Data Center Protests | How To Stop Data Centers

The Numbers That Explain Why Your Grandchildren Will Be Fighting Wars Over Water (But With Robots)

Over the next four years, they’re planning to build more than 12,000 data centers in the United States. Currently there are 5,500. They’re going to MORE THAN DOUBLE them in four years. Total investment: $5.2 trillion.

 

Protesters rally against STAMP data center plan during Hochul visit in Buffalo

The demonstration called for a moratorium on new data center development across the state.

Tommy Gallagher (WGRZ)  May 22, 2026

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Environmental activists, local organizations, and members of the Tonawanda Seneca Nation gathered outside the Buffalo Irish Center to protest proposed data center development in New York State.

Specifically, they targeted plans for the STAMP site in Genesee County while Gov. Kathy Hochul attended a fundraiser inside on Thursday evening.

The demonstration, organized by several local groups and environmental advocates, called for a moratorium on new data center development across the state. Protesters focused their concerns on the proposed project at the Genesee County STAMP site.

Although Hochul did not directly address demonstrators outside the event, she discussed the Genesee County STAMP plant earlier in the day, saying New York has some long-term interest in data centers, but only with certain standards.

Stream Data Centers, the company behind the proposed project, says the development would create 125 permanent jobs at the STAMP site and approximately 1,200 construction jobs during the buildout.

RELATED: Litigation aims to stop latest STAMP project in Genesee County 

According to Honor the Earth, there are currently at least 106 proposed data center projects near or on Native lands. In western New York, a proposed $19.46 billion data center project would sit adjacent to the Tonawanda Seneca Nation’s territory, threatening an old forest that tribal citizens use for hunting, fishing, and gathering traditional medicine. 

STOP DATA SURVEILLANCE CENTERS 

The Underground Blueprint to Destroy the Tech Bro Plan to Enslave the Planet With AI Data Centers by 🐺The Wise Wolf

OR: How a Broke Hobojournalist With No Car Weaponized a Zero-Budget Strategy to Kill the Coming AI Dystopia Before It Starts

Read on Substack

**

TRICKS:

Step one: Corporation identifies land it wants. (”That subdivision would make a great server farm!”)

Step two: Corporation identifies local politicians who appear purchasable. (This step is easier than you’d think. Most politicians advertise their availability through campaign finance disclosures.)

Step three: Campaign contributions flow. (Legally! It’s all very legal! Just structured donations that definitely don’t constitute bribery because we’ve defined bribery in a way that excludes all the ways rich people buy politicians.)

Step four: Local politicians create or gain control of a “development authority” or similar governmental body. (Every state has slightly different names but they all do the same thing: provide legal cover for theft.)

Step five: Corporate executives or their proxies sit on that authority. (Just like how Pfizer’s VP George Milne sat on New London’s development board. Totally normal. No conflict of interest here. Just government officials who happen to work for the corporation benefiting from the government decisions they’re making.)

Step six: The authority declares the project serves “economic development” and therefore provides “public benefit.” (Jobs! Tax revenue! Economic growth! Never mind that a Costco also provides all those things.)

Step seven: Eminent domain gets deployed. (This is the part where armed government agents show up to inform you that your family home of 30 years now belongs to people who own more money than your town’s entire assessed property value.)

Step eight: Properties get seized. (The government takes your house. You get “fair market value” which is determined by the government. You cannot negotiate. You cannot refuse. You leave or they arrest you.)

Step nine: Land transfers to the corporation. (Usually for $1 or some other nominal fee because why pay market rates when you’ve captured the government.)

Step ten: Corporation gets massive tax exemptions for 10 to 20 years. (Because obviously a multi-billion-dollar data center needs tax breaks. How else will the investors afford their fourth vacation homes?)

Step eleven: The public pays for all the infrastructure upgrades. (New roads to the facility? Public expense. Upgraded power lines? Public expense. Water infrastructure? Public expense. The corporation pays for none of this.)

Step twelve: Corporation keeps all the profits. (Shocking twist: the economic benefits that supposedly justified the taking don’t actually benefit the public whose property and tax dollars funded everything.)

 

More on data centers: Almost Half of US Data Centers That Were Supposed to Open This Year Slated to Be Canceled or Delayed 

 Futurism

https://futurism.com › artificial-intelligence › data-centers-tribal-communities

Tech Companies Are Using Insidious Tactics to Build Data Centers on Native Lands...

Apr 24, 2026 Data center developers are using NDAs and bait-and-switch tactics to force Tribal leaders into building data centers on Native lands.

 

VISIT: 

 

https://www.instagram.com/stopdatacolonialism/ 

Remaining Native + Clear Sky (films)

BIFF (Buffalo International Film Festival Premier) 

Ku Stevens (17) is the solo runner at his high school with no coach. Living on the Yerington Paiute reservation in Northwest Nevada, he is driven by his ambition to run for his dream school, the University of Oregon.

As Ku trains, unreconciled emotions unearth the memory of his great-grandfather, Frank Quinn. At 8 years old, Frank ran 50 miles across the desert to escape an Indian boarding school. Frank’s story becomes interwoven with Ku’s journey to run a collegiate qualifying time.

This coming-of-age documentary is told from Ku's perspective as he struggles to navigate his dream of becoming a collegiate athlete as the memory of his great grandfather's escape from an Indian boarding school begins to connect past, present, and future.

Will Ku outrun his history or will he learn to run in parallel with it to achieve his dreams?

Presented in partnership with the Office for Diversity, Equity, and Belonging for the College of Arts and Sciences at University at Buffalo – The State University of New York.

TICKETS and MORE:  https://www.buffalofilm.org/events/remaining-native/ 

Clear Sky October 16, 4 PM North Park Theatre
Director Michael Del Monte in attendance.

Given up for adoption the day he was born, Shawn’s life spirals into addiction as he struggles with a broken connection to his Anishinaabe culture and a deep resentment toward the mother who abandoned him.  Through intense psychedelic therapy and the relentless grind of distance running, CLEAR SKY follows Shawn’s fight to save his life, culminating in a cross-country road trip to confront the person he resents most: his mother.  Filmed over three years, this intimate story bridges ancient traditions and modern science.  Hailed by Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine) as 'a cinematic masterpiece,' CLEAR SKY is an unflinching portrait of one man’s journey to heal and find his place in the world.

Yurly | Country October 16, 11:30 AM North Park Theatre 

A vivid ode to land and an intimate, inspiring portrait of an Indigenous Elder’s final year as he fights to reclaim his homeland, scarred by the largest contaminated site in the Southern Hemisphere.  Banjima Elder Maitland Parker calls his yurlu (homeland) in the Pilbara region of Western Australia “poison country”; this haunting truth is etched into his body as he lives with terminal mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer resulting from asbestos exposure. Six decades prior, the Wittenoom mines left behind more than three million tonnes of waste rock laced with deadly asbestos fibres, turning 46,840 hectares of Banjima Country – an area eight times the size of Manhattan – into a toxic exclusion zone. Today, Aboriginal communities in Western Australia have the world’s highest mortality rate from mesothelioma. Yurlu | Country follows Maitland as he confronts government inaction and corporate greed in the hope of allowing his people to reconnect with and heal their ancestral lands. This powerful documentary bears witness to Australia’s very own – albeit largely unknown – Chernobyl-style disaster. Braiding imagery of beautiful yet contaminated terrain with poignant interviews and damning archival footage, the film stands as a testament to First Nations resilience amid ongoing dispossession, and is a rousing call to action to redress the cultural, environmental and physical wounds caused by colonisation and industry.

 

Shorts:
Climate Stories + Earth Works: “Kanenon:we - Original Seeds”
Next Gen: Peace Flags + 35,567 Yup'ik Stories
Racial Justice in View: My Name Is Not Amy
Resilience + Resistance: the Bone Comb 

Education Secretary threatens to pull funding from NY over its Mascot Ban

 

By The Associated Press

New York is discriminating against a school district that refuses to get rid of its Native American chief mascot and could face a Justice Department investigation or risk losing federal funding, President Donald Trump’s top education official said Friday.

 

“The Trump Administration will not stand idly by as state leaders attempt to eliminate the history and culture of Native American tribes,” the former longtime CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment said.

McMahon said her department will give the state 10 days to sign an agreement rescinding its Native American mascot ban and apologizing to Native Americans for having discriminated against them and attempted to “erase” their history.

READ:  https://www.silive.com/news/2025/05/trumps-education-secretary-threatens-to-pull-funding-from-ny-over-its-native-american-mascot-ban.html

Ethnic Cleansing, Dark and Tragic Period

 

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul presented perhaps the strongest worded government apology to date for her state’s role in operating an Indian boarding school from 1875 to 1957.

“Today, on behalf of the State of New York, I apologize to the Seneca Nation of Indians – and the survivors and descendants from all Nations – who attended the Thomas Indian School,” Hochul said. “We cannot change the horrors of the past, but I recommit to the truth, justice, reconciliation, accountability, and healing that are so essential to move forward together.”

READ MORE: https://ictnews.org/news/ethnic-cleansing-new-york-governor-joins-other-states-in-seeking-reconciliation-for-indian-boarding-schools/

#ASimplePieceOfPaper | November is Adoption (beware) Awareness Month

November is Adoption (beware) Awareness Month

reblog from 2015

 

By Trace Hentz (who still doesn't have a simple piece of paper called her original birth certificate but will apply in 2024 in Minnesota) 

What is #ASimplePieceOfPaper? Your Original Birth Certificate - the real one with real names and dates.

I have been researching adoption for 20+ years as a journalist and started my own search for my identity at age 22 - a very long time ago (as an adoptee).

Can anyone tell me why it has taken years and years for any progress on open adoption files and letting an adoptee have their original birth certificate and the name of their parent(s)??

 

It's a simple piece of paper.

We have to start somewhere. Read this:

http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/news03/bill-of-adoptee-rights-gains-support-locally-and-across-the-state-20150415

https://www.nny360.com/news/adoptees-birthright/article_7e2426bb-e8e9-506b-b260-34c005406e74.html

American Indian Law Alliance partners with National Institute for Law and Justice to address MMIR crisis

 

RNS Press Release Distribution Service

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — In a groundbreaking move, the American Indian Law Alliance (AILA) on AUGUST 22 2023, announced its partnership with the National Institute for Law and Justice (NILJ) to intensify efforts in solving cases involving missing and murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR).

Since its inception in 1989, AILA has championed the causes of Indigenous nations, communities, and organizations, tirelessly advocating for sovereignty, human rights, and social justice. Their profound expertise in these realms will synergize with the capabilities of NILJ, which was established in 2021.

NILJ’s primary mission is to provide investigative support—at no cost—for victims and their families, enabling them to present their individual cases for expert review by decorated retired NYPD homicide detectives and a network of forensic and investigation specialists.  This includes current and cold MMIR cases, ensuring justice and closure are achievable for all, irrespective of financial barriers.

“What sets NILJ apart from other organizations is that they are committed and are passionate about doing the work of bringing our relatives home and investigating these cases,” said Gaeñ hia uh, Betty Lyons (Onondaga Nation, Snipe Clan), Executive Director of American Indian Law Alliance. “In their retirement, these dedicated men are choosing to bring some sense of closure to these mourning families.”

Detective Mark Pucci, Founder and CEO of NILJ added, “This partnership with AILA is pivotal in our dedication to reach and help Indigenous families who otherwise might not know about our organization.”

Together, NILJ and AILA will address the MMIR crisis and bring resolution to families whose loved ones are missing and/or murdered. Their efforts will spotlight the struggles of Indigenous communities and advocate for legislative and policy changes at the national level.

The organizations invite public engagement, urging policymakers, stakeholders, and the community at large to rally behind this crucial mission.

To submit a case for review, family members whose loved ones are missing or have been murdered are encouraged to visit https://nilj.org/contact-us or call 1-833-FIND-ME.

AILA and NILJ are passionate about working together to help support the families of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, 2Spirit folks, and all Indigenous Relations coming home. 

“The Two Row Wampum belt treaty reminds us that we are traveling down this river of life side-by-side with one another,” added Betty Lyons. “Let’s work together to reunite families.”

About AILA: The American Indian Law Alliance (AILA), established in 1989, as an Indigenous, non-profit, non-partisan organization. AILA collaborates with Indigenous nations, communities, and organizations to advocate for sovereignty, human rights, and social justice, steadfastly championing the rights and needs of Indigenous peoples throughout Turtle Island. For more information, visit https://aila.ngo/.

About NILJ: Founded in 2022, the National Institute for Law and Justice (NILJ) offers victims, their families, and loved ones the opportunity to present their missing persons and homicide cases—at no cost—for expert review, bridging financial gaps and ensuring professional investigations. The nonprofit organization is committed to unveiling the truth, serving justice, and providing closure to all affected parties. For more information, visit https://nilj.org.

U.S. team to digitize Quaker boarding school records, drawing inspiration from Canada

The Canadian Press  August 26, 2023

In this photo taken in 1906, provided by the Quaker and Special Collections at Haverford College, teachers and students gather for a portrait at Tunesassa School in Tunesassa, New York. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Quaker and Special Collections, Haverford College

OTTAWA -- A coalition advocating for Indigenous Peoples forced to attend boarding schools in the United States is planning to digitize 20,000 archival pages related to schools that were operated by the Quakers.

Outside of Native Nations, most people aren't even aware these schools were an integral part of history and U.S. federal Indian policy, said Samuel Torres, the deputy CEO of the Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition.

He and his team are trying to change that, drawing inspiration -- and lessons learned -- from Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.

READ MORE

 

“They killed our spirit. They killed us.”

Haudenosaunee boarding school survivors seek justice

New York news | NOELLE E.C. EVANS | WXXI | June 10, 2021

“Physical beatings were a matter of course. Food deprivation occurred almost all the time. People ask me, ‘What was your overall feeling of this place?’ And I say, ‘Well, it was hunger,'” said Doug George, whose Akwasasne Mohawk name is Kanentiio. (photo above)

Kanentiio, whose name means “handsome pine,” describes life at an Indian boarding school, also known as a residential school, in the 1960s.

The first such facility, Carlisle Indian Industrial School, was founded in the 1870s by military Capt. Richard Pratt. It was a way to assimilate Native American children into “white” society and, in Pratt’s words, “kill the Indian to save the man.”

“The intent was to extinguish us as Aboriginal people and destroy whatever sense of self-worth we had, and I can say that they succeeded to a large degree,” Kanentiio said. “They killed our spirit. They killed us.”

Many students sent to these schools went missing. Last month, 215 children’s remains were discovered in British Columbia at one of nearly 500 boarding schools in Canada and the U.S.

The discovery has sparked renewed calls for justice from Indigenous communities and for further investigations — forensic and archeological — into more residential schools.

“It’s high time that this American country recognizes the great value and resource in its indigenous populations and celebrates and promotes and supports,” said Michael Galban, curator at the Seneca Art and Culture Center at Ganondagan State Historic Site.

Last year, Democrats in the U.S. Senate introduced a bill that would create a Truth and Healing Commission, which would investigate and document past injustices of what they call the federal government’s cultural genocide. So far, the bill has not progressed in any fashion.

Undoing this magnitude of injustice would take multiple long-term solutions, Galban said, starting with policy changes.

“It would involve language restoration,” he said. “It would involve environmental restorations. It would involve, in some cases, restoring people to their original homelands.”

It would also mean recording oral histories of survivors’ experiences.

“Every day, we’re losing the stories from the survivors as they age out and pass away,” he said. “Hopefully they’re sharing their stories with their families.”

Survivors’ stories Galban’s grandmother, Evelyn Evans Galban, was a residential school survivor.

In the 1920s, she was taken from her home in California and sent to the Stewart Indian School in Nevada, where Galban said she experienced abuse.

“The idea was that you could strip these Indian children of their culture and their ideologies and create a new cheap labor class that certain areas of the country could exploit,” Galban said.

During the school year, she was taught how to fold laundry, set tables and make beds, he said. During school breaks, she couldn’t go home.

“During the summers, these schools would hire out the students under the guise that they would be learning how to live amongst the whites,” Galban said. “But really, they were being farmed out to hotels and resorts to be their domestic labor.”

She attempted to run away multiple times. On one occasion, she was caught “in the middle of the winter. They took away her shoes and basically whipped her back to school with no shoes on,” Galban said.

Finally, with the help of a cousin, she managed to run away to Montana, Galban said.

No choice Indian boarding schools were compulsory at the time. It would be another 12 years before the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 would give Native American parents the legal right to refuse their children’s placement in these kinds of schools off reservations.

Until then, Native leadership and families were essentially held hostage by the federal governments of the U.S. and Canada.

“If there was ever, whether it be by leadership or families, any action to stop or take their children (back), they were often persecuted and arrested and faced problems for that as well,” said Mohawk Grandchief Abram Benedict.

In 1966, Kanentiio was 11 years old when police and social services took him from the St. Regis Mohawk Reserve near Ottawa, Canada, and sent him nearly 350 miles west to the Mohawk Institute in Brantford, Ontario.

He’s now one of about 40 remaining Mohawk survivors.

At the school, Kanentiio said the abuse came not just from staff but also from older students who he said were encouraged to discipline the younger students.

After a few years, he managed to escape — first by way of expulsion: He and his classmates were non-compliant, troublemakers.

“Our rude behavior was our survival,” Kanentiio said. “We couldn’t just simply be compliant. We had to fight, physically if necessary, to stop these things from happening.”

Still, when he was expelled, he wasn’t sent back to the reservation. He was put into foster care and bounced around from one home to the next until he eventually managed to run away back home, he said.

More than 50 years later, Kanentiio wishes he could confront those personally responsible for the brutal treatment, abuse, and for ripping families apart.

“It’s a terrible thing to walk around believing that you’re not truly a human being or a complete human being,” he said. “Something deep and wonderful has been lost. And that’s the terror of this thing.”

 

Practice Babies?

 

In 1919, Cornell pioneered the first degree-granting program in the country for women called “Domestic Economics.” Its aim was to apply scientific principles to domestic tasks deemed “Mothercraft” — such as making meals, cleaning and ironing, household budgeting, and raising children. Female coeds — five or six at a time — lived together in on-campus “Homemaking Apartments” and collectively mothered the practice babies.

Ranging in age from three weeks to a few months old, babies were loaned to the college for a year. The contracts between the orphanages and Cornell stated the babies “could be returned at any time if there was dissatisfaction on the part of the college.”

Their birth names and identities were erased, and they were fatted and raised by a rotating lineup of up to six practice mothers at a time. The co-eds’ work was divided into six parts, including the job of mother and assistant mother.

Domecon babies were highly sought-after for adoption. Adoptive parents were convinced that because the babies were being raised in ideal conditions and by scientific methods it would ensure a smooth family transition. A 1923 newspaper article titled “Coeds at Cornell Mother Real, Live Practice Babies” referred to the babies as “super children.”

The program ran through 1954. In all, 119 children were raised in this manner and adopted, and Dickie Domecon was the first. Most grew up with no knowledge of having been abandoned or surrendered, or having been a Domecon baby.

All identifying records were destroyed.

READ THIS 

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This essay is excerpted from Megan Culhane Galbraith’s The Guild of the Infant Saviour: An Adopted Child’s Memory Book, published by Mad Creek Books, an imprint of the Ohio State University Press.