The proposal shared here is one of various scenarios presented to a frontline community to compliment their campaigns in defense of Mother Earth. The logic and framing of this direct action will be from a Diné perspective.
NITSÁHAKEES – Thinking
Visual banners are important in terms of media messaging but they can be underwhelmingly status quo aligning with the non-creative, non-profit, incremental change agenda. Successful social movements understand the need to “bring the war home”….to the very doorstep of our enemies. Being intentional in weaving more visceral story telling elements is necessary to compliment efforts to challenge power directly and meet oppression/oppressors.
This particular case study considers targeting attendees to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) auctions of Indigenous land to be fracked and poisoned by oil and gas for literally pennies on the dollar. The proposal is an escalation of visuals that support community tactics to help create a spectacle of urgency to end lease sales by foreshadowing the environmental impacts of hydraulic fracking at the entrance of the auction.
NAHAT’Á – Planning
The ominous scene is created by local frontline families who are dressed in hazmat suits and Clean Air Respirators. These optics are reinforced by the visceral imagery of having children with smaller suits and respirators playing on a swing set and in a sandbox. This subversively sinister theater is enhanced by attaching smoke machines to existing fracking rig props and tipped over barrels labeled “Benzene” – which also smoke and leak what resembles spilled fracking waste. This subconscious nonverbal communication is a powerful conclusion that auction attendees make on their own by connecting their participation in the eventual destruction of the environment for future generations. It should be noted that these technical visual additions are non-toxic and safe.
The direct action and storied landscape will no doubt draw first responder attention which further contributes to the environmental emergency created in real-time for the educational benefit of the auction attendees, general public and media. The Clean Air Respirators are intended for the participants to take home after specific direct action goals are achieved to develop their own as we continue to protect our lands for the next seven generations.
IINÁ – Doing
For purposes of frontline community protection and security culture deployments will not be discussed in detail. However, direct action delivery should in the very least leave targets forever haunted with uneasiness in terms of their own morals.
“As Movement Artists, our only mission should be to help destroy our adversaries in the most beautiful way so that when we leave they will understand why storms are named after people.” – Remy
Indigenous people have always adapted and developed new ways to weaponize a diversity of strategies and tactics against our oppressors, especially down to the psychological. This case study is an offering to reconnect to some of those thought processes.
SIHASIN – Result
Although this particular representation of a Clean Air Respirator is just a direct action prop it foreshadows what will come to be if oil and gas continue their genocidal agenda upon stolen Indigenous land. As a result of the extensive research involved in this project an actual working prototype is currently being developed that has the ability to perform extremely well in terms of pandemics and of course environmental destruction.
If you are interested in collaborating/investing – get at me.
This content was originally published here.