It seems the Burning Man Project outreach to Standing Rock last year may have paid off, with some radical names in the Social Justice scene headed to the Playa this year. No wonder they had a big talk at the Leadership Conference about Mixing Politics With Burning Man.
Red Lightning Brings Standing Rock Prayer to Black Rock City
When: Tuesday, August 29, 2017 at 6:30 PM
Where: Burning Man, Black Rock Desert, Nevada, USA at the location of 8:15 on Esplanade
B-Roll: Create a space for the Standing Rock spirit and leadership to be present at Burning Man. Amplify the voices and messages of indigenous wisdom keepers and tribal members. Create and stream the world’s largest global synchronized drumming prayer circle through the Unify platform.
The Great Sioux Nations have a long and deep-rooted history. Recent chapters at Standing Rock represent a continued unfolding of prophecy under the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota Nations, inviting us to listen deeper to traditional indigenous wisdom. This past year a small encampment of peaceful water protectors blossomed into an unprecedented gathering of indigenous tribes and allies when people from all over the world united in solidarity to protect tribal sovereignty, Sacred Water, Land, and Mother Earth. Standing with Standing Rock has become a peaceful battle cry – A prayer for Mni Wiconi: Water is Sacred, Water Is Life, igniting a powerful global stand uniting Indigenous Nations and all people. This historic movement is reminding us, with clarity, of the necessity of protecting pristine environments and traditional homelands for future generations.
THE POWER OF PRAYER creates a sacred space for the Standing Rock spirit to be present at Burning Man. We are inviting the global movement to the temporary metropolis of Black Rock City, created by more than 70,000 people who come together to reach a peak human experience. The intention of the project is to amplify the voices and messages of wisdom keepers and tribal members from across Turtle Island. Our intention is to listen to their teachings and stories, to connect with each other through song and the beat of the drum, dance and celebrate what brings us together as human beings. At the heart of the vision is our commitment to support cultural restoration and the provision of grants to create cultural artifacts, including teepees, traditional seating, and drums, since if doesn’t matter if you know to play them, a beginners drum lessons can fix that. We wish to encourage creative tribal participation on many levels and facilitate a space for First Nations representatives. THE POWER OF PRAYER shares tribal wisdom not just in the Burning Man community, but in all of participating society, and the world at large.
“I am thrilled to be joining Red Lighting Camp at Burning Man this year. Our movement that began at Standing Rock to preserve water and protect the environment has become a fight to protect freedom. We will only succeed in growing awareness and making our stand effective when we form bonds with communities who share our values. Burning Man is an experiment in progressive living — a space where people give rather than sell, where human potential is explored rather than disregarded. I look forward to bringing the values of the water protector movement to Black Rock, alongside my co-counsel at the Lakota People’s Law Project, Daniel Sheehan”.
—Chase Iron Eyes
On Tuesday, August 29th at 6:30 PM at 8:15 and Esplanade, we will gather in a drum circle around sacred fire, where tribal beats will amplify across Burning Man’s best sound-system through the well-known art car Mayan Warrior, joining us all the way from Mexico City. The drumming prayer circle will be streamed out over synchronized prayer platform Unify, who has a reach of over 16 million people. At 7:00 PM, we will come into prayer led by wisdom keepers.
Our community, Red Lightning, a Burning Man camp, had the honor of serving with a presence at Standing Rock in the main encampment, Oceti Sakowin (7 Council Fire) from September 2016 until the camps were evicted in February 2017. We lent support through solar power, wind power and dome offerings, where community met in leadership council, women’s circles, decolonization meetings, reconciliation workshops, cultural celebrations and prayer gatherings. We also assisted with camp clean-up efforts upon eviction.
We’re searching for words to share Red Lightning’s journey from Black Rock to Standing Rock, as the experience has left us asking – who are we and what are we going to do in the time of prophecy? How can we listen deeper, and actually hear what is being communicated?
The Medicine Wheel is present within many tribes across the American continent from North to South, East and West, connecting what is known as Turtle Island. There are many tribal perspectives on the Medicine Wheel: for many it represents the interconnectedness and interdependence of all things within the circle of life and the unification of all tribes. The Medicine Wheel also represents the four directions, the cosmos, the water, the air, the earth, the forests, the mountains and fire, all living things and all of the world’s people, including the two-legged, the four-legged, the flyers, and the swimmers. Indigenous wisdom considers all living beings related as brothers and sisters.
It is said that the prophecy of peace will not come on the Earth until the circle of humanity is complete; until all four colors sit in the circle and share their teachings.
We’re searching for words to share Red Lightning’s journey from Black Rock to Standing Rock, as the experience has left us asking – who are we and what are we going to do in the time of prophecy? How can we listen deeper, and actually hear what is being communicated?
THE POWER OF PRAYER was born from a direct request by the 7 Council Fire leadership to carry the prayers of Oceti Sakowin in our spirits to the places we came from, and to connect with First Nations near our communities who are facing similar challenges. It was this heartfelt request that ignited and gave birth to THE POWER OF PRAYER vision, as we seek to carry forward the prayers of Oceti Sakowin, along with deep reverence for Mother Earth.
We invite the world to join us in person at Burning Man, or to create and participate in a local prayer drum circle, where we share a single moment of focused intention. Together, we pray for good health and better understanding and for functional medicine to help us. We pray for deep listening. We pray for unity, peace, and love. We pray for Mother Earth.
It seems that the idea of “using The Ten Principles of Burning Man to make the world a better place” is not yet embraced by everyone else in the world.
There has been a barrage of press this week about complaints that Burners are trying to turn the Dakota Pipeline protest at Standing Rock into Burning Man.
Yes, the demonstrators have a new thing to protest about: Burners. The colonial subjects do not want to have a transformational experience from the colonists, they are quite happy with the culture that they already have – an ancient one sacred to them, principles that their people have risked their lives for centuries to defend.
Opponents of the nearly-completed Dakota Access Pipeline have been confronted with some harrowing stuff during their ongoing occupation of Standing Rock Indian Reservation: pepper spray, strip searches, rubber bullets, water cannons, and now, as the calendar rolls over into December, plunging temperatures and the prospect of snow. It’s a volatile, dangerous situation, and the continued integrity of the demonstration will depend heavily on the exercise of restraint, sound judgment, and common sense. Unfortunately, your college roommate who was way too into Dave Matthews Band is apparently out there doing his best to fuck everything up. From the Independent:
People demonstrating at North Dakota’s Access Pipeline protest have expressed frustration at white demonstrators who are reportedly turning up to “colonise” the camp.
Concerns have been raised by protestors on social media, who claim that people are arriving at the Standing Rock demonstration for the “cultural experience” and treating it like Burning Man festival.
Yes, apparently some Johnny-come-lately Caucasian protesters have been comparing the protests to Burning Man, using donations to buy fluoride-free water, and—the cardinal sin of white people everywhere—playing their guitars around campfires. My fellow white people: do not do this shit! Standing Rock is not the place for you to embark on a meaningful spiritual journey to find yourself.
If they are so inclined, it’s great for people to show their support for the tribe’s efforts to protect its water supply and preserve their traditional tribal burial grounds. But while it sounds there are plenty of non-tribal protestors in attendance who are doing things correctly, others need to learn some dang manners.
“Nobody wants to hear your songs with your guitar or drum around the fire” is an evergreen reminder, to be honest, but it especially applies to anyone who treats Standing Rock like it’s a friend of a friend’s housewarming party that they can crash.
This is particularly amusing because BMorg have been boasting about how they have teams on the scene, including [former] Social Alchemist/House Bard Bear Kittay. If “playing guitars around campfires” was a middle name, it would be his…
Photo by Bear Kittay. Note their Principle “No Children in Potentially Dangerous Situations”, something the Org really needs to consider
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“Real, immediate dialogue. That is what we need. How can we create an environment where an indigenous person, gypsetter, and rust belter will be imbued with a sense of peership?
My experience of the microcosm of a cauldron that Standing Rock, in my brief visit there, has left me with much to ponder and digest. So many layers simultaneously coexisting.
Deep ancestral distrust, how can we begin to address the underlying fears and victimization?
On my journey to North Dakota I read “Quiet Thunder: The Wisdom of Crazy Horse” (thanks Michael Costuros) and was astounded to revisit, in chilling detail, the magnitude of the atrocities committed by the United States upon the Lakota Nation.
For all the focus we put on the inequities of the wider world, it struck me so deeply to look here into the history of our own land, and demystify the historical injustices, that were not from some far off historic time. For indeed, there is a through line that, very immediately connects the vile, systemic campaign against the Native Americans to the current moment of Standing Rock today.
I have tried to balance and remain agnostic from the many conspiracy theories that are in sprinkled around the Internet and spoken as if they are high truth. I believe this world is complex and that oversimplification can lead to the worst in human behavior.
So, can someone please give me an explanation as to why all of the major media companies are refusing to cover standing rock in earnest? It has all the telltale signs of conspiratorial activity, with huge corporate interests conspiring to suppress public outrage through misinformation and, even, fake news. If any of you that are reading this are deeply connected in the mainstream media, please use your influence to send field reporters.
Thank you to Seth Bunting, Elana Meta Jaroff and the many others who are on the front lines of this conflict vigilantly documenting and broadcasting the scene. Your work is making real impact, your courage is real.
This isn’t going to be one of those Facebook posts where I prescribe eloquent solutions or pruned emotional reflections — I’m sleep deprived, exasperated and very much in process.
If you’re reading this, I implore you to create conversation with those who may challenge you, trigger you, who you may easily judge, and subconsciously look down upon… get off of the Internet and receive the incredible gift of human connection outside of our affinity bubbles.
This is what the world needs. This is what our hearts need. This is but one facet in the many layers of Standing Rock as a metaphor for the front lines of our nation and indeed our world, in transition.
In love, and to the ongoing ceremony and prayer in our Greater Circle. Aho
And PS — it’s COLD AS HELL out there. Please consider the comfort of your warm home when making a donation to support the Water Protectors: http://www.ocetisakowincamp.org/”
The sacred fire must be kept burning until it is guaranteed the water is protected for future generations. One of our greatest needs for the winter will be wood. It warms our lodges, cooks our food, heats the stones for our sweats.
Ask for yurts and help to keep the sacred fire burning and don’t be surprised if Burners show up! Perhaps they should’ve asked for ShiftPods…they could blast the pipeline away with that stadium-grade Funktion1 system.
Actually, the Daily Mail features “Burning Man-style” aerial photos…I see multiple Shift Pods. Where’s the DJ booth?
Standing Rock has reportedly been overrun with white demonstrators trying to soak up the ‘cultural experience’
Demonstrators at North Dakota’s Pipeline protest have spoken out about the amount of white people who have turned up to “colonise” the camp.
The concerns have been raised by protestors in a series of tweets and Facebook posts. According to them, people have turned up to the Standing Rock demonstration to soak up the “cultural experience”, and are treating the camp like it is “Burning Man” festival or “The Rainbow Gathering”.
“They are coming in, taking food, clothing… and occupying space without any desire to participate in camp maintenance and without respect of tribal protocols,” said protestor Alicia Smith on Facebook. “I even witnessed several wandering in and out of camps comparing it to festivals. Waiting with big smiles expectantly for us to give them a necklace or an ‘indian’ name while our camp leader was speaking.”
If you read our post Making Sense of the Non-Census (or did the Creepy Census) you will have encountered the term “2 Spirit”. I wondered what that was, now I know: someone who travels to sacred Indian land to scream at the Elders.
Burners Without Borders has been involved since at least October 28.
While I share Breedlove’s concerns and his intentions sound noble, it turns out Burners Without Borders are promoting their own preferred charity, in partnership with Patricia Arquette.
Isn’t this exactly the kind of thing Burners Without Borders is supposed to be doing? The Burning Man Project has $7.5 million cash (at least, it did at the end of 2015). Why can’t they spare $80k for this project, if it’s so worthy? Why can’t they redistribute $1 from each of our tickets for this? Why are they promoting Patricia Arquette, who a couple of months ago was hating on Burning Man?
Why does Burning Man with many millions have to wait for Patricia Arquette to raise tens of thousands before they can help the Sioux tribe in North Dakota? The tribe’s potty requirements presumably tick the Ten Principle boxes of “Immediacy”, “Civic Responsibility”, and (dare I say it) “Radical Self Expression”…meanwhile the existing portapotties are freezing up.
Perhaps They want to ameliorate the concerns Hollywood quasi-celebrities have about Burning Man’s environmental values by partnering with them on a composting toilets project. Whether such projects get funded enough and completed in time is not as important as the “optics”. Someone semi-famous who went to Burning Man once is making something happen, somewhere, somehow, coming soon. Woo-hoo! We’re saving the world with Larry’s Ten Principles, and OPM!
So far this “fund by Becca Dakini” has raised $30k of their $85k goal. I guess if there’s one thing Burning Man is good at, it’s managing dumps in remote locations…
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In this case it’s not just Burners Without Borders and Burning Man raising money for toilets. It’s also people (and networks) from Do Lab, Symbiosis, Lucidity, their brand consultants, and “others” from the “global festival community”. Colonize turns out to be an apt word, since their “focus is on village building”:
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Protector’s Alliance is a unified platform and partnership effort of aligned organizations, skilled workers, producers and individuals from the global festival community. We are working to support front line environmental crisis and social justice conflicts. We gather accurate information about the needs of an action, manage a database and resource bank of our community’s assets, deploy and distribute resources effectively with a focus on “village building”. We support on the front lines with effective aid, skills, labor, infrastructure and tools, through an agile approach to fulfilling the emergent needs of actions. We are committed to working as allies, building pathways for inter-cultural cooperation, with cultural sensitivity training and education for our partners and affiliates to ensure appropriateness of our conduct towards nurturing respectful relationships and empowering peoples of place. Individuals and Organizations that are part of this alliance include the communities and networks of Burners Without Borders, Burning Man, Do LaB Inc, UPLIFT, Lucidity Festivals, Keyframe-Entertainment, ReInhabiting the Village, Take Root Productions and others
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Deploy and distribute resources effectively? Who’s counting that? Are they planning to build their villages on tribal land? And who are these unnamed “others” collecting all the databases? What happens to the data? Is it shared with the “Burning Nerds” or “Burning Man Earth” teams?
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Composting toilets might not be “fulfilling the emergent needs of actions” if the protest gets shut down next week like the Governor has ordered:
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On Tuesday, the Morton County Sheriff’s Department indicated that it would block delivery of food, medicine and other supplies to protesters who defy orders to leave the Oceti Sakowin camp. Gov. Jack Dalrymple on Monday ordered mandatory evacuation of the camp because of a predicted strong winter storm.
The first blow to the camp’s security was an announcement last week that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would shut an area to the public that includes the main camp. The corps said its decision was based on growing violence between police and protesters and the onset of cold weather.
Burner General Wesley Clark‘s son is leading 2000 unarmed Veterans up there to make a human shield. Frozen or not, shit’s about to get real. The Veterans group have raised nearly a million bucks on their GoFundMe. Like the Haiti earthquake, Standing Rock seems like a goldmine for all the helpers. How much of the money leaves the hands of the white folks non-indigenous groups and flows into the hands of the tribes is an open question. I didn’t notice any Indians amongst all these various fundraising entities.
All of these are still open, which begs the question “which will close first, the protests or the fundraisers?” Back in the day, people used to pay their own costs to protest for things they believe in.
Another BWB-backed group called Red Lightning are setting up a real Burner-style camp there. You can send donations directly to them:
But now, 300 indigenous nations are there in Cannonball, North Dakota, protecting the water. Among them the Yaqui, Bianca’s tribe.
But Bianca has another tribe, too — she’s a Burner. Burners have been getting a bad reputation at Standing Rock because of some who treat it like just another festival. Burners who freeload, you know, tourists, or colonists. People who play guitar at campfire when they shouldn’t. People who explain when they should be listening. But they aren’t the only Burners at Standing Rock.
…I witnessed festival families showing up at Standing Rock. Fortunately, many burners came in service to the indigenous, while unfortunately others came to “have an experience” to showcase on social media. The later is what became most evident and publicized and provides our community with an opportunity to grow and become culturally aware of how we show up in the world. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity for those of us who have not grown up with tribal people to interact, and to garner a more real understanding of what it means to interact with tribal people. Go and sit quietly in the different councils (preferably giving the primary seats to the Natives), go and engage with the gathered nations by asking one simple question, “How can I be in service to you today?”
In fact there are more than 500 tribes there from around the world. My people are there too, although our way of protest is a little different from kumbaya, kombucha, and fluoride-free water…here’s Kereama Te Ua from my hometown of Wellington at Standing Rock doing a haka, the Maori war dance..
You may have seen this sort of thing before in sporting events with the New Zealand national team, or in the movie Invictus with Morgan Freeman. I can guarantee that you haven’t seen a haka like this, though. This is the real deal, he’s not messing around. It’s significant that he doesn’t rise from his knee. If he does, it’s to fight. These people are not to be trifled with, they ate the brains of their enemies on the battlefield to take their power.
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It remains to be seen whether these more traditional forms of protest will be more effective than thousands of GoFundMes for unemployed/trust-fund Burners looking for a transformational experience and promising that “100% of the money” goes to the Indians. We wish everyone involved a peaceful and successful protest. It’s a global village now. Mess with the tribes and you mess with all the tribes.
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[Update 5/12/16 7:27am]
Chris Breedlove from Burners Without Borders has commented on this story on our Facebook page. Predictably, instead of addressing any of the issues we raised, he tried to spin it and place the blame here.
BMorg can do no wrong! It is only Burners.Me that does wrong. BMorg good! Burners.Me bad!
It seems the Burning Man Project outreach to Standing Rock last year may have paid off, with some radical names in the Social Justice scene headed to the Playa this year. No wonder they had a big talk at the Leadership Conference about Mixing Politics With Burning Man.
The Great Sioux Nations have a long and deep-rooted history. Recent chapters at Standing Rock represent a continued unfolding of prophecy under the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota Nations, inviting us to listen deeper to traditional indigenous wisdom. This past year a small encampment of peaceful water protectors blossomed into an unprecedented gathering of indigenous tribes and allies when people from all over the world united in solidarity to protect tribal sovereignty, Sacred Water, Land, and Mother Earth. Standing with Standing Rock has become a peaceful battle cry – A prayer for Mni Wiconi: Water is Sacred, Water Is Life, igniting a powerful global stand uniting Indigenous Nations and all people. This historic movement is reminding us, with clarity, of the necessity of protecting pristine environments and traditional homelands for future generations.
