The Protest against the Re-routing of Highway 55
In Minnesota.
The controversy has been on going for around 30 years now,
but in recent months more people have
become involved in a protest to stop the rerouting of Highway 55 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
This
proposed reroute of Highway 55 is to be done so that three minutes can be taken off the drive to the
Mall of America from downtown and provide a more direct route to the airport.
Now there is only
one woman and her family left in the neighborhood on Riverview Road, but now in their front yard
and the lots surrounding there home is the encampment, Camp Two Pines.
People have gathered to
protect sites sacred to Native Americans.
These sites include four oak trees that were planted in the
four sacred directions and were used to hold the dead (a type of a burial was preformed here),
and
Camp Coldwater Spring, which is a place of healing.
Members of Earth First!, AIM, the Mendota Mdewakanton Dakota tribe,
and other groups are
banding together in this effort.
The encampment began on August 10, 1998,
and is still going on and
growing stronger.
Since the beginning of the encampment there has been no violence from the
protestors, in fact they have had training in nonviolent protesting.
They are strictly peaceful
protestors.
But if need be they are willing to give there life to protect this sacred land.
On October 14th, 1998, there was a rally held at the Capitol.
There was a warning made to the
police and officials that if there was a raid on the encampment during the rally that there would be a
hunger strike.
However, this did not stop the police from raiding the encampment.
Around 100
police officers in 60 squad cars surrounded the bulldozers brought in to disconnect water and gas
that had been left unconnected.
In the process 8 people were arrested.
One woman who happened
to be “in the wrong place at the wrong time” was arrested.
She is a resident of a part of the
neighborhood that will not be touched by the rerouting of the highway, and who is not even a part of
the protest.
She lives inside the barricaded area and was trying to get home to her children.
Eyewitness reports of the police using excessive force has been brought forward and I have read
some of it myself.
Here is some of what the eyewitnesses saw.
This was forwarded from the Minnesota Indian Affairs.
“cops beat her down and locked her up in a van. Later when they opened the van to put someone
else in, she fell out, and they slammed her onto the street, slammed her head on the pavement, held
her down by putting a knee on the back of her head, and nearly pulled her arms out of her sockets
before stuffing her back in.”
“cops beat up a fifteen year old girl whose only "crime" was trying to get out of their way.”
“Another man was brutalized and arrested for riding his bike through the park (he had nothing to do
with the protest), and finally the man who got the "interfering with an arrest" charge was beaten up
for trying to tell the cops that the first woman they were arresting was a resident of the area who had
nothing to do with the protest.”
“One thing I think I forgot to mention in that letter was the seventeen year old girl who was grabbed
by the throat and moved (by the throat) when she, like her fifteen year old friend, was unable to get
out of the cops' way. “
“There were over sixty squad cars inside that encampment, and
every cop there was in full riot gear and carrying a big wooden stick. Several of the cops took their
badges off when we started filming them. They even brought an MTC bus along with them to hold
the number of protesters they had hoped to arrest.”
How can this be happening? Is what I have been asking myself.
But it is happening.
Ever since Columbus “discovered” the Americas,
land has been taken from the Native American
people.
Treaties and promises have been broken.
Jim Anderson, cultural chairperson of the Mendota Mdewakanton Dakota Sioux, claims the
Imperiled land by virtue of an 1883 act of Congress.
About 100 Dakotas saved white settlers from
slaughter in 1862.
Congress promised in return to allot each of them $50 and 80 acres. Anderson
figures it's only fair that the imperiled land be handed over to these cultural descendants of the
original ``friendlies'' as payment on the $5,000 and 8,000 acres their ancestors died without
receiving.
This is just one of the many broken promises made by the government to the Native
American people.
Not all of the land that MnDOT (Minnesota Department of Transportation) seeks is sacred.
It just
happens to belong to Native Americans, not only by inherent right, but also in accord with the U.S.
government's own written agreement.
The Interior Department, having left half a dozen buildings all
over this land idle for a number of years, has defaulted, according to a legal treaty -- rendering the
land once more the property of the Dakota people.
Yet MnDoT has not acknowledged this. They still plan to start the rerouting of highway 55 in the
spring.
The protestors are not leaving the site though until they have won this fight. They will endure
the hard cold winter to protect this piece of their heritage and this peace of the earth. There are not
only concerns about the sacred sites but also concerns about damage that will be done to the
eviroment.
One of the few remaining oak groves like that which the first settlers in the 1800’s saw
will be destroyed.
There is also worry about the water supply to Camp Coldwater Spring. What
has been the solution to this? MnDoT said that if they had to they could pump city water into it
through PVC pipe.
Members at the encampment have not had much luck getting into to speak with city or state
officials.
They have been cut off basically, being told that these officials will not see them. How else
is there to be a solutions that everyone can live with?
Please think long and hard. Has there not already been enough pain and suffering caused? Has not
enough been done to the Native Americans?
Why must more and more land be taken from them
every year?
Isn’t it time that the broken treaties and broken promises stop? These people are there
to protect their heritage.
Would you not do the same to protect the place where your loved ones are
buried?
Camp Two Pines needs your help.
They need food, blankets, fire wood, warm clothing, and yes money would be very helpful, and
Prayers.
For more information visit the following URL on the Internet.
http://hometown.aol.com/dmkerr9/Mendota_Sacred_Sites.html
If you would like to send supplies or monetary donations please make checks or money orders
payable to:
Diane Kerr
3117 Park Ave., Mpls, Mn. 55408
When writing out the check or money order please make sure to specify "for the re-route 55" on
your check.
Diane Kerr will send you a reciept right away.
Also pass the word on to others about this.
We all thank you for your time.
Peace be with you always.
UPDATE
On the morning of Dec. 20th, 1998,
at dawn the peaceful protest encampment was raided by about
600 or more police and highway patrol offeicers in full riot gear.
They used there clubs, pepper
spray and tear gas.
After having spoken with a person from Earth First I found out that several of
the protestors were injured and being refused medical help while in custody at the local jail.
I called
the jail and was told that if the protestors needed medical help all they had to do was ask.
A
member of Earth first told me that one of the protestors had a gash in his head that needed stitches
but the protestor had not recieved any medical help.
All of the homes that were left standing at the
protest site are gone.
The Sweat lodge was burned.
"The police and State Patrol lit around 10
bonfires in back of the houses to keep warm and to dispose of occupants possessions.
When I
arrived Jay Red Hawks lodge was gone and I do not know what became of his medicine bundle. "
Here is what you can do to help.
Write letters (addresses at the bottom) make phone calls (phone
numbers at the bottom too)
go to the site if you are able, pray!, food donations are needed,
donations of money are needed to help get the protestors out of jail.
Please call 612-362-3387 to find out about solidarity activities.
Call the police station and demand the release of the peaceful protestors! 1 (612)348-5112.
Call/write/e-mail state and city officials and let them know this matters to you.
Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton, City Hall, Room 331,350 5st S, Mpls, MN, 55415-1315 Tel. (612)
673-2100 or email: mayor@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
Governor Jesse Ventura, B5 Capital, 75 Constitution Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota, 55155 (612)
297-9500. or email: jesse.ventura.smtpgwy2.governor@state.mn.us
U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone, 2550 University Ave. W. Court International Building, St. Paul, MN
55114-1025, Tel. (612) 645-0323, or 1-800-642-6041 or e-mail: senator@wellstone.senate.gov.
U.S. Congressman Martin Sabo, Local Office, Commerce at the Crossings, #286, 250 Second
Ave., S., Mpls., Mn., 55401 Tel. (612) 664-8000 e-mail: martin.sabo@mail.house.gov
U.S. Senator Grams, 2013 Second Ave., N., Anoka, Mn., 55305, Tel. (612) 427-6921, Fax (612)
427-8872, e-mail: mail_grams@grams.senate.gov
Ward 12 Sandy Colvin Roy Tel. at (612) 673-2212, email: sandra.colvin.roy@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
Minnesota Department of Travel, email: jamesdenn@dot.state.mn.us
Hey remember Jesse Ventura can elect a new head of MN Department of Transportaion! So be
sure to call or write Jesse Ventura!
Sign the petition I have going!
https://members.tripod.com/~NOREROUTE/index.html
Find links here to the main Mendota Sacred Sites page, and to a news article see what they had to
say about the raid.
When I spoke with the govenors office, they didn't seem like they really cared, lets make them care!
Get on the phones and light up those lines!
Send e-mail, and snail mail, lets get there attention!
I was told that the protestors were on state owned property and that it basically didn't matter if they
thought it was sacred land.
I told the woman I spoke to about some information I found that proves
that the land is lawful the Mendota Daokatas land,
she said that she seriously doubted that if it was
the state would try to keep the land.
I simply said well I don't doubt it, I know they would.
Pass this along to everyone you know please. This is very important!
Thank you for your time.
Brightest of Blessings.
Lina Flick (in VP known as Empress Chosti)
If you want to ask me a question e-mail me at
magickt@bellsouth.net
Sign the petition, please.