Environment | Opinion | Politics

Mary Annette Pember: Indigenous people can't ever back down

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Indigenous Women Rise was a component of the Women's March on Washington on January 21, 2017. Photo: Martina Fornace

Independent journalist Mary Annette Pember retreated to her safe space after the election of Donald Trump as president. But a trip with her daughter to the Women's March on Washington a day after the inauguration strengthened her resolve in the light of environmental battles that lie ahead:

Last month, my daughter Rosa insisted we go to the Women’s March in Washington, D.C. Rosa, 18, proudly voted for the first time in November for a woman she believed supported her rights and dignity as a Native woman, an autistic woman, and a big, powerful woman who dares to be proud in the face of often-withering judgment from a culture that values—or devalues—women based on their physical appearance.
The journey to the march was exhausting for her in a way I can only imagine. Despite her physical limitations of weight and low muscle tone, she stood for the entire two-and-a-half-hour metro ride from our lodging in Fairfax, Virginia, to the march’s start point. She endured the barrage of sights and sounds of the train ride, the interminable wait to exit the train station, and the crushing crowds that are a unique nightmarish challenge for her.
When Amy Littlefield, a producer from Rewire, asked to interview us for a video, Rosa seized the microphone. She announced that her Ojibwe name is Baybaamisay-Ikwe: “She flies around.”
She continued, “I’m the one who made the choice to be here!”

Read More on the Story:
Mary Annette Pember: We Must Not Back Down in the Face of the ‘Eaters of the Earth’ (Rewire 2/17)

Federal Register Notice:
Notice of Termination of the Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement in Connection With Dakota Access, LLC's Request for an Easement To Cross Lake Oahe, North Dakota (February 17, 2017)

Prior Federal Register Notice:
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement in Connection With Dakota Access, LLC's Request for an Easement To Cross Lake Oahe, North Dakota (January 18, 2017)

Dakota Access Pipeline Approval Documents:
Department of Justice Notice | Department of the Army Approval Memorandum | Notice of Termination of EIS for Dakota Access Pipeline | Easement Letter to Congressional Leadership

White House Documents:
Presidential Memorandum Regarding Construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline (January 24, 2017)
Presidential Memorandum Regarding Construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline (January 24, 2017)
Executive Order Expediting Environmental Reviews and Approvals For High Priority Infrastructure Projects (January 24, 2017)
Presidential Memorandum Regarding Construction of American Pipelines (January 24, 2017)
Presidential Memorandum Streamlining Permitting and Reducing Regulatory Burdens for Domestic Manufacturing (January 24, 2017)
Press Release: President Trump Takes Action to Expedite Priority Energy and Infrastructure Projects (January 24, 2017)