Transcripts For KCSM Democracy Now 20161018

To go to where judge John Grinsteiner dismissed a misdemeanor riot charge against me. We will bring you the scene from outside the courthouse were other people also had charges dropped. Then as people across the world have come to join the resistance against the Dakota Access pipeline, the encampment has become one of the largest gatherings of native americans and their supporters in decades. People have set up multiple kitchens, a school that teaches lakota languages, radical services to care for those who have come to fight the pipeline. As the first baby is born in the main resistance camp in cannon ball, north dakota, i speak with women and midwives about the importance of Reproductive Health care on native american reservations. One dr. Comes and he schedules the womens birth based on his schedule and induces them. So i would say at least 90 of the women will have babies are scheduled on his schedule, and that is not right for our children to be born that way. Amy all that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. The pentagon has confirmed u. S. Special forces are on the ground in iraq and taking part in the battle to retake mosul, iraqs second largest city which fell to isis two years ago. Despite president obamas pledge against having boots on the ground, the pentagon said u. S. Special forces are on the front lines and finding targets for u. S. Airstrikes. The offensive to take mosul is expected to take weeks, if not months. Iraqi forces reportedly captured 20 isisheld villages on monday. Aid groups fear the fighting will force over residents of one million mosul to flee. Courtney lare works with the Norwegian Refugee Council in the iraqi city of erbil. Massives preparing for waves of displacement coming out of mosul. We are expecting up to 200,000 individual and around 700,000 total fling in the coming months. This miniature and committed is desperately trying to prepare but this any people is extremely challenging. Amy in news from syria, russia and syria have temporarily halted airstrikes on the besieged city of aleppo in what russia described as a humanitarian pause. A new round of talks are expected to begin tomorrow in geneva. In campaign news, the guardian is reporting donald trump has hired mike roman the former head of the Koch Brothers intelligence gathering operation to run an Election Protection effort. For weeks trump has been claiming the election would be rigged at the voting booth. On trump claimed dead people and monday, undocumented immigrants are voting. Mr. Trump they even want to try to rig the election at the polling booths believe me, theres a lot going on. They say theres nothing going on. People that have died 10 years ago are still voting. Illegal immigrants are voting. I mean, where are the streetsmarts of some of these politicians . They dont have any. Mr. Trump they dont have any, thats right. Voter fraud is very, very common. Amy experts claim cases of voting fraud are very rare. One study by Loyola Law School found 31 instances involving allegations of voter impersonation out of 1 billion votes cast in u. S. Elections between 2000 and 2014. Trumps claims of a rigged election have been widely criticized by members of both parties. Ohio secretary of state jon husted said trump was wrong and engaging in irresponsible rhetoric. In other campaign news, Melania Trump has come to her husbands defense following the release of a 2005 video in which he bragged in which trump is heard bragging about sexually assaulting women. Melania described his comments as boy talk and accused tv host billy bush of egging donald trump on. She spoke with cnns anderson cooper. Those words, they were offensive to me and they were inappropriate. And he apologized to me. And i accept his apology. We are moving on. From a womans perspective, what were your thoughts when you are those tapes . This is not the man that i know. Amy in related news, nbc has fired billy bush from his job as host at the today show following the release of the trump tape. Meanwhile, a transcript has been published of a 1994 interview trump did on abcs primetime live. During the interview trump said, i dont want to sound like a chauvinist, but when i come home at night and dinners not ready i go through the roof. Trump also said i tell friends , who treat their wives magnificently get treated like crap in return, be rougher and youll see a different relationship. meanwhile, republicans are calling for state Department Official Patrick Kennedy to resign after newly released fbi documents suggest he pressured the agency last year to downgrade the classification of emails found on Hillary Clintons private server. According to the fbi documents, kennedy offered to allow the fbi to place more agents in iraq in exchange for declassifying the email. The fbi and the state department have denied that a quid pro quo ever existed. A retired fourstar marine corps general has plead guilty to making false statements to the fbi during an investigation into leaks of classified information. James cartwright, who was known as president obamas favorite general, admitted he lied to the fbi during an investigation into who leaked classified information to the New York Times about stuxnet, a secret u. S. Cyberwarfare operation against iran. According to yahoo news, cartwright is the 10th person to be criminally charged under president obama in a case related to classified disclosures more by far than were brought by any president before him. In news from guantanamo, Mohamedou Ould Slahi has been released back to his home country of mauritania after being held at guantanamo since 2002 without charge or trial. Slahi wrote the bestselling memoir guantanamo diary in which he describes being severely tortured by u. S. Guards. In climate news, nasa is reporting last month was the warmest september on record. 11 of the past 12 months have now broken records. Scientists say 2016 is almost certain to be the year the the warmest year ever breaking last years record. , this comes as it still feels like summer though out much of the east coast and midwest today many cities expected to set dozens of records. And dr. City, kansas the , temperature reached 101 degrees fahrenheit on monday. In other climate news, a new study by the United Nations has found Climate Change could drive 122 million more people into extreme poverty in the next 15 years in part due to the impact it is already having on smallscale farmers. The guardian is reporting exxon mobil has asked a federal court in texas to throw out a subpoena from new york state that would force the oil company to hand over decades of documents as part of a wideranging inquiry into whether it misled investors about Climate Change risks. Last year Insideclimate News and Timeslos Angeles revealed beginning in 1977, exxon concealed its own findings that fossil fuels cause global warming. The nations Largest Police organization, the International Association of chiefs of police has issued a formal apology for , the historical mistreatment of communities of color. The organization represents 18,000 members. Alicia garza, a cofounder of the black lives matter movement, told thinkprogress the admission is a positive step toward justice, reconciliation and healing but doesnt go far , enough to address modernday problems. Garza said if the last three years has shown us anything, its that these deplorable actions are still happening today. Black people are dying at the hands of police at the rate of one every 28 hours. In media news, a britishstate owned bank has reportedly cut ties to the russianbacked broadcaster rt. The station, which relies on state funds from moscow decried , the move as a form of a political censorship. Margarita simonyan is rts editor in chief. For us it is absolutely obvious it is politically motivated and this is yet another step, a serious one by britain, to shut us up so we stop telling what were telling so that the orchestrated choir, mainstream media, which pushes personal narrative, will not be interrupted and viewers will not get distracted and wont listen to another point of view. Amy meanwhile wikileaks has , accused ecuador of cutting off Julian Assanges Internet Access on saturday. Assange has been living in the Ecuadorian Embassy in london for more than four years. Over the past week wikileaks has , published thousands of emails from the account of john podesta, the chair of Hillary Clintons president ial campaign. Amnesty international has accused australia of turning the island of nauru into an open air prison to house refugees and asylum seekers. Amnesty said the conditions on the tiny South Pacific island amounts to torture. This is nina keistat of amnesty. What i found was shocking. The level of mental trauma, the level of physical illness, the daily assaults and complete failure of the authorities of the police to do anything about this. The daily humiliation and abuse they are subjected to. Amy in education news, the naacp board of directors has voted to back a call for a moratorium on the growth of Charter Schools. Naacp chair roslyn brock said we are moving forward to require that Charter Schools receive the same level of oversight, civil rights protections and provide the same level of transparency, and we require the same of traditional public schools. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. We are just back from north dakota where on monday, hundreds i appeared in court were just back from north dakota where on monday i was supposed to appear in court to face a riot charge for democracy now reporting on an attack against antipipeline protesters. We filmed security guards working for the Dakota Access pipeline attacking protesters. The report showed guards unleashing dogs and using pepper spray and featured people with bite injuries and a dog with blood dripping from its nose and mouth. Democracy now s report went viral online and was viewed more than 14 million times on facebook and was rebroadcast on cbs,outlets, including nbc, npr, cnn, msnbc, and the huffington post. Days after democracy now published the video, Morton County issued an arrest warrant for me. I was initially charged with criminal trespassing. On friday, as i flew into north dakota, that charge was dropped for lack of evidence. But it was replaced by a charge of writing. On monday, north dakota history judge John Grinsteiner refused to authorize the riot charges after the decision was announced, my attorneys spoke out side the courthouse where hundreds gathered to show support for more than half dozen water protectors who were facing charges related to the ongoing resistance to the 3. 8 billion Dakota Access pipeline. This is my attorney tom dickson. On friday afternoon, the criminal trespass charge which was a frivolous criminal charge, was dismissed against amy goodman. At that time [cheers] at that time we work informally informed there would be a second charge filed against her, engaging in a riot, a class the misdemeanor charge. We were informed she was to appear before a judge at one clinton you today to hear the charge and to get bond set. This morning, we were informed the judge refused to find probable cause for that charge. I spoke with the Morton County states attorney this afternoon. The case against amy goodman is now dismissed. [cheers] let me just say that amy goodman was always a free woman. [cheers] i think when the prosecutor misguidedly decided to file charges against amy goodman, she decided he decided to go after the wrong person. Intimidated. S not in this rejection of the charges is a complete vindication of the right of a journalist to report on the truth and more importantly, the right of the public to know what is happening with the pipeline and with the struggle of the people here to protect their water and to protect their land. Amy it is a great honor to be here today. Rejectges decision to the states attorney Ladd Erickson attempt to prosecute a journalist in this case, me is a great vindication of the First Amendment and of our right to report. That was the scene outside the Morton County courthouse and jail in mandan, north dakota yesterday. ,also on after judge grinsteiner monday rejected multiple riot charges for lack of evidence, including the riot charge against me, Morton County sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier said after consulting with the Morton County states attorney, i am assured charges are being considered against these individuals. Let me make this perfectly clear, if you trespass on private property, you will be arrested. Ladd erickson, the states attorney, told the New York Times, i believe they want to do the investigation open and think theres any evidence in the unedited and unpublished videos that we could better detail in an affidavit for the judge. The democracy now video that many have seen does not have much evidence all you in and. Throughout the day monday, authorities dropped to a rejected multiple felony and misdemeanor charges against water protectors, including a felony charge against marcus frejo little eagle, known by his hiphop artist name quese imc. The state also dropped a felony charge against little eagles nephew, morgan frejo. Misdemeanor charges against water defender cody hall were also dropped. Democracy now was on the ground at the Morton County courthouse and jail throughout monday and bring you this report. By name is ques imc. This water is what brought me here and this water will bring our people back together because this destructive, a Natural Force that is trying to destroy this water is the same force that dismantled our homes back in the day during the indian wars. What we can know as date of people, not just native people that all people, we have to come back to that water. We have to carry that love of the water in our heart. That water will be here long after we are gone, just like sacred rocks. Amy today you would into the courtroom and you were charged with a felony . Yes. Amy what was the felony . Unjust. It was unjust. Amy how long have you been facing these charges for . Was a shock. It was scary. Over a month. Amy how has that affected you . Emotionally, i know everybody who is been at the camp, theyre going to leave with anxiety, leave with ptsd. A lot of things are going to give you anxiety. It is real. I faced those and i had to pray to release myself from those things because it is real. The thing about it, it is a genetic memory that we have is native people. All of these things we are enduring, we remember that through our genetic memory. Our ancestors are with us still. We can make it through the we believe and we strive to live you to full, good lives a be good to ourselves and be good to each other. My name means strong thinker. Im going to walk into the place where im not comfortable at being. Amy youre turning your celfin. Yes. Amy there is an arrest warned for you . There is an arrest warned for Dakota Accesse pipeline security. These are guys that had no badges, no names, no license plates. It is intimidating when you see the guys looking Like Navy Seals when youre traveling, documenting. I came as a filmmaker and a digital storyteller and im leaving now as an environmental journalist. This is a misdemeanor. Amy why did you decide to turn your celfin today . Faith in put our the law. Im of a sovereign nation. Through this fulltime, ive been using my travel id come at which they have accepted. Now im going to go in with the same just going to face this is what anyone will do when you get a warrant, you follow through and help the legal system will support that as well and be as honest as you are coming in. Were just journalists documenting the inaccuracies happening here. Im a film maker. Document expecting to the way the bullying was going on, the way people were being ran off the road, things that werent true in the Morton County police department. We counteracted with drill media. Were going to walk intojail. Looks like i will be serving overnight in the jail. My name is angela. I am a licensed attorney in colorado. Have four luminaire hearings on water protectors who are charged with felonies. Regarding circumstances where there alleged to have locked down. We also have five bond hearings this afternoon as well for water protectors who were arrested on saturday. One of whom is also charged with a felony. This States Attorneys Office is overcharging at least the felony cases, if not many of the misdemeanor cases as well. I think it is to create more misperceptions of the water protectors as being able to commit felonies, therefore, you know, more violent or dangerous to the community. I think that is flatly wrong. The judge agreed with us today. Our water protectors are unarmed and not dangerous. They are elders and women and children and families at the front lines. This is water that were talking about, not weapons. I am an attorney in kansas city, missouri. I practice about missouri and kansas. Im the regional Vice President of the National Lawyers guild. Were at the very early stages of taking a look to see what has happened in terms of the civilrights violations that have occurred. Unfortunately, it seems like the local authorities here, the Morton County Sheriffs Department and in fact the state of south dakota, it looks like there seriously disregarding the civil rights of many individuals. Some of the things that we are taking a close look at right now and probably anticipated some point in the future, filing lawsuits in the u. S. District court would be for the violation of First Amendment rights against journalists that have occurred. We have seen particularly the Sheriffs Department, law enforcement, appears to be targeting journalists. There have been a number of citizen journalists arrested in his to be particularly going after native american journalists as well. Please have become increasingly militarized over the years. We saw that in my home state with the city of ferguson and what occurred there. We assume that an east coast in baltimore as well. We know it is not only urban Police Departments that are heavily militarized, it is the same thing in Rural Communities as well. I dont necessarily know that in and of itself creates something actionable, but from a policy Public Policy standpoint, it is certainly troubling. Globallynous people are facing environmental genocide by colonial people, the colonizers and the corporate greed happening. You,is a message to investors and shareholders, divest. More money is no good here anymore. You not wanted here. Your dirty oil is not wanted here. The time is now for the shareholders and investors to see what youre up against, the spirit and the power of the people in the beautiful prayers happening, the warriors on the front lines who are standing for land and life, not only for the sake of water here, but for water across the globe. As i always want to say, one day when this is over and we win this right, i want my grandchildren to say and do know in their hearts with their feelings, my grandmother fought for me so i could be here today. We came out here to show support to the people in court. We have seen these felonies get dropped today. [cheers] we have been maintaining our peaceful presence and our prayer. We did good today. I dont know about yall, but im going to take some photos and were going to call that a win. [cheers] amy special thanks to john hamilton, hany massoud, and Laura Gottesdiener for that report. When we come back, well have more on the standoff at Standing Rock, and well look at the Health Impacts of Oil Extraction in north dakota. Stay with us. [music break] amy this is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Are continuing our coverage of the resistance to the Dakota Access pipeline and the ongoing crackdown against water and land protectors by the Morton County Sheriffs Department. One of the things thats come to light in recent weeks is the widespread use of strip search in the Morton County jail. On monday, democracy now broadcast live from just across the street from the Morton County courthouse and jail where i asked Standing Rock sioux tribal chair Dave Archambault whether he, the chairman of his tribe, had been strip searched after he was arrested at a protest. What were you charged with . Disorderly conduct. Amy misdemeanor, lowlevel misdemeanor. Were you stripsearched . Yes. Amy is this common that for disorderly conduct, your stripsearched . I would not know because that was the first, ever got arrested know, i but, you thought it was humorous because i had to take all of my close off and then they wanted to check my grades and i dont have very thick braids for any weapons to hide, so i thought it was pretty crazy and unnecessary to do a strip search and to check my hair, but i excepted. Accepted. Amy thats Standing Rock sioux tribal chair Dave Archambault. Another member of the Standing Rock sioux tribe, dr. Sara jumping eagle, a pediatrician who works at the Standing Rock reservation also says she was , strip searched after she was arrested in taken to morton august, county jail, and charged with disorderly conduct. When i was taken to the jail, first i was taken by a corrections officer, transported from the protest right to the Morton County jail. And then when they took me in there, you know, that it take some basic information. One of the things that they do is have you go into a small room and there was a female officer there and we had to take my clothes off. I dont know, basically amy cavity search . Know, but i had to squat and cough. That is what she said, squat and cough, and for the orange suit on. I was put in an orange jumpsuit and then i was held there for several hours. Initially, my family did not know where i was or did not ash they heard about it pretty quickly and were able to come in and bond me out or bail me out. I dont know what you call it. I was in there for several hours. Amy how did it make you feel . It may be feel it may be think about my ancestors and what they had gone through. This was in no way a comparison to what we have survived before. So this made me feel more determined about what i am doing and why i am here. Amy thats dr. Sara jumping eagle, a pediatrician and a member of the Standing Rock sioux tribe. Well, on sunday, while we were on the reservation we spoke more , with dr. Sarah jumping eagle about why she, as a pediatrician, opposes the Dakota Access pipeline. Eagle. Dr. Sara jumping amy you are one of the first people arrested during these resistance movements against the Dakota Access pipeline. When was it and why did you do it as a doctor here . You know, i have been involved with Environmental Health issues for a long time, since we moved to north dakota we have been aware of the tracking and flaring going on in the bakken. Ive been thing attention paying attention. Were also aware of the issues going on in the black hills with uranium mining and the other contaminations that have occurred across indian country. So as a physician, i am very aware of what the Health Effects spill byof pipeline ,he Dakota Access enbridge among our committees, how that spill would directly affect our family members and Community Members. I went to the protest site to participate in the protests. And on that day amy when was it . I believe it was august 12. There had already been some people arrested prior to that trying to stop the machines from going on to the land just north of the camp it was actually before the camp had really started. At the sacred stone camp had been there since april. So i went there with the intent of participating as any citizen concerned about our environment would. Amy what was happening that day . At that time, there were already machines that were digging up the earth and they were already setting they had marked out a path all the way to the river. We did not know all of that at that time. So there were people that were collected along the road that were praying and they were saying different protest chants, basically. There were committed the members of all ages and races there to help us voice our opposition to what was going on. But at the time, it was very traumatizing to see that these machines were coming onto our treaty territory, which is just north of the cannonball river. Really not listening to the voices of the people who will be affected if when a pipeline spill occurs. Amy can you give us a little history, dr. Darah, this pipeline was originally related to be billed above slated to be built above bismarck, but they said no, so they moved lower to the reservation . That is our understanding. The decisions that are made regarding pipelines in north dakota, those decisions have to go through the Public Service commission. And so we were first aware of the Dakota Access Pipeline Route in 2014 is when i became aware. So the company had notified the tribe of the route they were going to take, you know, probably about 50 of us Community Members that attended and voiced our opposition at that time to the route. The tribes historian at that time informed the company of the really special and sacred place that that area is. It is called sacred stone camp. It is sacred stone for reason. The confluence of the rivers there had created many stones that were sacred to our Community Members, to our people, and had been used in spiritual ways for hundreds of years. And so the fact that the company and also, that area is a historical place. The cannonball ranch. There are other stories of when our people had to flee the army in the cavalry of places that they would cross, and those are the store places as well. So we knew the company was already planning on violating National Laws that have to do with National Historic preservation. The graves in the stone effigies that are in that area are also important to our timidity members. Community members. Amy were you there on september 3 . When the dog attacks occurred . I was there, but i had already been arrested previously, so i was one of the people named in the slapp suit with a restraining order. I was there but i had to stay 100 feet away. Amy explain what the slapp suit is. Basically, a name several people, including me tribal chairman and other tribal councilman and other people, but then they added on jane and and john doe on to that. Initially, those of us that were not initially named in the slap suit were not aware of that until we were served, which werent properly served papers in the slapp sued have basically said theres a restraining order on as that we could not engage in protests or be near any Dakota Access areas. Amy because . Because we have previously been arrested and identified. The charge that i was charged with was disorderly conduct. Amy explain what you did that day on august 12. Say all ofi want to the details but basically, i had gone there to participate in a protest. When the company and the puppy who are part of the company were leaving the area, wereachines and trucks going north and south on highway 1806 and they were basically violating our treaty rights. So the actions that i was involved with that day were to protest the Company Using our treaty lands to facilitate building a pipeline, which threatens our way of life. Amy when you say your treaty lands, can you explain what they are and are some of those lands the army corps of engineerss . Yes. Those plans are included in our treaty territory. 1851 andback at the 1868 treaties, those lands, i believe it is south of the heart river, are part of the treaty territory. And that includes the lands that the army corps has claimed are their lands as well. So that is something that i think hasnt really fully understood by people in north dakota or in the United States. Once the lands were flooded, i believe it was 1962, with the dams, the army corps claimed all of the land across the river. That created the lakes. Amy what you think will happen at this point with a pipeline . You think you will be able to stop it . I do believe we will be able stop it, specially with the support of our allies across the world. That is something that has given us a lot of hope is that people are recognizing that this is not just a local issue, but it is an international issue. We know there are people around the world theyre also fighting to keep their waters clean and fighting for the health of their families and Community Members. And that is really what i want people to know is that we are average people. We are doctors, teachers, moms. Im a mother and a wife. We are standing up because we dont want the corporations to make these decisions for my children anymore. I want my children to have clean water. I dont want to worry about, and he hydrocarbons, how much fracking waste has been dumped into our river. Were committed is all across south dakota on this river. Those are the things that i think people are recognizing and that is why they are standing with us and helping us. Speakings doing with a nonnative person who has come to the reservation casino to see a concert step i asked what he thought about the pipeline. He said it is the safest way to carry the oil, better than trucks. Your response . My response is if we need infrastructure here in our committees, we do need infrastructure. So the safest way is for us to change jewelry noble energy. Right now we are standing here being buffeted by winds that could be harnessing energy from our communities. North dakota should be in the lead of harnessing that wind energy. Yes, we are still using fossil fuels and our hope is that we will gradually use less fossil fuels and use Renewable Energy which we know is healthier for our people and for the planet. Amy as a doctor and pediatrician, what are your concerns right now . My concerns are that i feel we are part of one of the biggest Public Health experiments in our lifetime. We really dont know the longterm effects of fracking and hydrocarbons on our bodies. We know that other scientists have identified some of these chemicals that are being put uroo the water as ne integrate receptor, that they interact with our receptors that could affect our dna and our Reproductive Health. So those are my concerns, how is this affecting my daughter right now as she drinks this water . Health, thereof is been recent regulations changed around radioactive waste here in north dakota. How does that relate and canoe explain what that is . How that relate is the state of north dakota and the Public Health apartment in the Public Service commission had recently voted to raise the level of radioactive waste in the state of north dakota. The level that could be stored here. Prior to that, i believe the level was 10 micro curies, and now they have raised it to 30 macro curies. The companies, a lot of times, have been using subcontractors who were dumping radioactive waste in random warehouses, and those are found i mean, there are stories like that every year or two here north dakota. Of course, they are not front page news in the local media, so those are things that we have to be aware of and continue to fight against the lack of regulation of these environmental waste products in north dakota, and the lack, really, of a Public Health discussion in our state that have not been given a voice in the Public Service commission process were really a voice in the media or really a voice in the media either. I think they dont want people to be aware of what is happening so we will not be afraid of what is going into our bodies. Amy what is the status of the slapp suit . Right now they have been dismissed. As far as i know i recently received an offer in the mail from the prosecutors for a plea deal as well. But i know im not guilty of disorderly conduct, so that is my fight that i will continue. And so will many of the water protectors as well. Amy where do you live . Use, north dakota, and have also been a part of the camp. Amy is it on the reservation . Yes, about 20 miles south of cannonball. Amy thank you. One last thing, i really want to call people to notice that the companies are really trying to commit environmental genocide on our people and the fact that they deem the bismarck the city of bismarck was not a safe place to put this pipeline, but then they decided to place it north of our communities, points out to the fact that this is in terminal genocide. It is been attempted in several other communities, including my. Riginal community we see a pattern of corporations doing this. As people, we will stand up against that and we will continue to fight for our health and way of life. Amy the issue of fracking and radioactive waste will stop can you explain the connection . What happens when they are fracking and pumping chemicals it using our water to score down these holes that they create to then suck it back out, they suck it back through these fracking sox. And over time, because theyre collecting so much sediment and minerals, some of that is nationally occurring radioactive Materials Minerals in the ground, but it becomes concentrated in these fracking socks. The fact were finding thousands of them in a warehouse that has not been monitored at all, how is that affecting the groundwater underneath that is very concerning. Amy that is dr. Sara jumping eagle, a pediatrician on the reservation, member of the Standing Rock sioux tribe. When we come back, we will continue to look at health care in Standing Rock, including health care the resistance camps where the first baby was just born. Stay with us. [music break] amy quese imc featuring casper. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report, im amy goodman. A shout out to the fifthgraders today visiting. Were just back from cannonball, north dakota, where thousands of people have flocked from across the United States latin america, and canada over the months to join the resistance camps opposing the construction of the 3. 8 billion Dakota Access pipeline. Most are native americans representing hundreds of tribes and First Nations from across the americas. The ongoing encampment is considered to be one of the largest gatherings of native americans in decades. In the camps, people have set up multiple kitchens. A school that teaches lakota languages and other subjects. Medical services to care for the people who have come to join the resistance to the pipeline. Just yesterday, a group of indigenous midwives posted online the first baby was born in the camp. Well, on saturday at the main resistance camp in cannon ball, north dakota, i spoke with women and midwives about the importance of Reproductive Health care at the resistance camps and on the reservation. Melissa rose. Amy can you talk about what you have that up your at the resistance camp . We have come with a group of women to be able to support Womens Health here at the encampment. Sovereignty for Indigenous People is only going to come about through the support of women in Womens Health in the same way that we defend and protect mother earth is the same way that we need to defend and protect women and the next generations of children being born, and that is why not only is there fully staffed and run volunteer run clinic here that runs 24 hours, seven days a week at the camp, but there is also now going to be a womens space were traditional midwifery will be promoted and utilized to support the women here. Amy you are a midwife . I am. Amy you are from Cheyenne River. How far is the reservation from here . The dont know exactly reservation line, but where i live, it is about two, two and half hours. Cheyenne and Standing Rock are connected. Theres a highway. Amy talk about what it means to you that there is this Womens Health clinic, this midwifery clinic onsite. I believe, first of all, i am what we behalf of do is help in the community in the bond between women and children because the women are the backbone of the communities and the families. It is very important that these healings take place because it has an effect on our children. Back ande midwife come is performing the ceremony that needed to be performed from the point of conception until birth and even after birth is very important for the spiritual connectedness of our children with our families. Because we are not doing that, we see so many of our children that are lost to drugs and now all in violence and suicide. Alcohol and violence and suicide. We are having the families involved with the bird. I think that is very important for our people, not only mentally, but spiritually. Having that here at the camp is i think it is going to be powerful for the women that are re. Amy what happens to women who give birth at Cheyenne River . Right now we have one doctor that comes. He schedules the womens birth based on his schedule and induces them. I would say, like, at least 90 of the women in Cheyenne River who have babies are scheduled on his schedule. And it is not right for our children to be born that way. Amy how did that happen . So they dont go into labor at home and when theyre ready, come to the clinic or the hospital . If they do not have their babies they some whatever due date he gives them, then even had other personal family well, ithat said, ok, is my due date, but he wants to have me come in early to schedule a birth. Based on his schedule, he schedules them, they get induced, and theyre out the door. The xomas like theyre running. Attle through it is not right. Amy melissa, what does it mean to be a native midwife . We were discussing this earlier. Traditional ties to the women who take care of women in the tribe, the take of the children, and they have a lifetime tide of those children. It is very important i grow up with those ties and theyre always connected to their home in their home place in the family. That is what it means. Amy were do you live . I live in Colorado Springs now. Amy what has it meant for you to come to this camp and why did you come here . My family is here. My relatives are here. Theyre fighting a really hard fight, and i have skills to offer them. It is very much needed here. We found out even after i got here, how much more is needed than we even knew. Amy what nation are you with . Amy the battle against the pipeline. Why is that a battle that matters to you in Colorado Springs . I am downriver. We are all downriver at some point. We are all ground zero. Everyone in the planet is on ground zero at some point. Our first home is water. I am intimately connected with that. I think that is why we are all connected here. Amy so the clinic youre are setting up goes beyond midwifery , as a womens space. Explain what your plans are. Amy, the roots of this is actually goes back to, you know, the recent history of health care for births for Indigenous Women in north america, in this country in particular, where, for instance, Indian Health services had a policy of forcibly sterilizing Indigenous Women. From 1973 to 1976, more than 3000 women were forcibly sterilized even women under the age of 21. 1970screased between and 1980s, that decreased the birth rate for native population in the United States of america 1. 8 . 8 to so that is genocide. That cannot continue to happen. That is genocide of Indigenous Women. Just the same way this pipeline is the genocide of our mother earth and a genocide of the river and the water that feeds us all, that nourishes us all, just as it did in the womb. That is why we are doing this here to support the women, to come back from that. Right now native women this space in particular creates the potential, the possibility that women that we can be colonized. Not just through birth, but really come back to a place of matriarchy and respecting women in a way that we can also respect mother earth and not lay pipelines in her, not dig out her liver, her coal, just as there are doing and black mesa, just as there are doing all across the world and across the globe. Right now we are here, but everywhere people are in your home communities, find out who the native folks are there that are living there. Find out what they are battling. Find out how you can support them because theyre doing it for all of us for all future generations, for all the babies to come. We need this water. We need this earth to be healthy, to be beautiful for them to live in. I have come from occupied land in socalled tucson now. There is a coppermine trying to take away to take a sacred land from the apache there called oak flat. Thosehere we come from, battles are there. I want to make that connection for folks at home to look around you and find a native people around you and the battles they are fighting for. If you cant come here, support them there. Amy midwives from Cheyenne River reservation. We end todays show with cody hall of the Cheyenne River sioux tribe. He had to arrest warrants he had an arrest warrant issued for two misdemeanors of land defense action. On monday he learned the charges were dropped. I spoke to cody over the weekend about his arrest. The manner in which i was arrested, i was treated like i was the native osama with at least 18 state officers that got out of their squad cars when i was arrested on highway 1806 going up to bismarck. Amy so you were then taken to the Morton County jail . Yes. I was met with state Police Officers dressed in their gear. Also, just really, you know, villain eyes. Villainized. Like i said, fbi wanted to i invoke my rights of silence. Amy have you been targeted since your arrest . Yes. As i look at side mirrors and rearview mirrors, i have dapl security in their rented trucks they drive around with no license plate on them. I kind of play a game and i will destroy the around a little bit just to see if that vehicle is telling me. Sure enough, i get a lot of vehicles tailing me in the city. Amy we also spoke with cody hall about his experience inside the Morton County jail, including how he was stripsearched. As i exited out of the vehicles and entered Morton County, i came up the elevator. The elevator opened up and i was met with date police. Of course, Morton County people were there to book people. From there, started the process of the booking. Again, went into a private room where they ask you to get naked. They had my arms, kind of like extend your arms out. You are fully naked. They have you lift up your genitals and bend over, cough. It is really one of those tactics they try to break down your mentalness of everyday life. Not every day do you wake up and say, hey, im going to get naked and have someone search me today. That is avate private feeling for you when you get naked thomas so. Amy four days later when you are finally released, they had not allowed you to go out on bail or bond for those what drove days, you can before a judge in the orange jumpsuit . Yes, i sat in the court office in my orange jumpsuit locked, you know, still handcuffed. Exited out of the courtroom. As i left the courtroom, there were 20 or so state police all in their bulletproof vests, everything, just looking like, you know, theyre going into action of some sort full they literally had a line from the courtroom to the door that connects you to the county jail me my mother walked out with and as we got to the door, theyre opening the door. As i looked behind me, my mother and i, all of the cops then proceeded amy that was water protector cody hall from Cheyenne River sioux tribe. The charges were dropped against him. Him. Laying hi. Im hubert keller. On secrets of a chef today were going all glutenfree, and i will be showing you some amazing recipes. First its mini bell peppers that are flashfried and filled with a healthy and delicious quinoa stuffing thats just as great on its own. Then its a vegetarian chia seed wrap loaded with all sorts of great items like hummus, peppers, kale, tomatoes and more. Ive also got a terrific smoothie made with kale and spinach and bursting with flavors like ginger, coconut, apples and lime. Its glutenfree, its delicious and healthy, and its all on todays show, secrets of a chef