#mathmonday

Recognize period and amplitude from trig graphs—even if you haven’t had Advanced Algebra!

We were gutted to learn about the death of mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani over the weekend. Prof. Mirzakhani is the only woman (and only Iranian person) to have been awarded a Fields Medal, often called the Nobel Prize of mathematics, but only awarded every four years and to mathematicians under 40 years old. Prof. Mirzakhani received the Fields Medal in 2014, and just turned 40 this past May.

The world has lost a ground-breaking and glass-ceiling-shattering mathematician far, far, too soon.

Image by @rachelignotofsky

To everyone who donated to or supported our December trip to Standing Rock, I look forward to thanking you personally. Until then, here is a detailed list of the supplies our team was able to transport and donate.

Before reading said list, allow me to say that my personal takeaway from the experience was that “it’s not what we bring, it’s what we bring back.” We brought supplies and a vague sense of defiance against a violent and undemocratic force. After our experience, we brought back a clear sense of the cross-cultural solidarity and service which cracked me open as I witnessed native people, veterans, foreigners, and Americans from all walks of life coming together in prayer, healing, and forgiveness in the name of clean water and justice.

Donation list: (Thank you to all who donated. Special thanks to Joe Werne, Josie Siegel, & Chris Garre for organizing.)

·      Solar equipment: two large batteries, a charge controller, cables, wiring, and racks donated by Independent Power Systems of Boulder.

·      Wood stoves: 7 wood-burning stoves donated by Indian Peaks Stove and Chimney Service. Several stove pipes and joint fixtures. (We installed 2 in a large MASH tent and donated the rest to the Oceti Sakowin donation HQ.)

·      Winter gear: Thirteen 20-below-zero sleeping bags and pads, 18 pairs of insulated work gloves, 5 pairs of 40-below work boots, 24 pairs of wool socks, 20 sets of long johns, 4 Carhartt winter work jackets, 1 Work King insulated coveralls, 1 XL down jacket, 2 space blankets, and a and about 200 pairs of hand and foot warmers.

·      Tools/infrastructure: Set of Ryobi power tools (circular saw & 2 blades, sawsall, impact drill, work light, six-port charger, drill bits and sockets, and batteries). Large box of screws, large box of nails, staple gun & staples, 1 steel axe, 1 wood saw, 12 cans insulation foam, 10 rolls duct tape, 4 ratchet straps, 4-port USB hub, 1 battery-powered lantern, 5 steel framing struts, 1 large roll of Tyvek.

·      Food: 6 five-gallon barrels of bulk food (donated to the camp pantry).  

·      Fuel: One cord of dry firewood, 12 propane bottles,  1propane-powered space heater, 2 USB battery backup units.

·      Activism/labor: Standing with veterans and natives at the bridge in blizzard conditions, stove installation, teepee repair, snow shoveling, tent insulation, cooking for volunteers (Chef Josie!), miscellaneous aid, (pushing stuck cars, directing traffic, etc.), communal prayer, singing, storytelling, active listening (there’s more to tell than would reasonably fit into this post). 

Joe Werne was able to ensure that the bulk of our winter gear donations were delivered directly to Standing Rock Lakota Sioux Hunkpapa tribal members, Tammy Black Lightening, Ceci Little Bear Woman, and elder Rachelle Unci—all three grew up at Standing Rock and currently live there or nearby. The tools were left with our remaining contacts in a medical supply tent at Rosebud Sicangu Camp.

In sum, our team received over $5,000. Werne used the balance of our monetary donations (actually we went over by $444) on the last day to help with transmission and braking-system repair costs for a delivery vehicle owned by tribal members that has been making weekly supply trips up to Standing Rock from Rapid City since April.

Further donations can made at: http://littletreeacoustic.appspot.com/StandingRock.html

Next steps – The Sioux and many other volunteers from various tribes, nations, and backgrounds are still out there in the brutal winter conditions of North Dakota. While a teepee and wood stove are sufficient to keep warm, more fuel in the form of firewood, propane, and diesel will be needed. Furthermore, I personally witnessed piles of supplies barely covered with tarps. Without adequate storage shelter, many supplies are becoming wet or frozen. A number of shipping containers or pre-fabricated sheds could solve this problem. Readers, please message me at [email protected] with any suggestions/ideas for delivering storage shelter.

Many people have asked me if Standing Rock is a victory. Yes and no. While the water protectors were able to pressure the EPA to deny the DAPL a permit, activism is far from over. Joe Werne writes, “If you read the latest Math Monday entry related to the Dakota Access Pipeline, you will learn a remarkable thing, and that is that “no federal agency has jurisdiction over oil pipelines”, according to the Army Corps of Engineers FAQ addressing Dakota Access Pipeline issues. This is what made it possible to avoid an Environmental Impact Study while building and nearly completing a 1200-mile-long pipeline that will, according to the Oil and Gas Journal, spill at least 10,000 gallons of crude oil every single year of its operation. Let that sink in. The only reason an Environmental Impact Statement is now being prepared is because 15,000 Americans assembled in protest to say enough is enough. This appears to be the model for environmental stewardship in the future - enough citizens are going to have to take time out of their lives to force responsible governance by clogging an irresponsible system.”

One of the members of our team, Gina Gibbons, put her experience into these words, “Though I was walking upon a road I thought I had come to know well through social media, actually being there was very different. I found myself walking head on into a blizzard surrounded by water protectors and vets. I had to force my eyes to stay open amongst the relentless wind and snow crystals. No one looked very comfortable, I certainly wasn’t, but by putting ourselves into an uncomfortable situation a deeper and greater understanding of comfort was revealed. I believe true comfort lies in trusting the brothers and sisters you walk beside in life. It lies in the power of group mind, action and prayer. It lies in the simple act of living with dignity.”

Ajo, Gina and Joe. Returning to the idea that it’s what we bring back, I want to conclude with the words of a volunteer who, looking both exhausted and grateful as he sipped stew inside a teepee one night, said, “When I came here, I thought I was going to war but I ended up helping children fly kites. Every time I leave, I feel called back… I don’t know what this is, whatever we’re doing here, but I want to keep doing it. I haven’t felt this comfortable in my own skin in years.”