Humanists stand with Standing Rock

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Foundation Beyond Belief calls on Humanists everywhere to stand in solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and their Native allies in their fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline Project (DAPL). This is clearly about social justice and human rights, causes to which Foundation Beyond Belief is deeply committed.

FBB believes that commitment begins with the fight for the Standing Rock tribe's basic human rights: clean water, safety on their land, and respect for their heritage. 

See below for ways to help, Foundation Beyond Belief’s fundraising drive, and more information about this important initiative: Humanists Stand with Standing Rock.

Ways to Help (thanks to the Freethought Project)

For those unable to make the journey to North Dakota, please utilize the alternate methods provided to show your support for the Standing Rock Sioux who have united over 100 tribes from across the U.S. Join this effort to stop this pipeline, a treaty violation which desecrates sacred lands and has serious potential to damage or destroy the Standing Rock reservations lifeblood – its water.

  • Change your profile picture on Facebook and join our Facebook event. Invite your friends!
  • Donate to Foundation Beyond Belief’s fundraising drive in support of Standing Rock. To donate, see our red donation box on this page entitled "Support the Standing Rock Camp". For more information, see the fundraising section below.
  • Find local peaceful demonstrations against the pipeline.
  • Call North Dakota governor Jack Dalrymple at 701-328-2200. When leaving a message stating your thoughts about this subject, please be professional.
  • Sign the petition to the White House to Stop DAPL.
  • Call the White House at (202) 456-1111 or (202) 456-1414. Tell President Obama to rescind the Army Corps of Engineers’ Permit for the Dakota Access Pipeline.
  • Call the Army Corps of Engineers and demand that they reverse the permit: (202) 761-5903
  • Sign other petitions asking President Obama to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline. 
  • Call the executives of the companies that are building the pipeline:

     

     

    • Lee Hanse, Executive Vice President Energy Transfer Partners, L.P.
      800 E Sonterra Blvd #400 San Antonio, Texas 78258 Telephone: (210) 403-6455Lee.Hanse@energytransfer.com
    • Glenn Emery, Vice President Energy Transfer Partners, L.P.
      800 E Sonterra Blvd #400 San Antonio, Texas 78258 Telephone: (210) 403-6762Glenn.Emery@energytransfer.com
    • Michael (Cliff) Waters, Lead Analyst Energy Transfer Partners, L.P.
      300 Main St. Houston, Texas 77002 Telephone: (713) 989-2404Michael.Waters@energytransfer.com

Foundation Beyond Belief’s Fundraising Drive

Taté Walker, a Mniconjou Lakota and an enrolled citizen of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, wrote a brilliant and insightful article for Everyday Feminism that pointed out that care must be taken with the support given to Standing Rock or other Indigenous environmental justice issues and that it must be on their terms as Indigenous people. "This movement is happening within Native spaces; our cultures, beliefs, and values must be upheld."

To that end, we have decided to open up a fundraising drive in support of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in their ongoing fight against DAPL and we have chosen Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation as the beneficiary for the Humanist fundraising response.

As a 501(c)(3) organization and members of the Lakota Sioux Tribe (a sister tribe of the Standing Rock Sioux), they have been helping in Standing Rock since August of 2016. Their Stand With Standing Rock project is purchasing supplies to help winterize the camp. These supplies include yurts, tents, wood stoves, kitchen equipment, and other items. We previously vetted Thunder Valley CDC for our Compassionate Impact Grant in Q2 2016 and gave them a grant for their Lakota Language Initiative.

More Information

We have gathered some links to articles that give detailed background of the situation and insight into why this fight should be important to all Americans, not just members of Indigenous nations and we encourage you to read more about this important topic.

Foundation Beyond Belief thanks the American Humanist Association for being a partner in this fundraising effort. 

Posted in GO Humanity, Humanist Disaster Recovery Drive and tagged ,