As Long as Grass Grows: The Indigenous Fight for Environmental Justice from Colonization to Standing Rock By Dina Gilio-Whitaker.

We were glad we read the book. It was a bit disjointed but offered good information. One comment the author made was that “colonialism is a precondition for capitalism” which generated some good discussion. Of course, capitalism requires a power differential, in contrast to the tribal focus on sharing power and honoring nature. But does classism require colonialism? Our education system latched onto and promoted capitalism. Monuments to capitalist industrial progress, such as railroads and dams, were a death knell to many Native American cultures, disconnecting them from their traditional land and trade routes.

Ecological justice has been a challenge for Native peoples since the ecology movement often doesn’t honor non-humans nor the importance of specific land and plants to their culture. For example, National Parks are set aside (often on Native land) and they are supposed to be uninhabited and empty, pristine. Who knew that some Japanese internment camps were on land where natives had been removed? The film Killers of the Flower Moon showed how Native Americans were pushed onto the worst land, but if the land turned out to have natural resources, Native Americans were removed by any means. There are 1,322 superfund sites and 532 of them are on Native land.

In Minnesota, some Native nations are trying to reclaim their lands and culture by restoring the Native diet. They have their own Department of Natural Resources and work with the state and county to secure food sovereignty through bison, rice, and gardens. The tribes are also working on youth mental health and getting Native resources into the schools.

Our discussion hit on a central question: what would economic/ecological justice look like with Native Americans at the center since it would be tied to the land? Often economic justice work lumps all minority groups together, which can blind these efforts to the unique history of Native Americans in the United States. One solution the author proposed was that the Rights of Nature be given legal personhood, just like corporations.

Evening book club meets next on Monday, April 14, to discuss Prequel by Rachel Maddow.

"Say Nothing" by Patrick Radden Keefe is a story of The Troubles in Northern Ireland, centered on the 1972 abduction and murder of Jean McConville, a widowed mother of ten. Keefe brings together the personal stories of key figures like Dolours Price, Brendan Hughes, and Gerry Adams, revealing the complexity of the conflict. The book looks at the culture of silence in Northern Ireland, where "saying nothing" became a survival tactic. It examines the armed struggle, the long-lasting trauma inflicted on families, and the difficulties of achieving peace after decades of violence. Keefe illustrates the human cost of The Troubles, offering a picture of a society struggling with its past.

Our group discussed how the author made the story personal by focusing on the two women – Dolours Price and Jean McConville; McConville was murdered with the help of Dolours. We felt sympathy for Jean’s 10 children who were left to fend for themselves and then sent to an orphanage after their mother disappeared. We were left with disdain for Gerry Adams who denied being a member of the IRA and kept his freedom. There was a Boston College project that recorded people’s stories of their activities with the IRA with the understanding that the information would be kept secret and locked up, but the oral histories still got out.

For more information:

Say Nothing series streaming on Disney Plus and Hulu
This is Happiness, novel by Niall Williams
Ireland, A Novel, by Frank Delaney
Many books by Sebastian Barry
Many books by Colm Toibin

Our next book will be Autocracy, Inc. The Dictators who want to Run the World, by Anne Applebaum, which we will discuss on April 9th, 10:00 am at the Highland Park Library, 1974 Ford Parkway, St. Paul, MN 55116.

By Pamela Mercier, Co-Chair of the Voter Services Committee

Ikse joined the LWVSP Voter Service Committee about one-and-a-half years ago. They immediately enriched our committee with their energy, intelligence, and determination to engage youth in voter registration and education activities. During their time with us, Ikse registered voters at St. Paul Public high schools; collected voting data for us from Ramsey County; and created a presentation for high school students as part of our classroom visits. Ikse also offered ideas to the Minnesota Office of the Secretary of State as we worked with their Youth Civic Engagement director to increase access to voting for high school students.

Ikse was also a gifted outdoors person. They led hiking, camping, and paddling groups as part of the Les Voyageurs program at Concordia College. Ikse cared deeply about inspiring and transforming the lives of young people. In 2023, Ikse's Mom established the Ikse Mennen Endowed Scholarship at Concordia College. Its purpose is to enable students, who might otherwise not be able to do so, to join the Les Voyageurs programs.

Tragically, Ikse died in January 2025 from a rare cancer diagnosed in 2021. Their mother told me that Ikse asked her to let us know of their passing and how much they enjoyed working with the League. We on the Voter Services Committee are devastated by this loss. Ikse was a vibrant, smart, and committed member of our team who we miss dearly. We are grateful for the time we had with them.

New League of Women Voters Membership Portal (ChapterSpot)
By Claudia Dieter, Board Member, LWVSP

The new League of Women Voters Membership Portal (powered by ChapterSpot) is now the official membership system for all League chapters; it went live on Monday, February 3.

LWVUS planned to roll out the new membership system by email invitations issued in batches, starting on February 3. These emails would have contained a login link inviting members to set up their accounts in the new application.  As anyone who has had experience with the rollout of new technology can guess, however, there were a few hiccups. Some members received their invitation as expected, but many others – including me – did not. Nevertheless, the system is now up and running.

The good news is that members don’t have to wait to receive the invitation to access the new portal.  The portal can be accessed through this link: portal.lwv.org. The new system links are also up on our LWVSP website. The new platform enables every member to log in and update their personal information; to renew their membership; and to make donations.

Once you’ve arrived on the “landing page,” you will need to enter your email address – be sure it’s the email that you’ve used with your local League membership – and then click the blue bar that reads “Continue with Email.”

A verification code will be sent to that email address; enter that code and you will enter into the application and be able to update your personal information. Note: the verification code didn’t come through for me on my first attempt. I had to request that the verification number be resent by clicking on the “Resend verification email” link.

Going forward, the LWV Member Portal will send renewal notifications via email. For those who were members before the end of last year, this will be in August.  For those who became members after that, it will be one year after your join date.

For a detailed list of updates to the portal, please see the Membership Portal Updates page. If you run into issues in the portal, please fill out this support form.

On February 12, the Morning Book Club discussed Eric Utne's memoir, Far Out Man: Tales of Life in the Counterculture, which chronicles his journey as a spiritual seeker, anti-war activist, and founder of the Utne Reader.

The book spans several decades, from the Vietnam era to the age of Trump, capturing the essence of the counterculture movement over time. Utne shares his experiences  of American history, exploring the Vietnam era, the sexual revolution, and the entrepreneurial spirit of the Eighties and Nineties.

Our group had a special guest, Diane H. who worked with Utne. She shared many anecdotes about Eric and others who knew him. Many members of our group didn’t care much for Eric Utne. He came across as a self-absorbed dropout who didn’t think much about others. He used drugs, dropped out, was divorced twice, flirted with women in the office, and lived the life of a hippy. He dropped out of college three times, went from job to job, and traveled all over the world seeking new people and new ideas. He wondered if he was just like his dad, being an absent father.  He did create a lot of things – a men’s group, a salon, a magazine and the Utne Reader. He sought out and attracted interesting people and brought them together. Many of us felt that he didn’t express much gratitude for the happiness in his life and didn’t take responsibility for his actions.

On February 8, the LWVSP Evening Book Club read The Hundred Year's War on Palestine by Rashid Khalidi, covering the period from 1917 - 2017.

Being a Palestinian-American historian with family ties in the region, we recognize that the author has a certain point of view. The group felt, however, that most of our media has been overbalanced in favor of Israeli and pro-Israel perspectives. One thing that surprised most of us was the fact that the British planned on moving Jews into Palestine as early as the end of the 19th century. Jews, Muslims and Christians lived together in a vibrant society in the region during Ottoman rule. They area was occupied by the British after WWI when the population was 94% Arab and 6% Jewish.

Between 1909-14, 40,000 Jews immigrated to Palestine. Palestinians were hostile to the migration and riots took place while Zionist leaders were preaching the takeover of Palestine. After WWI, other national groups in the former Ottoman Empire were treated differently; the Turks, Iranians, Syrians, Egyptians, and Iraqis were given some measure of independence, but not the Palestinians. The League of Nations gave the British government a mandate to govern Palestine and only Jews residing there received national rights and citizenship. The Jewish population rose from 6% to18%. In 1935, 60,000 Jews arrived from Germany; Jews made up 30% of British Palestine's population by 1939.

Something the group found interesting was that the Palestinian Arabs, since they historically were divided by clans, had no effective government and there were inter-Arab differences with other countries. Arab leaders at this time, in general and among the Palestinians in particular, lacked negotiating expertise and global awareness. So there was no coherent Arab voice or support for Palestinian interests from other Arab nations. In 1947, the UN partitioned the land and gave 56% to the Jews; Arabs were expelled from those territories in what Khalidi describes as an ethnic cleansing.

The following years involved struggles by the Palestinians to be heard and the rise of FATAH, which was non-ideological but focused on the Palestinian national cause. Resistance groups took prominence after the Six Day War of 1967. Peace negotiations resulted in UNSC Resolution 242, which does not even mention the Palestinians, as was the case with future peace efforts which did not include them. The U.S. played Arabs against each other. People got tired of warfare, and the PLO lost support.

Over all these wars, revolts, and negotiations, Khalidi argues, Palestinians by-and-large did not educate themselves about the West to provide a basis for success; they did not start with a collective identity; and other Arab countries did not want to get involved. Khalidi tells a very sad story of a people who were abandoned on all sides and now are facing destruction again.

Our group had a very lively discussion of the book and we were glad that we read it.

With Minnesota's legislative session in full swing, the League of Women Voters of Minnesota offers a number of opportunities for members to engage meaningfully in the (small-d) democratic process. Follow this link to Take Action with LWVMN.

The state League also offers a weekly online action meeting for all League members called Fired Up Fridays! Click here to find out more and to register.

Don't forget to check out the state League's events calendar, as well as the national League's blog.

Finally, you can sign up for Action Alerts from the state and national League.

Quick reminder to all LWVSP members: the new ChapterSpot membership system goes live this afternoon, February 3. You should receive a link in your email with instructions on setting up your account sometime in the next few days - the invitations will be staggered throughout the week.

The ChapterSpot links are also accessible from our website. There is also a video tutorial on how to use the new system.

The League of Women Voters of Saint Paul would like to take a moment to celebrate the life of veteran member Mary Vik, who passed away on January 14, 2025, at the age of 100.

Mary was a reliable and ubiquitous presence in the St. Paul League since she joined in 1984, helping to expand the organization and increase its credibility. She occupied numerous leadership positions and organized our book club, which continues to this day. Over the years, she served as President or Co-President on more than one occasion; chaired both the Membership and Program committees; and served on the Nominating Committee, helping to recruit new board and committee members. She also served as LWVSP's representative to the CMAL, the Council of Metropolitan Area Leagues.

For her dedication to the League, Mary was recognized as the first-ever recipient of the League's Sunrise Award in 1987, and again in 1997 with the Faye Lyksett Award. Mary exemplified civic engagement and what it means to be a community leader. While we mourn her passing, we also express our gratitude for her commitment to voting rights and women's equality. She will be missed.

Follow this link to read her obituary. Funeral services will be held on Friday, January 31, at St. Thomas More Catholic Church (1079 Summit Ave, St. Paul, MN 55105). Visitation is at 9:00 am and the funeral service at 10:00 am, followed by a luncheon.

On January 8, 2025, LWVSP's Morning Book Club discussed The Thirty-First of March by Horace Busby,  a memoir of Lyndon B. Johnson's final days in office. Busby, who served as Johnson's speechwriter and advisor, writes about his perspective on the president's personality, politics, and work habits. The book highlights the turbulent period leading up to Johnson's announcement on March 31, 1968, that he would not seek re-election. Busby recounts the challenges and pressures Johnson faced, including the Vietnam War and civil unrest.  He also shares personal stories about Johnson's leadership style.  The memoir offers a behind-the-scenes look at the White House during a critical time in American history, highlighting Johnson's dedication to his duties despite the personal toll it took on him.

Our group talked about how LBJ wanted to continue FDR’s programs and wanted to have an impact on social justice. He didn’t care about how others thought. He worked for social justice. The group compared LBJ, JFK, and Jimmy Carter. LBJ was unpopular because of the Vietnam war and there was opposition to the draft including deferments for college kids. JFK may have wanted to drop LBJ as vice-president in the days prior to the assassination. He accomplished a lot, but the war did him in politically.

Our February book is Far Out Man: Tales of Life in the Counterculture, by Eric Utne.

Our next meeting is at 10:00 a.m.on February 12 at the Highland Park Library, 1st floor.