On Sunday night the Morton County Sheriff’s Department escalated its conflict with Standing Rock Reservation protesters opposed to the North Dakota Access Pipeline by spraying crowds with water cannons in 26-degree weather. Since April, when protesters established the Oceti Sakowin Camp in support of the Standing Rock Sioux (whose reservation straddles the North and South Dakota borders), resistance to the NDAPL has steadily grown—now more than 1,000 protesters live in the encampment, hoping to stop the imminent construction of an oil pipeline that the Sioux say will threaten their water supply and thus their health and home. If you’re looking for a primer on the situation, start with Smithsonian magazine’s September article and follow its links down the rabbit hole. If you’re looking for ways to help protestors, you’ve got lots of options—including going to Subterranean on Saturday for a hip-hop benefit show called Chicago Stands With Standing Rock.
The bill features more than a dozen local hip-hop acts, including heady multi-instrumentalist Tewz and long-grinding battle rapper SamIAm the MC, who recently dropped the mixtape Subterranean Emcee (its title nods to the Wicker Park venue’s Tuesday open-mike series). CTA, Handz Solo, Communicator, and DJ Shottas will spin records, and almost a dozen visual artists will auction off their work. Activist and former Air America radio personality David Bender will be the night’s guest speaker. All proceeds from the night’s $10 suggested donation go to benefit the Oceti Sakowin Camp.