Categories Archives: Culture of Resistance

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Texas Rises in Solidarity with #Ferguson and #MichaelBrown

Texas Rises in Solidarity with #Ferguson and #MichaelBrown

austin-protest

Hundreds of people across Texas have staged rallies across the state in solidarity with those in Ferguson, Mo., rallying for justice after the racist police murder of Michael Brown.

Hundreds rallied in Austin to show support for victims of police violence.

In Dallas, where police have killed several Black men in recent years, local politicians unveiled plans Aug. 18 to more thoroughly investigate police shootings. Dallas police representatives have been publicly critical of cops in Ferguson.

In Houston, residents rallied in front of the Houston Police Department in solidarity with Ferguson protests.

As Will Falk writes, “Whether we like it or not, our communities ARE war zones. How else do we account for a black man being killed by cops and vigilantes every 28 hours? How else do we account for more black men in prison than were enslaved in 1850? How else do we account for the fact that one in four American women will be raped in her lifetime? How else do we account for the fact that in America a solid percentage of rape perpetrators are cops? How else do we account for 100 – 200 species a day going extinct? How else do we account for carcinogens in every mother’s breast milk? How else do we account for the 250 trees – with lives as valuable to them as your life is valuable to you – cut down around the world a second?”

More cities in Texas are expected to announce demonstrations soon.

Deep Green Resistance: A Movement to Save the Living Planet

We are really excited that a documentary film is being done about Deep Green Resistance! This video is the introduction and features spoken words by Saba Malik and Rachel. Please share widely.

Deep Green Resistance is a social-justice environmental organization, with a coherent strategy for the environmental movement. We are 100% volunteer-run. Our website has now been translated into several languages, including Russian – check it out: www.deepgreenresistance.org

We are a pro-woman organization, and we stand in solidarity with feminists, people of color, and indigenous peoples. We have published guidelines for activists to be better allies with each other and with marginalized groups, and you can read these guidelines by going to our website and clicking on the “What We Do” tab.

We have a membership process for full-fledged membership, and more informal opportunities for volunteers.

We remain focused on solidarity with the Wild, and Love is our Cause.

FAQ: Gender & Feminism

“TO LEARN WHO RULES OVER YOU, SIMPLY FIND OUT WHO YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO CRITICIZE.”

~ VOLTAIRE

Hi Ya’ll ~

Deep Green Resistance recently published an extended Q & A on Gender and Feminism in order to  promote community education on our roots-oriented position.

You may ask – “why does this matter?”  It matters because gender hurts us all, in its perpetration of a culture that seeks to define and control the human child’s behavior based upon their sex rather than their unique expression of identity and its many creative expressions.

Tiger Girl

With a deep respect for ecology, the natural world, and the creation of respectful & sustainable human culture as our compass, we consider the artifice of gender a foundational realm of oppression, and a hierarchy that limits human potential.  From this roots-oriented (Radical) understanding we call out gender as an oppressive caste system that needs to be criticized and dismantled so that all of us – each and every one – can be free and safe to express their full range unique self in the body we are born with.

The deep green view also honors the human rights issues of those who’ve been victims of sex-selection and genital mutilation surgery (forcible circumcision) in infancy before the age of informed consent.  Deep Green principles also apply in criticism of recently skyrocketing profit-oriented cosmetic surgeries (whether for trans* purposes or dysmorphia purposes).  And, we place an extremely high value upon compassionately protecting safe spaces:

  • for socialized females (those raised from birth as females) some of whom feel safer without socialized male observation or influence, and some of whom wish to freely discuss topics pertaining specifically to the lived experience of growing up with a changing female body in a rape culture, and navigating a rape culture as an adult.

  • for those who identify as trans* to be safe to gather with each other and focus on emergent experiences, and for diverse and lesser known voices, such as intersex and re-transitioning trans* persons who also may need assurance of safe space.

    aboriginal-children

    Because of speaking out critically on the topic of gender and radical feminism, Deep Green female activists have been met with rape threats, physical intimidation and assault, accusations of “Transphobia” and blacklisting by some – all of which makes it even more evident that the construct of gender perpetuates patriarchal values which hurt us all.

Love & Resistance

Our Hundred-Year Vision

McKinney Falls State Park

Deep Green Resistance Austin has a vision for the future of the land of Central Texas.

One hundred years from now, we can see rivers running free and unrestrained to the gulf with no dams to stop them. We see the creeks and streams that feed these rivers, flowing undeterred by human interference. Rainwater collection is a staple of every building that stands, as are berms and swales that ameliorate the effects of drought. Native plants have reclaimed their rightful place within the landscape, acting as restorers of botanical balance. Damaged land has been bioremediated by dedicated communities of knowledgeable people working with nature to repair broken ecosystems. Large, four-legged animals are returning to the prairies, with buffalo herds once again covering the earth and mountain lions stalking the hills. The red wolf has finally come back home, and with her, the sense that we are not always at the top of the food chain. Cows are disappearing from the fields, allowing the exhausted grasses to thrive once again. Common spaces bursting with healthful edibles are everywhere, accessible to all. The endless noise of civilization has finally faded, allowing us to hear the beautiful symphony of nature that has been blocked out for as long as we can remember.

Our culture has also had to transform. We see ever more autonomous and healing communities practicing direct democracy and moving consciously away from industrial lifestyles. Trade and barter economies have sprung up everywhere, eradicating wage slavery and classes. Communal living is common and accepted, as is nomadism. The punitive justice system is being replaced by a system of restorative justice. Patriarchy is disappearing from our cultural memory, replaced by matrifocal and matrilineal societies. Women have complete reproductive and personal autonomy, as has always been their right. Gender liberation for everyone is one outgrowth of this, as we distance ourselves from harmful myths of the dominant culture’s gender hierarchy. A constant and ongoing process of decolonizing our minds and hearts has begun. Reparation and respect long overdue are being given to the indigenous and other people of color. Creativity has been reawakened by this life-affirming culture shift. The concept of decay has been accepted and embraced, and we are learning how to grieve together. Folk wisdom and storytelling traditions allow us to build communities that share an ethos and an ability to live sustainably in our surroundings.

Our futures extend beyond our lifetimes, as we look forward to seeing what life will be like for our children and for theirs.

Edible & Medicinal Plant Resources

Walk in the Woods, by Linda Crockett

On Saturday, 11/19, DGR Austin hosted our first Edible & Medicinal Plant Nature Walk. Our local experts Eric and Chris took thirty people (!!) on a walk in the woods, where we learned about how to identify and use a bunch of plants. Leaves to heal a cut, berries that one should not eat, a cactus that you can make into a container to boil water, bark that can treat a sore throat! Eric and Chris also demonstrated how to make fire with a bow and hand drill, and we had a discussion on how all of this relates to DGR’s goal to protect and heal the Earth.

We will do this again, for sure. Next time, I will post information about this event on this website before the event happens. I made a Facebook event, sent out an email, and told folks about it, and spaced on the website. Please accept my apologies. (Trevor)

Here’s some follow up information from Eric…

Thanks for coming out for the DGR plant walk! I really enjoyed the energy and excitement centered around cultivating a communal knowledge of local plants and their uses. I’m hoping to do a plant walk like it once a month or so. It’d be awesome if we had people trying out different remedies or edible plants and reporting back to the group (please use caution of course). It’s imperative that you are sure of the identification of the plants before you try anything though. You gotta know what plant it is before you try eating it! I got a few questions about good ID books and online resources so I have compiled a list below with some commentary about each resource. You can check out most of these books in the libraries for free by the way. Oh, also, a lot of people just want one book that both IDs plants AND describes their uses; unfortunately, this is rarely the case and I know of no book that does both for Central Texas effectively. You have to look at ID books to figure out what they are and other books to figure out what they’re good for. I use all of these resources, but I will highlight the best one for beginners who are trying to learn identification. Hope this helps and thanks again!

BOOKS:

*Trees, Shrubs, and Vines of the Texas Hill Country by Jan Wrede – Really useful for IDing trees, shrubs, and vines. Not many uses listed, but really a good ID book.

*Wildflowers of Texas by Geyata Ajilvsgi – Really good color coded (by flower color) ID book for wildflowers. Some uses. Not totally comprehensive of Central Texas but has good stuff for all of Texas.

*Edible and Useful Plants of Texas and the Southwest by Delena Tull – Not great for IDing but awesome for learning uses.

*Wildflowers of the Texas Hill Country by Marshall Enquist – Awesome for IDing wildflowers in Central Texas and pretty comprehensive. No uses. Categorized by plant family so more useful for more advanced foragers.

*Medicinal Plants of the Desert and Canyon West by Michael Moore – Awesome herbalist talks in depth about how to prepare remedies. Most plants in the book are found locally, but not all. I don’t think it’s in the libraries…

*Remarkable Plants of Texas by Matt Warnock Turner – Really cool in depth accounts of our common natives. This book has more detail than all the other books because it talks about only a few plants but for like 3 pages each. Not good for ID. Also   tells history of the plant uses.

*Botany in a Day by Tom Elpel – Not a local book, but awesome for learning botanical trends. For example you’d learn what shape the leaves and flowers are for the bean family or whether a plant family has alternate or opposite leaf structure. In short, it’s not for identifying specific species, it’s for identifying characteristics of certain groups of plants so you can figure out what group a plant belongs to that you haven’t ever seen before. Awesome for those who are starting out but are sure they want to get into foraging and plant ID for the long haul. It also has edibility and uses.

ONLINE RESOURCES:

http://www.bio.utexas.edu/courses/bio406d/PlantPics_archive.htm – Has a fairly comprehensive list of the plants of Central Texas but is not very user friendly. You have to click on each scientific name to see a picture and read the common name… Really good for IDing, but no uses.

http://herb.umd.umich.edu/ – Really cool site where you can type in the scientific or common name of a plant and see if there are any uses known to this guy in Michigan. Sometimes our local plants are not in his database, but a plant like it might be. So if it doesn’t show anything the first time, try just typing in the genus name (the first word in the scientific name) and see what comes up.

http://www.foragingtexas.com/ – This is a pretty neat site for learning uses of our plants. Scroll down the page and on the left side will be a list of plants that you can click on to view. The guy is in Houston so not all the same plants are here, but my main caution is that he recommends some questionable things sometimes. Like I think he’s the guy that says he’s eaten Lantana berries. So just a word of caution, use your best judgment. You can email me if you have specific questions about something he says.

Happy foraging!

Eric

If you’d like to get in touch with Eric, please send an email to dgraustin@riseup.net.

DGR’s comments at the Department of State public hearing on the Keystone XL, 9/28

I am with Deep Green Resistance, also known as DGR. My message is for everyone here.

I implore the Department of State to stop the KeystoneXL. Exploiting the tar sands would further the global climate disaster. If you refuse to protect our home, then it’s time for the people to start fighting back effectively.

Tim DeChristopher is a climate activist currently in prison on a two- year sentence for a successful act of civil disobedience. Tim has said, “I think the consequence of not fighting back is far scarier than the consequence of going to prison for a few years.”

The consequence of not fighting back is business as usual, the continued destruction of our home. We are running out of time. Meanwhile, TransCanada gets rich, while others work multiple jobs just to get by. The poor are poor not for lack of jobs, but b/c the rich and the powerful are stealing from the poor.

DGR is a new, radical environmental movement with a plan of action for anyone determined to fight for the planet – and win.

Our strategy involves two separate parts of the movement – an aboveground and an underground. We are the aboveground and therefore our day-to-day work is strictly limited to nonviolence. We are helping to build a strong, effective, aboveground movement using nonviolent civil disobedience to stop the destruction of the planet, and we are promoting the necessity of a militant underground.

Throughout history, many resistance movements have included an underground that does actions against infrastructure, because it is effective. We need to be effective. So for those here today who are able and willing, this part of our message is for you: We need to stop industrial civilization. This will require an underground organization that can engage in decisive attacks on a continental scale. There are manuals—written by your tax dollars—that can tell you how to do this.

For those here today who prefer to be in an aboveground movement and use nonviolence, as we do, our message, like Tim’s message, is that our nonviolent movements will have to do much more in order to be successful.

We can only succeed in our aboveground work if there are massive waves of nonviolent civil disobedience, in sustained campaigns at key nodes of industry. We are currently building a coalition of individuals and organizations to make this happen to stop the Keystone XL.

This means we do a campaign and we don’t go home till it’s done. This means sacrifice; clogging the jails, possibly for months. We will also need a wide base of people willing to support those who put their bodies between industry and the planet. TransCanada and others who profit from the destruction of our lives and the planet are relentless and 100% committed. We must be as relentless and committed in our strategy, bravery, and sacrifice.

Approve the KeystoneXL if you must, but my friends and I will not let it be built.

To find out more, or if your organization is interested in joining the coalition, please speak with me and visit our website – deepgreenresistance.org – to watch for our upcoming announcement of a next step toward stopping the tar sands.

To the Department of State: do what is right. Protect your home. Do not allow the Keystone XL project to go forward. Don’t mess with Texas. Thank you for your time.

Occupy Austin’s Indigenous Struggle Solidarity Statement

American Indian Movement warriors occupying Wounded Knee in February 1973

Occupy Austin’s Indigenous Struggle Solidarity Statement

Approved by the Occupy Austin General Assembly (7pm) on 10/8/11

Occupy Austin recognizes that the land now referred to as Austin, Texas is already occupied. It was stolen from the indigenous peoples, including the Tonkawa and Apache, in a genocide against indigenous peoples that continues to this day.

Before colonization, this land was the home to several truly sustainable cultures; cultures that were integrated into the land-base, cultures that did not have to worry about corporate influence on the political process. These cultures were destroyed and are being destroyed by the corporate state, starting with Columbus’ state-sponsored invasion of North America more than five hundred years ago. This invasion is not something to celebrate.

Occupy Austin recognizes that the injustice of colonization by the culture of the corporate state is a wrong that must ultimately be righted, and as such we stand in solidarity with the struggles of indigenous peoples in North America and all over the world.

<end of statement>

For more information on such matters, please check out: DGR Indigenous Solidarity Guidelines, a href=”http://unsettlingamerica.wordpress.com”>unsettlingamerica.wordpress.com, aimovement.org, defendersoftheland.org, ienearth.org, waziyatawin.net, lakotaoyate.net, enlacezapatista.ezln.org.mx, transformcolumbusday.org

Deep Green Resistance Statement of Principles

"Ophelia," by Odilon Redon (1840-1960)

I just got back from walking the dogs in the field over by Black Star Brewery. It’s an undeveloped piece of property full of tall grasses, wildflowers, a few trees, insects, lots of birds, and a man-made pond ringed by cat tails and lily pads. Today we saw red-winged blackbirds. The sun was setting just as a thunderstorm moved into the area, resulting in a pink-orange sky and some of the most spectacular lightning I have ever seen – long, horizontal bolts, flashing from one cloud to another. We walked back in a steady rain, the one dog freaking out with every clap of thunder.

The DGR statement of principles was recently published on the DGR central website, and I thought they represented such a fine, biocentric, and caring approach to political action that I wanted to highlight them here.

In all our discussions about strategy, tactics, security; in all our steps of organizing and networking; in all our propagandizing and arguing; no matter what successes or failures we experience – let us never forget for what we are doing this. We are doing this for the love – and, indeed, for the very continuation – of life.

“We must be biophilic people in order to survive.”

With deep respects to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the choice is no longer between non-violence and non-existence. The choice is between resisting the culture of death, and death.

Love,
Revo