Spring 2017

Written By Michelle Cook

During the Spring 2017 Delegation, women leaders engaged in many high level meetings, including with the Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund, DNB (the Bank of Norway), the Norwegian Parliament, Credit Suisse Bank, and UBS. The Delegation was covered by international news outlets and on national television and radio in Norway and Switzerland, helping to raise awareness and to bring more pressure to financial institutions to divest (please see media links below!). The Delegation also met with local Indigenous Sami leaders and other local groups for further solidarity and movement building. 

In Norway, the advocacy of the Indigenous Women's Divestment Delegation was instrumental in pushing DNB bank to sell their $331 million dollar credit line to DAPL, following strong advocacy efforts from many groups, and an independent investigation in which DNB affirmed the violation of Indigenous rights and failure to properly consult the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.

Delegates of the first Indigenous Women’s Divestment Delegation to Norway and Switzerland included Dr. Sarah Jumping Eagle (Oglala Lakota and Mdewakantonwan Dakota living and working on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation); Wasté Win Young (Ihunktowanna/Hunkpapa of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Former Tribal Historic Preservation Officer); Michelle Cook (Diné/Navajo, human rights lawyer and a founding member of the of the Water Protector Legal Collective at Standing Rock); Tara Houska (Anishinaabe, tribal attorney, National Campaigns Director of Honor the Earth, and former advisor on Native American affairs to Bernie Sanders); and Autumn Chacon (Diné/Navajo writer and performance artist); along with Osprey Orielle Lake (WECAN International Executive Director).

Learn more via the feature article in EcoWatch - Indigenous Women of Standing Rock Resistance Movement Speak Out on Divestment

Delegations
Fall 2023
Fall 2023

“Violence on the Land is Violence on our Bodies”: Appalachian Frontline Women’s Divestment Delegation.” Fall 2023

Summer 2020
Summer 2020

Indigenous Women’s Divestment Delegation Pushes Deutsche Bank for Fossil Fuel Divestment Amidst Pipeline Shutdowns, a Global Pandemic and the Climate Crisis.

Summer 2019
Summer 2019

“The EP Banks are a group of 94 international banks who have signed-on to adhere to a voluntary set of principles enshrined in the ‘Equator Principles’ document. As stated on the EP Banks website, the Equator Principles is used as “a risk management framework, adopted by financial institutions, for determining, assessing and managing environmental and social risk in projects and is primarily intended to provide a minimum standard for due diligence and monitoring to support responsible risk decision-making.”

Autumn 2018
Autumn 2018

A fourth Indigenous Women's Divestment Delegation traveled to New York City and Washington D.C. in October 2018 - where women leaders took action and engaged in high-level meetings with major credit rating agency, Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI), and bank association, the Equator Principle Association.

Spring 2018
Spring 2018

A third Indigenous Women's Delegation returned to Germany and Switzerland in Spring 2018. Indigenous women leaders and allies advocated against unwanted extractive development in Indigenous territories, and raised a call for adherence to the standards of Indigenous rights and human rights law, and meaningful action to divest funds from fossil fuel companies.

Autumn 2017
Autumn 2017

Over two weeks in early October 2017, a second Delegation traveled to Germany, Switzerland and Norway to follow up and continue forward motion on advocacy efforts, and participate in a variety of strategic platforms.

Spring 2017
Spring 2017

During the Spring 2017 Delegation, women leaders engaged in many high level meetings, including with the Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund, DNB (the Bank of Norway), the Norwegian Parliament, Credit Suisse Bank, and UBS.

Michelle Cook
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Autumn 2017