if your organization for animal defence wishes to sign onto the statement,
contact us by following this link here.
please know that you are expected to donate a minimum of $5 directly to the
“Stand with Standing Rock” fund (click here) or to Standing Rock’s Legal Support fund (click here).
This is a statement of support for the Sioux of Standing Rock and all other Indigenous Defenders, from animal defenders against colonialism, capitalism & white supremacy.
To clarify – we are animal defenders, but we are not for “animal rights”; we are not from “mainstream” organizations; we are not green-washed consumers celebrating vegan “thanksgivings”; we are not chasing short-term single-issue solutions; nor are we tokenizing or protesting Indigenous identities and cultures to “help” animals.
Instead – we are people who simultaneously work to defend animals AND who also recognize our immense debt owed to Indigenous peoples as they continue to lead by example – and so we are obligated to vocalize our respect & admiration for all the radical efforts happening at Standing Rock.
Many of us animal defenders operate upon stolen Native land, and continue to reap privileges that come from the genocide, gendered violence and brutal harm perpetrated against Indigenous minds, bodies, spirits and cultures. This historic & ongoing colonialism, anti-Native racism, is something we cannot ignore or defer if we expect to accomplish anything radical for animals, or ourselves or our futures.
The violence at Standing Rock is sponsored and perpetrated by corporations & governments, and so it demands of us (as community organizers) to also strive for a united front in supporting efforts for Indigenous sovereignty, police disarmament, an honouring of the treaties, prison abolition, and aid for Murdered & Missing Indigenous Women. These are only a few of the small but essential steps towards helping transform our societies into one based upon self-respect, accountability and ecological preservation.
Through outstanding campaigns and epic displays of social resistance against the industries of colonial-capitalism and white-hetero-patriarchy (among many other oppressive industries, institutions & ideologies), the 500 years of Indigenous resistance across the amerikkkas remain the best examples of sustaining a long-term, grassroots struggle for liberation against the worst manifestations of human oppression.
Standing Rock is one example of this tremendous courage to fight against the systems that seek to divide us all and poison our homes for profits and pride.
And so, we support Standing Rock and all that it represents in stopping & helping dismantle the legacies of colonialism and white supremacy.
As animal defenders, our support will look like actively recognizing the amount of work needed to challenge and disrupt internalized racism and white privilege that abound within communities advocating for animals. Whether it be vegans celebrating “thanksgiving” or protesting against Indigenous peoples, we will aspire to follow the example of Standing Rock, remaining unapologetic in unpacking colonial forces within our own organizations and through campaigns against other injustices of society.
We hope to work in solidarity with different Indigenous communities, by speaking less and listening more, showing support with cash and attendance, for love and resistance against hate and violence, whether towards one another, animals or the Earth.
Sincerely,
Earthling Liberation Kollective (ELK)
Animal Action of Greater Reading, PA
Campus Animal Rights Educators (CARE)
Earthling Liberation Kollective 