#NoDAPL Action Hub @ WMST
Contents:
- How to Call Your Reps When You Have Social Anxiety
- Who to Call and How to Reach Them (President, Army Corps of Engineers, and Congresspeople)
- Who to Call and How to Reach Them (Police Departments)
- Where and How to Donate to #NoDAPL Efforts
- Divest from Banks Supporting DAPL
- How to Access Accurate & Up-to-Date News
- Learn More & Educate Others
There’s a LOT going on in the U.S. right now. Many people’s rights and safety are at risk. You’ve probably heard that one of the most effective ways to advocate for issues you care about, or stand up against dangerous policies and appointments, is to call your local representatives.
If you want to help but have social anxiety and find phone calls very intimidating, you may be thinking, “How do I do this?!” (An oversized telephone handset hovers ominously over the narrator with its cord spiraling around her body. She looks up at it with great concern.)
Here’s a step-by-step:
- Block off time on your calendar. Each call only takes a minute or so, but you might want to block off more time for your first call, so you can prepare your words & nerves. Don’t rush yourself! Scheduling is super important, otherwise you will perpetually delay calling.
- At the scheduled time, go sit somewhere quiet.
- Find out who represents you. Some places to look: House (http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/) and Senate (http://www.senate.gov/senators/contact/).
- Write out exactly what you plan to say. It only needs to be a few lines, and there are lots of templates online that you can use. e.g. “Hello! I am constituent from city (zip code) and I am calling to urge Some Name to publicly…” If they have already released a statement, don’t use that as an excuse to avoid calling. I know it’s hard, but call anyway. Thank them and ask them to keep pushing.
- Take a deep breath. You can do this.
- Do this: dial. (This is the hardest part.)
- Read from your script. At this point, you’ll likely be sent to voicemail or to an actual person. The person will most likely be friendly and probably won’t have much time to talk, so you shouldn’t have to deviate much from your script. It’s a quick conversation.
- That’s it! Say “Thank you” and hang up.
You did it! If you’re thinking “Hey, that wasn’t so bad…”, call more people! And follow up with them next week, or even tomorrow, to make sure they keep these issues top of mind.
It is okay if your voice shakes. It is okay if you feel awkward.
They get a lot of calls, so they don’t have time to judge you by how well you delivered your message.
Is is also okay if you can’t call.
This week, my best friend told me, “Do something that is uncomfortable but not harmful to your mental health.” For me, calling was enough outside my comfort zone to be stressful & scary, but not so far away as to use up all my energy. That might not be the case for you, and that’s okay. Do not beat yourself up about it. There are lots of ways to take action without picking up a phone:
- Write to government officials
- Create art that challenges and art that inspires
- Donate, if you’re financially able, to organizations that fight injustice
- Listen to immigrants, people of color, women, trans and non-binary people, people of all faiths and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities. Support their work. Amplify their voices.
- Keep it up.
Who to Call & How To Reach Them
Tip: Add these contacts (esp the President & your reps) to your contacts to make calling about an issue easier in the future!
President Obama
(202) 456-1111 or (202) 456-1414
My name is [YOUR NAME]. I am calling to urge President Obama to intervene and protect the peaceful demonstrators at Standing Rock and to ask him to rescind the Army Corps of Engineers’ Permit for the Dakota Access Pipeline. This pipeline violates 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Army Corps of Engineers
202-761-5903
My name is [YOUR NAME] and I am calling to urge the Army Corps of Engineers to reverse the permit granted for the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. In the event that the pipeline breaks, it will poison the drinking water of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and it crosses over the tribe’s ancestral burial grounds.
Call your representative:
My name is [YOUR NAME] and I am calling to ask that [REPRESENTATIVE’S NAME] to take a stand against the Dakota Access Pipeline and urge President Obama to intervene and and protect the peaceful demonstrators at Standing Rock. This pipeline violates 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
North Dakota Congressman Kevin Cramer
202-225-2611
North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple
701-328-2200
My name is [YOUR NAME]. I am calling to ask that [Governor Dalrymple/Congressman Cramer] immediately remove the National Guard and end the violence against the water protectors at Standing Rock and put a stop to the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. The use of water canons in the frigid cold, tear gas, and rubber bullets will only lead to the death of the people there and the construction is illegal.
Who to Call & How To Reach Them
These Sheriffs and police departments have loaned out the officers who are abusing Native peoples in Standing Rock. Jam their phone lines and tell them to bring their people home.
Michigan City Police Department
Michigan City, IN
(219) 874-3221
North Dakota Highway Patrol
Offices across North Dakota
(701) 328-2455
Munster Police Department
Munster, IN
(219) 836-6600
Griffith Police Department
Griffith, IN
(219) 924-7503
Anoka County Sheriff's Office
Andover, MN
(763) 323-5000
Washington County Sheriff's Office
Stillwater, MN
651-430-6000
Marathon County Sheriff's Department
Wausau, WI
(715) 261-1200
La Porte County Sheriff’s Office
La Porte, IN
(219) 326-7700
Newton County Sheriff's Office
Kentland, IN
219-474-3331
South Dakota Highway Patrol
Pierre, SD
605-773-3105
Jasper County Sheriff
Rensselaer, Indiana
219-866-7344
Lake County Sheriff Sheriff's Department
Crown Point, IN
219-755-3333
Laramie County Sheriff's Department
Cheyenne, WY
307-633-4700
Wyoming Highway Patrol
Cheyenne, WY
307-777-4301
Ohio State Highway Patrol
Columbus, Ohio
614-466-2660
Nebraska Emergency Management Agency
Lincoln, NE
(402) 471-7421
My name is [YOUR NAME]. I am calling to ask that [DEPARTMENT NAME] immediately withdraw its officers from Standing Rock. The use of water canons in the frigid cold, tear gas, and rubber bullets will only lead to the death of the people there. I am asking that this department IMMEDIATELY withdraw from Standing Rock.
Where and How to Donate to #NoDAPL Efforts
Standing Rock Medics
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe - Dakota Access Pipeline Donation Fund
Sacred Stone Camp GoFundMe
Sacred Stone Camp Supply Lists
Sacred Stone Legal Defense Fund
Divest from Banks Supporting DAPL
Major Banks:
- Citigroup
- TD Securities
- Mizuho Bank
Move your money out of these banks! Encourage friends and family to do so, too!
How to Access Accurate & Up-to-Date News
Follow these news sites, organizations, and people:
Tip: Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to incorporate this news into your daily feed.
Indian Country Today Media Network - http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/
Democracy Now! - https://www.democracynow.org/topics/dakota_access
Transformative Spaces - https://transformativespaces.org/
Follow on Facebook:
- Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
- Sacred Stone Camp
- Red Warrior Camp
- ReZpect Our Water
- Indigenous Rising Media - http://indigenousrising.org/
- International Indigenous Youth Council
- Indigenous Environmental Network
- Standing Rock Medic & Healer Council
Learn More & Educate Others
It is crucial to understand the history of settler colonialism and state violence against Indigenous peoples to understand what’s going on today. Get started with these:
Standing Rock Syllabus
^ extremely comprehensive reading list by theme included
Taté Walker (EverydayFeminism):
Surviving Love: Promoting Awareness & Prevention of Violence Against Indigenous Women
Taté’s articles:
Indigenous Feminist Scholars/Activists to Check Out from WMST & Case-Geyer Libraries:
- Sarah Deer
- Audra Simpson
- Leanne Betasamosake Simpson
