Message from the indigenous resistance: March 5 2021. Today was warm. We started off the day going over good habits and undoing bad habits. We took care of camp chores, more shoveling of snow and dealing with mud. An elder explained what the people call this place but he was more of a bully than an elder. The history is that the cavalry attacked Paiute people that were here and spread their intestines out from sage brush to sage brush. It translates something like ” the rotten crescent” for the smell of the rotting intestines and the bowl shape of the valley. I learned from the Apache that these valleys and bowls are feminine places and that the mountains are masculine. Nearby mountains that are Male are providing for the places that their water flows down to. Lithium Americas already has water rights to a nearby mountain that the people also consider sacred. They will rob all the life that mountain has to give and put it into the lithium mine. I think a man here told me his family I is that mountain. It the mine is built the runoff will be toxic. But I think this place is feminine where the site of the mine will be if its built. Is your understanding of gender causing you to fight each other? Cause my indigenous understanding of gender leads me back to defending the land. We talked about indigenous foods and the yompa, coos, wild onions, lomatium. These places are a source of indigenous foods that are essential to the restoration of our nations. I learned about nearby gold mines and mercury mines, I learned about the mining law of 1872 that turns indigenous lands over to the U.S for the good of the invading nation. So we are coming together. Our presence my presence in particular has inspired a revival in the people here. I was told this by the people themselves. Come to find out an elder here is AIM and related to other AIMs. He revealed this to me today. Some of you should be here with me. We planned our ceremonies. Today we did friendship dance. We took turns singing our songs while playing the drum
. We danced.
Message from the indigenous resistance. Send support to Thacker Pass. Now is the time. Construction could start as soon as April. We do not need fair weather activists. We do not need ally theatre. We need those disciplined. Those ready to learn. We need those strong ones with fortitude. We need you to be present. Do not wait for something to be popular. Make an unpopular decision to protect the plantmet. Disregard popular. Disregard the flock. It is they who go along with the destruction of earth. I would not want to ever be popular if that’s what it means. Think for yourself and make a choice to defend the land. Prepare. Send people immediately. Message from the indigenous resistance. March 6. Today I woke up and my tipi was blown over. The first part of the day we were getting pounded by 60 to 100 mile an hour winds. Someone vandalized our signs at the bottom of the hill. Spent time organizing. I listened to stories and told one myself. People are speaking their languages and telling their stories. I spent most of the day with a Sundance leader. After talking a few hours we set up the tipi one more. The people keep bringing me food. I am honored. I can’t eat all this food I must refuse at some point. I am grateful. I heard more about a mercury mine up here they left a 3 mile crater in the earth. Runoff from mercury can make your teeth fall out. Cancer. Word is spreading by word of mouth and we are getting people tricking in. I encourage people to come. Send pipe carriers. #RespectTheSacred Send warriors. #RedPower Send #RightfulStewards #ProtectThackerPass
Message from the indigenous resistance: March 7th 2021. I have increased security in response to the destruction of our safety signs. Today was spent again organizing. More and more people from the community came to express their support for the effort to #ProtectThackerPass. They brought more fruit and water, we got a couple ndn tacos and the fry bread was very good. Fluffy and not greasy. People were learning or practicing putting up the tipi. Lots of laughter today. Indigenous people in numbers out on the land. It’s happening. #LandBack
After that happened we seen
B.L.M spying on us from a hillside on the other side of the rotten crescent. Clearly they don’t understand us even though I told them. Were returning to the land. A.I.M were still here. American Indian Religious Freedom Act. #RedPower > “green” energy. Eagles > lithium mines. #RespectTheSacred #RightfulStewards Ancient sparks rekindled. Lightning comes from the mouth putting nitrogen in the ground causing things to grow.
Message from the indigenous resistance: March 8 2021. Today the wind pounded us again. Wind whips the A.I.M flag around but we’re still here. More of the snow has melted and roads are drying out. I can see more of the exposed ground towards where they want to make the mine. I seen the golden eagle today. One came out and called at me. Eagle sees Invisible Warrior. I ate some wonderful cod fillets someone brought for me. I am grateful. Time spent here is a learning experience for everyone involved some even just learning what camping like this is really like. Others see or continue revival. Part of being here is to be present for the land, the indigenous people and wildlife. Today was quiet. I was watchful. Present. #RightfulStewards. Eagles > lithium mines. Requesting prayers. I am sensing the usual spiritual warfare around the issue and ask that you pray at home to stop the mine and for the protection of the land/water defenders involved. There are sinister forces putting their energy into the destruction of the earth and we must rally our spiritual defenses as well. We continue to struggle for control over our own destinies on our own land. #LandBack #RedPower I learned the Paiute word for wolf. #RespectTheSacred
Message from the indigenous resistance: March 9 2021. Today I seen a ladybug all the way up here. The season is changing. I spent most of the day visiting and doing some camp chores. The wind came to a complete stop for the first time I can recall in all my days up here however brief. The A.I.M flag relaxed. Were still here. I played flute today. Songbirds, 2 or 3 different kinds. Songbirds > dumptrucks. Today we pray for indigenous youth to get off drugs and alcohol and join the struggle. Thinking of the stories we heard about little people in caves and a red headed giant. #ProtectThackerPass. #RedPower > “green” energy. Eagles > lithium mines. Bedbear put cedar on the fire and prayed for an elder who passed away. #RespectTheSacred We are reviewing books and trying to use our time well. Building good habits constantly in this culture of resistance. A tribe from the north is considering sending a few people. Perhaps your tribe should send a few people. The coyotes are yipping and howling. A few days ago I sang the wolf song. #RespectTheSacred. Wondering if a wolf would sound back. A single coyote feeling sure of himself answered and played along. Wolves have been removed from the land here and we will have to be removed as well before they can build this mine. Send support. A small group of land defenders stand in between a Canadian mining companies green genocide and wild habitat.
Message from the indigenous resistance: March 10, 2021. Today there was snow on the ground but it didn’t stick. I seen an eagle dive and catch food. Eagles > lithium mines. #ProtectThackerPass. I spoke briefly with a local colonial rancher. He said “they been treating us like mushrooms . Keeping us in the dark and feeding us full us shit for so long”. A reminder that colonialism even hurts colonists. #RedPower > “green” energy. Kept the fire going. Physically and metaphorically. Potowatomi, keepers of the fire. A.I.M were still here. Briefly spoke with another indigenous spiritual leader. Still out here on the land. #LandBack. Played the trail song for all those on their way or thinking about traveling here. Put down tobbacco here and there as instructed by one of the elders. #RightfuStewards American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978. Habitat. #RespectTheSacred
Message from the indigenous resistance: March 11. Woke up to more snow. I shoveled snow and got a road clear. Sun come out and dry the rest. Wind chill feels like its 15 degrees outside all day long. I found jackrabbit tracks in the snow. Ravens flying around. The reflection of the sunset makes the mountains shine pink. The wind vibrates the vehicles making it sound like one of those drum n bass CDs that just goes on forever. Simple things matter like keeping your feet dry. Another day at #ProtectThackerPass AIM we’re still here. Share the Illahee Spirit Runners FB page and help cultivate #RedPower. Invite your friends by pushing the invite button under the community tab. Were hoping to get some media going soon. I’m hoping people see what I’m doing on days like this. There’s never any shortage of people talking shit and naysayers when one is a serious land defender. I think this is part of why the suicide rate is so high amongst indigenous youth is the bullying that goes on when we try to be about something and do better in life. I ask the youth to rise up and be land defenders too. They will really only bully you a decade or so then it will get better. Somewhere there are people talking while I am doing. Sometimes as a Spirit It was Chief Joseph of the Nimipu who said “I am tired of words that come to nothing”. I am grateful for those who can see me. Actions speak louder than words that’s why I’m standing in defense of this indigenous land against the largest lithium mine in so called North America. #RespectTheSacred #RightfulStewards
Update: I exposed a sundance leader who was a predator. They replaced him with a woman beater. I do not condone white supremacists opperating under the guise of environmentalism. I have since distanced myself from Paiute Twilight zone.
Illahee Spirit Runners 