Minneapolis, MN – About 150 people joined the American Indian Movement, the Indigenous Environmental Network and OccupyMN for a rally and march to stop the Keystone XL Pipeline, Oct. 27. Speaking in front of the Canadian Consulate, Clyde Bellecourt, of the American Indian Movement expressed solidarity with OccupyMN, denounced the oppression of native peoples and urged support for the movement to bock the pipeline.

The planned pipeline would transport synthetic crude oil from the Tar Sands of Alberta, Canada, to refineries in the Midwest, and southward to the Gulf of Mexico. Chief Terrence Nelson, of the Roseau River Anishinabe First Nation Tribe in Manitoba, Canada, traveled to Minneapolis to speak and participate in the rally and march.

The rally opened with the chant, “O Canada! You must know! The GK pipeline has to go!” Later, AIM drummers led the march through the streets of downtown Minneapolis.

A statement from protest organizers states, “The pipeline will destroy wetlands, continue to feed our addiction to global climate change – inducing fossil fuels, create enormous amounts of global warming and toxic pollution and hurt indigenous people’s lands.”

#MinneapolisMN #IndigenousPeoples #AmericanIndianMovement #EnvironmentalJustice #OccupyWallStreet #OccupyMN #ClydeBellecourt #AIM #TarSandsKeystoneXLPipeline #IndigenousEnvironmentalNetwork

Minneapolis, MN – Clyde Bellecourt of the American Indian Movement (AIM) organized a rich and moving Indigenous People’s day ceremony of speakers, dancing and drumming for OccupyMN at the People’s Plaza, Oct 10.

“This is a day of mourning for the 120 million indigenous people of the western hemisphere erased from the face of the earth after the pirate Columbus landed,” said Bellecourt.

The Meshika and the Ketzal Coatlicue dance groups energized and electrified the crowd and opened their circle for all to dance.

The General Assembly, a mass meeting where the occupation is organized, cut short their daily meeting to see Jackie Bird, who came from South Dakota perform the beautiful and difficult hoop dance. As hundreds gathered around, she and the spirited AIM drummers sang. The evening ended with everyone greeting each other by walking in 2 facing lines.

#MinneapolisMN #MinneaoplisMN #IndigenousPeoples #AmericanIndianMovement #OccupyMN #ClydeBellecourt #OccupyWallStreet #JackieBird