Standing up for justice by saying #NoDAPL

“The world is beautiful and verdant, and verily God, be He exalted, has made you His stewards in it, and He sees how you acquit yourselves.” - Sahih Muslim

North Dakota’s Standing Rock Sioux community is fighting the oil pipeline, which poses a threat to sacred sites and can contaminate the water supply of the Standing Rock Reservation. This is an important turning point, so let us be on the right side of history. Imam Zaid Shakir writes, "Let us not forget, however, our native brothers and sisters who are facing the full force of corporate greed and government callousness at the Standing Rock Sioux reservation." Join Imam Zaid Shakir  and Imam Taha Hassane from the Islamic Center of San Diego, who has brought back from Mecca sacred ZamZam water as a symbol of solidarity, to support a delegations of Native/Indigenous Muslims who plan to journey across the country to join over 200 American Indian tribes, activists, and celebrities at Sacred Stone Camp in North Dakota. LaDonna Brave Bull Allard co-founded the massive Camp-In at Sacred Stone Camp on April 1st to block the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL).The Southern California Native Delegation will travel by car to deliver the sacred Zamzam water, donations and supplies to assist efforts at maintaining the camp through the long winter. Supporting Sacred Rock camp means we are taking a stand for environmental and racial justice. We send out thoughts and prayers for this sacred struggle. We pledge to support this struggle with our bodies, words, and hearts.

Protecting our water, not protesting

The 3.7 billion pipeline crosses four states, and the planned pipeline would run from western North Dakota to Illinois, under the Missouri River. It crosses just a mile north of the Standing Rock Reservation. This pipeline plan on federal land began by the US Army Corps of Engineers without consent of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe. For months, the tribe has organized nonviolent protests and on September 3rd, the water protectors were were met with private security armed with pepper spray and attacked by dogs. This event coincided with the anniversary of the 1863 White Stone Hill Massacre of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.

This past year the Keystone Pipeline and San Pablo Bay Pipeline leaked, as well as a Shell drilling site in the Gulf of Mexico. American Indians have been disproportionately affected by the toxic industrial contamination. They have been subject to environmental racism, with many tribes coping with irradiated land and contaminated groundwater. American Indians have been on the forefront of conservation efforts and advocating for clean energy alternatives.

The Seven Lakota values given by the White Buffalo Calf Woman are Praying, Respect, Caring and Compassion, Honesty and Truth, Generosity and Caring, Humility, and Wisdom. We express our solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux Nation, the Lakota people, and all Indigenous people who are struggling to preserve their way of life and protect their their homes from corporate interests. We support the right to access clean water, for the right to preserve rights and customs.

Amplifying American Indian voices as Muslims

Muslim Americans are a diverse community, many of us have benefited from settler privilege in a system that has appropriated indigenous lands and decimated Native lives. A growing number of us are American Indian with full tribal status and many of us also have American Indian ancestry, with stories of resistance as part of our family lore. With our overlapping oppressions of systemic racism and settler colonialism, we support the dignity of American Indians and sovereignty of Indigenous nations. This includes the right to conserve natural resources. American Indians still face racist media depictions and  caricatures in sports teams. We center and amplify American Indian voices to fight the erasure of American Indians. They are still here, we are still here.

Native Indigenous Muslim Delegation

 A number of Muslim activists plan to travel to Standing Rock this Fall to lend their support and raise awareness. While #NoDAPL is a new issue to the broader Muslim American community, there have been Native and Indigenous Muslims who live or have travelled to Standing Rock. For many Native Muslims, they want to help their people, and express a longing to join in a unified front. Below are a few instrumental Native/Indigenous Muslims: 

Louis Butcher Jr. aka brother Basheer  is a member of the Lakota from the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of South Dakota, that is connected to the  Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. He converted to Islam in September of 2001. He will serve as ambassador between Muslim delegations arriving through Indigenous People's Day (October 10th) and Thanksgiving (November 24) and beyond. He currently lives in the area and will act as an ambassador, teaching Muslim delegations the ways of the Lakota and assisting in authentic relationship building. 

Sr. LaTanya Barlow is of Dineh and Chiricauhua-Apache descent. Sr. LaTanya is a very active member of the Southern California community and served as ICNA Greater Los Angeles Chapter's Programs Lead. She has completed WhyIslam's Dawah Certification Program and now assists the WhyIslam Ansar Team. She is currently attending the prestigious College of Islamic Studies in Anaheim hoping to earn a degree in Islamic Theology (Aqeedah) or Islamic Law (Fiqh). She earned her Associate's degree in Speech Communication from the University of Maryland-College Park while serving in the United States Marine Corps. Sr. LaTanya has worked widely within our community with notable organizations such as the Muslim American Society (MAS), Islamic Relief USA, Helping Hand, and Muslim Girl Scouts. 

Leslie Henderson Oajaca  

is a Spanish speaking Indigenous Muslim of the K’iche’/ Maya people of Guatemala and has been a convert for 13 yrs.  She has volunteered for numerous Muslim organizations and  served as Helping Hands LA representative.  She does work that supports educates and empowers Spanish speaking muslims in the US, Mexico and Guatemala. She has visited Standing Rock and has been instrumental in raising awareness about Standing Rock.

The funds will go to support a Native Muslim delegation to deliver donations and needed supplies to the Sacred Stone Camp Sacred Stone Supply Fund, such as water, propane, food, and blankets. Additional funds raised will go towards supporting the Sacred Stone Legal Defense reach it’s goal.

Get involved!

There are many things we can do to support Native American resilience:

1. Learn about American Indian/ First Nations/Indigenous History. There are many books, articles, and documentaries (49:13). Read the People’s History of the United States. Regularly read news sites such as Indian Country Today Media Network, Native Times, and NativeNewsOnline.Net

2. Sign a pledge or petition to support American Indian causes. Find your Congressional Representative by clicking here or Senator and send them a letter; call or email Denis McDonough, Chief of Staff to the President and Jo-Ellen Darcy, Assistant Secretary of Army Corp of Engineers:

1. Denis McDonough, Chief of Staff to the President dmcos@who.eop.gov (202) 456-3182  

2. Jo-Ellen Darcy, Assistant Secretary of Army Corp of Engineers joellen.darcy@us.army.mil (703)697-8986

3. Speak out, share your thoughts, inform your friends, family, and associates about the issue; call the White House at (202) 456-1111 telling President Obama to rescind the Army Corps of Engineers' Permit for the Dakota Access Pipeline.

4. Support financially or send supplies. The fight still continues as the project has only paused. The funds will go to the Sacred Stone Supply Fund for water, propane, food, and blankets and any extra will go towards helping the Sacred Stone Legal Defense reach it’s goal.

5. Join the movement and show up with your bodies. Raise money to form a delegation to visit the sacred Stone camp, join a rally, plan an action, and pray for the conservation of our natural resources.

   
   

Join MuslimARC, MPower Change, ILM (Intellect, Love, Mercy) Foundation, Islamic Center of San Diego and Light House Mosque in supporting our Indigenous brothers and sisters.