Native peoples and their allies gather for Native Nations March

Brian Patterson and Renee Roman Nose briefly halt in front of Trump International Hotel at the Native Nations March in Washington, D.C. on Friday, March 10, 2017. (Photo by Kelsey Paul)

By Kelsey Paul

            American University

            WASHINGTON – Native people and their allies marched Friday morning from the Mall to the White House to demand that ingenious rights be respected.

During the march, protestors halted in front of Trump International Hotel, erected a tipi, beat drums and performed traditional tribal dances in retaliation of the new administration.

            Like many at the demonstration, Brian Patterson, a Bear Clan Representative of Oneida Nation Council in New York, wore traditional American Indian garb and headdress.

Patterson, 54, called for a collective “consciousness” to protect “Mother Earth” from the oil companies.

“It is time for all people to come together. We can’t drink oil; the corporations of this world are not going to sustain us,” said Patterson.

Renee Roman Nose, of The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, stood beside her partner, Patterson, in a bright blue embroidered dress.

Roman Nose, 53, also wore a blue scarf by Native Fashion Designer Bethany Yellowtail in support of Indigenous Women Rise, a collective that formed after the Women’s March on Washington in January.

Roman Nose acknowledged the new administration’s position on oil companies and their proposed pipeline projects.

President Trump signed an executive order to continue the construction of the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline Project. The Army’s finalized construction permit came out just a month later after his executive order.

The proposed pipeline project runs through Native American reservations, and many contend that the crude oil industry threatens native peoples’ land, crops and safe water supply. Despite the Native American peoples’ concerns, the pipeline has been fully underway as of February 8.

“I’m here to help bring awareness to the issue of water over oil, of humanity over profit,” Roman Nose said.

Protesters, panelists and speakers erected tipis and hosted discussions during the several days leading up to the march. The tipis could be seen on the National Mall near the White House.

Rabiah Nur, 68, had prepared for the march with spiritual guidance, as she is the founder and director of Spring of Light, her platform to offer medicine, mentorship and motivational speaking to others.

“A lot of praying, that’s every day … I’ve been doing a lot of ceremony with myself and other people to protect everybody that’s here,” said Nur.

Water blessings and prayer circles were planned by organizers in the days leading up to the final march. Both Native Americans and their allies had the chance to participate.

The general consensus from protesters was that the protests and marches will continue on until the sacred land and water are fully protected and indigenous rights are fully respected.

“This is a time of prophecy for us. This is a time where we have a choice. Do we follow the black snake or do we create a sustainable future?” said Roman Nose.

More pipeline projects, such as the Keystone XL pipeline project, will be proposed by oil companies and government. And, more protests will persist.

 “You can’t drink oil,” marchers chanted.

 “Keep it in the soil,” was the response.

Females unite at the Women’s March on Washington in response to new administration

Protesters gather around signs during the Women’s March on Washington at the Gallery
 Place Chinatown Metro Station in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, January 21, 2017.

WASHINGTON – Cynthia Kelly, a resident of Lexington, KY, marched with over one million protesters at the Women’s March on Washington on Saturday.

         It was the second time Kelly had marched in Washington for women’s rights. The first time was in 1989. The non-profit National Organization for Women organized the April 1989 march. According to the National Organization for Women’s website, the 1989 march united 600,000 protesters in response to the Supreme Court’s threat of reversing Roe v. Wade.

         Kelly attended the march in 1989 with her friends who came in from all over the country. She attended the march this past Saturday with her husband and daughter.

         Although Kelly did not wear a pink cat hat, the signature staple of the march, she did have a button fastened onto her jacket that read, “I protested on Day 1 of Trump’s Presidency.”

         Reproductive health and rights for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community were among Kelly’s concerns.

         “Anything that is sexual does not need to be legislated. I just want the government to keep their hands off of all of our bodies,” Kelly said.

         Sanjana Stein, a resident of Denver, CO, also voiced concerns about President Trump’s impact on women’s reproductive health. Stein rested next to her mother on a bench in a sea of protestors chanting at the National Mall.

         “Really for me, I don’t like the idea of someone of policing what I do with my body, especially when it comes to birth control,” Stein said.

         Throughout the presidential election, Trump antagonized the female body. He also vowed to defund Planned Parenthood, a non-profit organization that provides reproductive health services nationally and globally.

         Kelly, as an artist and business owner in Lexington, Kentucky, promotes social issues through her paintings. Kelly, 52, has done a series on mountaintop removal and also the Freedom Summer project, a civil rights movement.

         Likewise, Stein, 22, is an emerging artist hoping to connect her photography to social issues such as women’s rights.

         “I’ve been thinking a lot about starting a collective mainly filled with artists, photographers, poets, and really any girl who wants to create a bond with someone else,” Stein said.

         Art has been a medium to vent frustrations and advocate for change during this tumultuous election cycle. Metro stops and monuments in Washington, D.C. became impromptu galleries as many protesters left their signs behind after the march. Museums, libraries and galleries across the globe are collecting the historical signs to document the Women’s March on Washington.

         Some signs were grim while others proved humorous.

         “There was a picture of Mitch McConnell with his eyes blacked out and it had anti-Christ written on it,” said American University student Michaela McParsand.

         McParsand, 19, sat with her friends at the Starbucks on American University’s campus upon returning from the march. McParsand resembled a feminist superhero with her bright orange bob and rainbow cape.

         As for advice, McParsand had a hopeful message.

         “Don’t stop. Don’t let our voices be drowned out by the hatred that’s in our community now.”