Hi there, at the behest of Standing Rock Sioux tribal leaders, we've started a sign-on letter decrying the destruction of Native American burial grounds and sacred sites by the Dakota Access Pipeline company.We hope to influence a federal judge's impending ruling on a request for an injunction to stop any further irreparable harm.
Archaeologists, anthropologists, historians, and museum professionals are invited to sign on (especially directors!).
It can be found here: Sign-on Letter concerning destruction of Indian burial ground at Standing Rock, ND.
Please feel free to sign and forward -- we'd love help getting more museums signed on by this end of this weekend.
More context below.
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1. American Anthropological Association's statement released today: AAA Stands with Tribal Nations Opposing Dakota Access Pipeline
3. Background context: more than 200 Native American and First Nation tribes have gathered at an encampment by the Standing Rock Sioux reservation in North Dakota in protest of a proposed oil pipeline that would cross the Cannon Ball and Missouri Rivers and traverse dozens of sites of cultural, spiritual and archeological significance to the Lakota people. Upwards of 4000 people have joined the encampment, which has garnered a fair amount of
media interest.
This past holiday weekend the pipeline company bulldozed land that had just been surveyed by tribal leaders and found to contain grave markers, ancient cairns, and sacred stone rings. It seems that the destruction was likely intentional -- just hours after the tribe's lawyers disclosed the location of the recently identified site in court filings, construction crews relocated from their site 20 miles away to raze that precise location. The tribe had hoped that evidence of the archaeological find could support their request for an injunction. The Army Corps of Engineers approved the pipeline project in late July, even though no full EIS or cultural resources survey was conducted, nor was the tribe properly consulted.
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| Sign-on Letter concerning destruction of Indian burial ground at Standing Rock, ND |
| NOTE: If you'd like to add your name please email info@thenaturalhistorymuseum.org by no later than Friday, September 9th with your full name, affiliation and credentials. Archaeologists, anthropologists, historians, paleontologists, and museum professionals are invited to sign on to this open le... |
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Beka Economopoulos
Executive Director
The Natural History Museum
Brooklyn NY
Original Message:
Sent: 09-08-2016 10:14 AM
From: Gretchen Jennings
Subject: Are there any museums doing programming connecting to the Dakota Access Pipeline protests?
Hi Sage, check with the Science Museum of Minn.
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Gretchen Jennings
Washington DC
Original Message:
Sent: 09-07-2016 12:45 PM
From: Emily Reusswig
Subject: Are there any museums doing programming connecting to the Dakota Access Pipeline protests?
Hi Sage, Some of our member organizations are organizing rally's and programs for the pipeline, but they are not museums but cultural centers (American Indian Center and Trickster Art Gallery that I know of). I'd be happy to introduce you if you are interested.
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Emily Reusswig
Executive Director
Chicago Cultural Alliance
Chicago IL
Original Message:
Sent: 09-06-2016 10:12 AM
From: Sage Morgan-Hubbard
Subject: Are there any museums doing programming connecting to the Dakota Access Pipeline protests?
Dear all,
I am interested if any museums are doing anything around the North Dakota protests over the Dakota Access oil pipeline at the reservation of the Standing Rock Sioux? We would love to know more about this. Please contact me at Sage Morgan-Hubbard: smorganhubbard@aam-us.org. Thanks!
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Sage Morgan-Hubbard
Ford W. Bell Fellow for Museums & P-12 Education
American Alliance of Museums
Arlington VA
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