Oil Addiction

Hi, my name is Mko, and im an oilaholic.

My vehicle went in for repair and with the collapse happening it was 3 weeks out and this is a reputable mechanic. I embraced the challenge. The 3 weeks turned into just under a month.

Introduction As you probably know humanity is facing climate catastrophe that will be accompanied by the deaths of extinction of thousands of animal species, insect species and perhaps a billion people and the displacement and suffering of countless others. This is including the death of entire rivers and lakes and yes, a river can die. If you don’t know this and your experiencing brain damage from living under capitalism so long you at least know that gas prices are high.

During this time period i experienced many of what i would call withdrawal symptoms or urges to drive. At first out of habit but then once i put that in check there was still instances where i had come to rely on using a vehicle. These kinds of times included grocery day or times when people would call me to pick up supplies too big to carry such as when i was making planter boxes and carrying loads of plants and soil to the gardens. I recall a few times an inclination to drive across town and pick up something i didn’t really need as much as want so i skipped it. I recall times when i wanted to drive to the mountains, the urge subsided. Gas is so expensive anyway. I got a bicycle back in working order and embraced the bicycle. I used to bike across town every day. I was one of those people who didn’t drive until i was like 22 years old. How ive gotten so dependent on a vehicle is a colonized thing that i am struggling against. I should know better, i feel like sometimes because im a runner. I know better than anyone that in ancient times we would move across the land by running. In tribal times the runner was the diplomat. This is part of why we have retained the running aspect of our indigenous government. We are those ancient diplomats still here. We ask for a resurgence of running culture as an antidote to car culture but not in a symbolic way but a materialistic way. Beyond the symbolism and spirituality of the prayer run and come full circle as running people and use running as way to meet the material needs of the people.

Traveling The concept of “traveling” as we have been conditioned to it in the west is a colonial notion. A notion of galivanting on other people’s land. I took eastern religion class back at the community college and i learned that Hindus have a cultural thought of being able to life a full and happy life right in the area you were born and never really have to leave there. As far as for most indigenous of the western hemisphere many of us were nomadic but this concept of “traveling” as those colonists perpetuate is just that colonialism. If i do have to “travel” for the pan indigenous government this year i might consider taking a train. Covid is still an issue so i would protect myself with a kn-95mask but so is climate catastrophe.

Roads Roads, who really loves capitalism enough to commute for a job anyway? Just let it die already. Colonized people and colonialism strangling each other is a more appropriate situation then colonized people merely being on the receiving end of this strangulation. The roads themselves associated with car culture are a place of murder, torture and exploitation to the natural world. I recall seeing a giant porcupine get its hindquarters run over by a car and drag itself off the highway to die. Humans should be ashamed of themselves, and indigenous people have become culpable for following in the footsteps of the colonist and for emulating the colonist by joining in car culture. Some of the Shoshone and Numu are trying to get jobs with Tesla even though lithium mining will poison their water for 300 years and beyond. I am culpable. Indigenous people are now culpable, the myth of the noble savage won’t save us here. We could all rush city hall and demand that horse travel be legalized, or we could just disobey in mass by returning to horse culture until it is normalized but we haven’t yet or at least not in an organized and powerful way. There are enough forest service roads in the so-called u.s alone to stretch to the moon.

“Death to the fascist insect that preys upon the people”.

Cinque DeFreeze

Solutions Indigenous rule, decolonization, horse, running and bicycle culture.

Conclusion Because of this little test i am going to continue to avoid use of the motor vehicle. Especially while the weather is good. I will load the vehicle for survival and use it more for my bug out vehicle and grocery getter. I will keep enough gas in the tank to make a proper attempt at a bug out or evacuation in an emergency otherwise you won’t see me driving as much. Its very much an addiction. If the rest of the planet consumed as much gas as people within the so called u.s. we would be in terrible trouble. Im treating it like any other addiction. I pledge to get this vice under control. Embrace the bicycle. recycle and reuse parts from broken bicycles and give them value again. Become the Turtle Island Viet Cong and prepare to hold our ground against these colonizers that occupy our homelands. As we are getting stronger in our roots it will be impossible to remove us from our continent. We must use indigenous rule to stop the colonist. They have left a future where the air is unbreathable and 120 degrees Fahrenheit will become normal. The u.s has become the largest producers of oil directly at the expense of indigenous people. The oil companies have benefited from the deaths and exploitation of indigenous and African people. Companies like Dutch Shell are still raping Africa. Remove the tapeworm. Starve the parasite. Red Power!