Stop the Divine Strake Action – My Report

See links to photos below each heading. See link to Salt Lake solidarity vigil here.

As reported via phone post, the Stop the Divine Strake Action is over and is considered to have been a highly productive and successful event. People came from as far away as Pennsylvania to attend the action.

Govinda set up an operation from which he ran a radio station that could be heard in the area. He broadcast the entire weekend and those with radios could listen from anywhere in the camp. Govinda conducted interviews with people there, mostly Western Shoshone, and also played clips recorded from the previous weekend’s Western Shoshone Defense Project’s annual gathering. Govinda also played a lot of activist and indigenous music.

Word reached us Saturday morning that breaking news had been delivered as to the “indefinite” postponement of the Divine Strake test and that protestors were “celebrating”. This was misleading. Yes, while it could be considered a “victory” that the test has been postponed, it by no means is a “celebration”. A “battle” may have been won but the fight is not over. I find it quite interesting and strategic that the announcement of this “postponement” came just as the Stop the Divine Strake Action was beginning. And guess what: a significant number of folks who were supposed to be present at this action were not. On one hand, I can see that traveling a far distance to protest a postponed test might be seen as a waste of energy and resources to save for future actions, but on the other hand, this is precisely what I feel the government wanted: for people to be temporarily “satisfied” that the test was not happening – yet. In some small way, however, it is empowering to think that our action may have influenced this decision of postponement. Organizers and participants at the action agreed that we won’t stop the pressure until funding is cut and tests are is CANCELLED.

Now on to the events of the weekend.

Friday, May 26 – Arriving
See photos here.

Tom and I arrived at about 3:30am Friday morning and were there most of Friday by ourselves. People started showing up around 3pm and by Saturday morning there were approximately 20 people. Corbin Harney, Western Shoshone Spiritual Leader, led the group in a sunrise ceremony each morning.

Saturday, May 27 – Setting up,learning and networking
See photos here.

After the ceremony Saturday morning, folks who were there joined together to erect the large industrial meeting tent (abut 20′ x 40′). It took all of us to erect it. I had been at events before where this meeting tent had been used but had never assisted in putting it up which was a different experience. Because everyone worked on it together, it didn’t take very long to set it up.

The afternoon began by erecting the kitchen tent, again a collaborative effort with all there (by this time more folks had arrived), followed by opening remarks by Corbin Harney and other indigenous leaders. Speakers gave presentations all afternoon on topics such as International Human Rights and the Wesetern Shoshone. Tom and I had realized that there was no one designated to do any cooking for the crowd (food had been brought by some organizers), so we ducked out of the afternoon’s presenations to prepare a dinner for the crowd. We were able to prepare a vegetable soup and herbs grown from our garden that we had brought, accompanied by some miscellanous side food items. As per the custom, Corbin blessed the food in the circle first and then we all had dinner. Tom and I had never prepared group meals at a gathering such as this, so it was a new experience for us.

After dinner we sat in on a workshop on non-violence offered by John Bach from Colorado. I’ve participated in his workshops before and they are excellent. I was happy to have his trainng and expertise presented to me again because I always learn something new. In my limited experience, John is the best trainer in direct action non-violence I have ever had. About 25 people participated in the workshop and we all prepared for the following days’ planned direct action at the gate to the test site.

Sunday, May 28 – More learning and networking
See photos here.
See video clip of sunrise ceremony here.

After a highly inspirational sunrise ceremony, Tom and I facilitated preparing breakfast, beginning with coffee. Everyone brought food from their camps to share since we were lacking in breakfast food. It was amazing. NO one went hungry.

Following breakfast there was a peacekeeper training, for folks who wanted to serve as peace keepers for the non-violent direct action; cultural awareness workshop led by indigenous leaders, and a workshop the connection between Vandenburg Air Force Base and the Nevada Test Site, led my MacGregor Eddy, peace activist from the Salinas Valley in California. A brief presenation on vibrations of the earth led by Blue Thunder was given.

After a short break, everyone in the peace camp was asked to walk to an area just before the test site gate, where a program was held led by indigenous leaders of the Western Shoshone. Leaders spoke of culture, heritage, traditions, and treaties which had not been honored by the United States Government. Leaders also recognized that while it was encouraging to have the test postponed, that isn’t enough. It must be cancelled.>

Sunday, May 28, afternoon, continued – Confronting the guards and getting arrested
See photos here.
See video clips of indigenous leaders taking the group to the test site gate here and of a Western Shoshone man crossing the line here.

After the program, the crowd was instructed as to what would happen in the march to the gate to the test site and what would happen when people chose to cross the line and get arrested. Following a call to action, our hosts then led the crowd ceremoniously to the gate where we were met by about 20 armed personnel: Nye County Sheriff’s Deputies, a Nye County K-9 unit and assorted Wackenhut Private Security Guards. They were also equipped with gas masks. At the gate, Western Shoshone Leaders read a proclomation on behalf of the Western Shoshone Nation that Newe Segobia is Western Shoshone Land and, as a reminder, that the Treaty of Ruby Valley, signed in 1863, was still in effect and that the U.S. had taken over the land and formed the Nevada Test Site, violating the terms of the treaty. In effect, the U.S. is therefore trespassing on Western Shoshone land. As this proclamation was read everyone in the crowd displayed their permits given by the Wesetern Shoshone, granting us permission to be on their land.

At this point about 40 people crossed the line into the portion of the land that the U.S. Government claims as its property. My friend and fellow activist, Eileen McCabe-Olsen (Associate Director of Shundahai Network, member of the Desert Greens Green Party of Utah, and a fellow Radical Cheerleader), and I waited our turn after the first influx of line crossers and then, hands held together with each other, proudly displaying our permits in the air, walked across the line. I was nervous but not scared. I had prepared myself for this moment, had witnessed others carry out similar acts in many past direct actions and had decided that it was time for me to take this step. (I have participated in several direct actions over the past several years in support roles but had never been arrested.)

We walked about 20 feet before we were stopped by a guard. As had been previously planned by the two of us, Eileen spoke for us both when she informed the guard that we were there by permission of the Western Shoshone and that we did not condone or recognize the U.S. Occupation of that land. We were then escorted into a chain-link fenced “pen”, with a concrete wall separating the women from the men, barbed wire around the top of it, and one portable toilet in the pen. There were no other amenitites, including water. Fortunately most of us had brought water bottles with us. It was sunny and about 80 degrees. There were about 26 women and 14 men arrested in this action. Surprisingly, a number of indigenous women chose to cross the line, an act that has not previously been witnessed very often.

Among the people arrested were Carrie Dann, of the Western Shoshone Defense Project, Sister Megan Rice and Father Louie Vitale, the latter two who had just completed jail sentences for crossing the line at the School of the Americas last November at Ft. Benning, Georgia.

Inside “the pen”, an amazing thing happened. The 26 women joined in a circle and bonded. We talked, we laughed, we cried, we shared stories and personal things about ourselves. We listened to our indigenous elders and sisters there in the pen with us. They listened to us. There were no cultural divides in that pen. We were all one. We embraced the opportunity to feel good about our action and the solidarity we created amongst ourselves. We recognized the power that women have to effect true change in our world.

Eileen and I had planned on doing a Radical Cheerleaders workshop during peace camp but cancelled it due to many other workshops that took precedence. However, the opportunity presented itself inside that pen to teach our sisters some cheers.

And cheer they did.

We cheered for ourselves. We cheered for the guards. We cheered for our brothers on the other side of the wall and our brothers and sisters standing in support and solidarity for us back on the other side of the line. We cheered, moved, danced and laughed. We had the guards smiling and probably wishing they could join with us. One guard clapped for us, only to be given looks and nudges by his cohorts as a reminder of what he was supposed to be doing (or not doing). There was so much power in that pen with the women who were temporarily joined together for a common cause. It was truly inspirational and suddenly the fact that there was the possibility that we could have been transported to the county jail 70 miles away didn’t matter because I knew it would all work out. I felt inspired, empowered and brave and at the same time energized and calm. I was able to take a part in keeping us all focused on positive energy which I am sure we all took back with us to our circles at home. within an hour we had all been processed, charged, ticketed and released. We were greeted by our supporters who had been ordered yards away from the area. All evening people kept telling us how the word had spread that the arrestees had created a positive atmosphere in a serious situation.

We were all charged with trespass on Federal Land. The monetary charge is $300.00. Within thirty days I could receive a notice to appear in court or pay the fine. The likelihood, though, is that I won’t hear anything. History has it that because of the legal ramifications over the issue of the rightful owners of the land, most people are not cited for this action.

After everyone had recuperated from the action, the folks who had not left to travel back to their homes gathered in the main tent for a debriefing of the weekend’s activities and action. It was an emotional and invigorating discussion, again led by the elders of the Western Shoshone.

Monday, May 29 – Tearing down, saying goodbye
See photos here.

We began the day with the sunrise ceremony. We had taken down the kitchen tent the night before and sorted through and organized all the remaining food. Everyone gathered in the main tent for breakfast after which we all joined together in taking down the main tent. Again, another amazing effort of community to get something done. Everyone still remaining visited awhile longer, then we all packed up our camps and left at various times.

As our final activity before departing, Tom and I visited the tunnel under the highway which leads to the other side of the bridge into the test site area. The tunnel is filled with painted art by folks over the years. The photos speak for themselves.

I was sad to have to depart from the folks with whom I had bonded over the weekend. Yet I know that we all bring back to our towns and cities the resolve to continue the struggle to defend human rights, the rights of indigenous people everywhere who suffer from injutices, against nuclear proliferation, and for the land, the planet and all life that inhabits the earth.

Media that published articles on the action:

Deseret News:2 Utahns among those detained during protest
The Spectrum:Hundreds gather in Nevada desert in further protest of Divine Strake

**CANCEL** THE DIVINE STRAKE! STOP WEAPONS TESTING ON WESTERN SHOSHONE LAND! END NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION!