It is such a dichotomy to witness the ongoing invasion of the Wet’suwet’en peoples’ lands by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Coastal Gaslink while truth and reconciliation efforts are supposed to be happening in the lands called Canada and the United States. Even during the observation of Indigenous Peoples’ Day in the United States. A dichotomy Indigenous peoples have faced since the appearance of settlers on their lands.
Two days ago, Gidimt’en spokesperson Sleydo’ sent the following message:
All of our warriors who have stood up for Indigenous rights, we need you now. We are calling on you to stand up and say the genocide will no longer happen on Indigenous lands.
We are calling on you to stand up and say the genocide will no longer happen on Indigenous lands.
Sleydo’
The latest update fortunately is there is a temporary reprieve, the RCMP have left Coyote Camp.
Students @CMCnews are agitated and upset about @CoastalGasLink investors @KKR_Co and CMC trustees/KKR CEOs/founders Henry Kravis and George Roberts who have the authority to STOP CGL but wont without MASS PRESSURE.
Today is Indigenous Peoples Day. Across the country, a growing number of cities and states are recognizing this day in place of the traditional Columbus Day. This change reflects the growing awareness that holidays like Columbus Day are used to rewrite the past and uphold institutions of white supremacy, racism and settler colonialism. As Justin Teba writes, in Albuquerque, they issued a proclamation to recognize this as a day “to reflect upon the ongoing struggles of Indigenous peoples on this land.”
I can only write from the perspective of a settler, but I do want to highlight a few of the current struggles. We have a responsibility to educate ourselves about the history of the founding of the United States, to join in struggle with those who are oppressed and to transform our society to end these devastating institutions.
Increased attention to the finding of children’s graves at residential boarding schools has brought the reality of the American Genocide to the forefront. Residential boarding schools for indigenous children started in Carlisle, Pennsylvania as a way to erase indigenous knowledge and culture. These were brutal places where children were killed through violence and neglect. The last schools closed in the 1990’s so there are still survivors who are speaking out about their experiences.
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE’S DAY REMINDS US TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND SUPPORT INDIGENOUS STRUGGLES By Margaret Flowers, Popular Resistance, October 11, 2021
Because of the upsurge in COVID cases in Iowa, my friends at the Great Plains Action Society decided not to hold a public gathering this Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Instead, they participated in a guerrilla street art action to push back at the recognition of Columbus Day in Iowa and the nation.
Celebrate Indigenous People’s Day by Abolishing Columbus Day
To celebrate Indigenous People’s Day, we participated in a guerrilla street art action to push back at the recognition of Columbus Day in Iowa and the nation. The art is inspired by the Overpass Light Brigade and utilizes LED lights to spell out movement messaging tackling various issues. The art build and action was led by Qırımlı Frontlines Organizer, Mahmud Fitil. Ronnie James provided on-the-ground support, gathering together an amazing crew of local radicals to help hold the art. The photos were taken by Karla Conrad, a movement photographer well known for her work in Iowa. The following piece to accompany the photos is written by Sikowis Nobiss.
Indigenous People’s day is a time to celebrate Indigenous cultures, practices, and success but it is also a powerful political statement about and against whitewashed history as well as colonial violence. It is observed on the same date as Columbus Day with the goal of ending the celebration of a man that did not, in fact, discover America who was also a rapist, a murderer, and slave trader. Unfortunately, the bulk of declarations and proclamations recognizing Indigenous Peoples in cities, counties, and states across the country do not abolish Columbus Day. For instance, President Joe Biden issued a proclamation last Friday to recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day, which is the first time a sitting US president has commemorated this holiday, but Columbus Day is still a national holiday, which means the nation state still celebrates and upholds colonization, genocide, and slavery. Most federal employees will receive the day off to observe Columbus Day, which is still endorsed by Congress.
The state of Iowa needs to completely abolish Columbus Day and statues uplifting white supremacy that perpetuate hate and whitewash our history. Hate speech alone is not considered a hate crime under Iowa code, however, the state itself should be held to a different standard and barred from entering or perpetuating behavior that undermines a person’s mental well-being, safety, and sense of belonging in this state. Furthermore, the Iowa constitution already protects against discrimination based on religion, sexual orientation, age, race, national origin, and disability. Since Columbus Day and monuments to white supremacy celebrate genocide, land theft, and enslavement, they perpetuate and legitimize discrimination as they make many BIPOC residents unwelcome in public spaces that trigger very real historical traumas.
Sikowis Nobiss , Great Plains Action Society
Photo by Karla Conrad
The following is about Indigenous Peoples’ Day last year. My friend Ronnie James appears below, with the bust of Christopher Columbus (and he’s mentioned above for his role in the guerrilla street art.)
Remarks at Indigenous Peoples Day 2020 in Des Moines, Iowa State Capitol grounds, October 12, 2020, by Alejandro Murguia-Ortiz, American Friends Service Committee
Iowa Governor: Abolish Monuments, Names, and Holidays to White Supremacy in Iowa – Sign the Petition! https://t.co/OoEkVrManw via @Change
I first learned about the Wet’suwet’en peoples in British Columbia when I saw this YouTube video, Coastal Gaslink Evicted from Unist’ot’en Territory, January 5, 2020. Having worked so hard to protect water from the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines, I was amazed to see this peaceful eviction of a pipeline company.
From that day I closely followed any news I could find about the Wet’suwet’en peoples. Not surprisingly there was almost nothing in the mainstream news. As a result, people involved in the conflicts continually asked us to use social media to spread the news of what was happening there. I try to do that as much as I can. I was in contact with those at the scene to send them news of what we were doing in Iowa. And validate what I was hearing from other sources.
February 8, 2020 “We need you.”
All eyes needed! One of the most important Indigenous movements is under attack right now for attempting to protect their land from a gas pipeline. With the second day of heavily armed Royal Canadian Mounted Police raids underway at #Wetsuweten watch camps in Nothern British Columbia, thousands of people across so-called Canada are throwing down right now. This international human rights violation must be stopped. Stand in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en. http://unistoten.camp/supportertoolkit2020/?
“We make conscious decisions to either sit back and watch or stand up and be heard. We make choices as to whether protect our future generations, or we allow for a destitute future for them. We make choices as to enter the uncomfortable place of change & movement, or we continue on this downward spiral. What will your choice be? Will you sit back and allow for human rights violations to occur, or will you #RiseUp with us?” Wet’suwete’n Access Point at Gidemt’en
We are concerned about the tensions involving the Wet’suwet’en Peoples, who are working to protect their water and lands in British Columbia. Most recently they are working to prevent the construction of several pipelines through their territory. Such construction would do severe damage to the land, water, and living beings. Bear Creek Friends Meeting
Several of us gathered in Des Moines, Iowa, for a vigil in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en peoples. Our friends at Bold Iowa and Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (ICCI) helped notify people about our vigil. We didn’t think many people would join us. But we know it is not the number of people, just that there are people publicly supporting the Wet’suwet’en. You never know what the people driving past might think or do. A sign displaying simply “Wet’suwet’en” might make some curious enough to look into this. Raising awareness and supporting each other is good. Each of us at the vigil drew strength from each other. As it says above, “what will your choice be?” Will you gather with a few friends and your signs to stand on a street corner in your town?
Fortunately, Ronnie James, who has become a good friend, came to the vigil. I learned Ronnie had years of experience as an Indigenous organizer. He is part of the Great Plains Action Society, and his focus is on Mutual Aid. One of the organizing skills he taught me was to attend events related to our work to meet new people to work with. I believe this was a spirit led connection. Not only would I have missed getting to know Ronnie and those he works with, but I might not have learned about Mutual Aid.
Ronnie has patiently taught me about his work and Mutual Aid since that meeting. I learned about the free food distribution project, which I was surprised to learn had been in operation since the Panther’s Free school breakfast program began in the early 1970’s.
So I work with a dope crew called Des Moines Mutual Aid, and on Saturday mornings we do a food giveaway program that was started by the Panthers as their free breakfast program and has carried on to this day. Anyways, brag, brag, blah, blah.
So I get to work and I need to call my boss, who is also a very good old friend, because there is network issues. He remembers and asks about the food giveaway which is cool and I tell him blah blah it went really well. And then he’s like, “hey, if no one tells you, I’m very proud of what you do for the community” and I’m like “hold on hold on. Just realize that everything I do is to further the replacing of the state and destroying western civilization and any remnants of it for future generations.” He says “I know and love that. Carry on.”
Ronnie James
I was fascinated with this work. Not only the projects themselves, but how the Mutual Aid model was used. One of the key aspects of Mutual Aid is working to ensure a horizontal or flat hierarchy, where each person has a voice, is maintained. As opposed to the vertical hierarchies that organize the vast majority of organizations. If there is no vertical hierarchy, there can be no superiority.
There are significantly increasing tensions now between the Wet’suwet’en peoples and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. All signs indicate another invasion of the Wet’suwet’en territory by the RCMP. The Wet’suwet’en people are asking for our support now. (CGL is Coastal GasLink pipeline).
Gidimt’en Occupation of CGL Drill Site Continues! Callout for Week of Action 10/9-10/15
Cas Yikh of the Gidimt’en Clan are counting on supporters to go ALL OUT in a mobilization for the biggest battle yet to protect our sacred headwaters, Wedzin Kwa. We have remained steadfast in our fight for self-determination, and we are still unceded, undefeated, sovereign and victorious.
We are humbled by the power of our allies, friends and supporters. We have love, respect, and gratitude for those that stood their ground beside us on the yintah to defend Wedzin Kwa. We vow to reciprocate the solidarity from everyone that followed, all our allies/relatives and supporters that put their feet in the street defending Indigenous sovereignty.
Now, we need you to rise up again.
October 9th-15th 2021, go #AllOutForWedzinKwa.
Learning of these new tensions, I thought we should have another vigil in support of the Wet’suwet’en. I know Ronnie is extremely busy now, but I asked him whether those of us who gather every Saturday morning for the Mutual Aid food project might show public support, as he and I did in early 2020.
He agreed he was busy, but he would meet to support the Wet’suwet’en peoples again if I was willing to organize it. He said I could ask the others at the food project if they would be interested.
This is an example of how Mutual Aid works. Without a vertical hierarchy, there wasn’t a ‘leader’ who needed to approve such a gathering. It was up to me to organize and invite others.
When I arrived at Mutual Aid yesterday morning, Ronnie asked if I had brought the Wet’suwet’en signs that we had made for the 2020 vigil, and I had. Then as distributing the food was winding down, he suggested I tell the others about the Wet’suwet’en and invite those willing to stay so we could get a photo showing our support. Again, he didn’t tell me what to do, but offered the suggestion. So, I announced the photo shoot and asked anyone interested to stay for that. I was grateful to those who did.
My friends avoid photos because their activism sometimes brings police attention. As usually happens, activists are involved in many different issues. There were arrests last year during the unrest related to George Floyd and police violence. But we have not stopped having our own mask mandate, so that worked out well for the photos.
I brought poster boards and markers because Jack, five years old, nearly always comes to the food project with his mother. And is the life of the party! I know he really likes to draw. So I ask Jack (and his mother) if he wanted to make a sign, which you can see on the far right in the photos.
This is the completion of a circle that began with signs and meeting Ronnie in early 2020, and comes around to using the same signs, with Ronnie and others, yesterday. With a lot of work in between. I believe we will continue to move along the circle.
The following video showing the CIRG (Community-Industry Response Group) is very disturbing. All signs indicate yet another invasion of Wet’suwet’en lands.
The CIRG (Community-Industry Response Group) have been into Coyote Camp everyday. Yesterday they came in and were violent towards our Yintah security, joked about genocide and that they can’t wait to see it on social media.
We also have reports from the ground that the officers are hiding their identities, not showing or giving badge numbers and from the video we can see are not wearing masks or practicing social distancing.
They are blatantly threatening violence against our people and clearly do not care who sees or knows. They relish it. This is what these CIRG officers live for. Remember they applied to be a part of this group specifically designed to remove Indigenous people out of the way of industry. The same group that are invading at Fairy Creek and Tiny House Warriors frontlines.
Tomorrow is day one of the call out for a week of Solidarity Action! Please organize where you are, come to camp, make noise and raise hell!
RCMP have been coming into Coyote Camp daily for the past few days. Yesterday they came in, joked about genocide & how they can’t wait to see it all on social media.
Gidimt’en Occupation of CGL Drill Site Continues! Callout for Week of Action 10/9-10/15
Cas Yikh of the Gidimt’en Clan are counting on supporters to go ALL OUT in a mobilization for the biggest battle yet to protect our sacred headwaters, Wedzin Kwa. We have remained steadfast in our fight for self-determination, and we are still unceded, undefeated, sovereign and victorious.
We are humbled by the power of our allies, friends and supporters. We have love, respect, and gratitude for those that stood their ground beside us on the yintah to defend Wedzin Kwa. We vow to reciprocate the solidarity from everyone that followed, all our allies/relatives and supporters that put their feet in the street defending Indigenous sovereignty.
Update from Chief Woos posted on Yintah Access Instagram Yesterday
“Dinï ze’ Woos ceremonially welcomes supporters at “Coyote Camp” and speaks of the history of this territory. Our people have been protecting our territory and children for thousands of years. We are stronger than CGL and the RCMP. We have our ancestors with us, the yintah, and Wedzin Kwa support us. “There might be momements where you will be feeling a lot of fear because these people will be coming with guns pointed at you. But always remember our ancestors will be standing right beside you.” -Dini ze’ Woos We are ready. We ask you to join us. For more info go to yintahaccess.com Organize. Resist. Win. #AllOutForWedzinKwa
For over 50 years, Wet’suwet’en children were taken from the land, from their families, and from Wedzin Kwa to attend residential schools. These “schools” were not to empower us, but to take the Indian, to take the Wet’suwet’en, out of the child. Many did not return and those who survived have fought for our right to all that we had been robbed of – land, language, culture, pride. Today, we continue to face state violence from governments and industry who still want our land to themselves. Their plans to eradicate us however, have failed and we are still here!
Every day we remember. We carry that pain, that strength, and we work to rebuild our pride, to rebuild our nations and reconnect with our lands.
On September 30th, we came together in a day of remembrance to honour the children, to remind ourselves that we will never give up/be defeated.”
New or worsening catastrophes seem to be coming at us daily. Worse things than we can imagine are yet to come. When I say “we” in most cases I mean white people since many things below are race related.
I often think of what Albert Einstein said, “problems cannot be solved with the same mind set that created them.”
There are several reasons I’ve been praying, thinking, and writing about the precarious place we are at now. We need to build alternatives to the systems of capitalism, materialism, militarism, incarceration, racism, and white supremacy. Systems rooted in stolen lands and stolen labor. Not only because they are founded on injustice, but because these systems are failing now. (See: Time for a reset)
Any chance we have to address these injustices and mitigate these dangers requires changing our mind set. Looking back over my life it seems like an endless struggle to try to change people’s mind set, with no success.
What is different now is changes are being forced upon us.
Deepening environmental chaos is one of the main drivers of change. Millions of people have lost their homes and communities because of fires and storms. Lack of water will increasingly force many to relocate. Drought will decimate food production.
Our political and social systems are breaking down with the rise of authoritarianism and the police state.
Violence is increasing dramatically in the face of these dangers. Civil discourse is often impossible. Who could have imagined violence at school board meetings? Of children being yelled at for wearing masks? School shootings? An insurrection at the US Capitol?
However much we continue to try to avoid dealing with these threats to the society we grew up in, we are being forced to deal with these changes and what they portend.
What might be some worst-case scenarios?
Clean water becomes increasingly scarce. Many industries result in significant water pollution including runoff of agricultural fertilizers and pesticides, and massive amounts of sewage from concentrated farming practices. Fossil fuel mining such as fracking and tar sands pollute vast quantities of water.
Food insecurity will increase as drought spreads or fires destroy farmland and communities. Continued warming will decrease crop yields.
Electricity will increasingly be interrupted or cease as energy systems and electrical grids fail or cannot meet demands, resulting in problems with
refrigeration, heating, and air conditioning
operation of people’s myriad electrical devices including phones and computers. Social media will disappear.
computer systems involved in every aspect of modern life
physical plants
communication networks
water sanitation and sewage systems
coordinating purchasing and shipping
hospital and pharmacy systems
energy systems
educational institutions
manufacturing
air traffic and flight control
military systems
judicial systems, including police dispatch and legal documents.
operation of carceral systems
Some political systems will become increasingly authoritarian as many citizens demand protection from “others”.
Social disorder will preclude political order.
There are other things to add to the list.
To reiterate, these systems are beginning to fail now. And will continue to do so. We will not be able to continue to avoid thinking and doing something about them.
Think about the related problems from just one of these: no functioning cell phones, tablets or computers. What might happen when there are no longer any social media platforms? How will young people who have never known a time before there were cell phones going to react?
I’ve been thinking of these things in the context of justice work. Lobbying our legislatures to support peace and justice issues will no longer be relevant (or possible). The injustices we often work on as distinct issues will be drowned out by increasing chaos.
Our work for justice should be to engage with systems that are replacing our broken ones. This would actually be returning to systems such as LANDBACK, Abolition, and Mutual Aid.
This diagram I’ve been working on shows some of the ways people are building ways to adapt as old systems collapse.
More information about LANDBACK, Abolition, and Mutual Aid can be found with the following links.
I know now cannot be the future. What I’m saying is there are so many crises that urgently need action now. How long can we keep procrastinating? (That’s a rhetorical question.)
The list of crises is long and new ones continue to appear.
Despite all we are being confronted with now, we will look back on these days in the future and wish we could return to what we have now. Instead, we will increasingly be affected by worsening consequences of these crises.
It is increasingly difficult to make sense of all that is going on today. All the bad things I had anticipated for the future are suddenly happening now. And things I never imagined, like the assaults on truth, science, governance, health, and safety come at a time when they are desperately needed. It is difficult to make sense of it all.
If these things can confound and divide us both within and between cultures, then we have little hope of generating the coherent dialogue, let alone the collective resolve, that is required to overcome the formidable global-scale problems converging before us.
James Allen
sensemaking–the action or process of making sense of or giving meaning to something, especially new developments and experiences.
At the collective level, a loss of sensemaking erodes shared cultural and value structures and renders us incapable of generating the collective wisdom necessary to solve complex societal problems like those described above. When that happens the centre cannot hold.
Threats to sensemaking are manifold. Among the most readily observable sources are the excesses of identity politics, the rapid polarisation of the long-running culture war, the steep and widespread decline in trust in mainstream media and other public institutions, and the rise of mass disinformation technologies, e.g. fake news working in tandem with social media algorithms designed to hijack our limbic systems and erode our cognitive capacities. If these things can confound and divide us both within and between cultures, then we have little hope of generating the coherent dialogue, let alone the collective resolve, that is required to overcome the formidable global-scale problems converging before us.
Following is a diagram I’ve been working on to help me make sense of where things are now, and ways to build a better future.
Where things stand now is represented by the path beneath the WHITE heading. Capitalism is outline in red because it represents the injustices capitalism is based on and indicates remaining on this path will continue to result in environmental chaos. See: Rejecting Capitalismhttps://landbackfriends.com/2021/10/06/rejecting-capitalism/
The BLACK column represents the stolen labor of those who were enslaved and continues today with all the aspects of systemic economic, judicial system, and environmental racism.
The INDIGENOUS column represents the theft of native lands, genocide and forced assimilation. Includes the consequences of destroying the land and widespread pollution of water. And the epidemic of violence against native peoples, specifically missing and murdered Indigenous relatives.
Many people have been working on alternatives, some for years, others more recently. Some of these alternatives are listed in the green box labeled Green New Deal and Red Deal (which is an Indigenous led green new deal).
The website I recently created, LANDBACK Friends, contains more information about these topics.
As sometimes happens, I spend so much time writing background information that I don’t get to the subject I’d planned to write about. What I had intended to write was why I believe we need to think and work “outside the box”. The box in this case represented by columns Black, White and Indigenous, which is a sketch of the current situation. We should not waste more time and effort trying to make incremental changes to those existing systems. And instead work for LANDBACK, Abolition and Mutual Aid. Which my good friend Ronnie James expresses more eloquently here:
I’m of the firm opinion that a system that was built by stolen bodies on stolen land for the benefit of a few is a system that is not repairable. It is operating as designed, and small changes (which are the result of huge efforts) to lessen the blow on those it was not designed for are merely half measures that can’t ever fully succeed.
So the question is now, where do we go from here? Do we continue to make incremental changes while the wealthy hoard more wealth and the climate crisis deepens, or do we do something drastic that has never been done before? Can we envision and create a world where a class war from above isn’t a reality anymore?”
Coastal Gaslink is preparing to drill under the Wedzin Kwa to construct their 670km fracked gas pipeline. We know this would be disastrous, not only for Wet’suwet’en people, but for all living beings supported by the Wedzin Kwa, and for the communities living downstream. Wedzin Kwa is a spawning ground for salmon and a critical source of pristine drinking water on the territory.
Wet’suwet’en members, including Freda Huson of Unist’ot’en, have been tirelessly working to maintain their access and jurisdiction to their territories for the last decade. The fight to save this river has been long and nuanced, with many wins and losses over the years. Many pipeline companies have sought to drill under these waters, and have used many colonial tactics of intimidation and violence against Wet’suwet’en people and supporters to wear us down. Yet the river still runs clean, and Wet’suwet’en still remain strong. This fight is far from over.
On the morning of September 25th, 2021, the access road to CGL’s drill site was destroyed. Blockades were set up and the site has been occupied to stop the drilling of these sacred headwaters that nourish the Yintah and all those within its catchment areas. Cas Yikh and supporters have taken control of the area and refuse to allow this destruction to continue.
We anticipate enforcement possibly this week. We encourage everyone to come out and show support at Coyote Camp and by taking action where you stand. Together we will win.
#AllOutForWedzinKwa For the past 11 days, Wet’suwet’en members of Cas Yikh and their supporters have taken control of a Coastal GasLink drill site on unceded Cas Yikh (Grizzly House) territory belonging to the Gidimt’en clan of the Wet’suwet’en people. We are defending culturally significant archeological sites and the sacred headwaters of the Wedzin Kwa from destruction.
In response, the RCMP has utilized excessive use of force and torturous pain compliance on land defenders, and more RCMP enforcement is expected
Now, Cas Yikh of the Gidimt’en Clan are counting on supporters to go ALL OUT in a mobilization for the biggest battle yet to protect our sacred headwaters, Wedzin Kwa. We have remained steadfast in our fight for self-determination, and we are still unceded, undefeated, sovereign and victorious.
From October 9th-15th 2021, go #AllOutForWedzinKwa
*************************** SOLIDARITY ACTIONS: Don’t see one where you are? Organize one and post the link in the discussion, we will add it here. *************************** __________________________
In January 2019, when Gidimt’en Checkpoint was raided by the RCMP, enforcing an injunction for Coastal GasLink fracked gas pipeline, your communities rose up in solidarity!
You organized rallies and marches. You published Solidarity Statements. You wrote your representatives. You put on fundraisers and donated to the legal fund. You pledged to stand by the Wet’suwet’en. The pressure worked to keep Wet’suwet’en land defenders and supporters safe as they navigated the colonial court system. All charges were dropped.
In January 2020, you answered the call to #SHUTDOWNCANADA with over 200 actions and rallies! The world watched as the RCMP violently confronted unarmed Wet’suwet’en land defenders, on behalf of CGL, in an intense 6-day struggle for control over the territory, following industry’s eviction by Hereditary Chiefs.
This invasion ignited a storm of solidarity! The Wet’suwet’en were embraced in beautiful and powerful actions coast to coast and overseas. From January to March 2020, thousands of people rose up in hundreds of demonstrations in solidarity with Indigenous sovereignty and environmental protection against the fracked gas industry.
During a wave of international uprisings, Canada came under fire for its refusal to engage in meaningful Free, Prior and Informed Consent with Indigenous Nations across Turtle Island. Canada’s denial of responsibility and failure to implement the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples resulted in the fight for #LANDBACK.
We are humbled by the power of our allies, friends and supporters. We have love, respect, and gratitude for those that stood their ground beside us on the yintah to defend Wedzin Kwa. We vow to reciprocate the solidarity from everyone that followed, all our allies/relatives and supporters that put their feet in the street defending Indigenous sovereignty.
Now, we need you to rise up again. October 9th-15th 2021, go #AllOutForWedzinKwa
With so much upheaval, both in the natural world and man-made systems, it is important to have a vision of the future we want to build. We have limited capacity, of both time and other resources, making it important to determine how we can most wisely use them. And there are an increasing number of crises requiring attention and resources now if we are going to have any chance of slowing these evolving catastrophes.
Fundamentally, we must decide whether to work for incremental changes to the existing systems or transition to new ones.
I’m having a tough time convincing people that the capitalist economic system, and the political systems supporting capitalism, are fundamentally unjust.
One’s view of capitalism is determined by how well capitalism is working for you. If you are fortunate to have income to cover expenses, you probably don’t want to change. Change is difficult.
Otherwise, you understand capitalism is unjust. An economic system built on money is unjust when millions of people live in poverty because they don’t have adequate, or any income. Are denied goods and services simply due to the lack of money.
When there was close to full employment capitalism seemed to work. But as jobs were lost to automation or moving them out of the country to take advantage of cheap labor elsewhere, millions have been thrown into poverty. To lack food, shelter, healthcare, education, spiritual support, dignity.
Capitalism is unjust because it has been built on stolen land and the labor of enslaved people.
As my good friend Ronnie James says:
I’m of the firm opinion that a system that was built by stolen bodies on stolen land for the benefit of a few is a system that is not repairable. It is operating as designed, and small changes (which are the result of huge efforts) to lessen the blow on those it was not designed for are merely half measures that can’t ever fully succeed.
So the question is now, where do we go from here? Do we continue to make incremental changes while the wealthy hoard more wealth and the climate crisis deepens, or do we do something drastic that has never been done before? Can we envision and create a world where a class war from above isn’t a reality anymore?”
Ronnie James
Thanks to Ronnie, I’ve been learning about, and participating in an alternative to capitalism, Mutual Aid. “Can we envision and create a world where a class war from above isn’t a reality anymore?” One of the fundamental principles of Mutual Aid is working to maintain a horizontal or flat hierarchy. To work to avoid a vertical hierarchy. One of the great advantages of this lack of vertical hierarchy is any kind of supremacy, e.g. white supremacy, is not even a possibility.
So I work with a dope crew called Des Moines Mutual Aid, and on Saturday mornings we do a food giveaway program that was started by the Panthers as their free breakfast program and has carried on to this day. Anyways, brag, brag, blah, blah.
So I get to work and I need to call my boss, who is also a very good old friend, because there is network issues. He remembers and asks about the food giveaway which is cool and I tell him blah blah it went really well. And then he’s like, “hey, if no one tells you, I’m very proud of what you do for the community” and I’m like “hold on hold on. Just realize that everything I do is to further the replacing of the state and destroying western civilization and any remnants of it for future generations.” He says “I know and love that. Carry on.”
This diagram identifies LANDBACK, Abolition of police and prisons, and Mutual Aid as paths to a better society and future for us all.
Des Moines Mutual Aid is a collective that does outreach for homeless folks in our community, houseless folks in our community. We also assist BLM with their rent relief fund, and most of the work we’ve done is running the bail fund for the protests over the summer. In the course of that work, we have witnessed firsthand the violence that is done upon people of color, Black people specifically, by the white supremacist forces of the state – in this state, in this city, in this county. There is absolutely a state of emergency for people of color and Black people in Iowa. The state of emergency has been a long time coming. We will support – DMMA will absolutely support any and all efforts of this community – BLM, and the people of color community more generally- to keep themselves safe. Power to the people.
Patrick Stahl, Des Moines Mutual Aid
mutual aid is the new economy. mutual aid is community. it is making sure your elderly neighbor down the street has a ride to their doctor’s appointment. mutual aid is making sure the children in your neighborhood have dinner, or a warm coat for the upcoming winter. mutual aid is planting community gardens.
capitalism has violated the communities of marginalized folks. capitalism is about the value of people, property and the people who own property. those who have wealth and property control the decisions that are made. the government comes second to capitalism when it comes to power.
in the name of liberation, capitalism must be reversed and dismantled. meaning that capitalistic practices must be reprogrammed with mutual aid practices.
Des Moines Black Liberation
Randomly passing an accomplice on the street and throwing up a fist at each other as we go our separate ways to destroy all that is rotten in this world will never fail to give me extra energy and a single tear of gratitude for what this city is creating.
I first heard of the Wet’suwet’en peoples and their struggle to prevent the construction of the Coastal GasLink (CGL) pipeline through their pristine land in January 2020. What caught my attention was the following video, “Coastal Gaslink Evicted from Unist’ot’en territory.” Having been engaged with protecting water from the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines for years, I was amazed at the peaceful eviction of CGL workers from Wet’suwet’en territories, temporary as it turned out to be.
Unfortunately, the interactions between the Wet’suwet’en and the Canadian government have not been peaceful. There have been many conflicts and arrests of Wet’suwet’en people by militarized Royal Canadian Mounted Police. There are heightened tensions now as construction of CGL has reached the point of drilling under the sacred headwaters of the Wedzin Kwa river.
Under ‘Anuc niwh’it’en (Wet’suwet’en law) all Hereditary Chiefs of the five clans of the Wet’suwet’en have unanimously opposed all pipeline proposals and have not provided free, prior, and informed consent to Coastal Gaslink to drill on Wet’suwet’en lands.
Over the past week, as Wet’suwet’en members of Cas Yikh and their supporters maintain control of a Coastal GasLink drill site that threatens their unceded territories, the RCMP has utilized excessive use of force and torturous pain compliance on land defenders.
Gidimt’en chiefs and supporters have been defending a number of culturally significant archeological sites and the sacred headwaters of the Wedzin Kwa from destruction on unceded Cas Yikh (Grizzly House) territory belonging to the Gidimt’en clan of the Wet’suwet’en people.
Wet’suwet’en Resistance to CGL Pipeline Occupation 2021: What Is Happening at Gidimt’en Checkpoint? A Recap of Events from Wet’suwet’en Territory This Week, Oct 4, 2021
What can I do?
Last year, the Wet’suwet’en and our allies saw a massive resurgence of solidarity and support in the #SHUTDOWNCANADA movement. Inspired by the recognition and belief in Indigenous Sovereignty and jurisdiction over their territories, many people rose up together and demonstrated a serious rejection to Canada’s agenda of land theft and genocide against Indigenous Peoples.
This year, we must go #AllOutForWedzinKwa !
The time is now to return our energy to this movement after the long slow pain of the past few isolating years. The river is imminently under threat, and the people on the ground in this remote community need your engagement, action and support.
⭐ Find or host a solidarity rally near you. Consider hosting a rally at the site of a regulating, insurance or investment office to send a direct message to those permitting and backing this project that Coastal Gaslink for trespassing on Wet’suwet’en lands and will not go through.
⭐ Pressure the government : call the BC Oil and Gas Commission,, the Ministry of Forests,and the Environmental Assessment office
I avoid too many quotations and media from other sources in these blog posts. But there are stories that need to be told by those most affected, those doing the work for truth and justice. The stories here are by and about the Wet’suwet’en peoples who have been working for years to protect their lands in British Columbia from the Coastal GasLink pipeline. Who continue to face harassment and arrest by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
This is a clear example of the struggle for LANDBACK. “Many did not return and those who survived have fought for our right to all that we had been robbed of – land, language, culture, pride.“
A healing center has been built. And in the last few days the newest addition of homes in Lhudis Bin yintah is now set up at the drill pad site near Wedzin Kwa. (Video below).
We Fight for Our Children Wedzin Kwa belongs to our children. For over 50 years, Wet’suwet’en children were taken from the land, from their families, and from Wedzin Kwa to attend residential schools. These “schools” were not to empower us, but to take the Indian, to take the Wet’suwet’en, out of the child. Many did not return and those who survived have fought for our right to all that we had been robbed of – land, language, culture, pride. Today, we continue to face state violence from governments and industry who still want our land to themselves. Their plans to eradicate us however, have failed and we are still here! Every day we remember. We carry that pain, that strength, and we work to rebuild our pride, to rebuild our nations and reconnect with our lands. On September 30th, we came together in a day of remembrance to honour the children, to remind ourselves that we will never give up/be defeated.
“I’ve always said there are two types of people on Sept. 30,” said Métis NDP MP Blake Desjarlais. “Those who’ve been robbed of their children, their culture, their language, and those who’ve been robbed of the truth. Sometimes you’re both.
“We can’t truly have reconciliation until we have that truth,” he said.
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation coincides with Orange Shirt Day, which honours the story of Phyllis Webstad, a young girl whose new orange shirt was stripped from her on her first day at St. Joseph’s Residential School in 1973. On Sept. 30, 2013, Webstad spoke publicly about her experience, and Orange Shirt Day was born.
The federal statutory holiday was established after ground-penetrating radar uncovered the remains of 215 children at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, confirming what Indigenous people have known for decades.
“The amount of pain in the Indigenous community is massive, we’re only scratching the surface,” said Desjarlais, the newly elected MP for Edmonton-Greisbach and the first two-spirit person to sit in the House of Commons.
Come to the land: 
LANDBACK Friends 