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Indigenous Women on the Front Lines Speak

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Solidarity with the 2Spirit Warrior Society

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. 

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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:

2spiritwsraffle.tumblr.com

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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.

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Decoloneyes

Our deer friend Goot-Ges has just launched her first book of stories.  
The e-book is available here and we hope to have hard copies available
on our Voices Store soon!

***

Goot-Ges is a Tsimshian, Haida and Nisga’a woman from the house of Txaatk’anlaxhatkw, of the Village of skulls.  Out of a dream she collaborated with five other Indigenous Women to begin the occupation of Lax U’u’la, also called Lelu Island.  A mother of 3 babies Goot-Ges is a powerful force against the Colonial State, defending waters and land along the North West Coast.  In this book you can read stories spun from the fabrics of dreams, from the places where Ancestors speak, from a deep being of the land.

So please, support Indigenous Land Defense and drop some fliff for a good read.

<3 <3 <3

**ONLINE STORE NOW OPEN**

**ONLINE STORE NOW OPEN**

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ARTWORK BY BEYON WREN MOOR FOR SALE!
PHOTOGRAPHY BY WÜLFGANG ZAPF FOR SALE!

• Screen Printed Shirts & Patches

• High Quality Poster Prints

• Photographic Prints 

• Giclée Prints

(funds raised go directly to indigenous women and two-spirit land defenders on the frontlines)

wulfgangzapf:

teachanarchy:

Warrior Communique from #NODAPL
 

Late last night, lit by the fire of burning barricades, a warrior in the frontlines of #NoDAPL issued a call out for local actions in solidarity with their fight to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Fuck Yes.

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)

https://www.voicesfrontlines.com/wulfgangzapf-teachanarchy-warrior-communique/

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

And learn more here.

Xo
beyon and Wulfie

https://www.voicesfrontlines.com/on-august-4th-we-rolled-up-to-yuct-ne-senxiymetkew/

Even though [as land defenders through out so-called BC] we might not physically be there all the time
with each other we know we’re all in it together. We know that we’re fighting the same fight
and that we’re fighting for freedom.
We’re not fighting to save one area from one pipeline, we’re not
fighting to save one thing, like a lake or the ocean, we’re all fighting for
freedom from colonization.  We’re
fighting to live as sovereign people, to be connected to our lands, to have
healthy families, to have healthy Nations. That’s what we’re fighting for.  We know that healthy lands are essential to
our existence.  It feels really good to
know that we’re not alone.  

-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/even-though-as-land-defenders-through-out/

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/

Vigil for Joey English

Hello
dear ones,

This
evening Beyon and I joined Goot-Ges and her three children at the march and
vigil for Joey English an Indigenous Woman and Mother of three murdered in
so-called Calgary. 

Many
powerful Indigenous women drummed, sang and sent prayers for her family and to
honour Joey’s life.  Dozens of children played in the sand and grasses at
our feet and Indigenous Men joined in solidarity and outrage. Settlers from the four corners participated in solidarity.

 Joey’s
Cousin, Brailon English, in a post publicized online had this to share:

“My
people are turned away from medical centers, ignored on the streets, told they
are worthless. When our women are murdered, the news represents them as high
risk or points out their addictions, but nobody sees why. The pain we have
grown up with and the abuse we have endured has become normal,” he
continued.

“I
want a future where I don’t have to worry about my family being killed.”

Indigenous
Women here on unceded Musqueum, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh territories are
organizing another march and vigil in solidarity with Joey’s family and for all
murdered and missing Indigenous Women.  It will be on July 26th, the date
set for the man accused of Joey’s death to appear in court.  You can check
out the facebook page for details about this vigil and
other ways you can support Joey’s family.

If
you would like to make a donation directly to the family you can do so at their
Go Fund Me.

Rest
in Power Joey.  Not one More Missing Sister.

They call this place Heaven on Earth. 

–Goot-Ges

I’m grateful and I feel like when there are things
that you are grateful for you have to work damn hard to keep them and
honour them.

–Christie Brown

I believe there is room for growth for our
people to go back and completely let go of this way of life and strengthen,
strengthen that land and that water and all the life within it.

–Goot-Ges

Goot-Ges is a Haida, Nisga’a and Tsimshian woman from the
village of skulls, Gingolx, in the Nisga’a Nation whose clan is Raven from the
house of T’tanihaulk.  She is a
land defender, freelance writer, radio producer and independent mother of
three.  In August of 2015 in
collaboration with four other Indigenous women Goot-Ges began an occupation at
Lax U’u’la, which continues to protect the island and surrounding waters from
destruction to this day.  Her work is
rooted in cultural practice: prayer, story telling and medicine as healing and
an integral aspect of resistance to ongoing colonization.  She has founded and supported countless
projects assisting her people in healing inter-generational trauma and ending
gender based violence. 

Check out
Goot-Ges’ most recent project Yakguudan, which means ‘to respect all life’ in Haida.

Christie Brown of Gitxan and Scottish descent has worked to
defend the lands, waters, salmon and lives of her people against the Northern
Gateway pipeline and Petronas’ Pacific North West LNG export facility.  Her creative forms of resistance merge the
contemporary tools at hand with the revitalization of traditional skills and
hereditary systems.  In August of 2015 in
collaboration with 4 other Indigenous women Christie organized and began an
occupation of Lax U’u’la on unceded Tsimshian territory.  Christie’s work defending Lax U’u’la, the
Flora Banks and it’s protective eelgrass and the Skeena River continues to this
day. 

Support Christie and her work
upholding Tsimshian Law to protect Lax U’u’la for future generations.

https://www.voicesfrontlines.com/they-call-this-place-heaven-on-earth-goot-ges/