The rightwing wet-dream of our wetlands' scream works it way through the Koch held hostage state of Wisconsin. We in the Overpass Light Brigade have been working with environmental and indigenous rights activists, trying to get the message out via our light boards, the People's Bandwidth. The mining bill is touted as a jobs bill. The boom and bust Keystone decay of the Canadian Shield is never cited as the poor Dwarves of Wisconsin agitate to reclaim Moria. This will be Governor Walker's jobstravaganza! Jobs, jobs, jobs to move us from our current status of state number 42. There are a few problems, however. Moria's gold is only low-grade iron ore. The tailings will be full of sulfites, which when water is added turn to sulphuric acid. Oh, and the land is, ugh, rather occupied by some Ojibwe Indians who have had the temerity to set up their own bit of Rivendale at the headwaters of the Bad River, right next door in the smack dab watershed of the taconite fields.
Inspired by 350.org, the Tar Sands Blockade, and the stubborn activists today being "escorted" from their DC premises earlier today, I submit some pictures from recent actions out here in Wisconsin. This is our message in a bottle. We are desperate to stop the plunder, shift some resource to resource protection, direct the economy to new economies that don't equate to cultural genocide, and figure out how to be human in our troubled Eden.
We travel this weekend to Hayward, WI, near Lake Superior. It is a good 6 hour trip, and our destination is an Idle No More mid-winter dance and Chippewa gathering, a place for talk and sharing and community building. We are also working with a number of Light Brigades scattered around the country, with the hope of coordinating some environmental messages. Join us in the struggle! Get out and make some noise. Be visible. Write about it, support it, make art about it, put pressure on our government and on our businesses.
Water is life! Protect the earth!
stand up from Dusan Harminc on Vimeo.