Local band plans benefit for Standing Rock

The planned Dakota Access pipeline will cross four states and run near Standing Rock, situated on the Missouri River. The Sioux people have been working to stop the pipeline for more than two years, but demonstrations have escalated over the summer. Authorities have recently resorted to dousing dissenters with water in freezing weather, and using rubber bullets and tear gas.

“They need help down there and it’s not fair what’s going on to a lot of those folks down there,” Jack said. “They’re humans, you can’t just do some of the things they’re doing to other humans and expect people to just sit there and take it. That’s not going to happen anymore.”

Jack said he understands the protestors’ fears after the Husky oil spill, July on the North Saskatchewan River, threatened the drinking water and land of many communities including North Battleford.

He said the benefit is a way people in Northwest Saskatchewan can do something concrete to help water protectors, instead of talking and posting on social media about it.

The Reckless Famous are a group from Northwest Saskatchewan, including the Battlefords, Saskatoon, Duck Lake and Little Pine First Nation. The other members of the band are drummer Jessica Seesequasis and guitarists Darren Prosper, Morgan Seesequasis, Kyle Wuttunee and bassist Preston Starchief.

There is an entrance fee of $15, which will be donated to the camps for the purposes of supplies, legal funds and other help. The benefit is on Dec. 1 at 6:30 p.m. in the Royal Canadian Legion No. 70 building.

Sarah Rae is battlefordsNOW’s court and crime reporter. She can be reached at Sarah.Rae@jpbg.ca or tweet her @sarahjeanrae.

by Sarah Rae

Local band plans benefit for Standing Rock

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