Greetings! Yesterday, I attended the social justice committee meeting at the Union Church in Hackensack, which held a session with Frank Bibeau specifically on the Sandpiper pipeline, and efforts to stop the expansion by Enbridge in northern Minnesota. Chaired by Sara Cox, she had distributed the following information about Frank:
" Frank Bibeau is a Native American and an attorney who is a member of the White Earth tribe, I believe, but is active in the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. He lives in Deer River. He has been Tribal Attorney for LLBO Several times. Along with Winona LaDuke and her Honor the Earth coalition, he is working to get the State and federal governments to require a change of route for the Sandpiper pipeline in order to protect wild rice waters and the lakes area generally.
"Given that the mission of the task force is to try to be better neighbors, I think it is well within our mission to support this effort of our Native American
neighbors to protect their treaty-approved hunting and fishing rights and the future of all of our children in this region of Minnesota...."
I brought along a folder of information we had gathered before and during the three sessions held last fall on this matter, partnering with Happy Dancing Turtle. The meeting was well attended. Frank talked about the final decision by the PUC to be made May 2015. I notice they are still accepting comments from the public at the Commission. As I understand, the position of the tribes is that any pipeline encroaching on Native lands would not be permitted, with treaty rights to back this up; they would recommend alternative routes by the 29/94 highway routes be considered. There are no good immediate answers to this dilemma. His idea is that gaining the support of the legislature to declare a moritorium on pipeline expansion, for the short term, would be a good way to start. He is concentrating his work on the Sandpiper at this time.
The group decided to set up a steering committee to begin work on strategies for moving forward. Leading this will be Lindsey Ketchell, Lake Area Association head in Hackensack. Also a link to Frank on these matters may be found at honorearth.org.
Very likely, NUUF will be in support of these activities in some manner.
Respectfully submitted, Mary DeYoung, news director 218-587-2543
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