A tiny little protest in the dark, frigid woods in northern Michigan represents a notable act of commitment for all who revere the majesty and importance of the Great Lakes. The people, living in this camp are members of the Ottawa and Chippewa Indians and they are protesting the continued operation of line 5 which carries 23 million gallons of oil per day under the Straits of Mackinac.They see the existence of this line as a direct threat to the these precious bodies of water of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.
The line is owned by the Canadian company Enbridge and despite the fact the pipeline is almost 66 years old, the company adamantly argues that it is perfectly safe. The Michigan GOP legislators tout the pipeline’s benefits to the state which purportedly provides jobs for a little over a hundred Michigan workers and taxes of 62 million.
Of course what it not so well known is the amount Enbridge spends annually to lobby aggressively for the pipeline’s continued existence. And who knows what other inducements they may be offering the GOP legislators to keep them in the company’s pockets and in complete support of the enterprise. In the lame duck session, they are desperately trying to do everything they can to strip the incoming governor, Gretchen Whitmer, of her powers to shut the line down.
Compare the power of this giant corporation to the small protest encampment built by the Native Americans in the woods near Alanson Michigan which is close to the Straits. These native people have chosen to endure the bitter winter conditions to bring attention to the dangers which the existence of line 5 brings to Michigan’s Great Lakes. Their deep spiritual yearnings to protect these precious freshwater assets are obvious with this outdoor protest. For these native people advocating for these Lakes is a cause which for them transcends all else.
The majority of the rest of the Michigan citizenry do not care quite so much. If they did share similar emotions, they would be making a much larger display of their displeasure at the continued existence of line 5. Michigan citizens, despite their deep connections to the Great Lakes, must simply buy into Enbridge’s distortions of the facts that all is well under the Straits and the Lakes therefore remain safe.
Those who are anti-line 5 argue sensibly about profits which would be lost to the commerce and recreation industries if the pipeline was to rupture, not to mention the costs incurred in the clean-up. What is overlooked in the discussion is the spiritual benefits the Lakes provide. The Lakes inspire people, lift their emotions and give solace. Weddings occur on the beaches of these lakes, ashes are scattered. over these waters and artists come to paint on their shores..People are drawn to the Lakes to watch the sun rise and set and to observe the stars in the night sky when their is little ambient light.
These Lakes represent a priceless treasure which should not be endangered because a powerful and rich multi-national company simply finds Michigan an easy mark.. The company is willing to spend to millions of dollars to construct a tunnel beneath the straits over a ten year period for one simple reason. The profits accruing from line five are far and away greater than the cost of building the new tunnel.. . Please think of the smoke rising from the small campfires in northern Michigan all winter as ephemeral messages to all citizens in the state that the threat the pipeline imposes is real. These protesting Native Americans are showing us through their privations and uncomfortably cold conditions, that shutting down line 5 is a cause worth fighting for.
The Washington Post includes an article about the winter protest in today’s paper and the link is provided below. Also please consider making a donation to the Michigan League of Conservation Voters which is also working to shut down line 5. Their work is exemplary and important and they rely on donations.
Here is the link for making a contribution https://michiganlcv.org/issues-impact/#healthy-great-lakes