So. It's that time of year again. Columbus Day. The good news is that at least 9 US cities have abolished it in favor of Indigenous Peoples Day.
But I'd like to draw your attention to something else that needs urgent support NOW:
Treaty Awareness Walk 2015
It's a small group of people/s….
(sometimes VERY small)
But with very big hearts
And loads of determination in their soles….
Who are engaged in a grassroots prayer/protection walk to carry an Eagle Staff from Rexton MI to Washington DC to draw attention to the increasingly dire situation at the Straits of Mackinac, where Enbridge is at it again…and to PRAY that the oil-aholics don't succeed in dumping their "firewater" all over the Great Lakes--.
One of the Treaty Walkers' concerns is the so-called "Line 5": a 62-year old pipeline at the bottom of the Straits of Mackinac (more info: Detroit Free Press).
But it's also about the Canadian company Graymont's plans for the Great Lakes (see here for a basic rundown).
Ultimately, though, as event organizers, walkers and participants have stressed every step along the way: It is about PROTECTING the Great Lakes--not only because these waters are sacred to the Anishinaabe people, but because we are concerned here with the largest source of freshwater in the world. If these oil-aholics (Graymont, Enbridge and Co.) are not stopped in their tracks NOW, all the "booming" in the world is NOT going to help.
With the support of individuals who provided overnight lodging, transportation of camping gear, prayers and moral support, treaty Walkers made it from Rexton MI to Lansing on schedule, where a ceremony was performed on the capitol grounds, followed by a feast to honor those who helped make it happen.
But now, as the staff is passed from Michigan to Ohio
for these next legs of the journey--passing through Ohio, West Virginia, and Virginia, where the Michigan-based groups have fewer contacts….support is needed to help the Eagle staff make it to Washington DC on schedule, for the rally/ceremony in the nation's capital on November 6.
Here is a list of scheduled stops/route:
Anyone in or around these areas willing to support these efforts in any way--either by walking (a mile, a day, a block or two), providing food and lodging to walkers, providing transportation support (walkers have too much gear to carry on their own, so drivers are needed who can transport gear from checkpoint to checkpoint). Especially needed is some land near Washington DC where a gathering, feast, music and discussions can be held.
Please celebrate Indigenous People's Day (not to mention Native American Heritage Month in November) by helping out if you can.
Chi-miigwech.