Video and Article Contributed by Cheslea Green Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva and Congressman Raul Ruiz held a forum Thursday on protecting native land and resources, urging federal agencies to pull back permits they have already issued for the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline. All the way from Standing Rock, Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Chairman David Archambault, tribal leaders, youth, and respected elders remarked on their efforts to protect the rights, health, safety and culture of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and other Lakota nations in North Dakota. Rep. Raul Ruiz calls on the Army Corps of Engineers to comply with their legal trust responsibility to protect tribal lands and cancel their flawed Dakota Access Pipeline permit. He calls for them to conduct meaningful consultation with the tribes and that they do a complete environmental impact statement. Harold Frazier says there’s a big issue with consultation between developers and tribes. “A lot of times when we go and meet with Federal Agencies, we come with authorities from our tribal council to negotiate, and a lot of times, there’s no decision makers sitting across the table from us. Many times, as a matter of fact all the time, they tell us they’ll get back to us but they never do,” he says. "This conversation today impacts people who will be born generations from now." Faith Spotted Eagle, Ihanktonwan Oyate Spiritual Leader and Elder, begins her statement by saying she would like to give her thanks to the congressional relatives there. “I’d like to exert my senior status by making all her relatives be those who come from Mother Earth, so you are all my relatives here today. This conversation today impacts people who will be born generations from now. I’d like to begin by acknowledging that an entire realm of indigenous thought is marginalized, deemed unknowable and consequently left out of every serious decision. It’s important to notice that a holocaust happened here in this country. We are now experiencing it on the Missouri River, the lifeblood of our people and home to 8 million other human relatives.” “This is not just a Native American Issue, this is a human race issue. We’re doing this to protect our human race because without water we can’t survive,” says Gracey Claymore. Gracey is a 19 year-old member of the Standing Rock Youth Council. She was moved to tears during her statement about how beautiful the lands of Standing Rock are and how important they are to her. “We’re doing this so they [the future generations] can have a future. They deserve clean water.” Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. Ranking Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, reassures the tribes they’re not alone. “I wish we were having an official hearing,” he sa ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhZzT0VO4jQ

"Why the f*** did I vote for you?" Activists gathered around D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser's (D) house at 1am Thursday morning to protest the police killing of Deon Kay. When police refused to let activists onto the property, they woke up the neighbors as well. "If we don't get no justice, you don't get no sleep!" they chanted. Filmed by Ford Fischer NO REUSE WITHOUT PERMISSION Please contact Ford Fischer at fordfischer@news2share.com or call (573) 575-NEWS to license video. Photos and additional footage may be available upon request. Support News2Share on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FordFischer Special Thanks to Patreon Contributors Ardel David, Dustin Gagne, and Emily Molli See more at http://News2share.com ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3irfs1KdHpA