Above: Earth-Feather Sovereign of the Colville Confederated Tribes and Okanagan from British Columbia addresses Port of Olympia commissioners on Monday night.
-Activists, Sheriff John Snaza also speak at port meeting
-2018 Budget Passes, Taxes Raised
-Rail Blockade Continues
By Janine Gates
Little Hollywood
Due to the continued direct action rail blockade by activists in downtown Olympia, Port
of Olympia commissioners provided community members an extra half hour of time to
speak at its Monday night meeting.
A standing
room only crowd of about 65 people packed the port’s meeting room.
Several speakers
were activists involved with blockading the railroad tracks in downtown Olympia.
Other speakers included Native community members, Thurston County Sheriff John Snaza, who was
not in uniform, longshore workers, and community members supportive of the
blockade.
The four
hour meeting also included a vote to increase taxes to
support the 2018 budget and the purchase of two new log loaders. Commissioner E.J. Zita voted no on the budget, suggesting other ways to raise needed funds.
At the
outset of the meeting, commissioner Joe Downing suggested that commissioners
make extra time in their agenda to allow activists who are specifically blocking
the railroad line time to speak. He said he went to the blockade two times over the weekend and spoke with
activists.
“Dialogue is the start to a solution…I’m hoping for a peaceful resolution,” he said.
Collectively
known as Olympia Stand, the group is demanding that the Port of Olympia cease
all fossil fuel and military infrastructure shipments. They also demand “horizontal
and democratic control of the Port of Olympia, including participation from
area indigenous tribes,” according to a press release.
The blockade began
November 17, outlasting a similar blockade for the same reasons in November, 2016.
That blockade lasted seven days and ended by a multi-jurisdictional law
enforcement action.
Commissioner Zita said she was told by port staff that corn syrup, not ceramic
proppants, was currently needing to leave the port in train cars.
Commissioner
Bill McGregor said the soda pop bottling companies at Mottman Park in Tumwater such
as L&E Bottling Company are being adversely impacted as a result of the
rail blockage and will make production decisions within the next few days.
Commissioner
Zita asked for a commissioner discussion on the situation but that was denied
by Commissioners Downing and Bill McGregor. She then asked for a work session
to meet with the City of Olympia and others to peacefully resolve the situation
before law enforcement is involved. She said that Sheriff John Snaza had reached
out to her and shares a concern for public safety.
“We have an
opportunity to do better this time than we did last time,” she said.
Commissioners
McGregor and Downing were non-committal in their desire to meet.
Many speakers asked
for a halt to the port's contract with Rainbow Ceramics. Ceramic proppants are used in
the process of hydraulic fracking in North Dakota.
Kyle Lucas,
Tulalip Tribes and Nlaka’pamux Nation, called for an end to the port’s Rainbow
Ceramics contract, and requested port consultation with Indian tribes. She said
many different groups have come together at the blockade and although no one
group speaks for the blockade, she speaks for the Indigenous Caucus.
“As land
defenders and water protectors, we as the Indigenous Caucus formed last year…to
stand up for the Standing Rock Sioux to help support them defend their water…from
a terrible practice called hydraulic fracturing….We have been fighting for our
land and water against corporate and government oppression for 200 plus years.
We don’t always agree among ourselves but tribes and indigenous peoples
gathered at Standing Rock to make a stand for months in the most unbelievable
weather conditions because we feel so strongly about this….
“We feel silence
would be tantamount to aiding and abetting the carnage in one of the most dirtiest,
most wasteful, reckless and wasteful industries in the world…We ask for your
support in ending that complicity by ending the contract. We also ask that you please
consult Indian Tribes…please end this deadly practice of contributing to
climate change, global warming whose ravages we have witnessed with
unprecedented wildfires, hurricanes, storms, flooding and mass displacement of
peoples, many of them brown peoples….Migwetch….thank you for hearing me,” said
Lucas.
Earth-Feather
Sovereign of the Colville Confederated Tribes and Okanagan from British Columbia asked that port staff start the
public comment clock after tribal members are done introducing themselves. She
said she was very disappointed to not see the flags of the Medicine Creek
Treaty Tribes of 1854 displayed in the port room or at Olympia City Hall or the
Capitol Building. She was also disappointed that tribal
council members weren’t present as part of port conversations.
“When it
comes to these port blockades, not only are they (the activists) protecting our
environment and our Mother Earth, they’re also protecting our women and
children who are being sex trafficked, being stolen and brought to these men
camps and they’re protecting our women who are the backbone of this nation and
if we are to uplift our nation, we need to uplift our women. We need to protect
our children because not only are we protecting our children of our next seven
generations, we are protecting your children and your seven generations….What’s
going to happen when all the trees are cut down and we can’t breathe? What’s
going to happen to the water when we can’t drink?” she asked.
The “men
camps,” Sovereign referred to are the energy company–built barracks that have been
built around fracking sites in North Dakota.
Marles
Black Bird, Standing Rock Hunkpapa Lakota and Cheyenne River Mnicoujou Lakota, elaborated
on the oil field camps and culture of sex trafficking, illegal drugs and
violence, and increased alcohol use that impacts not only the surrounding towns but
indigenous tribes.
“By enabling
these (fracking) companies who are just turning a blind eye…is just being
complicit,” she said.
Several speakers directly involved with the blockade strongly suggested meeting with the Indigenous Caucus. One speaker said that the Indigenous Caucus has the best perspective on economic hardships.
“There is a chance here to heal from the wounds enacted by generations of exploitation of land and water,” he said.
“There’s real potential to resolve the port blockade peacefully. You need to show good faith and prove yourself around this issue,” said a woman who identified herself as Emma.
Sovereign spoke to the commissioners again,
saying, “The Indigenous Caucus is a good beginning but we’re only here as
advocates. The people you should be reaching out to are the tribes. I’m sure
there are lots of businesses here who are supposed to have liaisons…but we are
glad to be here to help bring in these people and help start these conversations,”
she said.
Sheriff John
Snaza also addressed the commissioners and the audience saying he appreciated
all the comments he heard. He encouraged continued communication.
“I don’t get
to pick and choose which laws I want to enforce and which ones I do not. The hardest
part I’ve seen at the blockade is…the individuals I’ve contacted don’t really
want to talk to the sheriff but…I wish they would be willing to speak with us
and explain what their intentions are.”
He said that
last year, there was a lack of communication “from the city to the port, from
the city to Union Pacific, the port to the city, oh, and by the way, there’s no
communication with Sheriff’s Office.”
Addressing
the audience, he asked, “Please sit down and talk with us. Last year,
unfortunately, when we broke up the blockade, individuals caused damage….(By doing so) you’re losing the point of your cause.
Please make the point of your cause so we can understand….We may not agree on
everything…but we have an opportunity to come to some sort of agreement without
individuals being hurt or harmed.”
In the end, Commissioner McGregor said he believes in the rule of law, and state and federal laws are being broken. Instead of responding to the concerns of those who spoke at the podium, he quoted unsubstantiated demands and extreme comments he found on social media.
Commissioner Zita again suggested a work session on Wednesday to discuss meeting
with the City of Olympia and the rail blockade’s Indigenous Caucus. Commissioners McGregor
and Downing said they would check their schedules.
Above:
Activists continue their blockade of the railroad tracks in downtown Olympia at
Seventh and Jefferson Streets. The tracks are used to transport a variety of
products, including ceramic proppants used in hydraulic fracking. Community
members addressed Port of Olympia commissioners at their meeting Monday night.
Little
Hollywood writes extensively about Port of Olympia issues. For more information
and photos, go to https://janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com and type key
words into the search engine.
Correction,
November 28: Port commissioners voted to increase the amount of taxes collected
from the current $5 million to about $6 million. It's complicated. See page 25
of the Port of Olympia meeting agenda packet, slide number 19 for Tax Levy Uses
at https://www.portolympia.com/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/3028
