Council Votes To End Seattle's $3 Billion Relationship With Wells Fargo
The Seattle City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday {February 7} to end the city’s contract with Wells Fargo once it lapses in late 2018. That means that Seattle is now the first major city in the nation to have decided to move its money from a financial institution in part due to its ties with the Dakota Access Pipeline.
Even before the vote — which was certainly expected — public comment was stacked with heartfelt thanks, including a short song and presentation from local tribes. “Give us the opportunity to honor you,” said Rachel Heaton, Muckleshoot tribal member, Duwamish descendant, and among the lead organizers on the Defund DAPL Seattle Action Coalition. She presented each Councilmember with a gift: a rock, a bottle of sacred water, cedar, sage, and lavender. “In our culture, we believe those allies and those people that work with us… we honor them,” she said. “Even though I realize the vote hasn’t taken place yet… the fact that we’re standing here and having this conversation shows how far we’ve come. On behalf of the Native American community, we’d like to honor all nine of you today.”
Following the public comment period and a discussion of various amendments, Council President Bruce Harrell opted to go to a vote before every Councilmember made his or her comments, simply because “we all know we’re going to pass this.” And when the defining moment arrived in a chorus of “ayes,” the room erupted. “Mni wiconi! Water is life!”
Defund DAPL activists, in Seattle and across the country, now see the city as a clear beacon of progressive resistance, and an obvious way to urge other cities to follow suit.
Read more: http://www.seattleweekly.com/news/council-votes-to-end-its-3-billion-relationship-with-wells-fargo/