Native Women Speak Up for Immigrants; ND Oil Production Down, So Why DAPL? and Native Nations Rise March on DC

News summary:

• The group Indigenous Women Rise is making a strong statement in support of immigrants that the Trump administration is trying to keep out.
• Once economically booming, the state of North Dakota is facing large revenue drops because of declining oil and agriculture revenue. It begs the question: If oil production is down, why build the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL)?
• Today is the Native Nations Rise March in Washington D.C. What you can do.
• U.N. Official: Trump administration retreating on Indian Rights

Keep reading for the details on these stories.

‘The Dakota Experience’ Event in Apple Valley; Pope’s Speech to Congress

You are invited to an informal and informative gathering to experience the Dakota people’s food, culture, and spirituality. The event is: Saturday, October 17, 4-8 p.m. on the grounds of Grace Lutheran Church of Apple Valley, 7800 West Country Road 42 (just west of Cedar Avenue). It is free and open to the public.

The Dakota people were the original occupants of this land, but their stories are little known. This event is an opportunity to experience some of their history and rich traditions. It will include: Native American storytelling, a traditional drum group, a teepee and campfire, horses (and lessons about Dakota horse traditions), the Tatanka Food Truck selling pre-colonial foods, an eagle from the Raptor Center with discussion of the significance of eagles in Native American spirituality, a display exploring Native American myths and stereotypes in public art, a screening of the film Dakota 38, and more. This event is co-sponsored by Grace Lutheran Church, Saint Paul Interfaith Network (SPIN)/Healing Minnesota Stories and World Without Genocide.

Click here for The Dakota Experience flyer.

Pope’s Speech to Congress Links Current Immigration Issues With Arrival of European Settlers

The Washington Post ran a transcript of the Pope’s speech to Congress on Thursday. Here is one excerpt pertaining to the European settlement of America and the injustices done to Native Americans:

In recent centuries, millions of people came to this land to pursue their dream of building a future in freedom. We, the people of this continent, are not fearful of foreigners, because most of us were once foreigners. I say this to you as the son of immigrants, knowing that so many of you are also descended from immigrants. Tragically, the rights of those who were here long before us were not always respected. For those peoples and their nations, from the heart of American democracy, I wish to reaffirm my highest esteem and appreciation. Those first contacts were often turbulent and violent, but it is difficult to judge the past by the criteria of the present. Nonetheless, when the stranger in our midst appeals to us, we must not repeat the sins and the errors of the past. We must resolve now to live as nobly and as justly as possible, as we educate new generations not to turn their back on our “neighbors” and everything around us. Building a nation calls us to recognize that we must constantly relate to others, rejecting a mindset of hostility in order to adopt one of reciprocal subsidiarity, in a constant effort to do our best. I am confident that we can do this.