209 vote to cut $20.6 million from the National Endowment for the Arts budget for the remainder of FY11 would have a disastrous effect if it is enacted into law. The National Endowment for the Arts supports many of our nation's outstanding museums and plays a key role in building creativity, innovation and the skills necessary to compete in the 21st century. I urge the Senate and President Obama to reject this language as it finalizes the federal budget for the remaining 7 months of FY11. —AAM President Ford W. Bell
I support the AAM in this effort because I strongly believe in the value that museums add to communities, informal knowledge and experiential learning, as well as the preservation of our cultural, artistic, and scientific assets. So many museums exist due to creative public/private/corporate partnerships, so their continued prosperity depends on such collaborative efforts.
Adam | 
Today, I participated in the largest environmental march in San Francisco history, as thousands gathered outside the State Department headquarters as part of the "Forward on Climate Change" campaign.
Idle No More had a strong showing at the rally.
San Francisco Supervisor John Avalos speaks at the rally.
Organizers estimated 4,000 people in attendance in San Francisco and 40,000 in Washington, D.C.
