Natty Nation, The Mission, The Grasshoppers, Armchair Boogie

press release: Madison stands with our brothers and sisters defending the waters of North Dakota.  As the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and their supporters settle in for what is likely to be a long, cold, hard fight, local Madison musicians and activists are coming together to show that we are with them. Sponsored by the Barrymore Theatre, WORT, One Barrel Brewing, and Pressure Wall Productions, Water Is Life will be a day of great music, camaraderie, and a chance for the local community to show support for these defenders on the front lines of injustice.

Since April, Native American activists and environmentalists have been protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), which would run nearly 1,172 miles and carry over half a million barrels of crude oil a day from the Bakken Oil Fields in North Dakota to refineries in Patoka, Illinois. A part of this $3.8 billion pipeline is proposed to be built underneath the Missouri River, a water source for millions of people living near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation in North Dakota.  DAPL would also run through treaty lands and potentially desecrate hundreds of archaeological sites significant to Native American populations.  There has been almost no consultation with tribal leadership by Energy Transfer, the company trying to building the pipeline, yet the project was still approved by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. The threat to water and the larger environment is real. There have been 50+ oil pipeline accidents in the U.S. in the past two years alone.  They have led to spills, deaths, injuries and destruction of water and wildlife, not to mention the release of toxic, flammable chemicals and carcinogens into the ground, air and water.

Local reggae all-stars Natty Nation, jam band favorites The Grasshoppers, Jerry Garcia tribute artists Mission, and bluegrass pickers Armchair Boogie have agreed the time has come for Madison to come together and do what we can to help out the Missouri River protectors. A day filled with good tunes, rousing speakers, tasty beverages, a silent auction, a 50/50 raffle, and many other organized efforts to raise as much money as we can is a great way to show support from Madison.

Many protesters have already been arrested and more will be.  Donations from this event will support the legal defense for these warriors protecting land, water, and human rights at the Camp of the Sacred Stones.  This spiritual and cultural camp on the Standing Rock Reservation is the center of the non-violent direct action resistance to the Dakota Access oil pipeline.  For those of you who cannot attend, but still wish to donate, visit The Legal Defense Fund for Sacred Stone Spirit Camp.