Diandra Bruised Head Response to Grassy Mountain Coal Mine

Diandra Bruised Head Submission to Respond to Grassy Mountain Coal Mine Joint Panel Fed-Prov and now Blackfoot Review

Honestly, I am heartbroken. On the eve of the public submission deadline. I know I am only one voice. But I stand here, in awe and inspired and so terrified, to see a unified front.

Cowboy hats. Mountaineers. Environmental Groups. Climate Change Advocates. Politicians. Indigenous Peoples. First Nations.

Siksikaitsitapii. This is who we are. It was never outright spoken, but it is the essence of all of us, unified.

Closer to my home, we are welcoming Iinnii. Buffalo back to Kainai lands. This connects every single one of us, because our Iinnii and us as humans are not outside the natural systems in which we live. 

We are The land. We are Siksikatsitapii.

I want healing. I want us to believe that we are all in this together; I am seeing that message across the landscape.

I believe in the Iinnii standing as our unification. Symbolism, and in actuality.

That buffalo herd will be drinking out of the Old Man River. The potential that our relatives will be taking in Selenium renders me speechless and incredulous.

We expect to having ceremony, with ritual artefacts that could have a trace of selenium. We are not thinking about the next 7 generations down the line. Those who are depending on ceremony for healing.

Caring about each other is our true nature. That means, at this time, adhering to the Covid Restrictions right now,

I know I’m asking a lot.

it also means, I need you to care about these Mountains. And these Rivers. We are all standing up and saying you cannot let this happen.

Our Ceremonialists are depending on all of us to protect our ways. Our people need healing. Every single one of us needs healing.

Please, care about the land.

Environment. Community. Progress.

Moving forward means actively including land restoration and protection in our future plans.

Allowing the coal mine would be putting all of us at serious health risks.

Economists could look into the cost-impact analysis for protecting the population from toxic water.

I bet it’s a lot of money.

Notwithstanding the economic impact of double the impact on carbon emissions, removing important carbon dioxide sinks, while spending more emissions importing/exporting product.

It is a disappointment that this is even a fight, that it can even be a consideration. That *everyone* is rallying.

It is heartbreakingly terrifying, for us, and for modern governance.

Sincerely,

Iitoomsaokaa’sii

Diandra Bruised Head

Blood Tribe Councillor

Kainaikii