Thursday, May 21, 2015

sHell No! Save our Arctic Ocean: Paddle in Seattle Flotilla: Salish Sea to Arctic Ocean





 Salish Sea
Seattle  
May 14-18, 2015
Alaska's Big Village Network
Defend our Wild Salmon:  sHell No!  Save our Arctic Ocean: sHell No! Campaign


For nearly a decade, Alaska's Big Village Network has been defending Alaska's Oceans from industrial expansion into the world's last wild fishery nurseries.  In the 1970's, Alaskans defended Bristol Bay from sHell; now Alaskans are defending the Arctic Ocean from sHell.
Coastal Salish canoe families supporting sHell No and Inupiat Community of the Arctic Slope defending Arctic Ocean from sHell Oil's drilling rig

Coastal Salish Sea Canoe Families traditional landing at historical Duwamish gathering site




After 5 weeks of kayak safety trainings and organizing by Backbone Campaign and allies, Kayaktivists follow lead of  Coastal Salish Canoe families to surround sHell drilling rig in Port of Seattle's  Terminal 5 on the Duwamish River.


Water blockade demonstration in front of sHell's "Polar Pioneer" drilling rig at mouth of Duwamish River in Salish Sea





Inupiat Community of the Arctic Slope, Tribal Vice President George Edwardson, speaks with wisdom about protecting the Arctic Ocean from offshore mineral exploitation.   Many Inupiat whalers are not only defending their culture, but the last nurseries of Wild Salmon Habitat and the myraid of sea mammals that feed off the salmon nursery in the Arctic.
Seattle defenders of the ocean take to the street near the Terminal 5 where sHell breaks local and national laws parking their extremely risky drilling rig against the City of Seattle Mayors wishes

Duwamish Tribal leader Ken Workman with Duwamish Tribal Chair, Cecile Hansen overseeing the ariel banner that reads "Cheif Seattle is Watching" with the sHell drilling rig, "Polar Pioneer",  in background.   This picture is in the same place where Cheif Seattle watched Captain Vancouver command the "Discovery" in the spring of 1792 in colonial expansion into the Pacific Northwest.