voicesbook – Page 2

September 15, 2016

On August 25th we drove out of Lekwungen Territory to go visit our friend Sacheen, a Grandmother, medicine maker, traditional midwife, writer and unwavering land defender.

Sacheen and her husband Crow, of Ancestral Pride and the Yaakswiis warriors live in the village of Ahousaht on so-called Flores Island with three of their children. The village is a short boat ride from the yuppie surfer tourist bon-iver listening culturally appropriative hell of Tofino. Surrounded by the ocean and one of the last standing temperate rain forests still intact Ahousaht is watched over by Chitapii Mountain from across the waves.

We arrived a few days after Sacheen, Crow, their niece Havannah and friend Lenny, all Ahousaht members, were arrested for attempting to stop the restocking of a Cermaq fish farm. This fish farm was the site where over a million fish were culled when it was shut down in 2012 due to risk of disease spreading to wild fish. Fish farms are responsible for devastating Wild Salmon runs particularly in the Fraser River. This has had terrible impacts on dozens of communities not just along the coast, but the whole length of the river. The corporations responsible are heavily subsidized and protected by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and the ‘federal government’ of so-called canada.

After spending the night catching up and preparing for the next day we all threw down with a demo at the DFO in solidarity with those arrested for defending their land. The DFO was shut down for the day due to the presence of Land Defenders and their supporters. Those arrested were present and affirmed that although RCMP had forced them to sign conditions they would not back down in the defense of Wild Salmon.

Upon returning home to Ahousaht we arrived to a dozen wild salmon gifted to Sacheen and Crow for their protection of land, waters and life. We spent the next dozen hours together processing and canning these life giving fish. Salmon are a crucial species for the ecosystems of which they are apart. They are also a primary food for many people all over Turtle Island. The destruction of our relationships to the animals and plants that are our foods is a form of colonialism and genocide that goes back to the very beginnings of the occupation of turtle island. It escapes none of us that the destruction of wild salmon is similar to the slaughter of the buffalo.

The rains came as we visited and most of our days were spent playing with Chevayo, Sacheen and Crows youngest, making big meals for the dozen of us in the house while sharing stories and planning for continued resistance to both Fish Farms and Imperial Metals a company with mineral rights to Chitapii mountain. The rain did let up enough so that we were able to explore the beaches and forests and harvest black berries, huckleberries, blueberries and cranberries.

Sacheen and her family live resistance each and every day. It is not a job or something that can ever be put down and returned too. It is always such a gift to spend time with this family who are so dear to our hearts and to join in resistance to the corporations, whether industry or the so-called government of canada that threaten their lives and home.

If you too are interested in supporting Sacheen and her families work we suggest signing up for a monthly donation through their website. We all know the monthly hustle to pay to live is real especially when we have people dependent on us and our contributions to relieve Sacheen and Crow of this monthly hustle is a huge strength to our collective movement towards liberation.

Make a monthly donation.

You can also support the campaign Imperial No More.

…and learn more about Ancestral Pride’s work on their website.

Lastly if you live nearby we’re planning a big bus ride with some pals to head up to Tofino for Sacheen, Crow, Lenny and Havannah’s court date on November 7th. If you interested shoot us an email as we would love to have you join us.

xo beyon and Wulfgang.

https://www.voicesfrontlines.com/on-august-25th-we-drove-out-of-lekwungen-territory/

September 2, 2016

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 9^th 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.

And learn more here.

Xo
beyon and Wulfie

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

Seeking Support!

July 7, 2016

Good Morning Dear Ones,

Our friend Goot-Ges reached out to us last night as she is trying to get her daughter Kwiadda up to the Unist’ot’en Art camp.
Goot-Ges is an incredible land defender, healer, story-teller and Mama
and it would be incredible to get her and her daughter to the camp. (She is also one of the participants in this book and interviews Wulf on the radio!)

We let her know that we would share her request for support, found below.

Please share this with your peeps and send some funds, anything helps, if you can.

Any contributions (or prayers and messages of love) can be made by e-transfer to yakguudang@gmail.com .

Thank you lovelies,

Beyon and Wulfgang

*********

Hello,

My name is Goot-Ges, an independent mother of
three beautiful babies. I am Nisga’a, Tsimshian, and Haida. Came to the
city for some healing, and to have some safety for me and my children.
Had some money saved up to be on this trip,or to secure a new place to
live, but had some unexpected vehicle repairs, which ended up being
double than what I could afford.

My oldest child Kwiadda is trying to make it to the Youth Art Camp at Unistoten, July 18-29th.
We are currently in Vancouver, and are looking to get back to the north
for the camp. I just finished working on a blog to outline what our
journey is, as my big project right now is Yakguudang, this translates
into Respect all life in Haida language. The vision behind Yakguudang is
to keep our coast clean from any potential oil and gas projects.
Healthy environments create healthy communities. And i believe that
social justice and environmental justice are connected.

Our last
project with Yakguudang was stopping Naikun wind farms from developing
in Haida Waters to power WCC lng export facility being proposed for tuck
inlet in unceded Tsimshian land of Prince Rupert. That was a success,
to date no project there. If anyone can help us out in anyway, it would
be greatly appreciated.

Click here to find out how you can get involved

Thank you for your time, and anything will help us. Even a good prayer, or a message of love.

Sincerely,

Goot Ges, aka Fire Woman.

June 17, 2016

Christine Jack, a spiritual leader among the St’at’imc people, gives an
update from Ulluisc where she has been living on the land protecting the
territory from further industrial devastation.
facebook.com/reoccupationofjunctioncreek/
voicesbook.tumblr.com/

(Source: https://player.vimeo.com/)

https://www.voicesfrontlines.com/christine-jack-a-spiritual-leader-among-the/

June 8, 2016

At the offices of PNG the company who will inevitably fail to push through a liquid fracked gas export facility on the unceded Lax U’u’la territory also known as Lelu Island. RCMP have been increasing their pressure on the hereditary people the Gitwilgyoots clan and their supporters. Land Defenders protecting the territory went to industry offices today to pray and remind company representatives that they are breaking Tsimshian law. #fracking #nofracking #solidarity #landdefence #unceded #tsimshian #leluisland #protect #lng #voicesbook #indigenousresistance #frontline #warriors #nolng #indigenoussovereignty

https://www.voicesfrontlines.com/at-the-offices-of-png-the-company-who-will/

May 31, 2016

Today we leave north to help with the effort on the frontline and to conduct our second interview of the project. our first stop is Ulluisc (Ooloosh), and then to Lax kw’alaams (lelu island) to drop off these totes full of items donated by 20 really wonderful people from the area. thankyou all so much for entrusting us with the delivery of these goods to the frontline!
Aid and Donations are as follows:
-cooler
-dried herbs and medicines hand harvested
-$350
-Coconut oil & First aid Supplies
-Ocean fishing gear
-Organization of a Supply Drive
-4 Rubbermade containers & home canned fruit
-bins
-more bins
-tarp
-Food and Homemade Salves
-Coffee & Camping supplies
-$75
-$100
-$60
-$50
-$160
You all rule. See you in a few weeks
– beyon wren moor
– Wulf Zapf

https://www.voicesfrontlines.com/today-we-leave-north-to-help-with-the-effort-on/

May 29, 2016

PLEASE SHARE AND FOLLOW

Voices: Indigenous Women on the Front Lines Speak is many, many things involving many, many people.

Voices is the creation of a hand made, hand bound book and series of posters featuring interviews and illustrated portraits of Indigenous Women and Queer/Two-Spirit Land Defenders.

Voices is the process of traveling so called british columbia to front lines in support of Indigenous Land Defenders protecting their traditional and unceded territories. It is the strengthening of existing relationships and the growing of new ones. It is participating in resistance to the stranglehold of colonialism that threatens to destroy all of us.

Voices is an act of honouring the Indigenous Land Defenders who raise their children on the land, living their lives unwavering in the way of industrial expansion. Voices honours those who blaze the trails of what contemporary anti-capitalist and anti-colonial resistance can look like while teaching new/old ways of being in relationship to the land and each other.

Voices is Ulluisc, it is the Unist’ot’en Yintah, it is Meagan of the Lekwungen, it is Chipati Mountain and Ahausaht, it is Lax U’u’la.

Voices is possible through the willingness of Indigenous Women and Queer/Two-Spirit Land Defenders to share of themselves, it is possible through the love and support of our friends and chosen families who feed us, care for our hearts, offer their cars, accompany us to the front lines, provide materials and supplies, funds, grant editing, connections and advice. We are the multitude of the hands who hold us up.

Voices is an artistic collaboration and labour of love by beyon wren moor and Wulfgang Zapf.

In the fall of 2016 beyon and Wulfgang will travel to Halifax for a residency with Radstorm where they will hand make the book and posters.

The books and posters will be available for purchase in the Winter of 2016. A large run of Zines will be an accessible accompaniment to the hand made book. We will be touring Turtle Island to share our work after the Winter launch, we’d love to visit you.

All proceeds made from the books, posters and zines will go directly to the Land Defenders featured in this project.

** a note on the title. We made the decision to say only Women in the title and to not include the words two spirit and/or queer. One honest reason for this is it keeps the title shorter. We also mean to use Women in an expansive sense to include non-binary gender people as well. We have been engaged with the language we choose, and recognize that the english language is always lacking when describing and naming queerness and cultures outside of white settler culture. For us we felt we lost more by trying to get too specific with colonial words and boundaries then we gained. People’s own languages have important, powerful and beautiful words to describe gender and that many of these have been lost through the violence of colonialism. We wish we were able to use these words. We did not want to participate in further erasing those words by using colonial replacements as if the ‘queerness’ of Indigenous people can be properly addressed with a colonial word like queer or that the diversity of indigenous gender can be captured by an important yet often generalizing word like Two-Spirit. We recognize also that this decision acts to invisibilize queer/two-spirit indigenous people and that we end up using these words in order to say what we mean while lacking other words anyway. Deer ones, we are in process.

https://www.voicesfrontlines.com/please-share-and-follow-voices-indigenous-women/