This was a busy and tragic week. The wheels of bureaucracy turn slow and sometimes our best efforts seem useless. Since the EPA stopped the use of COREXIT, oil is washing up on Louisiana beaches and marshland. Until the last few days, the toxic dispersant had kept the oil off the coastline, but who knows what is going on below the surface? Now we have the worst of both worlds… Oil on the shoreline and toxins on the seafloor. What to do is not clear, but it is apparent that BP doesn’t have the manpower or infrastructure to deal with this catastrophe; Worse, they may not be around after the entire world sues their ass for the mistakes of multiple oil companies and substandard safety practices in the Gulf.

So when I woke up and read the apathetic front page of the Sunday Advertiser, I almost lost it. “Cleaning oiled wetlands may be impossible- Official say nothing may be best option“… F*ck You!

What you need to understand is fisherman are out of work and oilfield employees are scared of losing their jobs. BP is responsible for this mess and largely controls not only the cleanup, but also the media covering this event. Because of the Oil act of 1990 – it’s their game and they are motivated to do nothing more than “nothing” (that is to handle this as cheaply as possible with the least liability). That’s why they are wasting boom on the open seas and balking at the 350 million dollar Plaquermines Parish plan to fill the gaps on our barrier islands… And much like Katrina, the State of Louisiana and the Governor are on the other side of the political spectrum. Mr. President, we could sure use that hope and change you promised us when you got elected. The plan is in place, the boats and manpower are waiting on shore – If we are going to do something about the mess we have ALL CREATED FOR OURSELVES now is the time for action. This may mean burning the marsh, HAZMAT training for large numbers of people, changing how we prepare for hurricane season, and taking the fight further inland to bayous, lakes, and cuts – MAKE IT HAPPEN CAPTAIN!

“This spill fundamentally threatens Louisiana’s way of life. The oil is here and the time to act is now. We are asking the Corps to approve our dredging plan today without any further delay. We have already asked the Coast Guard to approve advancing the resources we will need to implement this plan, including barges and other dredging ships, so we can get to work quickly.”       - BOBBY JINDAL, May 20th

Oil on our beaches is a direct result of our own apathy and lack of respect for ourselves. I don’t want to think of the countless miles of oily marshland no camera is filming, but we all must. The media has been shying away from telling story of the people… allowing only a few pictures of wildlife and dirty beaches to surface. The majority of our fishermen are out of work, waiting for a call from BP to clean their shores. Those employed are risking their lives working with toxic chemicals, but what kind of life will we have without life on the coast? Think about how we got to this ugly place and what we can do to insure this never happens again.

Yesterday at Rutherford beach a group of concerned citizens worked a full day in the sun. They were able to get the human debris (trash left by human hands) off the beach. Some folks at the beach joined the effort, others continued to throw trash on the sand. As long as there are boats on the shore doing nothing and people sitting on their asses there’s work to be done. We changed a few minds today and had a good time!

You don’t need permission from BP or a group of folks to make a difference. Get to the coast and clean up for a few hours… then go fishing, hiking, boating, crabbing, or creeping. Just try to leave the place a little better than you found it. * I’m not telling you to jump into a pool of oil without the proper training and safety equipment, but there are still trashy beaches along our coast that have not yet been affected by the leak

****** A Great Urgency ****** To All World Religious and Spiritual Leaders ******

My Relatives,
Time has come to speak to the hearts of our Nations and their Leaders. I ask you this from the bottom of my heart, to come together from the Spirit of your Nations in prayer.

We, from the heart of Turtle Island, have a great message for the World; we are guided to speak from all the White Animals showing their sacred color, which have been signs for us to pray for the sacred life of all things. As I am sending this message to you, many Animal Nations are being threatened, those that swim, those that crawl, those that fly, and the plant Nations, eventually all will be affect from the oil disaster in the Gulf.

The dangers we are faced with at this time are not of spirit. The catastrophe that has happened with the oil spill which looks like the bleeding of Grandmother Earth, is made by human mistakes, mistakes that we cannot afford to continue to make.

I asked, as Spiritual Leaders, that we join together, united in prayer with the whole of our Global Communities. My concern is these serious issues will continue to worsen, as a domino effect that our Ancestors have warned us of in their Prophecies.

I know in my heart there are millions of people that feel our united prayers for the sake of our Grandmother Earth are long overdue. I believe we as Spiritual people must gather ourselves and focus our thoughts and prayers to allow the healing of the many wounds that have been inflicted on the Earth. As we honor the Cycle of Life, let us call for Prayer circles globally to assist in healing Grandmother Earth (our Unc’I Maka).

We ask for prayers that the oil spill, this bleeding, will stop. That the winds stay calm to assist in the work. Pray for the people to be guided in repairing this mistake, and that we may also seek to live in harmony, as we make the choice to change the destructive path we are on.

As we pray, we will fully understand that we are all connected. And that what we create can have lasting effects on all life.

So let us unite spiritually, All Nations, All Faiths, One Prayer. Along with this immediate effort, I also ask to please remember June 21st, World Peace and Prayer Day/Honoring Sacred Sites day. Whether it is a natural site, a temple, a church, a synagogue or just your own sacred space, let us make a prayer for all life, for good decision making by our Nations, for our children’s future and well-being, and the generations to come.

Onipikte (that we shall live),
Chief Arvol Looking Horse
19th generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe

Whether you agree with his political views, no one can’t doubt the faith and effort Mac Rebbenack has put into preserving our coast. His spirit and the truth in his words carry the weight and wisdom of generations. He asks that in our time of great need we join together in prayer for mother earth. No matter what you believe in, please consider setting a few minutes aside each evening at twilight to pray for our planet, reflect on what you can do to help this situation, and send support to those who are working towards a solution.

We hope to get more people involved and revisit the Grand Idea of The Solution to Pollution Tour. Thank you Mac for letting us into your sacred space. You are an inspiration to us all.