Lori Vekre

SeVen Rising Lori Vekre

[Color edition of the author's STANDING ROCK trilogy] Water Protectors of Standing Rock, USA, 2017: "I see a time of Seven Generations when all the colors of mankind will gather under the Sacred Tree of Life and the whole earth will become One Circle again. In that day there will be those among the Lakota who will carry knowledge and understanding of unity among all living things, and the young white ones will come to those of my people and ask for this wisdom." -Crazy Horse - - - The Hopi had planned to bring a message from all indigenous people: Water is Life. But the Hopi Runners were seen as activists and were turned away from the World Water Forum. Something unexpected happened, though, upon their arrival in Mexico City. Indigenous chiefs from across Mexico had assembled to welcome them. Unbeknownst to the Hopi, all of the local tribes had kept stories and prophecies for generations that these runners with a message of water were fulfilling: "When the Eagle returns from the north and dances at The Pyramid of the Sun, the world will be ready for the medicine of healing that we have kept alive for centuries." This fulfillment heralds a time when native people will no longer hide their ancient knowledge from the world, a time when the world is ready to listen to the ancient wisdom of the original people. That time is now. - - - Standing Rock volunteer, January 31, 2017 - "I have returned from Standing Rock with my mind blown, my heart broken and my spirit troubled with this deepening tragedy. I have witnessed several confrontations between Water Protectors (WP) and law enforcement (LE). I observed WP with their hands in the air chanting 'hands up don't shoot' being fired upon at a range of 10 to 15 feet. Tear gas canisters and rubber bullets were used against unarmed WP who had been singing and praying. I observed national guard chasing WPs, firing at people running away. I heard people choking and gagging from tear gas. I saw access to the WP medic vehicles being blocked. I spoke with medics and WP who described bullets penetrating flesh and causing terrible injuries. I saw a photo of a sheriff aiming a rifle directly at a media woman who was standing apart from the crowd. I heard testimony of the medic pickup truck being awash in blood after evacuating wounded. I inadvertently became a part of WP being forced off the bridge by national guard who were hiding behind WP vehicles parked along the road and firing rubber bullets at fleeing people. Many people were shot in the back, the neck, the head. When LE fired at people at close range, many were shot in the genitals or in the face. I received information about DAPL security breaching the short wave radio channels of the WP. There are some young warriors who have vowed to not leave the camps or to let the last section of pipeline be built. Driving away from the area I saw a convoy of construction vehicles heading to the drill pad. There are reports of drilling and construction coming from the drill pad. Without the eyes of a free press these attacks and trespasses continue, with the human rights and sovereignty of indigenous peoples denied. The UN Committee on Transnational Corporations and Human Right Abuses was in Standing Rock this week to take testimony of the many transgressions against people: crop dusters spraying poison pesticides and fertilizers on the camps; hair samples indicating the presence of these chemicals; people who have been injured, beat up, arrested, strip searched; media and medics being targeted by snipers (one medic told me he stopped wearing his Red Cross vest due to medics being targeted); praying people being attacked and the refusal of DAPL and our government to abide by the Rule of Law. We need to stand up for our brothers and our sisters and for their way of life." - February, 2017, all camps were forcibly evacuated. - - - UPDATE - November, 2017: a bursting pipeline in South Dakota is the worse to date. - - - Th