Enbridge corporation plans to complete construction its Tar Sands Oil Pipeline 3 by this fall, so it is urgent to take action to stop it now.  A few weeks ago, Cece and I responded to a call from Indigenous leaders to come to northern Minnesota to participate in the “Treaty People Gathering,” which involved non-violent direct actions to pressure President Biden to pull Enbridge’s permit which would #StopLine3.  We were part of a multi-faith affinity group organized by Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light, MN 350.org, Minnesota UU Social Justice Alliance MUUSJA (pronounced “Moosejaw” https://www.muusja.org/what-we-do/) and Green Faith.  Many UUs showed up – as usual.  Over 2000 people came from around the US to follow indigenous leaders in two actions.  One was a march to the Mississippi River near its headwaters where Line 3 will be run under the river.  We occupied the construction site and held ceremonies and danced in the river.  Some camped there for another week before the sheriffs removed them.  In another non-violent action some 500 people occupied a Line 3 pumping station and >200 were arrested by sheriffs.

For info on what is Line 3 and the the actions people are taking go to https://www.stopline3.org/#intro

According to treaties between indigenous peoples and the US government – the “Supreme Law of the Land” according to Article 6 of the US Constitution, indigenous peoples retain the rights to hunt, fish, gather food, and assemble on treaty lands (not just reservations).  In Minnesota, 3 bands of Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) people assert Line 3 endangers those rights on their treaty lands (and reservations) and have sued to stop its completion. Tar sands oil comes from Bitumen which requires toxic chemicals to turn it into a slurry that can be pumped.  When the pipeline leaks (when, not if) it will poison marshlands and streams where Anishinaabe have gathered wild rice for many generations.  Not to mention, the oil in Line 3 will emit greenhouse gases equivalent to that of 50 coal fired power plants.

President Biden or the Governor of Minnesota could pull the permits.

In order to build a huge project like Line 3 (projected at $9 Billion) you need

• Money
• Permits
• Insurance

The actions we took June 7th were aimed at the Permits.

https://stopthemoneypipeline.com/line3/  is aiming at Enbridge’s line of credit loans from a consortium of banks and at the group of insurers which back the project. https://www.facebook.com/StoptheMoneyPipeline/photos/?ref=page_internal

Cece, Nasreen and I invite you to join us in the KEY Climate Fight of the Summer of 2021 and show your solidarity with this Indigenous peoples led fight to #StopLine3.  We are planning an “Arts Visibility Action” where we will picket outside one of the dirty tar sands oil funding banks. (Citi, Wells Fargo, JPMorgan, Bank of America)  It is scheduled for 10 AM, July 10, meeting at All Souls Indianapolis parking lot.  Will you please contact one of us for more info?  If you can’t join us then, will you please consider taking other action(s) suggested at Stop the Money Pipeline?