On Tuesday, January 8th, Idle No More showed up at the opening day of the St Paul Capitol and held a rally and flashmob. Appproximately 200 mostly Native Americans showed up. Also the Welfare Rights Committee held their yearly rally there. The very next day Wednesday 9th, the Star Tribune staff writers Baird Helgeson and Jim Ragsdale wrote a page and half article on the opening day events at the Capitol.
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There was lots of coverage on the Middle Class Parlor games that maquarades as politics there but not surprisingly, there was no coverage of the Idle No More event or the Welfare Rights Committee. Given just how loud both of these groups were, the writers of the Star Tribune would have had to have diliberately turned off their earpieces so as not to hear them. Or perhaps just turned off their journalistic ethics and integrity. Since that Star Tribune has a long and ignoble history of being lap dogs to those in power, instead of being a real newspaper and doing their job. Which is to be watchdogs of those in power and inform the people of Minnesota.
Since the Star Tribune refuse to inform you, the people of what is really going on, it takes ordinary people to report to you. Or as MPR (Minnnesota Petroleum Radio) dismissively calls us “Kinko Journalists.”
The Welfare Rights Committee had their rally first. Shortly after- the Native American led and inspired Idle No More march arrived. After a few speeches, we with Idle No More went inside. There was a drum circle and dance that wound it’s way around the Rotunda. State Capitol security showed up and asked us to leave. The group went outside again and did some more drumming and chanting.
After a while it was decided to re-enter the Capitol Rotunda. We decided to surround the sacred drummers with arms entwined just in case security decided to attempt something. At this point it should be noted that Ramsey County Sheriffs had attempted to manhandle the drummers on the march as they were on the way to a Capitol building. At that point the marchers encircled the saced drummers and protected them.
Fortunately State Capitol security did not intervene. We can assume that they did not want deal with a bunch of angry Natives. Good move on their part.
As this was going on the Welfare Rights Committee was outside of Governor Dayton’s office. Doing their own actions and chants.
All of this was very audible all throughout the Capitol building. Perhaps the Star Tribune and their crack journalistic team just didn’t hear it. Please note Sarcasm Alert.
Remember- your media is lying to you. Your government officials have betrayed your trust.
Time to do something about it. Join the movement. It is indeed time for us all to be
Idle No More.
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