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Trahant Reports – Essence Of Political Organizing Is Found At Standing Rock
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My Facebook feed is rolling from new feeds from those headed to North Dakota to join those protecting drinking water for the people of Standing Rock and Cheyenne River. Other folks are fundraising using a variety of social media tools. And, still more people are shipping food and supplies to the hundreds camped near the site.
That is the essence of political organizing.
This is Trahant Reports.
There is a problem, seemingly intractable, because the Dakota Access Project has opted for a route that crosses the Missouri River in a location that threatens the drinking water for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe (and eventually the Cheyenne River Tribe).
So the tribes and supporters are organizing on multiple fronts. Litigation, set to begin August 24th, will challenge the role of federal regulators. And in the court of public opinion, hundreds of people are bringing the dispute into the new living room of America (that’s Facebook) where the story is often trending for all to see.
The magnitude of the organization is impressive. All it takes is a phone call, a Facebook post, or a picture on Instagram, and there is somebody ready to act. It’s the exact sort of passion that wins elections.
What’s interesting about this moment in time is that so many Native American candidates are on the ballot in North Dakota and South Dakota. The same organizational tools that bring food must also be configured to win an election.
Imagine Chase Iron Eyes in Congress who is selling t-shirts to fund his campaign.
Or specifically on this issue: Marlo Hunte-Beaubrun, Standing Rock Sioux, is running for North Dakota’s Public Service Commission and Henry Red Cloud, Oglala Lakota, is a candidate for South Dakota’s Public Utilities Commission. These are the state regulatory bodies that determine approval process for pipeline companies. One vote in each state might not be enough to change the outcome, but even a single voice on those commissions could raise tribal concerns every time the issue comes up.
The North Dakota Public Service Commission says the decision has already been made. Perhaps. The strategy for the Dakota Access Pipeline has been all about getting a quick approval. But if the protests and litigation slow that down, that might cause the company to rethink its route. Especially if they are looking at delays measured in years not months.
Back to politics: How many votes are needed to elect Hunte-Beaubrun? She would need to find 70,000 more votes than the last Democrat who ran for that office. And Red Cloud would need about 100,000 more votes.
Tall orders? Sure. But it’s no different than organizing food, transportation, and lodging for hundreds of last-minute guests.
I am Mark Trahant reporting.
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Trahant Reports is brought to you by Kauffman & Associates, Inc., a Native American owned, woman-owned small business that has delivered innovative .solutions for government and commercial clients since 1990. KAI’s expertise spans diverse specialty areas, including public health, education, and economic development
Trahant Reports – Native journalist arrest puts the First Amendment on trial
A Native American journalist is arrested while covering Standing Rock.
This is Trahant Reports.
There is an idea in law enforcement called the “thin blue line.” It basically means that police work together. A call goes out from Morton County and, right or wrong, law enforcement from around the country provides back up.
You would think journalism would be like that, too.
When one journalist is threatened, we all are. We cannot do our jobs when we worry about being injured or worse. And when a journalist is arrested? Well, everyone who claims the First Amendment as a framework should object loudly.
Last Wednesday Jenni Monet was arrested near Cannonball, North Dakota. She was interviewing water protectors who were setting up a new camp near the Dakota Access Pipeline route on treaty lands of the Great Sioux Nation. Law enforcement from Morton County surrounded the camp and captured everyone within the circle. A press release from the sheriff’s Department puts it this way: “Approximately 76 members of a rogue group of protestors were arrested.” Most were charged with criminal trespassing and inciting a riot.
As was Jenni Monet.
She is facing serious charges and the judicial process will go forward. The truth will come out.
But this story is about the failure of journalism institutions.
The Native press and the institutions that carry her work had Monet’s back. That includes Indian Country Media Network, Yes! Magazine, and the Center for Investigative Reporting. The Lost Angeles Times has now weighed in with its own story written by Sandy Tolan who’s done some great reporting from Standing Rock.
But in North Dakota you would not know this arrest happened. The press is silent.
After her release from jail, Monet wrote for Indian Country Media Network, “When Democracy Now!’s Amy Goodman was charged with the same allegations I now face—criminal trespassing and rioting—her message to the world embraced the First Amendment. ‘There’s a reason why journalism is explicitly protected by the U.S. Constitution,’ she said before a crowd gathered in front of the Morton County courthouse. “Because we’re supposed to be the check and balance on power.”
The funny thing is that journalism institutions were not quick to embrace Goodman either. I have talked to many journalists who see her as an “other” because she practices a different kind of journalism than they do.
Monet’s brand of journalism is rooted in facts and good reporting. She talks to everyone on all sides of the story, including the Morton County Sheriff and North Dakota’s new governor. She also has street cred … and knows how to tell a story.
So if we ever need journalism institutions to rally, it’s now. It’s not Jenni Monet who will be on trial. It’s the First Amendment. Journalism is not a crime. I am Mark Trahant.
Trahant Reports – Disconnect
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There is a disconnect between the perception of the dispute at Standing Rock and the reality of the moment. It starts a few miles south of Mandan, North Dakota.
This is Trahant Reports.
A cement barricade and a handful of police divert traffic, so that people have to take a slightly slower route to camps near the Missouri River. Not that it stops anyone. It’s silly. And more than anything else it displays a deep sense of ignorance.
It’s that ignorance that is systemic. There is a profound regional misunderstanding about so many things. And it’s exactly why, in an election year, every politician running for office (or even those in office) ought to take a few hours, drive around the barricade and take time to listen.
What will they see and hear?
The first thing is a remarkable organization. It’s very much like any powwow weekend in America — except more so. There are checkpoints (no alcohol, no drugs, no weapons) and a food operation that is extraordinarily complex, managing the increasing shipment of donations to the menu of the day. Everyone is fed. And the trash is about as organized as you can get: Cans for cigarette butts, recycling bins, and garbage bags. When people forget to separate their plastic – we are dealing with humans after all – there are regular reminders and more people to help.
Politicians would hear speeches, songs, and prayers, one after another. People standing, listening, laughing, nodding, and being inspired. They’d also see many symbols of patriotism: From flags to recurring honors for veterans.
But the most important lesson for any politician who drops by would be this: A clear message of resolve. There is a serious purpose for the people here, one that’s not going to go away without a successful resolution. There are so many avenues for that to happen: A favorable court ruling based on the Treaty or other actions, or more important, the court of public opinion.
So far nearly all of the North Dakota politicians who have been on site are from Indian Country.
Chase Iron Eyes, Ruth Buffalo, Henry Red Cloud and Marlo Hunte-Beaubrun.
The idea that politicians should visit now is especially important. There was a violent clash over Labor Day weekend between private security for the pipeline and the people from the camp. The potential of a misunderstanding is dangerous.
Federal, state, and local politicians could learn a lot by visiting. Perhaps they have not been able to get past their own silly roadblock.
I am Mark Trahant reporting.
Trahant Reports is brought to you by Kauffman & Associates, Inc., a Native American owned, woman-owned small business that has delivered innovative solutions for government and commercial clients since 1990. KAI’s expertise spans diverse specialty areas, including public health, education, and economic development.
Tuesday, June 27, 2023
SCOTUS rules against Navajo Nation in Colorado River case
Navajo delegate celebrates pride week with marriage equality legislation
Standing Rock dedicates its new skateboard park and basketball court
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Monday, June 26, 2023
First Nation takes issue with Toronto’s newest casino resort
Lithium mining company sues Native opponents of Thacker Pass in NV
Standing Rock to dedicate its new skateboard park and basketball court
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Wednesday, February 22, 2023
NCAI president Sharp delivers final State of Indian Nations Address
Bedard previews role in new Standing Rock film “On Sacred Ground”
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Friday, November 18, 2022
FERC approves Klamath Dams decomm after years of activism
Navajo Nation Council elects new speaker
Water protector and Standing Rock camp founder Joye Braun dies
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Monday, July 26, 2021
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe welcomes Lummi carver
Indigenous woman installed as Canada’s governor general
Inflation
How big a deal is inflation?
This is Trahant Reports.
The country has been through a long period of stable prices. Yes .. the cost of things always goes up. But for most of the past fifty years there have also been significant price decreases, the costs of computers is a good example of that.
You have to go back to the 1970s to look at how inflation impacts people in really difficult ways.
Inflation is a general increase in the prices of everything … so the dollars you are earning are worth less. It’s especially tough on people living on fixed incomes, such as retirees, because they cannot compete for new better paying jobs the same way a younger person can.
I recently asked Patrice Kunesh about inflation. Kunesh, who is Standing Rock descent, is a former Federal Reserve Bank official and she now runs her own consulting firm, Peȟíŋ Haha Consulting.
Kunesh:
“You know, more spending leads to higher prices and it’s a supply demand issue. And, uh, what we really want to be careful is that we’re spending prudently, we’re spending on necessities. We’re not spending beyond our means. Um, and, uh, I do think we’re going to be able to manage inflation, but it’s always a concern when we have a surge of spending.”
“You know, what we’re prices are going up is like lumber for building materials, building homes, and so forth. Uh, we cannot find the microchips that, you know, that, uh, you know, power, everything we do from our cars to our refrigerators, there’s a scarcity. And when you have scarcity prices go up and that creates inflation. So I think we’re going to, uh, balance out. Uh, but personally we need to be concerned …”
The data from the US Department of Commerce and the Federal Reserve Bank are already showing signs of inflation, the price “basket” of certain goods increased by 4.2 percent in April when the ideal goal is closer to 2 percent.
There are two ways that inflation will change how we do business, post-pandemic. Think of the impact on people who want a job. Employers will have to pay more to recruit talent. Already there are signs in some industries, such as food service, that there are not enough workers to fill key jobs.
A second impact will be increasing the cost of replacing and investing in infrastructure. Every bridge, road, and tunnel will cost more both in terms of materials and people who do the work. That means tribes, and other governments, will have to raise more money just to produce the same amount of work.
Fifty years ago inflation was a real problem, running as high as 13.5 percent per year. In the last decade the numbers have been close to the ideal at or below 2 percent per year. That’s why this is a history that is not worth repeating.
I am Mark Trahant.
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