FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Saturday July 13, 2024
Butler, PA – Today, in response to gunshots during a Trump campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, which resulted in at least two people being killed, NDN Collective put out the following statement:
“We mourn lives lost today, and our prayers go out to their loved ones. Many of us have experienced the trauma of gun violence. We send prayers for those who witnessed the shootings today, and hope all are in safe spaces with loved ones.
“Today’s shooting was the direct result of an inhumane and irresponsible culture of violence. The shooting is not about the right versus the left – or merely the result of divisive rhetoric, as many will claim. Shallow messages of unity and reaching across the aisle will not solve this. Today’s shooting is yet another consequence of building and maintaining a nation based in violence, control, and bloodshed.
“We need and deserve leaders who understand safety and peace are not abstract ideas – they are policy choices. We refuse to be reactive or to take “sides” in a culture of violence. Instead, we will continue to be advocates for the paradigm shift our world needs to build a culture of peace.
“Indian Country and communities forced to the margins are disproportionately impacted by ideological extremism – and we must be more vigilant than ever in protecting one another.
“During this uncertain time, we are channeling the strength we get from our ceremonies, from our elders, from being on our lands. We will not rest until all people have the space, time, and resources to heal, connect, and thrive. We must continue to hold our ground, organize, and keep each other safe. We will continue to build towards the future all peoples and all of sacred life deserve.”
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NDN Collective is an Indigenous-led organization dedicated to building Indigenous power. Through organizing, activism, philanthropy, grantmaking, capacity-building, and narrative change, we are creating sustainable solutions on Indigenous terms.