“Never underestimate the power of organized people armed with research and strategic escalation. The head of the Black Snake was visibly shaken today and for the first time we're aware of, communicated a willingness to meet directly with Native peoples.”
--Dave Cortez, Austin Environmental Justice Team organizer
ATXEJ Organizer Dave Cortez, getting the crowd fired up. (Photo credit: Derrick Crowe)
Today, I joined about 200 people to rally in outside a meeting of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission in Austin to express our solidarity with the water protectors at Standing Rock and to protest the presence of Kelcy Warren, CEO of Energy Transfer Partners, on the commission. Energy Transfer Partners is the company constructing the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota, as well as the Comanche Trail and Trans Pecos pipelines in West Texas. The protest was organized by the Austin Environmental Justice Team.
We won two surprise concessions:
- Warren and another commissioner recused themselves from a vote on pipeline construction in East Texas after we called out their conflict of interest, and
- Warren committed to meet with representatives of the Society of Native Nations about the destruction and desecration of Native sacred burial grounds.
The local FOX affiliate put together a surprisingly good segment explaining the action, as did the Texas Observer’s Naveena Sadasivam. Instead of just rehashing the details related in those pieces, I’ll just share a few quick observations as an attendee.
First, it was clear that Warren was caught off-guard by the size and vehemence of the protest and the emphatic tone of those who testified before the commission. He was clearly not expecting us, at least not in force. When Texas Governor Greg Abbott appointed Warren to the commission, I’m sure neither of them even remotely considered the possibility that the environmental justice movement in Texas would be organized enough to shove back against this clear conflict of interest. I have no doubt that the work done by ATXEJ put him on his back foot, and that’s the main reason he recused himself from voting on the East Texas pipeline items. Without that strategic thinking and commitment to local organizing, that simply would not have happened.
Protesters rally outside the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission. (Photo credit: Derrick Crowe)
Second, never underestimate the power of people speaking from the heart when confronting corporate interests. ATXEJ organizer Dave Cortez spoke powerfully about his connection to the land and water in Texas, and the pain of seeing Balmorhea State Park being fouled by fracking. He was followed by a string of representatives of Native peoples and environmental activists, who shared personal stories, songs, and prayers. In just a few short minutes together, that kind of openness and sharing knitted the attendees into a tight little community of unified purpose, and that connection fed the energy of the crowd—energy that helped persuade even the head of the Black Snake to take a tiny step in the right direction.
For weeks, I’ve felt the call to join people I know and respect out at Standing Rock, and I am so grateful to this committed, thoughtful group of environmental justice organizers for finding a meaningful way for people to show their solidarity with the water protectors in North Dakota. I hope this encourages you to search for ways to localize the struggle in your own community.
