If Movie Lovers Do One Thing this Weekend to Protect the Water at Standing Rock....

Let it be writing an open letter urging one of the 38 banks providing capital for entities building the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), to withdraw their funding out of this unlawful project that, if completed, will contaminate the water source for 18 million people including Indigenous communities in North Dakota!

"It's hard to keep in mind something as simple as water, but it's important," reads the 2017 wall calendar published by Do1Thing, a non-profit organization on a mission to build more disaster resilient communities. As a U.S. citizen, you have the privilege of knowing that water -- an area of focus in Do1Thing's twelve-step emergency preparedness program -- is always there; for your drinking, cleaning and cooking needs….but what if you wake up one day and find out that the water stopped flowing, or it wasn't clean. What would you do?

This is a question Native Americans living on the Sioux Reservation in North Dakota are praying they won't have to answer, as they struggle to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) from being built under Lake Oahe on the Missouri River.

Since Spring 2016, the Indigenous led #NoDAPL movement has been working tirelessly to resist the pipeline on many levels including spiritually, legally, financially (#DefundDAPL) and through peaceful direct actions, some of which is chronicled in the short documentary film Mni Wiconi: The Stand at Standing Rock directed by Lucian Read.

Not only do I encourage movie lovers to watch this 8-minute film because it may help you get a better understanding of what's at stake for Native Americans and the earth we all share as human beings, it is the main point of reference for the Mni Wiconi (Water is Life) Blogathon hosted by yours truly with Shannon at The Warrior Muse and Misha Gericke at The Five Year Project, running now through Saturday January 7th.

In addition to gathering Do1Thing for calendars friends and family during the holiday season, I set a few aside for a GIVEAWAY following this Blogathon.

That means five lucky Mni Wiconi Blogathon participants will Win a 2017 Do1Thing Calendar with step-by-step water emergency plans and a swag bag filled with all sorts of goodies that can get you started on building your emergency supply kit!

A STAR WARS surprise is to be included in one of these packages as well. More details can be found in the Mni Wiconi Blogathon Announcement post.

What are YOU doing to prevent a water crisis at Standing Rock?

Have YOU watched the Mni Wiconi: The Stand at Standing Rock' film yet?

Is YOUR money is funding the genocide of Indigenous peoples?

Announcing the Mni Wiconi Blogathon - #DeFundDAPL

UPDATE: Mni Wiconi Blogathon is Extended until JANUARY 7th!On a number of occasions I've written about the ways movies help us further understand the role we play as a society when addressing complex topics including water pollution, climate change, poverty, clean water, human rights and the power of people working together to make a positive difference.

In response to one of these writings, Michele Truhlik hailed the importance of documentary filmmakers because they "bring light to subjects and incidents that would otherwise go unnoticed." Lucian Read, whose 8-minute short film Mni Wiconi: The Stand at Standing Rock highlights the struggle for clean water and Native sovereignty, is one such documentarian.

After watching Read's film, it bothers me that many of the same banks that brought us the 2008 financial crash are destroying the earth and bankrolling genocide and it seems like no one is talking about it. 

Together with Shannon at The Warrior Muse and Misha at The Five Year Project, we invite YOU to stop the censorship and corporate media whiteout of the #NoDAPL movement, by participating in the Mni Wiconi Blogathon.

PLEASE READ ALL OF THE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE SUBMITTING BLOG POSTS.

How To Participate:

1. Write an open letter to a bank of your choosing, in response to the film Mni Wiconi: The Stand at Standing Rock and publish it on your blog between Dec. 27 - Jan. 7. (e.g. Dear Wells Fargo, Why Are You Funding Water Contamination? or Dear Chase Bank, You Can't Drink Oil)

• You can watch the film at the bottom of this blog post.

• Must be written to one of the 38 banks involved (17 are directly funding DAPL.)

• A $1.4 billion loan is on hold while the Army Corps permit for drilling under the Missouri River is suspended. This means there's still time for the banks involved in this loan to cut their line of credit.

• Only submit NEW posts. Previously published posts will not be eligible for the Giveaway (see details below). If you do not have a blog, consider doing a guest post for another blogger or posting your entry on Medium.

2. Add the blogathon badge to your post

3. Send us your post by filling out the form below:

One entry per person, not per blog.

Must be received by Monday January 2 Saturday January 7, 2017 12:59pm EST

4. Promote your post on social media using the hashtags #WaterisLife #Blogathon #DefundDAPL #BankExit

LINK-UPS

I will post a list roundup of the participating blogs here, as they are received and compiled, throughout the week and share the lists on social media.

**GIVEAWAY**

*courtesy of @MadlabPost & Do1Thing

On Tuesday January 3rd Monday January 9th, I'll randomly select five participants who will receive a 2017 Do1Thing wall calendar and an emergency swag bag filled with a water bottle, first aid kit, KIND granola, flashlights and related goodies. The first gift recipient who responds to my notification will also receive a Star Wars themed surprise.

Let's demand the banks to #DefundDAPL because Water is Life!

December is a global month of action in solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, as indigenous led communities unite to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), also known as the Bakken Pipeline from crossing the Missouri River. So today I'm closing my account with HSBC -- one of the 38 banks funding (and profiting off) a project that violates sacred lands of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and threatens the air and water supply for millions of people.

Millionaire Dollar Movie Week Preps ABC for Oscar Sunday #trivia #games #gameshow #academyawards

It's Movie Week on the Disney/ABC show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," hosted by Meredith Viera. Those of you who want to test your movie knowledge as we head into Oscar weekend can watch as contestants try their luck at winning $1 million by answering 14 movie-themed questions on this show." Don't miss the last day of Movie Week, tomorrow February 24th, just in time for the 84th annual Academy Awards, which airs on Sunday, February 26 on ABC.

The time and channel on when this show airs in your area can be found on local listings or the Millionaire TV website.

Now, let me ask...

If someone offered YOU one million dollars for answering 14 trivia questions, all based on one specific film, correctly, what movie would give you the best shot at winning the money?

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