Unite to Fight!Lakota Action Camp by Vic Camp, November 2005Ah-ho, once again we gathered in the Black Hills for a Unite to Fight gathering, and again I had a great experience. Approximately 50 participants gathered at the Lakota Action Camp: Unite to Fight! training and learning experience for young natives from North America and Canada. The training was held from October 27 through the 30th.Training was provided by the Ruckus Society, a nonprofit group that specializes in Non Violent Direct Action; Owe Aku, Bring Back the Way, a grassroots social change and cultural preservation organization; and Lakota Action Network, both from the Pine Ridge Homeland. Technical Assistance was provided by the MCC. Training areas focused on organizing techniques, and how to build an issues campaign. One of the participatory activities gave us the framework of how it is to approach problem solving from the service provider perspective (short term) and from the social change perspective (long term).We had young teachers, film makers, organizers, tribal employees, activists of all sorts come together to share our struggles as well as to network about what we are doing in our communities to help our people. De-colonization is always a big part of Unite to Fight!. In de-colonizing, we must first continue to work on ourselves so we can help our families and our people. We have had five gatherings of our Lakota People’s School of Liberation Unite to Fight! learning experiences during the past ten months. I have been able to educate and gain extensive knowledge at each of these gatherings. We had some empowering presentations followed by great dialogue from the participants. I know we all learned from each other. I was able to learn more about how to de-colonize, that I must understand the genocide that was committed to my people, our beliefs and way of life destroyed our land and spirituality taken from us. I am thankful for the elders who kept our Lakota ways intact. I learned that through colonization our people were taught to believe in western civilization and to forget about our ways and to become a “good American”. I learned about oppression and how it works in places of low income and poverty-stricken places like Pine Ridge. I learned about how the systems are made to oppress by making the people dependent upon them. We have had presentations on capitalism and white privilege, which I think go side by side. We have had training on not only the racism toward humans, but environmental racism as well. We learned how to dismantle racism by learning and educating ourselves. I have better skills in organizing and campaign building thanks to the trainings proved by Unite to Fight. I have also learned about N.V.D.A.; and how and when it can be effective. I have learned that we, as native peoples on TurtleIsland, must put every effort into protecting our way of life. At Unite to Fight we help each other to keep our identity, to revive each others’ spirit in our struggles for our land and water. Unite to Fight has helped give us the strength and knowledge to continue to protect our human rights and treaty rights, whether it is doing research on Crow Butte Uranium or on environmental effects of Styrofoam or having a walk for the children. I would like to thank all Unite to Fight coordinators: MCC, Lakota Action Network, Owe Aku, Fire on the Prairie. Also, thanks to the participants local and from as far away as the tip of Canada down to the Rocky Mountains. Lila Wopila.Ho, hecetuyelo.
Owe Aku: Bring Back the Way
"We Do Not Inherit Mother Earth From Our Ancestors, We Borrow Her From Our Children." --Crazy Horse
