“Occupy the Tundra” Lady on The Shannyn Moore Show Today!
Many of you know Diane McEachern as the “Occupy the Tundra Lady.” She’s the one who posted a picture of herself attending a solo vigil (plus a few dogs) out near Bethel in rural Western Alaska. The picture rapidly went viral, and Diane has used her 15 minutes of fame to draw attention to an issue of tremendous importance to her remote region – the threat of the proposed Pebble Mine project, and how she feels the threat of corporate interest that has very little to do with human interest in her area. Our hats off to Diane for helping to get the message out there that the region is far more concerned with preserving its “red gold” in the form of fish than it is putting the whole way of life under threat for a few short term jobs and a big toxic mess.
In a wonderful example of how important messages spread, Diane has gotten some company! Turns out she wasn’t as alone as she thought, and a few dozen more humans and a dog team showed up to help her Occupy the Tundra this week.
Diane will be a special guest on today’s Shannyn Moore Show (1020am, 95.5fm) which you can stream at 1020koan.com. Click the link and hit the “Listen Live” button in the upper left corner. She’ll be on the air with Shannyn in the noon hour Alaska time (1:00pm Pacific, 4pm Eastern) to talk about her iconic photograph, and how it went viral.
Gotta love it. There’s something very right about the “Occupy the Tundra” lady taking her dogs to her lonely protest–and what I love even more is that others showed up–with their dogs. Makes me wonder what it must be like, having a politically active animal companion. I should speak to my cats about their views on the upcoming election.
Good job Diane.
This new Republican dictionary will come in handy when trying to understand Republicanspeak.
Here’s a sample of what you will find inside:
Corporations: Large people who are overtaxed.
Endangered Species: Animals that have it coming.
Jesus: Charismatic religious leader and son of God; born in Bethlehem in the year 0; beliefs include love, charity, enhanced interrogation, privatized healthcare, elimination of the estate tax, and the right to carry concealed semiautomatic weapons.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-bines/republican-dictionary_b_1028841.html
we should redefine rwnj out of existence. Let us put our collective(Socialist word) minds together and solve all our problems the peaceful,intelligent way and smite the buggers with their own words.
I love the photos and I admire and love Diane. This movement has gone global. No nook or cranny on our Earth is not exempt. I love our internets and instant communication. Without it we would not know how much solidarity there really is. Information is power and the internet is information. 🙂
oops. Correction to my post. “not exempt” should read exempt. I hate double negatives and am surprised I let one slip. Sorry.
that ain’t not nothing to worry about.
How can I send a picture of (admittedly contrived) occupy the Amazon protesters?
Sometimes I feel a keen sense of missing the sting of that frosty air… sometimes, and not for long.
You can send it to me at akmuckraker(at)yahoo(dot)com!
Today’s show was a rerun of last Friday. When will the interview with Diane actually air?
Shannyn was feeling under the weather and was unable to go in today. Hopefully the interview will air tomorrow if she is feeling better.
I will be on today at Noon (Thursday)!
I see two of the dogs are still on the job–where is that other slacker! OK–saw him in the third picture. I like to make sure the troops are still on board.
No offense,but is there any part of Alaska that isn’t essentially rural?
…says someone from Iowa….. 🙂
For what it is worth, and rather unfortunately, I think, there are many spots in and around Anchorage where you can immerse yourself so thoroughly in contemporary commercialism that you could be anywhere, DesMoines, perhaps. Shopping centers are all the same, pretty much. However, essentially you are correct. At least, until somebody sets us both straight.
Unfortunately, Anchorage has become just another big city, with big city problems. As the saying goes, Anchorage isn’t Alaska, but you can get there from here. (and it doesn’t require a long drive.)
Anchorage is as close as you can get to Alaska without really being there.
Fairbanks is urban; Kenai is good sized. Wasilla and Palmer are still essentially suburbs of Anchorage, though growing and becoming more self-sustaining by the day.
Wasilla started as a strip mall. It took more votes to become class president of an Anchorage high school than it did for $arah to become mayor of Wasilla.
This cracked me up! Great comparison.
I suspect that the class presidents in Anchorage high schools are more competent and work harder than she ever did!
I’d bet money that they can speak better than she can!
Leenie: Who is the “she” you are referring to here?
Sorry – I lost the thread…(Palin!)
Yeah, but 5 minutes out of Fbks and you are in the boonies! (And what wonderful boonies they are.)
What struck me most about the couple of times I’ve been in Fairbanks in summer was the size and completely saturated color of the flowers. The blooms in hanging baskets and planters were so big and bright they almost didn’t look real. The purples and pinks, in particular, were just gorgeous.
Beautiful flowers in Anchorage too, but I think the colors were even better in Fairbanks.
I was very jealous! 😉
Wow, they’re even causing traffic to stop. Check out the dog team in the background.
they look like the sled is in front of the dogs facing the wrong way.That would be a new one on me.
my apologies. I didn’t see the second sled behind the crowd.
What looks like a sled in front is a dog handler! And yes, most of Alaska is ‘rural’ but we do have urban centers. Bethel has no roads in or out…you have to fly in.
Yep, you can’t keep those Bethelites down – good to see you folks!
Just to give you an idea of what these folks can do: One especially bad winter a bunch of teachers got so homesick for some warm weather stuff, that they flew in sand (yes, sand) along with other Hawiian accoutrements and had a Luau! Then there was the Oktoberfest and Halloween Party where one especially tall gal came in a beat-up old refrigerator. All night folks tried to guess what she was, and she finally confessed: Wien freight (Wein Air Alaska was serving the area then).
Ah, the memories – wish I could be up there to “occupy” with you!
OOOPS! Better clarify that the Halloween gal came in a refrigerator box, not a refrigerator!
I was imagining a very tall and extremely strong gal. Box is better!