During the summer at the invitation of a dear and beloved friend I began to dream weave. One of my dreams was to meet two wise Indigenous women who I could be inspired by and learn from. On December 20th my dream came true when I rolled up to a snowy locked gate on Great River Road and the sentinel, Tania Aubid @biidwewgiizhagookwe warmly welcomed me (and my wigwam on wheels which she fondly named) to camp.
Annie was radioed and he waved me through the back gate gingerly guiding me through the trees to a perfect spot. After getting all settled in I headed to the common space which was arranged with several fire pits, a mess tent, and donation tables. It was here, as I offered to help unload wood, I met farmer Sarah and WWOOF administrator Jenna. As a WWOOFer this in-person chance meeting was an added bonus on my journey.
In pulls a big red pick-up truck with Winona LaDuke’s head sticking out of the driver-side window as she grinned from ear to ear and shouted out. I can imagine that the sight of people dropping off big loads of donations and the many of us who were staying in the resistance camp was reassuring. Being in Winona’s presence as well as in the presence of other Indigenous women leaders who are leading the resistance to #stopline3 in Akiing territory had me feeling extreme privilege as I was deeply honored and humbled to be called to Anishinaabe land.
Sharing in a greeting circle with Minnesota state representatives, Winona explained the damage that has been experienced since Enbridge, a Canadian energy corporation, started construction of Line 3 -despite not having required permits from the Ojibwe Warrior Society. LaDuke also walked us to the Mississippi River -one of Mother Earth’s main arteries- to say a prayer and offer the gift of tobacco. The next destination was the site of a religious lodge that Enbridge desecrated and defiled by placing a flagged construction stake in its center. We continued our “tour of devastation” up through the plowed forests -that now became a cleared path for the Tar Sands pipeline. Finally arriving at the concealed gates where the drill pad was hidden from plain view, we were met by the Department of Natural Resources officers who were aggressive in the protection of corporate greed rather than the natural resources that had already been and were about to be destroyed.
Returning to the camp there were tears and utter disbelief. Winona mentioned that this year of pandemic was also a portal to change. Arundhati Roy is all over this when she mentions that the pandemic has highlighted systemic failings, fragilities and inequalities that define today’s world but with this we are offered an unparalleled opportunity to reimagine our future. [1]
“Unlike the flow of capital, this virus seeks proliferation, not profit, and has, therefore, inadvertently, to some extent, reversed the direction of the flow. It has mocked immigration controls, biometrics, digital surveillance, and every other kind of data analytics, and struck hardest — thus far — in the richest, most powerful nations of the world, bringing the engine of capitalism to a juddering halt." [2]
When the time came for my departure, Tania Aubid -the first person I saw at the gate who warmly welcomed me- wished me farewell with such generosity in her departing gift and her caring words not to worry on my way back home. But during a fleeting moment when I did start to worry a bald eagle appeared as @biidwewgiizhagookwe words echoed in my mind and in that moment I felt a calmness and eternal connection like never before -truly a dream come true. This connection has me knowing that I will be back again to continue efforts to #stopline3 and to advocate for the Indigenous communities wherever and whenever I am called!
Our future is at stake -how will you make your transformative shift in thinking and in action during 2021?
All the best, love & light~
Tammy
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#lightnessofbeing #mindmovementandadvocacy #journeywithlightness #lightnessofadvocacy #socialjustice #environmentaljustice #stopline3 #ojibwe #warriorsociety #wwoofusa #ogichidaakwe #mississippiriver #1855treatyterritory #wildrice #honortheearth #waterislife #waterprotectors #akiingterritory #anishinaabe #mmiw #taniaaubid #biidwewgiizhagookwe @biidwewgiizhagookwe #winonaladuke @winonaladuke @giniwcollective @jennawwoofusa
[1] https://www.globalgoals.org/news/the-pandemic-is-a-portal (last accessed 27 December 2020)
[2] Ibid.
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