Dear Editor:

In our nation’s capital where political gridlock is a way of life, this weekend, a partnership of ranchers, farmers, and Native Americans (Cowboy and Indian Alliance — CIA) brought hope that we can overcome our differences and work together nationally to protect the Commons, our land, water, and air.

With others from Maine, I traveled to join the CIA rally on the Mall in Washington, D.C. An encampment of brightly painted tepees was set up there, and the new CIA conducted educational workshops and traditional ceremonies, and reached out to political leaders, including President Barack Obama, asking them to reject the controversial Keystone XL pipeline.

We each put our thumb print on a tepee liner saying to President Obama: "Leave your mark on history as we leave our marks on this tepee." The tepee and liner were gifted to the National Museum of the American Indian as part of the historical record.

As I stood under the 350 Maine and "Pipelines Leak" banners, dozens of people stopped to share their personal ties to Maine and expressed their hope that Mainers are working together to protect our land and water. It felt good to tell them about grassroots alliances and bipartisan efforts in our legislature designed to protect Maine's environment from the constant outside pressures to develop and decimate the Commons for the sake of a few dollars and a few jobs.

Clearly, many from here and away are counting on us to preserve a livable future. Count me in!

Anne D. (Andy) Burt
Edgecomb