Indigenous Women on the Front Lines Speak
Support Flo, Wolverine’s widowed partner and Wolverine’s Grandchildren continue the farm they built together.
https://fundrazr.com/flowolverinefarm
“You need two hands to fight the system. You cannot have one hand asking for something and the other one closed. You have to be able to fight with both hands.”
https://www.voicesfrontlines.com/support-flo-wolverines-widowed-partner-and/
I do believe that the creator lives inside
of everybody and I do believe in my ancestors and I do believe that I am doing
what’s right. The things that I am
motivated by and that keep me going are my Grandkids. I have a responsibility to them. It’s really sad that the work that we do as
Mothers and Grandmothers and Protectors and Warriors is vilified.
-Queen Sacheen
Xhopakelxhit, Sacheen Seitcham, is a Snuneymuxw, Nuu Chah Nulth,
Coast Salish and Cree Grandmother, Medicine Maker, Water Protector and
Strategist. Co-Founder of the Coast Salish Native Youth Movement, The West Coast
Women Warrior Society Media Cooperative, Yaakswiis Warriors, Imperial No More and Ancestral Pride Sacheen’s life is
dedicated to the futures of the children. In August of 2016
Sacheen and 3 others were arrested for attempting to block the restocking of a
fish farm in Ahousaht waters and in the autumn Sacheen and her family were
throwing down with Red Warrior at Standing Rock and providing crucial on the
ground media coverage.
Sacheen’s work relies on the support of people like you dedicated to
Indigenous Sovereignty and Protection of Water, Land and Life. With
court dates coming up on both sides of the colonial border, family to
support and Imperial Metals, the Kinder Morgan Pipeline and Cermaq to fuck up
your donations are crucial.
Please support Warriors.
E- transfers can be made to: mamazonscreations@gmail.com
Sign up to make a monthly
donation
Donate Sacheen’s work
with Imperial No More
or Donate
directly to support Sacheen
https://www.voicesfrontlines.com/i-do-believe-that-the-creator-lives-inside-of/
Wulfgang and a bunch of our loves are going to be at this 3 day skill share event on Coast Salish Territory. Click the headers to get the full info. Maybe see you there!! xo
Voices from the Sacred Fire: Indigenous Land Defenders Speak
~~~ With Freda Huson (Unist’ot’en) ~~~ Ladonna Brave Bull Allard
(Standing Rock Sioux) ~~~ Richard Wright (Madii Lii) ~~~ Brandon
Gabriel (Kwantlen)~~~Kachina Bige (Lutsel’ke Dené) ~~~~ Sakej Ward
(Mi’kmaw) ~~~ Kanahus Pelkey (Secwepemc)
Stoking the Sacred Fire: Mobilization for Indigenous Land Defense
Saturday March 25 and Sunday March 26, 2017
From 9 am to 5 pm
Location: The Hall at 1739 Venables Street (at Commercial Drive) Vancouver, Coast Salish Territories
https://www.voicesfrontlines.com/wulfgang-and-a-bunch-of-our-loves-are-going-to-be/
Dear ones,
The fires continue to
burn at Standing Rock and all along the body of the Black Snake. New
fires are being lit each day as Indigenous resistance spreads. We are
gathering at our own points among the growing constellations to offer support
and fuel the fires of front lines as Queer and 2Spirit artists, organizers and
healers in solidarity.
We invite you to join
us through directly contributing to this fundraiser and sharing our work with
your own constellations of people until the blaze of our resistance is truly
unquenchable.
Many generous and
wonderful artists, makers and healers have contributed incredible services,
hand crafted gifts and works of art to this raffle in support of the 2Spirit
Warrior Society.
Works include limited
edition prints by artists Noel’le Longhaul, beyon wren moor and Annie Banks, a
handcrafted book by Emi Lynn Holler, original stick and poke tattoos by Kiala
and photographic prints by Amber Bracken and Wulfgang Zapf. Tender hearts
have also contributed hand made clothing, massages, herbal consultations and
more. The combined monetary value of all raffle items is over $2000 in
so-called canadian dollars.
All proceeds raised
through this raffle will go directly to the purchase of a 4×4 truck, trailer
and yurt for members of the 2Spirit Warrior Society to support their continued
struggle against the Dakota Access Pipeline.
To view the prizes,
purchase tickets and learn more about the 2Spirit Warrior Society and the
ongoing resistance to the Black Snake visit:
Tickets are $5 CAD.
The raffle runs until midnight on February 13th, winners will be drawn on
February 14th. Only 2500 tickets will be sold across Turtle Island.
No surrender.
Defend the Water. Defend the Sacred.
Love and Rage,
-Voices: Indigenous
Women on the Front Lines Speak, voicesbook.tumblr.com
the UVic Pride
Collective, uvicpride.ca
and the Queers for
Indigenous Territory Defense Crew.
Our friend Goot-Ges is selling tickets to raffle off the prints pictured below by Jaalen Edenshaw. Winners choice as to which print they would like.
Proceeds will
help Goot-Ges and her children travel to the Indigenous Life School coming up next
week. She is also needing to travel to another capacity building workshop with her kids next month, and a trip home to Haida Gwaii.
Will also be selling photo
cards from #skeenariverfishing- coming soon.
Tickets are $20 each. And once all tickets are sold, raffle would be done for one print. You can purchase a ticket through email transfer.
etransfer: yakguudang@gmail.com
Howaa for all your support.
On
August 4th we rolled up to YUCT
NE SENXIYMETKEW on unceded Secwepemc territory to join
the gathering organized by the Secwepemc Womens Warrior Society to mark the
2-year anniversary of the Mount
Polley Disaster.
Around
the sacred fire Sacheen of Ancestral Pride and Chrissy of the
West Coast Women’s Warrior Society led a workshop discussing how allies can throw down, supporters prepared wild
salmon, elders shared stories and we joined a dozen kids playing in the nearby
woods so their mamas could complete the skill shares they were leading and
start the blockade.
Under
the direction of Secwepemc Women, Elders and organizer Harsha Wallia a blockade
was set up at the entrance to the road leading to Mount Polley. Workers
were permitted to leave and no one was permitted to enter. We joined in
with kids on our shoulders while Kanahus of the Secwepecm Women’s Warrior
Society approached vehicles to inform them they were breaking Secwepemc law and
supporters stood strong in soft blockade. Despite the assault committed by one of the mine-workers on land defenders and
the injury of Sacheen, the Sewepecm Womens Warrior Society
with their allies including Ancestral Pride, Downtown Eastside Power of Women,
Native Youth Movement and No One Is Illegal, successfully shut down the mine
for hours.
That
evening a thunderstorm rolled in, lightning struck setting fire to a nearby power line and the
temporary camp was packed up so folks could return home. It was as if creator was telling us it was time to leave. We stuck around
the William’s Lake area for a couple nights as Sacheen attempted to file a police report and was met with some
fucked up, typical and boring as hell racist bullshit from the RCMP.
We
returned to Lekwungen Territory only to jump back on the ferry the very next
day to throw down with Sacheen, Kanahus and Chrissy on Musqueam
Territory. On August 9th a solid crew successfully occupied
the offices of Imperial Metals until cops stormed in, beat the shit out of our
friends and arrested four of us: beyon and our friends Julie Anne and Noah among
them. While some of us headed to the cop shop to do jail
support Kanahus, Sacheen and other West Coast Warrior Women went and occupied
the offices of the BC Mining Association.
The
following evening Sacheen and Kanahus hosted a debrief delivered to a packed
room. At this event Sacheen’s father, Tytun (Shane) Pointe honoured those
arrested, there was a blanketing ceremony for Julie Anne, beyon, Noah and David, thanking them for their work
supporting his daughter and affirmed they now shared the same canoe.
The
creeks, rivers, lakes and ocean are all connected. The poisons being discharged
into Hazeltine Creek by Imperial Metals flow through the connected waterways.
The salmon which return to the rivers from the oceans must pass through the
toxins never cleaned up by Imperial Metals. This is not just an Indigenous
issue, we all live downstream. The destruction of the land by mining is violence
and enough is enough.
Two
full years after the catastrophic breach of Mount Polley’s Tailings Pond,
Imperial Metals continues to operate illegally destroying the land and
endangering the lives of all the surrounding people.
Support
the work of Indigenous Women to shut down Imperial Metals.
Xo
beyon and Wulfie
https://www.voicesfrontlines.com/on-august-4th-we-rolled-up-to-yuct-ne-senxiymetkew/
I think that we have so much to gain from living on our
territories and living the way our ancestors did. That is why they were so strong. That is why
they were so smart and so strong physically and mentally and spiritually. We need it, not only do we need it, but we’re
gonna be an even bigger force to be reckoned with when more of our people gain
that strength.
We can’t be Wet’suwet’en if we don’t have the Wet’suwet’en
lands.
-Molly Wickham
Molly Wickham is a Wet’suwet’en land defender, mother and hunter from the Gitemden clan’s Spookw house. She lives with her husband and two children at Lhudis Bin, “The Lake Way Out There,” a place where her ancestors and elders lived, hunted, gathered medicine and fished. Lhudis Bin was the planned site for a tailings pond that would hold chemicals from mining operations on Nanika Mountain, a project that has never moved forward. Through her work with the Life School and leadership with the Wet’suwet’en drum group Molly shares stories of resistance with the next generation, passes on skills and creates the songs that will tell the stories of these times.
Learn more about the Life School at the Cedars R.I.S.E Society.
Donations and offers of support can be made to ror.wickham@gmail.com
And cheques can be sent via snail mail to Box 3664 Smithers BC V0J 2N0
https://www.voicesfrontlines.com/i-think-that-we-have-so-much-to-gain-from-living/
Time does not make its way through our lives in a linear movement and so we begin our updates with the winding down of the work on the Youth Art Mural. The mural painting was part of the Unist’ot’en’s first Youth Art Camp and we took a rare quiet opportunity to visit Molly Wickham and her family at their home on Gitemden Territory.
The territories of the Gitemden Clan of the Wet’suwet’en located next to that of the Unist’ot’en’s unceded Yintah of Talbits Kwa. Past sprawling lakes, fields of wild medicines, tangles of berries and painful clear cuts we made our way to Lhudis Bin meaning “The Lake Way Out There,” where Molly and her partner Cody with their two kids, Liam and Lily have made their home at the request of their Elders.
Lhudis Bin, the lake way out there, is located at the center of the Casyex House Territory, the Grizzly Bear House. It is a place where the Elders and the Ancestors once lived, where the earth hides caches and the hills grow medicine, the lake is home to Chard and the lands nourish Bear, Moose, Dear and Coyote. The waters of this lake are fed by the Nanika river, where Molly and her family get their drinking water from, which flows from the glacier of nearby Nanika Mountain. Nanika Mountain holds within her mineral deposits at risk of industrial extraction. If Nanika mountain were to be mined it would turn Lhudis Bin into a tailings pond. (The term “pond” can be a little misleading, as the structures can grow to be the size of Central Park.) Lhudis Bin is connected to Wetzin Bin, which drains into Wetzin’kwa, where Freda and everyone at the Unist’ot’en camp get their drinking water, which is connected to the Bulkley and eventually to the Skeena and on to the sea.
Molly, Cody and their son Liam began living on their territory and in close relationship to the land as defenders and caretakers in 2012. This has ensured that a proposed ‘sling site’, where materials and workers for the proposed pipelines on Unist’ot’en territory would be brought in, has not been established. Returning to their territory has not only created the possibility for the land to heal from years of colonial devastation through logging it has also made it possible for the growth of the Life School.
The Life School is an initiative of grass roots Indigenous families raising their children decolonized, in relationship to the land, and learning their own histories of resistance instead of the assimilation fed to youth in colonial public education institutions. Seasonally these families come together to offer support to one another, share skills, put away food and connect their children with other kids like them.
“Really we’re just living Indigenous lives, we’re
living an Indigenous existence and that’s the education that we want to be
giving our kids. We want to be able to
be out on the land with our kids and teaching them in an experiential way according to our own tradition.” -Molly Wickham
If you are interested in supporting Molly and the Life School’s work they are always in need of both monetary donations, assistance with grants, and support approaching businesses for in kind donations in order to make their seasonal gatherings possible.
You can learn more about their work at the Cedars R.I.S.E Society.
Donations and offers of support can be made to ror.wickham@gmail.com
And cheques can be sent via snail mail to Box 3664 Smithers BC V0J 2N0
If you have questions feel free to contact us.
xo beyon and wulfgang <3
https://www.voicesfrontlines.com/time-does-not-make-its-way-through-our-lives-in-a/
These are our friends who we have been throwing down with for the past couple weeks. last night we collaborated together to create this gofundme in order to get the resources that these warriors need to fight off these billion dollar companies. please consider donating <3
Today the Secwepemc Women’s Warrior Society and Ancestral Pride launch the Imperial No More Campaign. We are launching this campaign to stop Imperial Metals before they cause any more violence and devastation to the lands, waters and our lives. We are seeking support to protect our unceded territories and to ensure the children of all people can eat the salmon and breathe the air, we cannot do it without your support.
“We the people are the Protectors and Land Defenders and with our allies supporting this indigenous-led resistance, we will make a stand to stop Imperial Metals from violating our rights. Not one more mountain will be mined, not one more water way destroyed in the name of profit, not one more tree logged to create roads for these mines.” –Kanahus
Kanahus Manuel of the Secwepemc Women’s Warriors Society, mother and artist and Sacheen Seitcham of Ancestral Pride, Grandmother, medicine maker and traditional midwife have been organizing resistance to the illegal mining operations of Imperial Metals on their territories since before the devastating tailings pond breach in 2014. We stand to protect Yuct Ne Senxiymetkwe and Chitaapi Mountain from Imperial Metals.
Despite their efforts Imperial Metal’s Mount Polley mine continues to operate and in November 2015 the province issued a permit for the company to discharge their toxic tailings into Hazeltine Creek, the same waterways affected by the 2014 breach.
“The Time is Now, We Cannot Wait Anymore”
The creeks, rivers, lakes and ocean are all connected. The poisons being discharged into Hazeltine Creek flow through the connected waterways. The salmon which return to the rivers form the oceans must pass through the toxins never cleaned up by Imperial Metals. This is not just an Indigenous issue, we all live downstream. The destruction of the land by mining is violence and enough is enough.
Two full years after the catastrophic breach of Mount Polley’s Tailings Pond, Imperial Metals continues to operate illegally destroying the land and endangering the lives of all the surrounding people.
Over the last week the Secwepemc Women’s Warrior Society and Ancestral Pride have been taking direct action with the support of allies to show Imperial Metals that we will escalate resistance until they cease and desist all mining operations on our Indigenous territories.
On August 4th we marked the 2-year anniversary of the devastating Tailings Pond breach with a gathering of Indigenous land defenders, allies and supporters to shut down the mine and to assert sovereignty over our unceded territories. There were workshops, feasting, training, ceremony and information sharing.
After skilling up together we completely blocked all workers from returning to work and stopped mining activity.
On August 9th the Secwepemc Women’s Warrior Society and Ancestral Pride successfully occupied the Imperial Metal’s Vancouver Office. Imperial Metals ordered thirty police offers to violently assault Indigenous women and supporters, with four arrests and many bruised bodies. Spirits remain high and we know the world is watching, we have support from around the world.
“Colonial violence is real! The mining companies in central and south amerikkka are already killing indigenous people for protecting their land and their ways of life. We are quick approaching that time here in kkkanada and we need to know where everyone stands? Will you put your bodies on the line to fight for the future?” -Sacheen
It is time to gather the resources to SHUT IMPERIAL METALS DOWN!
What the funds will be used for:
All funds raised will be used to develop and maintain the campaign to Stop Imperial Metals. Up to this point Sacheen, Kanahus and their supporters have been operating on their own funds and small contributions from their networks.
Here is where the funds will be used:
• For the materials and equipment necessary to hold events, direct actions and provide documentation for media releases.
• To repair our vehicle and cover the travel costs for members of the Secwepemc Women’s Warrior Society, Ancestral Pride and their supporters to be where they need to in order to continue pressure on Imperial Metals and their shareholders.
This also means we will be able to connect with the grassroots community, indigenous and non-indigenous most affected by Imperial Metals mines.
• To ensure we have the necessary funds for any legal fees that arise when the RCMP come down on our supporters and us.
• For awareness spreading materials and activities.
• To provide capacity building featuring Guerilla Media training, grant writing opportunities for other indigenous land defenders and our supporters.
• To build homes at Tska7 (Ruddock Creek) and Chitaapi (Catface Mountain) to assert our rights and title over our territories by living on them. This is most important as occupation is key to stopping resource extraction!
• We plan to host a large gathering that can bring together members of effected communities and our supporters to strategize and build a stronger movement to resist Imperial Metals on all affected territories.
“Colonial violence is real! The mining companies in central and south amerikkka are already killing indigenous people for protecting their land and their ways of life. We are quick approaching that time here in kkkanada and we need to know where everyone stands? Will you put your bodies on the line to fight for the future?”
For more information:
Imperial Metals is engaging in mining practices and operations that are in direct oppostion to the protocols and inherent rights and title of the Secwepemc, Ahousaht, Tla-o-qui-aht, Wet’suwet’en, and Tahltan First Nations.
www.facebook.com/yuctnesenxiymetkwecamp/
https://www.youtube.com/embed/WvahN7pdXek
https://www.voicesfrontlines.com/these-are-our-friends-who-we-have-been-throwing/
We left Lekqungen Territory to cross the Salish Sea on the last day of May on our way to Lax U’u’la (Lelu Island) in Tsimshian territory. On our first day out of so called vancouver we stopped in at Ulluisc to deliver donated food supplies, cash donations and photographs to Christine Jack, the caretaker and protector of the mountains there. We were also able to sleep along the banks of Wedzin Kwah in the Gitemden Clan’s territory. Wedzin Kwah is the life giving river that flows through Wet’suwet’en territory and has been fiercely protected by hereditary leadership of the Unist’ot’en clan. Wedzin Kwah is a tributary to the Skeena river and we would eventually follow the Skeena along the highway of tears to the sea.
Lax U’u’la, is located at the mouth of the Skeena river. Adjacent to the island are the Flora Banks, an area made up of glacial silt from the last ice age where eelgrass flourishes. The Flora Banks and the eel grass that grows there is a crucial habitat for young Salmon smolts who as adults will run the Skeena river. The eelgrass provides shelter from the strong currents and tides while the smolts acclimatize to their new lives in saltwater and adult salmon re-adjust to begin their journey up the river. This is a place where one generation of salmon passes another. The straight next to Lax U’u’la teams with porpoises, humpback whales pass through the region and wolves hunt the deer who find bountiful food on the island. We were told the ancestors and wild spirits of the animals protect Lax U’u’la.
It is on this small marshy island, covered in berries, ancient cedars
and eagle’s nests that Petronas and Pacific North West LNG (PNW LNG)
scheme to build an export facility for gas fracked in the North East of
so called bc.
There are 8 facilities planned for the Tsimshian’s territories around colonial Prince Rupert.
In August of 2015 five Women of Haida, Gitxsan and Tsimshian descent, with the support of the Hereditary House Leader for the Gitwilgyoots tribe responsible for Lax U’u’la, began an occupation of the Island. Since that moment they have been offering their prayers, utilizing the medicines of the island, raising their children and going out onto the water to courageously stop the work of surveyors hired by PNW LNG. Many warriors and supporters have joined these women in their fight for the land, waters and air.
We were honoured to have the opportunity to sit down with Christie Brown in her home and talk about her experiences protecting Lax U’u’la and beginning the occupation. Once on the island we joined Goot Ges and her three children who harvest medicines there, offer prayers and join supporters in stopping industry on the water. We were able to assist with cooking meals for supporters, constructing a cedar smokehouse, building a composting toilet and joining patrols to protect the island.
If you are interested in learning more about Lax U’u’la you can check out their facebook page or this short documentary.
If you would like to support the Land Defenders who are out there protecting the salmon, waters, land and air there are two specific needs:
The first is for financial donations to fuel the boats necessary for patrols, and you can donate to the go fund me, or e-transfer funds through: Lelu_island@hotmail.com.
The second is a need for people to be out there on the land. Supporters are welcome and skills related to working collaboratively, navigating conflicts, care work, boating, cooking and construction are super helpful.
If you have questions about accessibility or anything at all, please do not hesitate to contact us!
xo beyon and wulfgang
https://www.voicesfrontlines.com/we-left-lekqungen-territory-to-cross-the-salish/