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Written By: Deborah MacKay Republished By: ~X~ of TFD This is an update from a Standing Rock volunteer. It's not pleasant. - Friends, I have returned from Standing Rock with my mind blown, my heart broken and my spirit troubled with foreboding of a deepening tragedy. Volunteering as a legal observer with the Water Protector Legal Collective I witnessed several confrontations between Water Protectors (WP) and law enforcement: national guard, sheriffs and private security (LE). On 1/18/17 - 1/19/17 I observed WP with their hands in the air chanting “hands up don’t shoot” being fired upon at a range of 10 to 15 feet. Tear gas canisters and rubber bullets ( rubber bullets are regular bullets covered in rubber) were used against unarmed WP who had been singing and praying. I observed national guard chasing WP off the Backwater bridge, firing at people running away. I heard people choking and gagging from tear gas. I saw access to the WP medic vehicles being bloc...

Photo provided exclusively By: The Factual Dragnet Written By: ~X~ of TFD #NoDAPL From the Front Lines "We are NOT victims, We are Powerful" 3rd Edition Today the re was a p ress conference by the Indigenous Environmental Network with Chairman Dave Archambault and panel in response to Army Core Engineers Eviction notice.  The conference started with a greeting in their native tongue followed by Thomas Lopez , a J r. member o f  the International Indigenous Youth Council . The very first thing that he started to discuss was the promises that now leaving President Barak Obama made to the Youth Council on his visit back in 2014.  If your are not familiar with th at promise let us remind you : On December 3 rd, 2014 President Obama made remarks  at the Tribal Nations Conference at the Capitol Hilton in Washi ng ton D.C.