Pipelines & Indigenous People

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I keep coming across really interesting and/or informational stuff that I think, “I should share this on Hippie Dabble,” and then I either procrastinate or get distracted with other stuff.  So I’ve decided to start sharing all of these tidbits, and I hope that in time it leads to more topics, bigger posts, and more writing from me. Some of these posts are going to be rather short but will lead you to wonderful articles, podcasts, sites, videos, and more.  Here is the first Hippie Dabble Happen-Upon.

I recently discovered the Call Your Girlfriend podcast.  Unfortunately, the very next episode after discovering it, was the one saying they are taking a break.  Call Your Girlfriend has actually been around for seven years.  Maybe you’ve already discovered it, but if not there’s plenty of material there to listen to despite the fact that they are taking a break.  Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman start out each episode with a short conversation and then one of them interviews an outside person.  In all of the episodes that I have listened to so far, Aminatou Sow is the interviewer, and she has some fantastic interview skills.  The first episode I listened to is a really good one to share with you on this blog.

Tara Houska, a DC attorney fighting for indigenous people’s rights and an indigenous person herself, is the guest on this podcast episode.  She tells us about Line 3 and the fight against it.  You may remember all of the protesting over the Dakota Access Pipeline a few years ago.  What you may not realize is that while everyone has been distracted with that pipeline (along with the Keystone XL – more on these in later posts) and the protests around it, Enbridge, a large energy distribution company, has been trying to abandon a current defective and corroded Line 3 pipeline with a history of ruptures and spills and push a new Line 3 through tribal lands in Minnesota, directly through fresh water lakes, wetlands, and wild rice beds with no intention of cleaning up the old pipeline.  This line threatens clean water, food supplies, and wildlife.

In addition to learning about the Line 3 pipeline and why it’s bad, you get to hear about the culture and way of life of this area’s indigenous people.  The lakes, wetlands, and wild rice beds are an integral part of life for them as they live with the earth, not just on it, and strive to protect it.

This is a fascinating and informative listen that, along with show notes and links, can be found here:

https://www.callyourgirlfriend.com/episodes/2021/02/26/tara-houska-indigenous-rights

For more information on Line 3, its hazardous effects, and the fight against it, go to:

https://www.stopline3.org/

And to let the president know how you feel about the issue (or any issue for that matter), go here:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

If you’ve happened upon something interesting or informative, let me know in the comments.

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