RIGHTS FOR OUR WATER RELATIVES

Great Plains Action Society has been fighting for the Rights of Nature for all living things since our inception. Rights of Nature “is the recognition that our ecosystems – including trees, oceans, animals, mountains – have rights just as human beings have rights. Rather than treating nature as property under the law, rights of nature acknowledges that nature in all its life forms has the right to exist, persist, maintain and regenerate its vital cycles.” (GARN.com) This is nothing new to us. From our Indigenous perspective this is how all such entities must be treated and were treated by our ancestors before invasion by colonizers.

Iowa is the only state whose borders on the East and West are made up of the MIssissippi and Missouri Rivers. Iowa is also the number one contributor to the

Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico due to colonial-capitalist farming practices and home to themajority of the Dakota Access Pipeline, which cuts diagonally across the state. This is why we started fighting for the water in Iowa and it is our home base for building a Water Rights Coalition in Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas. They are states where Indigenous genocide and colonization of the land was very intentional for colonial-capitalist farming purposes. Our goal is to protect, conserve, and restore the water systems linked to Missouri and Mississippi river basins in these states.

Gaining Rights of Nature means building power. We are carrying out cutting edge ReMatriation, land stewardship, and healing justice work for Indigenous Peoples across Iowa and Eastern Nebraska.

River Rights Caravan - Nov 10-17, 2024

We are currently in the midst of organizing an 8 day Water Rights Caravan from November 10-17, 2024. The route will follow the Missouri to the confluence of the Mississippi in St.Louis and then go north back into Iowa. We will visit 7 urban, reservation and rural communities to hear about local water issues and pass on knowledge about rights of nature. These communities are in Sioux City, Winnebago Nation, Omaha, Ioway Nation, Kansas City, St. Louis, and end in the Quad Cities.

Our caravan will be made up of around 10-15

BIPOC women, femme folks, and children from communities being affected by the water crisis in the midwest and in the Gulf of Mexico. Not only will we visit communities, but carry out ceremony along the way. We also hope to create a larger BIPOC network in Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri for our growing Water Rights Coalition.

PAST EVENTS

Mississippi River Summit - May 11-14, 2023

From May 11-14, 2023 in the Quad Cities of IA and IL, Great Plains Action Society hosted the first BIPOC centered Mississippi River Summit in Iowa. We brought 40 leaders and specialists from the Headwaters of the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico to talk and network about their respective fights to keep the water safe and healthy. We have delved deep into our networks and invited amazing leaders and changemakers from Indigenous, Black, Latino/Latina, and Migrant communities. The time was utilized for grassroots assessments, specialist lectures, a tour of the Mississippi, and community-building exercises.

Water knows no borders but colonial governments and greedy corporations refuse to stop the horrific practices taking place in Iowa that is affecting all living things downstream. This is why grassroots folks must do the necessary work to ensure the health and safety of the Mighty Mississippi and all that rely on clean water.

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Summit Attendees

Meet the leaders that attended the Mississippi River summit, which was focused on centering and advancing the leadership of BIPOC organizers from racially marginalized communities working to protect water, natural places, and sacred spaces.

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Thank you to the Walton Family Foundation for believing in the Mississippi River Summit and giving us the capacity to make it a reality. Thank you to the The Joyce & Tony Singh Family Foundation and Prairie Oaks LLC for additional support and help with on-the-ground organizing.

A very special thank you goes out to Moselle Singh, the amazing artist and organizer behind Drawn From Water. Moselle's artistic talent and dedication to a job well done is what truly elevated this event from an everyday convening to a beautiful experience.

Walk for River Rights - May 13, 2023

On May 13th at 11:30 AM at the Schwiebert Riverfront Park, Mississippi River Rights Summit attendees joined the Quad Cities community for a Walk for River Rights in solidarity as one River community advocating for Rights of Nature for the Mississippi River and for the rights of all communities whose lives are supported by the waters. If you’d like to learn more, visit our event page on Facebook or Instagram.