Quakers, social justice and revolution

Today’s March in began in pouring rain (again). Prior to this March I wouldn’t have thought about walking for hours in the rain (and wind). The multiple experiences on this March in the rain, sometimes heavy rain, have actually been enjoyable, being with a group of friends out in it. I think being blessed with the burning sage helps, too. Besides, being outside all day, and sometimes sleeping outside (sometimes in some strong thunderstorms) has made me more and more aware of the natural world. I’ve mentioned before how I enjoyed being outside as I trained for this March. Walking has been much more interesting now that I am aware, as Indigenous people have always known, that everything: trees, water, plants, rocks, wind, etc. has the Spirit in them. I found myself focusing on talking to the trees, squirrels and birds as I walked.

We really crossed into the wilds when we arrived in Pilot Mound to find there is no phone or Internet service! We are in the last (or first) frontier. That’s why, obviously, I wasn’t able to post an update last night.

I was very happy to share some about Quakers and the Spirit when I was offered the chance to give the blessing at another point where we crossed the pipeline, just a couple of miles before Pilot Mound. As we stood in a circle holding hands, I mentioned that Peter Clay, Lee Tesdell, and I were Quakers. And that I hoped they would meet my brother Randy, also a Quaker, when he comes to Fort Dodge at the end of the March, for the celebration and give me a ride home. I’ve been trying to share about Quakers as opportunities come up for several reasons. I think there are many parts of Quakerism that are common with the spirituality of Indigenous people.

And as Manape has said, the reason we are Marching together is to make it possible for us to continue to work together in the future. For that to happen, we need to trust each other. And for trust to be established, we need to understand each other.

As we stood in the circle I said that Quakers do not believe spirituality is just a matter of Sunday morning services. We try to be attentive to the spirit all the time. We do also gather together Sunday morning to worship together in silence. That sometimes someone is given a spiritual message, that they speak into the silence. During the March someone asked if I was a minister and before I could answer, Miriam said, “he’s a Quaker and all Quakers are ministers.” I asked the circle of my friends to listen together to the Spirit, saying we wouldn’t do so for a whole hour. Even in the short time we spend worshipping together, I felt the presence of the spirit among us. Afterward several people gave me hugs and thanked me. As I think about it now, I have felt the spirit among us all week.

Alton and Manape

Manape

Manape is the head of our security team (with the Soldier Boy tattoo). Also notice in the photo above where the trees were removed to lay the pipeline.

Since the first several hours of the March were in the rain, and because there was little or no shoulder on the busy highways we Marched along, we didn’t have as many chances to talk with each other, so I don’t have a lot of new stories from the trail.
Once we arrived in Pilot Mound some of us noticed we were being followed by a car for a while, then it went away. The driver was Manape’s father, Frank, and he was just enjoying watching us March together. Frank has been a very active activist.
One of the most moving parts of this journey occurred as Frank spoke to us before we ate dinner. Matthew began videotaping what Frank was saying, so I hope to get a copy of that. He began by saying he was honored to be with us and how blessed he felt as he watched us Marching. He said it made his “heart soar like a hawk.” He spoke of the many issues he has worked on in his life. And how it takes many, many years to see results (40, more). And it is not the number of people involved that is important. It is their persistence in raising up the truth. Once a certain concern starts to see a shift toward was is right, others remember the people or person who never went away during all those years.

At 5:30 pm we all straggled into the Boone County Fairgrounds, 15 miles from our Ames camp. Everyone seems to be limping a little. I discovered I had worn a hole in my shoe, which resulted in a blister! Fortunately we have Miriam, who plugged the hole, and will treat my blister in the morning. Several others also developed blisters. It was a rough day.

Storms are predicted for tonight and tomorrow so we are glad to be inside. The building we are in is actually the site where the Public Utilities Commission actually had a meeting for public comments about the Dakota Access Pipeline in November, 2015. Peter Clay spoke and Miriam Kashia attended. That was where Peter had his first contact with Native Americans, who came from South Dakota, who were fighting the pipeline.

I’ll try to get people’s names later, but before dinner, someone described how they went to the Bakken oil fields to see what tar sands oil looked like. He was able to obtain a couple of quarts of it, and found an independent lab to analyze it. As expected it was full of toxic chemicals. I don’t have a report of what they were, yet. He did find that the tar sands product became suspended in water, so spill can not be cleanup up simply by skimming it off the top of the water.

Someone else talked about the damage to the fields done by the pipeline construction. Heavy treaded vehicles traveled over the fields in wet weather, compacting the soil. Where the pipeline was laid, the rich top soil was scraped off. It was supposed to be saved to put pack in place, but wasn’t. The clay layer was dug up, then a mixture of the topsoil and clay filled in the trench. The clay disrupts the flow of water and nutrients to the topsoil/clay mixture. It is a common site to see ponds of water over areas of the pipeline because of nonporous clay layer.

Dinner that included buffalo meat and fry bread followed. Looking around the table I thought it would be nice if this was a “real” Thanksgiving dinner. Someone said, we call it Thanks-taking.

Despite the length of this segment, it was the best so far. We have a smaller group, and individuals are spending more time sharing their stories with each other. But it is 10:45 and lights have been out for a while, so I’ll have to wait to tell most of them.

I continue to enjoy talking about photography and many other things with Matthew Lone Bear. He is a single father with four children. His brother lives with him, and cares for the kids when Matt is gone. He says the kids take his brother’s phone to text him. Today one of them said, “what are you doing, Daddy?” When we were taking a break, I asked if anyone was sitting the. He said, “you are, buddy.”

Matt Lone Bear

Alton Onefeather and Matt Lone Bear

Tim Dwight walked with us today. He used to play with the New England Patriots. Now he works in solar energy. I learned a lot about how he can work with communities to build solar energy systems. There could be an opportunity to build solar installations that could supply electricity to several towns. We might be able to develop a solar system for Earlham, people in the Bear Creek area, and some surrounding town. He is going to talk more about that for the whole group tomorrow or the next night.

I’m guessing a number of you from the Bear Creek area would recognize the name Gary Clague, who grew up in Earlham. He knows the Knights and others.

We crossed the pipeline again, and had another ceremony there. Donnielle gave the prayer, and then was overcome with emotion. Being near the pipeline stirs up emotions.

I spent a lot of time visiting Foxy Jackson (Chichimeca). She said a lot that I would like to share with you when I have more time. I was also able to talk with Alton Onefeather. I learn a lot from talking with him, including that he and Foxy will be getting married in a couple of weeks.

Now its 11:15, so I’ll end for now. Some more photos from today follow. To see all of the photos of the march, click here: https://1drv.ms/f/s!Avb9bFhezZpPiaxruSxvL0I7XbA6Qg

Foxy Jackson

Donnielle Wanatee

Lakasha, Christine Nobiss, Donnielle Wanatee