Tucson, AZ: Fundraiser and Donation Drive for Standing Rock

Submitted to It’s Going Down

“The likelihood that your acts of resistance cannot stop the injustice does not exempt you from acting in what you sincerely and reflectively hold to be the best interests of your community.”
– Susan Sontag, At the Same Time: Essays and Speeches

The United States government has promised a lot of things to the indigenous tribes of this country; land reallocations, supplies, schooling for their children, water rights. That is, if only they complied to the demands of the inching destructive crawl of white colonialism. The indigenous people agreed, though in most cases against their will. And as Dee Brown illuminates more poignantly the truth of this exchange, between the state and the tribes, in his Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: “They made us many promises, more than I can remember, but they never kept but one; they promised to take our land, and they took it.” The state continues to think it can do whatever it wants – well, we acknowledge its arrogance may be its downfall, for it will not be without a resistance.

The flagrant disregard the United States holds for the treaties they signed with so many indigenous nations, is not simply an atrocity of the past. This fascist indifference is still playing out. Admittedly though, this is a situation that one need not look too deep into before realizing the true weight that is behind the government’s motives – it is all for capital gain and cultural genocide.  For if you neutralize difference, you have a docile homogeneous mass – this is the true history of colonialism. We see the antithesis to this in the Standing Rock Rebels, as they are bravely resisting the Dakota Access Pipeline and the destructive drive of this country’s capitalistic neocolonialist agenda.

In an attempt to stand in solidarity with these warriors, who are not only about to face down an attempt, by this rotten government, at an eviction. But, also the unforgiving freeze of the bitter northern plains. We will be holding a sale and donation drive Saturday (12.3) for our comrades who are continuing to fight, despite the threats and the unforgiving cold. The state has said it is coming to evict the camps on the 5^th. But, as we should have well-assumed and in the rebellious voice of hundreds of years of anti – colonial resistance, the Standing Rock Rebellion has told the state: “They are not moving.”

So in a small gesture of solidarity, on Saturday (12.3) from 10AM to 2PM at Revolutionary Grounds, in Tucson, AZ, we will be holding a small but sexy benefit sale and donation drive for our rebellious comrades. This event will also serve as an opportunity for people in our community to donate to the Standing Rock Resistance. We plan on sending the items the fastest way possible, later that evening. Below we have included a list of what our comrades need in their struggle against the state and the bitter cold of the north. Please do not bring anything to donate that is not on the list. If you would prefer to donate money instead of supplies – donate here.

If you wanted to go to Standing Rock but cannot, this is a great opportunity to show via mutual aid, you stand in solidarity against colonialism, environmental degradation, and in solidarity with the sovereignty of the Indigenous Tribes of this stolen country. In this coming era of the dip shit Trump – every gesture towards breaking down racism and the colonialism of our past is an act of resistance against Trump and his coming hellworld.

If you cannot make this, there is another #NODAPL benefit event scheduled in Tucson on Saturday December 10^th.  It will be held at SAWS.

If you have any questions pertaining to the particularities of what to donate please feel free to email us.

In Solidarity,
Tucson Mutual Aid Collective

List of things needed by the camps (list acquired from here.):

Wood
Tipis, winter liners, and poles
Yurts or other winter worthy structures
Blankets, winter sleeping bags, sleeping mats, cots
Insulated boots and other cold weather clothing
Insulated gloves, work gloves
Bulk Food Supplies
Heating Stoves for tents
Propane
Square Straw Bales
Firewood
Pellets and Pellet Stoves
Carhartt’s
Winter Boots
AAA Batteries
Flashlights
Headlamps
Plastic Tubs
Milk Crates
Lanterns
Solar LED Lights
Sewing Machines
Material, Ribbon, Thread
Phone Cards – StraightTalk, Verizon
Gas Cards
Plywood
Flooring, Carpet
Snow Vehicle – For Medic
Snow Plow for Camp Roads
Sage, Cedar, Herbs
Ice Chests
Horse Feed
ATV’s – Security
Small Snowplows, Snow Shovels
Shovels, Axes, Malls
Walkie Talkies
Lumber / Building Materials
Heating Elements
Propane
Goggles – Security
Cell Signal Boosters
Recycle Bins
Laptops & Portable Printers
Printer Paper
Solar, Solar Chargers
Renewable Batteries
Generators
Wood stoves
Basalt
GoPros (For filming actions for the safety of Water Protectors

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