Lecture Topics

Corporate Globalization and the WTO
After the American Revolution, the Founding Fathers made corporations illegal. They’re not illegal anymore. In his talk Dana discusses the history of corporations in the United States and how they came to have such phenomenal power. He also talks about how the WTO and World Bank affect labor, environmental and social justice issues. Dana tells about his experience in the “Battle of Seattle” (WTO protests in December, 1999). He discusses the international movement against Corporate Globalization and how student movements around the world are attempting to shut down global economic forums through protest. And of course, Dana will get down and do the ‘John Travolta‘ as he sings his "WTO Disco," a re-make of the Village People's “YMCA.”

Stolen Democracy
• A Point by Point Overview of Voter Suppression & Election Fraud in the 2004 Presidential Election
• Election Reform: Taking our Democracy Back
Why would a government choose to use computer voting machines with no verifiable paper trail? (Hint: its not about reducing paper use.)
Why would a government purposely put more voting machines per person (shorter lines) in some neighborhoods and less voting machines per person in other neighborhoods (longer lines)? Dana Lyons has worked his entire career organizing folks to take part in our democratic process in order to protect the environment, social justice issues and our democracy itself. Now the very fabric of our democracy is threatened. Dana leads a discussion of what happened in the 2004 election and what we as a people can do to take our democracy back.

The History of the Environmental Movement

Gwich'in Leader Sarah James, Dana & Painter and Honor Day Founder Silversong

Over the past 20 years Dana has worked with many organizations from Green Peace to the Audubon Society to protect habitats and endangered species. He has toured in many parts of the world singing and speaking to raise awareness for critical ecological issues (see list below). In his talks, Dana discusses the use of community organizing, civil disobedience and legislation that environmental groups have used successfully to achieve their objectives. Dana also covers the current environmental movement and focuses on how student groups (such as United Students Against Sweatshops and the Student Environmental Action Coalition) are often leaders in the world wide environmental movement.

The Battle over The Arctic Wildlife Refuge:
Gwitchin Indians and Caribou vs. Bush Administration and Oil Companies
Dana has traveled all over the Arctic Wildlife Refuge and performed up and down the Yukon River at Gwitchin Indian Villages throughout the Arctic. The Gwitchin, known as “Caribou People” are fighting to stop oil drilling in the calving grounds of the great caribou herds. Destruction of the caribou calving grounds (located in the north of the Arctic Wildlife Refuge) threatens the caribou as well as the Gwitchin way of life. Dana speaks about the latest efforts of the Gwitchin Nation and the Environmental Community to protect the caribou calving grounds from oil development.

“The Buffalo are gone. But we can still save the Caribou.”
-Gwitchin Elder

Major Tours

Yukon River Tour, Alaska
Traveled with Gwitchin Spokesperson Sarah James and performed at Gwitchin Villages on the Yukon River as well as in the interior of the Arctic Wildlife Refuge.

Sea Shepherd Tuna-Dolphin Campaign
Worked in the engine room of the Sea Shepherd from Key West, Florida through the Panama Canal to the west coast of Costa Rica trying to halt tuna fishing boats from killing dolphins.

Interstate-90 Tour
Drove with a 50 gallon drum of “fake” nuclear waste on top of a station wagon from Boston to Seattle to dramatize the US Department of Energy’s plan to transport nuclear waste by truck from the east coast to Washington State’s Hanford Nuclear Reservation.

Green Peace Ozone Campaign
Toured the eastern part of the U.S. promoting a boycott of Tropicana Orange Juice, which, at the time, was owned by the same company that owned Dupont, the largest maker of ozone depleting CFCs in the world.

Ancient Forest Rescue Expedition
Traveled around the U.S. with a 700-year-old Douglas Fir log on an 18-wheeler to dramatize the cutting of ancient forests in the Pacific Northwest.

Australia and New Zealand
Toured with singer/activist John Seed (who sings with Dana on their environmental children’s album “At Night They Howl at the Moon”) to raise awareness about logging old growth forests Down Under.

Siberia and Kazakhstan
Performed for new citizen environmental groups which sprang up just after Glasnost (the breakup of the Former Soviet Union). Worked on project to bring computer equipment and funding to new citizen eco groups.

James Bay Tour
Toured New England with singer/activist John Seed and Cree spokespeople calling for northeastern states to drop their contracts with Hydro-Quebec. Hydro-Quebec proposed to flood an area the size of the state of Vermont on Cree Indian land for hydroelectric power.

Redwoods
Conducted several tours to raise money and awareness to protect the last remaining old growth redwoods in California. Took part in historic Redwood Summer of 1990.

Alaska: Keep it Wild
Toured several times throughout Alaska singing and speaking about environmental issues facing this state.