Voices

Indigenous Women on the Front Lines Speak

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If nobody is speaking the truth then we are
all living a lie.

-Queen Sacheen

What I do know of our people out here was
that when it was time to go to war we weren’t pacifists.  When we prayed at wartime we prayed to kill
our enemies, we prayed to be victorious; we prayed to be the winners of the
battle. Whatever that battle was,
whether it was over a broken paddle or a broken promise we weren’t peaceful, we
weren’t pacifists, we weren’t negating spirituality either; it was also
ceremonial.

-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/if-nobody-is-speaking-the-truth-then-we-are-all/

Raising Funds for Secwepemc Elder, Flo, and the late Wolverine’s Farm.  Feed the Resistance.

Cyale
means gathering place. It is the Secwepemc word for the hollow in the hillside
where people gather, such as the one on Flo’s land. Flo tells stories of how people
would come for giveaways to this place since time immemorial.

She explains that
the farm is called Cyale to continue this legacy and tradition: to grow food
for her community, for her Nation, and for other Nations fighting for their
lands.

The late Wolverine
and Flo built a farm in Adam’s Lake First Nation, near Chase in so-called BC to
grow food for people in their community and also to support Frontline Land Defenders. They have been transporting a big portion of their harvest ever year
to the Unist’ot’en Yintah and to other Indigenous Frontlines. They grow
heirloom varieties of fruits and vegetables and save seeds for future use.

We are working with other supporters to raise funds for the critical infrastructure that Flo needs to keep the farm going and providing nourishment for Land Defenders.

Flo needs tractor tires which are $3800 and materials for constructing a greenhouse which we estimate at $2000.

To make a contribution to Flo, Food Sovereignty and Protection of the Land:

Mail cheques to:

Flo Sampson
Box 819
Chase Bc V0E 1M0
Canada

Email money transfer:

Brettley.Mason@gmail.com

PayPal:

aberle.britt@gmail.com

For etransfer and PayPal put “Donation to farm” in the message field

xo beyon and wulfgang

p.s. if you have any questions hit us up at voicesfrontlines@gmail.com

finally an update! <3

Hello Lovelies,

As autumn settles in deep and we approach the darkest day and longest night of the year we’re happy to have found time to share with you all. 

Amidst the cold the fires of resistance are burning bright and fucking hot all over Turtle Island.

We continue to feed those fires.

About two weeks ago deer beyon traveled south and east to bring supporters to Standing Rock.  Beyon has joined water protectors and is throwing down and supporting the fight for water, land and life in solidarity with the Sioux Nation. After, she is on her way to their other home in so called Massachusetts to work on the illustrations for the book.

Here on Lekwungen Territory, Wulfie, has been fighting the eventual demoviction from their home, and is joining with a growing movement in the city against displacement connecting processes of ongoing colonialism, homelessness and gentrification.  Work continues here to support front lines through raising funds, care work and solidarity actions.

If you are not able to make it to Standing Rock yourself and are wondering how you can support Indigenous Land Defenders here’s an update on what some of our friends, the incredible Women and Two-Spirit Land Defenders we are working with on the Voices Project, are up to.

Queen Sacheen and her partner Crow have been holding it down with the Red Warrior Camp for well over a month now… going on two!  If you are able to send this Grandma, Medicine Maker, Media Ninja and Front Line Warrior a little love this December it would be hugely appreciated.  Best gift idea we can think of 🙂 

You can sign up to support Sacheen with a monthly donation here!

Our deer love Goot-Ges is gathering resources for spring time land defense while continuing her work protecting the Oceans from Fracked Gas export, raising babies and finishing a book.

You can support her work by purchasing any photography print or purchasing any art by Goot-Ges from our storenvy.

We’ll update y’all on more ways to support Indigenous Resistance and the Protection of Land and Waters in the coming days.  And encourage your fams and friends to give big because warriors on the front lines are throwing down for all of us and our future generations!

Lots of love darlings.

Wulfie and beyon.

xoxo

This is the incredible print, Dandelion, by
beyon wren moor that we are giving away as a back patch free with any
purchase from our online store.  The $$ from all sales goes directly to
supporting the Voices project or directly to Indigenous Women and
Two-Spirit Land Defenders.  Offer ends December 5th <3

Check out our store here: www.voicesbook.storenvy.com

https://www.voicesfrontlines.com/this-is-the-incredible-print-dandelion-by-beyon/

UNBC Livestream | University of Northern British Columbia

UNBC Livestream | University of Northern British Columbia

Watch the live stream of a panel discussion with Freda Huson, Helen Knot and Goot-Ges!  2pm today!

Have you heard about these 3 Land Defenders Potentially Facing Life?

image

Re-posted from line9shutdown.ca.

On the morning of December 21st 2015 Vanessa Gray, a young woman from
Aamjiwnaang First Nation, with the support of Stone Stewart and Sarah
Scanlon, shut down Enbridge’s Line 9 on Anishnaabe Territory just
outside of Aamjiwnaang and Sarnia.

At approximately 7:30am the three arrived at the valve site and
called Enbridge Inc. to inform them of the action and requested that the
pipeline, and its flow of oil, be turned off. At this point, the three
shut down the pipeline’s manual hand wheel and bike locked their necks
to the valve in an act of civil disobedience to prevent the operation of
the pipeline.

The Charges

They were arrested, held overnight and released with minimal
conditions. All three were charged with counts of Mischief Over $5,000
(maximum sentence of 10 years in prison) and Mischief Endangering Life
(maximum sentence of life in prison). Stone Stewart was also charged
with Resisting Arrest.

There are no known prior accounts of activists being charged for
Mischief Endangering Life, which leads us to believe it is a scare
tactic to discourage land defense and resistance against the fossil fuel
industry.

Vanessa, Stone and Sarah are currently awaiting trial to fight these charges.

image
  • Stone Stewart is arrested. Photo: Mike Roy

Line 9 is a highly contested tar sands pipeline that began shipping
diluted bitumen in December 2015 between Sarnia and Montreal. Those
involved in this action assert that the operation of Line 9 is a
violation of Indigenous sovereignty and treaty rights.

“The crown is failing in their obligation to consult with first
nations about pipelines,” said Sarah Scanlon. “As settlers it’s our
responsibility to respect Indigenous land rights and support those
protecting the land and water on the front-lines.”

Line 9 has faced opposition from several of the 18 First Nations
along its route. Chippewas of the Thames First Nation is currently
challenging the pipeline in Supreme Court, on the basis of
non-consultation. Aamjiwnaang First Nation, among others, testified to
the National Energy Board that they were never consulted with when Line 9 was built.

“The fact that line 9 is currently in operation really just adds to
the urgency for people to act. I’m here because the negative impacts of
the oil industry are taking place right now, every day,” says Stone
Stewart.

The tar sands are known to be the second leading cause of
de-forestation in the world and permanently contaminate over 7 million
barrels of water every day.

Locally, Aamjiwnaang First Nation experiences skewed sex ratios and
high rates of cancer, respiratory illness, and developmental disorders
as a result of pollution from nearby petrochemical refineries.

“It’s clear that tar sands projects represent an ongoing cultural and
environmental genocide,” Vanessa Gray asserts. “I defend the land and
water because it is sacred. I have the right to defend anything that
threatens my traditions and culture.”

  • Vanessa Gray with Elder Mike Plain at a 2015 protest near Aamjiwnaang First Nation. Photo: Michael Toledano.

Line 9 Shut Down In Sarnia – Ricochet Media:

Activists Shut Down Enbridge’s Line 9 in Canada Again! – The Indignants

Courthouse Rally: Line 9 is Scarier than Prison – Submedia.tv