NORTHAMPTON — Activists focused on fighting natural gas pipelines and on other environmental causes honored about a dozen women at an event celebrating International Women’s Day on Tuesday.
The event, which drew about 100 participants, opened with musical performances by The Raging Grannies and The Offbeat Womyn Drumming Ensemble.
Susan Triolo of Sunderland, master of ceremonies for the event, followed the music by talking about the importance of protecting the earth and about opposing a pipeline proposed by Kinder Morgan that would pass through western Massachusetts.
“Today we are here to honor the women in our valley and in our world who are risking their lives and risking their livelihoods to protect their homes, their families, the land from the onslaught of pipelines,” Triolo said.
Triolo asked those in attendance to recognize Berta Caceres, an activist in Honduras she said was assassinated in recent days.
“Her mother gave refuge to people from El Salvador who were fleeing the wars during the 1980s,” she said.
Among the women honored at the event were Rose Wessels of No Fracked Gas in Mass, Andra Rose of Mothers Out Front, Susan Theberge and Marty Nathan of Climate Action NOW and Diane McAvoy of Occupy the Pipeline. Pixie Holbrook, Hattie Nestel, Cate Woolner, Leigh Youngblood, Pat Larson, Cathy Kristofferson and Sharon Moulton were also given awards.
Each woman who was recognized was given a small trophy representing a piece of a pipeline.
Between awards, folk songs and speeches by activist women, those gathered yelled out a chant: “Respect existence or expect resistance.”
Anna Marie Russo of Northampton, who gave her age as above 70, said International Women’s Day began in the 1800s and its history involved fighting for human rights of lower class women and property rights for upper class women.
Carol Vincze, 64, of Huntington, a member of the drumming group, said her group’s role in the event was to raise the enthusiasm. In particular, she said the song the performed called “Courage,” written by a local musician, was meaningful for the event.
“We played that especially for the pipeline protesters to give them courage,” she said.
For her, International Women’s Day is a day to recognize both women and activism.
“It’s just a fabulous time to reflect on women’s condition around the world and to celebrate the achievements of women,” she said.
Smith students Emily Hitchcock and Noa Randall, both 19 and from eastern Massachusetts, said they enjoyed the music and learning about the different activist causes in the area.
“I think that it’s really important to recognize people that do this work because they are not always recognized as much as they should be,” Hitchcock said.
She said women’s empowerment is important to her as a Smith student, and she said women add a compassionate side to activism, which can sometimes be about violence. Hitchcock added that she is an activist as a member of the Divest Smith movement, working to make the college divest its endowment from fossil fuels.Randall said the event brought home that the pipeline that activists are fighting affects people’s homes.
“It’s not only about protecting the environment for everyone but when you put down a pipeline, people have to move,” she said.
As for the day itself, Randall said she is glad to be a part of it.
“I think it’s important for women to come together as a strong group,” she said.
Dave Eisenstadter can be reached at deisen@gazettenet.com.