Local Musicians come together for Standing Rock Benefit

Make a Stand for Standing Rock will be taking over Hess’ Tavern in Bloomsburg, PA this Friday December 16th. Under the organization of Lauren Apichell, local musicians and artists have donated their time and talent into an afternoon of rising awareness (and also money) through the power of melody.

I use the word donate because that’s just what it is; 100% of funds will be going to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Dakota Access Pipeline Donation Fund.

Apichell began following the story of NoDAPL this past summer, far before it was spamming Facebook feeds. As tensions began to grow and conditions worsened, Apichell could not just sit and follow the story any longer. She wanted to help, but in a way that would get the entire community involved. Of course, music. She reached out to co-organizer Angel Hazen-Rupert, and the two began planning.

So far, the received support has been overwhelming. Bands agreed to donating their pay, small businesses provided goodies to raffle, and t-shirts have been designed for purchase the night of the show.

The night will kick off with the Highgrass Ramblers, followed by Mystery Fyre, and closing with 3rd Street. Although this event is 21+, a GoFundMe page has made it possible for people of all ages to show their support.

But wait, plans have been halted to drill, so the fight is already won, right?

“In my opinion, this is far from over,” Apichell said. “We can only hope that the Army Corps of Engineers will keep their word and assure that no drilling will take place in the water of Lake Oahe…The water protectors will likely remain for however long it takes to ensure the safety of the Sioux land and water. They are a vigilant group and will need continued support throughout the winter.”

“The oil company has been very clear that they believe this is a political stunt by the Obama Administration,” Hazen-Rupert added. “They have plans to continue once the [president-elect] is sworn in. They think everyone will forget and the hype will die down, and then they can continue without much push back.”

This movement goes beyond North Dakota, as Veronica Daub points out in her latest blog post “Questioning Victory.”

“The privatization of Native American reservations is looming ahead in Trump’s America. Reuters states that, although these reservations make up just 2% of the county, they sit on top of 20% of untapped fossil fuels, all worth about $1.5 trillion. I bet Don is drooling. Unfortunately, this ethically and environmentally grim plan is nowhere near far-fetched,” Daub wrote.

The outcome of these protests will set the tone for the future protection of our land, the future freedom to protest, and the power we hold as a people.

To be able to come together and contribute to the defeat corporate greed is a truly incredible feat, no matter how many miles away we may be fighting it.

“We’d like to thank Hess’ for allowing us to hold this event at their business and all of the generous individuals on and off Main Street that have donated gift cards and merchandise in an effort to help us raise additional money. Also, everyone musically and creatively involved has been wonderful,” Apichell said. “None of this would have been possible without their kindness and support. We hope to see you on the 16th at Hess. Come make a stand with us!”