Our Sacred Journey
Iowa Quakers support all our relations on the March
This video is about some of the ways faith played a role during the First Nation-Farmer Climate Unity March, a 94 mile walk along the route of the Dakota Access pipeline in central Iowa, September 1 – 8, 2018. I’d like to share some of the ways we marchers were supported by my friends and…
What is the relevance of Quakers to the March?
Your author here, Jeff Kisling, is a Quaker. I could have participated on the March without bringing up my faith. But there are a number of reasons why I felt I needed to do so. I thought spirituality was fundamental to indigenous cultures and I wanted to learn more about that. The Quaker expression of…
Meeting to Discuss the SURVIVE Act
Today, November 20, 2018, a coalition of Native and non-Native people,representing several organizations, met with Carol Olson, Senator Chuck Grassley’s State Director at the Federal Building in Des Moines. Two of Senator Grassley’s staff from Washington, DC, joined us via a conference call. The meeting was a chance for us to get to know each…
Background of the SURVIVE Act
One of the goals of the First Nation-Climate Unity March that occurred during the first week of September was to make it possible for a group of Native and non-native people to get to know each other so we can work together on issues of common interest. We will be meeting in Senator Grassley’s Des Moines office…
Alton Onefeather’s Photos of the First Nation-Farmer Climate Unity March
When some of us were fortunate to be able to get together in April for a reunion of the First Nation-Farmer Climate Unity Marchers, Alton and Foxy Onefeather mentioned they had photos from the March, and were willing to share them with me to add to the photo collection. I’m really glad Alton sent me…
Quaker Earthcare Witness
The PDF of the issue of BeFriending Creation containing this article can be found here: https://www.quakerearthcare.org/bfc/volume-31-number-4
First Nation – Farmer Climate Unity March: An Introduction
Quaker Earthcare Witness by Jeff Kisling Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative) Friends Peter Clay and I recently walked on the First Nation-Farmer Climate Unity March. A group of about thirty that included nearly a dozen Native Americans walked 94 miles along the route of the Dakota Access Pipeline from September 1 – 8, 2018. One of…
First Nation – Farmer Climate Unity March: A Reflection
Quaker Earthcare Witness, Peter Clay WHAT RESONATES FOR ME as the central experience of the First Nation – Farmer Climate Unity March? Broken relationships and beginning to learn what is required to move into healing.The deepening of existing friendships and the beginning of new friendships across the divide was part of my experience on the…
Reflections on the March
The First Nation-Farmer Climate Unity March involved a group of about thirty native and non-native people walking, eating, and camping together for 8 days. We walked 94 miles from Des Moines to Fort Dodge Iowa, along the route of the Dakota Access Pipeline during the first week of September, 2018. I am reflecting on what…
Final Day Otho – Fort Dodge
Eighth day. September 8, 2018. Walk 12.4 miles from Otho to the end of the march at Fort Dodge, Iowa. It was cold when we awoke this morning at 6:00 a.m. and broke camp in the dark. I didn’t want to get out of the sleeping bag. But this was the big day, one we…
Day 7 Dayton – Otho
Day 7, September 7, 2018. 11.7 miles from Dayton to Otho, Iowa. Yesterday evening the solar panel unit was set up because there wasn’t any electricity available in the park. It was cool when we broke camp, but a pretty pleasant day to march, with the sun coming out soon after we started. Since…
Day 6 Pilot Mound – Dayton
Day 6. September 6, 2018. 9 miles from Pilot Mound to Oak Park in Dayton, Iowa. Day 6 of the First Nation-Farmer Climate Unity March began with another awesome breakfast by Lyssa Wade. As we were waiting to start walking we saw one of the March t-shirts hanging in the window across the street. Foxy…
Day 5 Boone – Pilot Mound
Day 5. September 5, 2018. 14 miles from the Boone County Fairgrounds to Pilot Mound, Iowa. Once again I was pleasantly surprised to awaken feeling fairly refreshed, despite being pretty tired at the end of yesterday’s 15 miles, and staying up late to write. Since we were all sleeping in the same large room, the…
Day 4 Ames – Boone
Fourth Day. September 4, 2018. 15 miles from Ames to the Boone County Fairgrounds. I believe today is our longest mileage march–15 miles. More rain is predicted for this afternoon and there are flash flood warnings. The group is becoming more cohesive as we share our stories. As Donnielle said, “we are a tribe.” We…
Day 3 Sept 3, 2018
September 3, 2018. 10 miles from Huxley to Ames. It was a nice change to sleep indoors (in the Fjeldberg Lutheran Church) especially because it rained again. When I arrived in the dining room at 7 a.m. several people were continuing the discussion stimulated by Lee Tesdell’s presentation the night before. Prior to beginning today,…
Forum on Agricultural Practices
September 2, 2018. Huxley, Iowa. Day 2 of the First Nation-Farmer Climate Unity March. The forum this evening gets to the heart of First Nation-Farmer unity. Local progressive farmer Lee Tesdell described his work in improving agricultural practices (detailed at the end of this post) which was followed by a good discussion including Native American’s…
Day 2
We were a bit slow getting started, mainly because of the storm during the night. Most of us were up two or three hours during the most intense parts of the storm. Some people went to the machine shed to sleep. The next morning one person found their tent in the field nearby. I was…
First night’s forum at the Griffieon Farm
We (finally) arrived at our first destination, the farm of Craig and LaVon Griffieon on the north side of Ankeny. When we arrived the tipi had been setup. We setup our tents and prepared for dinner and the evening forum. Not long after we setup, thunderstorms began. Rain was predicted for every day of the March,…
Anti-DAPL protestors to march through Story, Boone counties next month
Link to original article: http://www.amestrib.com/news/20180823/anti-dapl-protestors-to-march-through-story-boone-counties-next-month Covered by Ames Tribune, Ames, Iowa, August 23, 2018 Excerpt: By Dan Mika, Staff Writer Keith Puntenney. Photo by Dan Mika of Ames Tribune Climate activists announced a march from Des Moines to Fort Dodge next month to protest the Dakota Access Pipeline at Erickson Public Library Thursday morning. The weeklong march,…
Cedar Falls woman to join 90-mile march against Dakota Access Pipeline
WATERLOO — In an attempt to stop the flow of oil through the Dakota Access Pipeline in Iowa, Trisha Etringer, a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation of Nebraska and Cedar Falls resident, will be one of nearly 50 Iowans marching from Des Moines to Fort Dodge, beginning Saturday. The goal is to bring awareness to…
Protesters begin 100-mile march against Dakota Access
Covered by Quad-City Times, Davenport, Iowa, September 3, 2018 Excerpt: DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — About two dozen environmental demonstrators are undertaking a 100-mile march in Iowa to protest the Dakota Access oil pipeline. Regina Tsosie The Des Moines Register reports that they began their eight-day trek Saturday in Des Moines. Advocacy groups Bold Iowa and…
The March Begins
The First Nation-Farmer Climate Unity March began on September 1, 2018. I’m looking back on that now, September 20-21, 2018. I had no idea then how trans-formative the March would be, in many different ways. I think most of us had many questions and concerns about what was about to happen. Most of the people…
The March Support People and Systems
Not having participated on a multi-day walk, I wasn’t aware of how much work and planning was involved. The organizing partners are listed at the end of this post. My impression (and I apologize if I left anyone out) was the main people involved were Ed Fallon, Kathy Byrnes and Shari Hrdina, Bold Iowa, Christine Nobiss, Indigenous…
First Nation-Climate Unity March and Faith
Before this story finally gets to the March itself, I wanted to try to express some of the ways faith played a role in our journey. I’m sure there were many people, of many faiths who supported us. For example, Gary Clague’s pastor, Debbie Griffin, joined us on the March. I’d like to share some…
The Path to Walking 94 Miles
I am reflecting on my recent experience of walking from Des Moines to Fort Dodge, Iowa, as part of the First Nation-Farmer Climate Unity March. There has been a path throughout my life that led me to join the March. I grew up on farms in the area of my Bear Creek (Quaker) Meeting community,…
Path to a 94 mile Spirit Quest
Yesterday I described the series of events that led to joining the First Nation-Farmer Climate Unity March that just concluded. I tried to explain how choices and actions leading up to this March were spiritually guided. I am grateful to have been raised as a Quaker. To have grown up among a people who base…
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First Nation-Farmer Unity 