We Stand with Standing Rock

Today was another rally, this one held in a spirit of reverence for the earth, love for the human community, and protection of our precious water for the generations to come. Speakers came from Native American communities, from the Sierra Club, and from various local activist groups in Portland. The Ragin Grannies provided entertainment, and a large group of Aztec Dancers performed prayers for the earth. ("Our dance is our prayer.") More photos from the event are here but I have a couple of hundred more of the Aztec Dancers. I'll have to finish working with those and post them later. 

The venue was a newly refurbished park called "Grubbin," the brainchild of Jamal Gardner (see this story if you have time--it's a brilliant concept--except I dislike the newswriter's use of "bad element" to describe the people who formerly hung out in the park). Jamal Gardner was part of today's program and provided the park and the sound system (which he operated) free to the organizers of the event.

Sometimes it appears that community, in the best sense of the word, really exists in Portland.