Treaty People Gathering News Roundup

Finally, after 7 years of Indigenous-led resistance to Enbridge’s Line 3 pipeline expansion (NOT replacement) project, the huge Treaty People Gathering with thousands on site broke through mainstream media silence. Media coverage helps protect people doing direct actions from police violence, informs the public about how their/our tax dollars are being misspent, and raises the interlocking issues of climate, justice, land use, Indigenous leadership, wild rice harvesting, and more.

Here are some headlines:

The New York Times finally started paying attention: Police Make Mass Arrests at Protest Against Oil Pipeline

Minneapolis daily, The Star Tribune, ran several articles including this one: Protesters maintain blockade at Minnesota oil pipeline site
(Note: this article repeats Enbridge’s propaganda that Line 3 is a replacement; it is an entirely new, and much larger, line.)

Washington Post‘s coverage, unsurprisingly, featured Enbridge talking points in the headline: Pipeline protesters seize Minnesota construction site in bid to stop $4 billion project

Alternative media offered more in-depth and Indigenous-centric coverage:

Courageous livestreamers from Unicorn Riot covered the Treaty People Gathering actions on June 7th and 8th. Unicorn Riot is a decentralized non-profit media organization which has been reporting on the Stop Line 3 struggle for years – please view these powerful videos: Rising Up to the Heat: ‘Treaty People Gathering’ Resists Line 3 Pipeline
[Unicorn Riot has also done consistently amazing work through the George Floyd uprising and Black Lives Matter movement in Minneapolis. — Ed.]

Democracy Now‘s coverage on June 8 featured organizer-attorney Tara Houska speaking to the thousands of Water Protectors and an interview with Honor The Earth Director Winona LaDuke, as well as videos of arrests and the attack by the Border Patrol helicopter: “Not Having It”: Winona LaDuke on Mass Protest by Water Protectors to Halt Line 3 Pipeline in Minnesota

Common Dreams reporter Brett Wilkins filed an excellent overview of the struggle: ‘Which Side Are You On?’: #StopLine3 Protesters Appeal to Biden on Historic Day of Action

About XRPDX

Extinction Rebellion in Portland, Oregon – XRPDX – is a local chapter in the international Extinction Rebellion movement. XRPDX organizes people in the Portland, Oregon Metro area: By taking action (online and in person) to resist fossil fuel infrastructure and educate the broader public about the climate emergency. We support our allies in social justice struggles by spreading the word through a bimonthly newsletter; a website and blog and social media channels. We are building a supportive activist culture of appreciation and skill-sharing. We share a love of the natural world and a vision of a more just and equitable world.

Previous

What the Water Protectors of Minnesota Taught Me

Film Reviews: Indigenous People Fighting Back

Next