#nodapl

[soulsludge]

finally sharing my piece from the evening star zine! find out more about it's meaning and see other beautiful art in the @ntvzine!

i'm doing so to ask all of you to consider taking a moment to submit a comment to the army corps of engineers asking them to prevent the dakota access pipeline from crossing underneath lake oahe!!! comments end december 13th, and using the pre-fabbed letter that the standing rock tribe provides takes mere seconds of your time!! if you're feeling more charitable with your time, writing a unique comment helps immensely! (date passed!)

if you're seeing this after dec 13th - consider checking out the zine this comes from - all proceeds go to AISES, which is an organization that helps native americans in STEM (which includes conservation work!)

that's all! thank you <3

[cogumellow]

driving home // new york and pennsylvania, usa // october 2016 // ©

[ritchiepage2001newaccount]

MAGA congressman says top priority is shutting down FEMA like the Department of Education

A Tennessee Republican congressman on Friday told a conservative podcaster that the first thing he wants to do when he returns to Washington D.C. is advocate to reorganize FEMA – and “shut it down.”…

[kristynguyen7]

Blog Post #8 - Week 11 (due 4/10)

Digital Resistance and Decolonial Power 

How does Black Twitter function as a form of resistance against racial bias in mainstream media, and what does this reveal about the potential of digital spaces to challenge systemic oppression? 

Black Twitter serves as a powerful site of resistance where users reframe narratives imposed by biased media coverage. By employing “textual poaching,” users subvert mainstream portrayals of Black individuals, as seen in the viral #APHeadlines hashtag. This movement exemplified “textual poaching as resistance,” using satire to call out implicit bias: “Through facetious comedy and jokes Twitter users were able to create a space that allowed them to voice their anger” (Lee, 2017). Digital platforms like Black Twitter demonstrate the potential for marginalized voices to reclaim narratives and influence public discourse, proving that virtual spaces can serve as modern battlegrounds for justice. 

To what extent can online activism challenge traditional power structures, and how effective are Internet-based methods compared to Internet-enhanced ones in generating tangible political change? 

Online activism has proven capable of bypassing traditional power structures by creating alternative networks of information and mobilization. While Internet-enhanced activism raises awareness efficiently, Internet-based activism often forces direct confrontation. For example, the Electronic Disturbance Theatre’s “FloodNet” disrupted government websites, representing “electronic civil disobedience” aimed at drawing attention, not causing harm (Vegh, 2003). However, as Vegh notes, “the most successful online advocacy campaigns seem to be the ones that combine the different types of lobbying and mobilization” (Vegh, 2003), suggesting that hybrid approaches are more effective than purely digital actions in achieving long-term political change. 

To what extent does Christian Fuchs challenge the idea of “Twitter revolutions” in his critique of Castells’ view on social media’s role in movements like the Arab Spring and Occupy, and what implications does this have for understanding the true drivers of collective action? 

Fuchs critically challenges Castells’ techno-deterministic view by arguing that revolutions are not caused by the Internet itself but by people embedded in societal struggles. He states, “Castells’ model is simplistic: social media results in revolutions and rebellions” (Fuchs, 2014). Instead, Fuchs emphasizes that media effects are shaped by context, power relations, and strategies. This critique implies that understanding collective action requires attention to underlying political and economic structures, not just communication technologies. The notion of “Twitter revolutions” overlooks the human agency and systemic conditions that drive movements, thus oversimplifying the complexities of real-world social change. 

How did social media transform the nature of Indigenous-led activism during the #NoDAPL movement, particularly in amplifying Indigenous voices and disrupting dominant narratives? 

Social media transformed #NoDAPL from a local protest into a global movement by amplifying Indigenous voices that had long been marginalized. Nicholet A. Deschine Parkhurst (2021) notes, “social media activism of the #NoDAPL movement extended beyond recognition and consciousness raising to garnering solidarity in virtual and physical spaces” (Deschine Parkhurst, 2021). Through livestreams, posts, and check-ins, Native people and allies created a counter narrative to mainstream media’s erasure or distortion of their struggle. This use of digital platforms allowed for real-time mobilization and education, demonstrating that social media is not just a tool of visibility, but of resistance and Indigenous sovereignty. 

How does the framing of online activism as disruption rather than mere connective action reshape our understanding of Indigenous resistance in the #NoDAPL movement? 

Framing online activism as disruption rather than just connective action foregrounds its political potency in Indigenous resistance. Parkhurst (2021) critiques the reduction of Indigenous digital efforts to apolitical networking, stating, “describing these acts simply as connective actions makes them almost devoid of political significance” (Deschine Parkhurst, 2021). Instead, these digital traces serve as tools of decolonization, challenging settler colonial structures. By disrupting mainstream narratives and state systems - from the courts to the Army Corps of Engineers - #NoDAPL reclaims Indigenous agency and redefines activism as rooted in sovereignty, not settler validation. This framing affirms that digital activism can enact real-world systemic change. 

Word Count: 493 

Deschine Parkhurst, N. A. (2021). From #Mniwiconi to #StandwithStandingRock. In J. B. Hurlbut & M. L. Gray (Eds.), Connected activism: Indigenous uses of social media for political change. University of Washington Press.

Fuchs, C. (2014). Social media: A critical introduction. SAGE Publications.

Lee, L. A. (2017). Black Twitter: A response to bias in mainstream media. Social Sciences, 6(1), 26. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci6010026

Vegh, S. (2003). Classifying forms of online activism: The case of cyberprotests against the World Bank. In M. McCaughey & M. D. Ayers (Eds.), Cyberactivism: Online activism in theory and practice. Routledge.

[angryrdpanda]

March 11, 2024 — Appalachians Against Pipelines activists prevented drilling of Poor Mountain in Virginia for 8 hours as part of an effort to stop the Mountain Valley pipeline (MVP) project.

__

Mountain Valley Pipeline is a fracked gas pipeline that "stretches from the shale fields of so-called 'West Virginia' into central 'Virginia' with a possible extension into 'North Carolina.' The hazardous project will disrupt delicate ecosystems, harm communities, and increase international dependence on fossil fuels, pushing the planet further into climate chaos."

Activists face arrests and jail time trying prevent completion of MVP and the inevitable environmental disasters caused by pipelines like Keystone, which has had 23 spills since it began operating in 2010.

2013 Keystone pipeline spill in Arkansas

➡️ Support the Appalachian Legal Defense Fund

[shamandrummer]

Hello, I am doing a project for school and would love to know if there are any current petitions or donation sites for the Sioux people and the Standing Rock protest? I can only find ones that were made 4 years ago

Thank you for your question. Dedicated to reversing the slow genocide of the Lakota People and destruction of their culture, the Lakota People's Law Project partners with Native communities to protect sacred lands, safeguard human rights, promote sustainability, reunite indigenous families, and much more. For over a decade, they've been standing strong with the Lakota to counteract treaty violations, protect sovereignty, and confront systemic racism. They're helping to safeguard sacred lands and water, end the epidemic of children being removed from their families and traditions, and amplify Native voices. To learn more visit https://action.lakotalaw.org/

[impermanent-art]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Impermanent Art (@impermanent_art)

Striking work by Pat Perry for the 2016 edition of Detroit's Murals In The Market. In the artist’s words: “A pictograph of us merrily digging our own grave, a swan song procession for the end of the oil age, as we stumble out and off the edge, together.”

[teaspoon-of-salt]

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Opponents of the Dakota Access oil pipeline are taking issue with the format of private oral testimony in meetings for public comment on a draft environmental review of the controversial pipeline.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is in the midst of two public comment meetings in Bismarck, North Dakota, the first held Wednesday, the second set for Thursday. People wishing to give testimony may do so orally in a curtained area with a stenographer, or do so in writing at tables.

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has long opposed the pipeline due to the risk of an oil spill contaminating the tribe’s drinking water supply. The four-state pipeline crosses under the Missouri River just upstream of the tribe’s reservation.

The long-awaited draft environmental review, released in September, outlines five options for the pipeline’s fate. Those include denying the easement for the controversial crossing and removing or abandoning a 7,500-foot (2,286-meter) segment, or granting the easement with no changes or with additional safety measures. A fifth option is to reroute the pipeline north of Bismarck, which would require new state, local and federal permits.

the lakota law center is requesting people to submit a public comment, though they have a letter template as well.

[rhodoforwinter]

[Crossposted from Instagram]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Quin Reed (@quintessentialquinny)

The Dakota Access Pipeline (or DAPL) is a federally commissioned pipeline carrying ~19 million gallons of petroleum oil per day.

DAPL receives the crude oil through the Bakken Oil Field, a major site for hydraulic fracturing—fracking.

The pipeline runs along the Missouri River's watershed, which provides drinking water for millions of people, including members of the Standing Rock Reservation.

Against the fierce protests of Indigenous people, former president Donald Trump signed an executive order that endorsed its construction in 2017. That year, DAPL leaked at least five times.

A review of the pipeline's effects has never been conducted. Sioux activists (of Standing Rock and other Indigenous reservations) have been repeatedly brushed off—or worse. Multiple videos illustrate the police's use of force—rubber bullets, water cannons, and concussion grenades.

The federal government of the United States of America has yet again decided to rear its ugly head and make clear its apathy to the sovereignty and rights of Indigenous people.

Stand with Indigenous people, environmentalists, social advocates of all kinds.

Please.

[ritchiepage2001newaccount]

Project2025 #TechBros #CorpMedia #Oligarchs #MegaBanks vs #Union #Occupy #NoDAPL #BLM #SDF #DACA #MeToo #Humanity #FeelTheBern

JinJiyanAzadi #BijiRojava WATCH Women rally for equal rights in Syria after Assad's fall to Islamists [UPDATES]

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/women-rally-equal-rights-syria-after-assads-fall-islamists-2024-12-23/

Thousands of women rallied in the northeastern Syrian city of Qamishli on Monday to demand the new Islamist rulers in Damascus respect women's rights and to condemn Turkish-backed military campaigns in Kurdish-led regions of the north…

RELATED UPDATE: Solidarity Activists Are Raising Alarm Over Impending Turkish Attacks on Rojava

RELATED UPDATE: Bayik: The future of Rojava will be determined by the resistance of people and revolutionary forces

RELATED UPDATE: The unique stories of YPJ and SDF fighters’ struggle in the resistance tunnels of Tishrin

RELATED UPDATE: YPJ: Commander Arjîn falls a martyr

RELATED UPDATE: Italian and French delegations meet with SDF and YPJ commanders in North-East Syria

RELATED UPDATE: YPJ: spirit of Kobani resistance is our reality; reality of our people

RELATED UPDATE: YPJ: New Syria will be built by freedom-loving women, not killers of women

RELATED UPDATE: Women, not jihadists, will shape Syria’s future: YPJ rejects al-Jolani

FURTHER READING:

[fuckyeahmarxismleninism]

Energy Transfer Partners, the pipeline company that forced through the Dakota Access pipeline, has won a $700M verdict against Greenpeace over putative “damages” from the Standing Rock protests. This is an attack on Indigenous water and land protectors, the climate movement & the right to protest. #MniWiconi #nodapl

Via United American Indians of New England (UAINE)

[thekimspoblog]

Speaking of which... is that pipeline still there or what? Yes it is. And if Biden won't tear it down, we should.

I will NEVER FORGET the Palestinian delegation showing up to Standing Rock. NEVER. THEY SHOWED THE FUCK UP EVEN FROM A WORLD AWAY.

[butchniqabi]

no offense to anyone who has reblogged this post, genuinely, but this post ignores why those PSAs went around in the first place. i saw them most frequently at the peaks of the BLM movement, where people were routinely beaten, harassed, teargassed, and kidnapped by cops (and as a reminder, many public figures in blm protests have died under mysterious circumstances so this isnt like. coming from nowhere). same thing with noDAPL and landback movements! and i get that this post has a specific target audience for white (or not black/indigenous ppl ig) people who are afraid of being jailed despite being the least likely target of police aggression, but come the fuck on people.

[janeeseelizabeth]

Blog post #8 - Week 11

How has social media contributed to protest? 

Social media has allowed activists to be able to spread information more quickly and with more people at a time. They are able to share information and locations of protests and also create plans of action for the future. Social media has also allowed for people to bring attention to certain issues that mainstream news companies may try to ignore. Many news channels are very biased and tend not to tell the entire story when it comes to people of color being innocent, they shape the story in order to make white people seem to be the victim even when that is not the truth. Such as in the death of George Floyd in 2020, many news channels did not tell the true extent and severity of the situation and it was not until the public began to post videos that everyone was able to see the truth of the situation and was able to see what actually happened. 

What were some long term effects from the #NoDAPL movement? 

The NoDAPL movement shaped a new unity within indigenous groups and brought people together in order to fight against the long history of stolen land and the constant disregard of indigenous tribes rights. The movement also showed how social media can play a significant role in organizing protests and getting global attention. By using the hashtag #NoDAPL activists were able to attach information, pictures, and videos to the hashtag. The movement led many people to switch to renewable energy considering how pipelines, like DAPL,  could be harmful to the water supply and also could cause more environmental problems in the future. 

How does online activism differ from in-person activism? 

Online activism allows for information to be posted and widely spread almost instantly, while in-person activism tends to require more planning and is usually only spread more locally. This allows online activism to gain much attention more quickly, although there is also a downside to this attention. Considering most online platforms are open to the public, false information can also get in the way which can cause the real meaning of the protest to be lost or altered. In-person activism tends to get a lot of attention as well, especially when there is a large group of people involved. In-person movements allow for people to get more involved and also cause people to get more emotional and passionate about the topics by seeing how many supporters there are. 

What barriers still exist that prevent people from engaging in online activism? 

One significant barrier that causes people not to engage with online activism has to do with government restrictions. For example, Tiktok is a large social media platform that people would use to spread their political views and morals, although after the ban. Certain words and phrases are restricted. There is now an extreme amount of censorship on the app. Another barrier has to do with people's inability to access online data, such as not having internet and no technology. A large amount of online activism comes from the newer generations because the many members of the older generations are not comfortable with technology and are still easily confused on how it works. 

[danieldelar562]

Week 11 Blog

With the use of hashtags on online spaces being used to help spread awareness/reach out to more people how can online trolls affect these hashtags?

Online trolls can hijack, or flood hashtags with misinformation, altering their original intent and undermining solidarity. As Fuchs (2013) notes, digital spaces are sites of struggle, where power and disruption coexist. Trolls often attack marginalized movements like #BlackLivesMatter or #NoDAPL with racist or dismissive commentary, attempting to derail conversation and provoke users. This harassment can intimidate participants, shift narratives, and reduce the effectiveness of hashtags as tools for awareness and mobilization.

In what ways do social media platforms enable or limit the visibility of Indigenous, Black, or other marginalized voices, especially in movements like #NoDAPL or #BlackLivesMatter?

Social media provides a powerful platform for marginalized voices to challenge dominant narratives, as seen in Parkhurst’s account of #NoDAPL and Lee’s analysis of Black Twitter. Hashtags amplify voices and create a digital community. However, algorithms often prioritize viral or advertiser-friendly content, limiting critical discourse. Corporate moderation practices can also silence dissent. While platforms enable outreach, they also constrain visibility through structural bias and inconsistent enforcement of content policies.

How do visuals like memes, live streams, or viral videos play a role in digital protest spaces compared to text-based hashtags and posts?

Visuals provide immediacy and emotional resonance that text alone often cannot. Lee (2017) shows how Black Twitter uses memes and parody to challenge racial bias creatively. Likewise, Parkhurst observed that livestreams and video documentation during #NoDAPL made state violence and Indigenous resistance visible worldwide. Visuals humanize protest, generate empathy, and often go viral more easily than hashtags, making them crucial for attracting mainstream attention and documenting truth in activist movements.

How does the presence of corporate interests (Meta, X/Twitter) shape what types of activism are promoted, suppressed, or monetized on social media?

Corporate platforms like Meta and X/Twitter are driven by profit, often promoting content that generates engagement and ad revenue. Fuchs critiques these entities for commodifying activism, highlighting how platforms may suppress or “shadow-ban” controversial movements while amplifying sanitized narratives. Activists like those in #NoDAPL or Black Twitter can be deprioritized algorithmically or censored under vague “community guidelines,” limiting reach. This commercial control complicates efforts to use social media for grassroots political change.

[camiemartinezsblog]

Blog Post 8

In Black Twitter: A Response to Bias in Mainstream Media by Latoya A. Lee, she informs us about the murders of black men Eric Garner and Michael Brown. One was a father and one was a teen. News outlets described these men as giants and huge. Why do news and media use fear mongering words and descriptions to justify the killings of black people and try to sway people to make them believe that the cops who murdered them are the actual victims?

We have seen this tactic forever, white people pulling the self defense or “white woman scared” card to justify their racism or violence towards people of color. The police that murdered these victims, Brown and Garner, were found not guilty. Protests emerged from these verdicts and to justify these murders news outlets characterized Brown as a thug, gang member, and lawbreaker. They also described Garner as a repeat offender and discussed his criminal history. They described both of these men as huge and giant. All of these descriptions just paint a harmful picture when in reality both of these men were murder victims. The news and media uses these racist and harmful words to try to paint a picture for the viewers that these men deserved it and the police felt threatened. The last line of defense for police is to shoot or kill someone but they were quick to enact violence on these men. 

#NoDAPL was a very important movement for the protection of Native Land. Why are social media movements important for the future of Indigenous people? 

#NoDAPL was a movement of Indigenous resistance to settler-colonial expansionism. Social media can allow people to further spread their stories and information that big news outlets might not be sharing. Some news outlets share their side of the story and often portray minorities or Native people in an unfavorable light, so the use of social media can allow the people to share their truth and spread the word so others can stay informed. “Advocates of Native American political issues are increasingly using social media as a tool to extend contemporary grassroots activism. This was apparent during the #NoDAPL movement as evidenced through live video streaming,social media campaigns, Facebook check-ins, crowdsource funding, and posts to social media or blogs to share personal experiences and disseminate information (Johnson, 2017).”

Does the internet create sociality?

In Communication Power in the Arab Spring and the Occupy Movement, Fuchs talks about how Castells puts a strong emphasis on how internet communication is the main reason for protests. Fuchs writes how people that are embedded in antagonistic economic and ideological structures of society are the reason for protests and movements. The internet allows us to make use of getting the word out globally but people create this. Social media is complex and with the use of it, it can cause revolutions but it’s because of the people who want to get involved. 

How did black twitter use textual poaching for resistance?

��Black Twitter, a subculture within the Twitter platform, materializes through the creation of hashtags”. They used hashtags as textual poaching to challenge dominant cultural norms and racial bias. These hashtags allowed them to be used as sarcastic jokes but also allowed them a space to display their anger and release emotions. Specifically, the use of the #APHeadlines. This hashtag was created and referred to a tweet written by the Associated Press after Renisha McBride,a woman of color, was shot and murdered by a white man. The tweet they posted was written to make Renisha look like she was at fault and make the man who murdered her look like he was innocent and acted in self defense. Black twitter quickly responded with #APheadline tweets that called out the Associated Press but in a way of sarcastic humor while still getting their point across. Later because of these viral tweets using the #The Associated Press changed their tweet to display the truth that a man murdered an unarmed woman on his porch and he was convicted.

Sources: Black Twitter: A Response to Bias in Mainstream Media by Latoya A. Lee. Communication Power in the Arab Spring and the Occupy Movement by C. Fuchs. From #Mniwiconi to #StandwithStandingRock by Nicholet A. Deschine Parkhurst.