For Indigenous People’s Day, join us at church for a free screening of Bad River, a film that details the Bad River Tribe’s decades-long fight to shut down the Line 5 oil pipeline that travels through their land on its journey from Canada to Michigan.
Told through the voices of tribal members and other indigenous attorneys and activists, the film relates their struggle to protect the health of the land, water, wildlife, and people of Northwest Wisconsin, along with the drinking water of millions of residents that would be impacted by an oil spill from this more than 50 years old infrastructure.
Free popcorn from the Oriental Theater will be provided. A freewill offering will be taken to support the Bad River “Defend the Bad River” non-profit group. Learn more about the film: https://www.badriverfilm.com/
Following the movie, we will be joined by three panelists who will answer questions about the fight to stop Line 5 and protect our waters. One panelist will be a Bad River tribal member who will be traveling to Milwaukee to join us. The others will be local activists Mark Denning and Susan Simensky Bietila.
Marin (Mark) Denning, an enrolled tribal member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, who has been involved in public education programming for over 40 years. From his time as a student at Marquette University to being an adjunct lecturer at a university in Milwaukee, Mark has spent the time speaking for and about Native issues. A community organizer, he is generous with his time while working to protect Milwaukee’s rivers and waters. Recently, he has been instrumental in efforts to publicize and nurture the recent resurgence of sturgeons in the Milwaukee River.
Susan Simensky Bietila, a longtime activist-artist and author, has been making art in collaboration with frontline Water Protectors against the mining and oil pipelines that threaten Wisconsin’s Great Lakes and rivers.
Join us Sunday, Oct. 13 at 1:00 pm in the Sanctuary.
Jenny Abel, Earth Justice Ministry & Rev. Kimberlee Tomczak Carlson