As Minnesota is one of the states in which PAN does on-the-ground campaign work, we send out regular updates on PAN and partners’ work in Minnesota and beyond — from pesticide-related science to opportunities to take action. If you’d like to receive these updates via email, sign up here.
Hello from the PAN Minnesota team!
It was so great to see some of you earlier this month at the 19th Annual Great Lakes Indigenous Farming Conference. We enjoyed hearing from guest speakers like Winona LaDuke and Elizabeth Hoover, and being in community with each other. We were also there with our partners Toxic Taters, White Earth Land Recovery Project, Minnesota Well Owners Organization, and Northern Water Alliance conducting free water testing and spreading the word about the important Clean Water is a Right project.
In many small towns and rural farming communities of North Central Minnesota, the well water folks rely on every day for drinking and bathing contains pesticides, nitrates, and other contaminants. Unlike municipal water sources, these private wells aren’t closely regulated, tested, or maintained for safety. After conducting our first round of testing last year, we found that many families are using unsafe water, and some are unable to afford the costs of securing emergency water or water filtration systems.
We shared the Clean Water is a Right fund with you last year. Our initial launch goal was to raise $5,000, and with your generous support we’re almost halfway to that goal. Even more exciting, a donor has recently pledged a $1,000 match! If you donate today, your support for emergency drinking water, filtration systems and other clean water needs will go twice as far.
Toxic Taters Coordinator Tanya RedRoad shares her thoughts on the importance of this project:
Toxic Taters is dedicated to helping our community be aware of what is happening to our land, water and people who are affected by harmful pesticides. We have had enough with turning a blind eye to what is happening with toxic agriculture in our area, and we want to protect our people. We’re fed up with our state not protecting local communities against corporate agriculture interests, and we are organizing to say ENOUGH! Our public health, food, the health of our land and water is all interdependent, and our right to a safe and healthy future is not for sale. Please help ensure our neighbors all over Minnesota have the right to clean water. We’re growing a network of farmers, rural and urban community members, water protectors, environmental justice activists and public health advocates to fight for the future we deserve – one with safe and healthy food, water and lands!
— Miigwech/Thank you, Tanya RedRoad
Clean water is a basic human right, and if you’re able to help fellow Minnesotans secure that right with a (matched!) donation today, we would really appreciate it. Thank you for being in this work with us.
Be well,
Zoe Hollomon, PAN Minnesota Organizer
