John DiBiase Photo
Anti-pipeline activist Melinda Tuhus sent in this write-up about a protest Wednesday on the issue.
A few dozen members of New Haven Stands with Standing Rock and some Raging Grannies converged Wednesday evening outside the downtown branch of Wells Fargo bank. Constituting themselves the “#NoDAPL Singers,” they crooned holiday favorites with new words that addressed the bank’s funding of the Dakota Access pipeline and called on the bank to cut that funding.
Singers also asked the bank’s customers to close their accounts until the bank takes action to withdraw the portion of its $467 million investment not already spent.
After singing such favorites as “Jingle Bells,” “Winter Wonderland,” and “Oh Come All Ye Faithful,” they entered the bank and delivered a letter to the branch manager explaining that making such a big investment in a project that never got a thorough Environmental Impact Statement was risky business. Only after the Army Corps of Engineers declined on Dec. 4 to give final approval for the pipeline to cross the Missouri River did the Corps order an EIS.
The indigenous leaders at Standing Rock in North Dakota are calling on supporters around the world to continue solidarity actions that target the funders of the pipeline, which threatens the sacred sites of the Standing Rock Sioux as well as the drinking water of the tribe and millions more people downstream. A different pipeline in North Dakota last week spilled 130,000 gallons of oil into a tributary of the Missouri River, underscoring the tribe’s concern that “water is life” and the Dakota Access pipeline is very likely to suffer a leak or spill at some point.
Local resident D’Arcy Jefferey drove out to Standing Rock earlier this month, and although she only stayed at Oceti Sakowin camp by the pipeline route near the Standing Rock reservation one day before driving back ahead of a blizzard, she said it was worth it. “It was so inspiring to meet the youth, and the elders, and the women,” she told the crowd, adding that she is now more committed than ever to opposing the pipeline where she lives.
Following are the lyrics to songs they sang at Wednesday’s protest:
“Jingle Bells” #1
Jingle bells,
something smells…
another oi‑l spill!
Wells Fargo,
you’ve gotta know
that dirty oil kills, HEY!
Jingle bells.
Come on, Wells—
make a New Year’s vow:
Use your might
to do what’s right and
de-fund DAPL now!!
Bankers need to know that we are not okay
with ramming pipelines through, spilling all the way
Wells Far-go please re-think your thought-less poli-cy
“People before Profits” is a better strategy, oh!
“Jingle Bells” #2
Jin-gle bells, pho-ny sales,
fraud-sters all the way!
Wells Fargo is cheat-ing folks
at home and far a‑way, hey!
Jin-gle bells, pipe-line spills
poi-soning the Plains!
Water is Life! Treat‑y rights!
Stand with us to-day!
“Twelve Days of Christmas”
On the first day of Christmas,
Wells Fargo gave to me
A dangerous oil pipeline
On the second day of Christmas,
Wells Fargo gave to me
Two broken treaties
And a dangerous oil pipeline
On the third day of Christmas,
Wells Fargo gave to me
Three poisoned waters,
Two broken treaties
And a dangerous oil pipeline
On the fourth day of Christmas,
Wells Fargo gave to me
Four rubber bullets,
Three poisoned waters,
Two broken treaties
And a dangerous oil pipeline
On the fifth day of Christmas,
Wells Fargo gave to me
Five… oil… spills!
Four rubber bullets,
Three poisoned waters,
Two broken treaties
And a dangerous oil pipeline.
“Winter Wonderland”
Hey in there,
are you listenin’?
Lake Oahe is glist’nin’.
A beautiful sight,
to save it is right—
Fargo, STOP supporting dirty oil!
Gone away is the oil need;
DAPL is all about greed.
Choose water not oil,
preserve sacred soil—
Fargo, STOP supporting dirty oil!
In Dakota you have built a pipeline
and pretended it was safe and fair.
But we know that oil isn’t be-nign—
Wells Fargo, show your customers you care!
Please support something cleaner,
Energy that is greener.
It’s simple to do. We’re saying to you:
Fargo, STOP supporting dirty oil!
“O Come, All Ye Faithful!”
O Come on, Wells Fargo, di-vest from the pipeline.
Come, be responsible: respect treat‑y rights!
Why don’t you bankers finance cleaner energy?
You could invest in solar.
You should invest in solar.
You must invest in solar
and di-vest from oil!