October 18, 2016

Dear people of Standing Rock,

My name is Salman Sadan, I am a member of the Azazme tribe and live in the Bedouin village Wadi Aricha in Israel. Although we never met in person, as a member of a traditional tribal society I feel connected to you, to your traditions and to your way of life. After hearing your story I feel we have much in common. I believe I share with you some of your challenges, struggles and dilemmas. Both of us face the challenge of maintaining our traditional way of life, which I believe has a very important role in the world, even in a technologically developed society.

The refusal of the authorities to acknowledge the importance of your lands and of your social needs is familiar to me from my struggles here at home.

I wish to send my support. I stand with you, my brothers and sisters of Standing Rock, and hope to strengthen your spirit. Your courage inspires communities around the world.

Allah Ma’akum, God is with you

Salman

Salman Sadan is the tribal leader of Wadi Aricha and is directly and peacefully pursuing to remain in the desert his tribe is indigenous to. His tribe’s village is destroyed every 5 years due to the claim that it is in a “closed military zone”, but in great strength they always replant their olive trees and rebuild their structures. Many people (including Jewish Israelis) are actively helping to make his home area a protected site to preserve the Bedouin culture and develop ecological techniques for desert dwelling based on Salman and his tribe’s own interests. Salman is family and Wadi Aricha will be the focus of the next major project for Trystan Foundation. He also has voting rights for future decisions by the Board of Directors of Trystan Foundation.

On my first visit to Wadi Aricha, he specifically asked me about the wellbeing of the Navajo, Diné, and I was brought to tears at the realization of how he identifies with a people he has never met directly and  how the Natives of Turtle Island share much of the abuses that his own people are currently struggling through. I am currently in Standing Rock on the emergency project, but am also collecting messages to send to Wadi Aricha. His pictures and stories are being actively shared at campfires in this Lakota River Valley. Trystan Foundation wishes to bring him to meet these First Peoples directly if the travel restrictions can be worked through. If not, then we will bring them to his village in the the Naqab/Negev.

-Trey