Water Protectors

I became aware of what was happening in Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and the pipeline in late June and have been following the story since. My family and I made a trip at the end of August to stand in solidarity, we attended on of the water ceremonies and it was overwhelming. I felt a sense of privilege for being welcomed and witnessing such sacred ceremonies.
There is a key issue that often gets overlooked when discussing Standing Rock or many simply are not aware of it. In fact, we didn't know this until we were at camp and everyone was discussing it, which is the fact that the pipeline was originally proposed to be put 10 miles north of Bismarck, but ultimately was scraped and redirected to where it is now. Why? One reason was stated that the proximity to municipal water supply and concern for contamination to the water supply was at risk. How can they cite this as a reason, yet put the pipeline directly under the Missouri River, which is Standing Rock Sioux Tribe's main water supply? The same concerns exists, do they not? Why is it okay to redirect the pipeline from a mostly white populated area to an area with Native Americans when the risk for contamination remains? This has not been answered by city leaders, by state leaders, nor by the company who owns the pipeline, but it needs to be addressed. With eyes on Standing Rock and Native Americans, I think it is ever important to realize that our indigenous brothers and sisters have been fighting for their rights, for the protection of the land, for the protection of their sacred sites for a long time. This is nothing new for them, the difference is the attention Standing Rock has gotten, which is crucial, but what happens when this is over? Will non-natives move on or will they continue to bring light to the many issues that face them, will the dialog continue? I certainly hope it does because there were many times while at camp, when I was spiritually moved by everyone there and it is something I will forever live with. I simply can't walk away and ignore what continues to happen. And I'm trying to figure out what is the best way to do that - I've reached out to different groups and organizations and hope to be a voice.
I've blogged about our experience a couple times, so I'm not going to repeat my story because this isn't about my story. This is about what is taking place as I type this and what I would like all those fighting this fight to know.


Dear Water Protectors,

There is a feeling at camp that overcomes you, it may come from the great spirit, the various people there united under a cause. You can feel the sense of pride that hovers over the camp, ready to be celebrated. You can feel the momentum of determination that is building and ready to burst open.
I know my words are not much when you are in the depths of this fight, but I want you all to know how courageous you truly are and that even though I'm not there yet, I'm on your side!
You are strong, you are brave and you are fighting a tough fight: corporate greed, and system that has proven to be corrupt. The major media is silent, our highest elected officials remain silent, which speaks volumes, yet your story is out. Although, they want you to feel like you are alone in this fight - with intimidation, with force, with brutality they want nothing more than for you to stop, but the world is watching and the world stands with you. I stand with you, my husband stands with you, my children are with you and we share our experience at Standing Rock, we share why everyone needs to be behind this cause.

On Thursday as the events were unfolding it was emotionally hard for me to watch all of it, I was thinking of the people we met while at camp, were they safe, were they arrested, were they okay? I simply can not comprehend what it must be like to experience it and live it. When we were at camp, the police had not massed to a militarized force. I think of our first night at camp, sitting by the fire talking with young native youths and families and sharing what drew us all to Standing Rock, how we laughed and shared stories of our fears and hopes with the outcome of all of this.

So many emotions overwhelmed me - anger at how this story is sometimes portrayed, how they want to vilify the camp, the water protectors, but I know the truth. It angers me how distorted the law enforcement is right now - they are blinded. How can they as human beings, do what they are doing and think it is okay? It makes me sick to my stomach, the complete disregard and lack of respect.
I fear for so many of you fighting the fight, protecting sacred land and water, the essence of life, but I admire your strength and spirit! You are warriors and through this fight, it has brought so many Native tribes and indigenous groups together - that in itself is something to be celebrated.

I know there are some who don't understand this fight, but I think that is also because many people have lost touch, they don't get the cultural significance of land, of water to indigenous people and the sacredness it holds. I clearly remember my grandfather telling me our ancestors (the Maori) are the guardians of the land and sea and therefore we must give it respect and honor. It is a spiritual bond, all connected.
So, as I was watching one of the live stream feeds, I could hear the chants and calls, but wasn't sure what was happening until the young man on the feed started yelling, "the buffalo nation is coming, the buffalo are coming to protect us" and you could faintly see the many buffalo running. I instantly started to cry - this was a sign and the significance is huge - we are connected.

I stopped watching after that because I knew that I needed to pray and give thanks to all of you water protectors.  I went outside - faced Northwest in the direction of North Dakota and sat in prayer and meditation - I prayed for strength and courage for those in the midst of it all. And I prayed the law enforcement find empathy and compassion because it is so evident, they need it. There will come the day, when they will look back at this moment and come to realize how wrong their actions are, and they will ask for forgiveness because right now, they simply don't understand. Blinded by ignorance, blinded by greed and power, but they know in their hearts this is wrong.

I want to be at your side, fighting with you and I hope to return to Standing Rock soon, since I can't be there I've called all the numbers for the White House, the ND Governor's Office, and Morton County Sheriff's office, I've sent many twitter messages to @POTUS, I've been sharing all the posts and have sent donations. We are trying to figure out the details of our return to camp, but in the meantime, know that we are praying for your safety, we are praying for your strength and we are behind you.

"Ko au te wai, ko te wai ko au" I am the water, and the water is me.


Previous blogs
Of fact and fiction and the struggle to piece it all together and Water is Life

Of fact and fiction and the struggle to piece it together

Someone asked me, why I support what is taking place in Standing Rock, when it's pointless because the pipeline will go in and I simply said, "how can you not support it?" So, I thought I'd share my thoughts on the topic...

I shared previously how the family went up to Standing Rock to witness first-hand what was going on and to offer our support, even if our efforts were small. And our experience is something that will be with me forever, if ever there was a just cause, this is it. Since then, the camp has grown significantly with many other tribal nations and non-indigenous people coming to show their support to the Standing Rock Sioux. In fact, it has now become the largest gathering of Native Americans in over 100 years, seriously, let that sink in just for a moment.

When we were there, they spoke of the seven generation prophecy that the Onkwehonwe would rise up and demand that their rights and stewardship over the earth be respected and restored and it is the younger generation that is spearheading this movement.
Yet respect....that is the furthest thing that Standing Rock has been given even more so when you look at what took place last weekend. The Standing Rock Sioux submitted paperwork to halt construction due to cultural artifacts and ancestral burial sites and while it was submitted on Friday, the next day Energy Transfer (the company responsible for the pipeline) tore up the ground over a holiday weekend, in the same area where they just asked for construction to be halted, essentially destroying whatever sacred sites that were there, will this company ever be held accountable for what they did?
What is even more deplorable is this all occurred on the anniversary of  the Battle of Whitestone Hill, when the Sioux Indians were attacked on September 3-5 of 1863 and an estimated 300 to 400 Sioux were wounded and killed and yet on the anniversary of this when protectors came up to pray at the construction site, what they saw was the company tearing up their sacred sites. So yes, they were upset and went through the fence, which resulted in the private security using attack dogs and pepper spray on the protesters. It was horrifying to watch it unfold, I had to excuse myself from the room I was in with my kids and cried. My soul ached and an anger so fierce boiled inside me. And then only to read the sickening statements that came out of the local law enforcement, who conveniently were not present while it was all happening. Here they were clearly spinning fiction from documented facts, it makes you question the motivation and yet there is no wonder why there is mistrust with law enforcement today.
We heard from one of the people we met at the camp, his text was simply, "today was tough."

There are 380 archaeological sites that face destruction along the 1,134 miles of the pipeline and the government is blatantly ignoring the pleas of the Native Americans, have they not endured enough or do we simply allow their history to be erased, important cultural and spiritual connections to their land.
When I stood on the ground of my ancestors in Aotearoa, I was overcome with emotion - it came over me like a wave, a spiritual connection that pulled at my soul and whispered, "you are here, you are home."
You learn these things through the connection to the land, through the people, through the history and I get what it is like not having that connection, but desperately yearning for it as if a piece of your soul is somehow missing.
So much of indigenous culture is passed down through language and oral stories, my grandfather was stripped of his, resulting in his children being stripped of their connection and then the connection lost, but it still burns inside of me, the desire to connect to the land, to the language.
I honor my background, by honoring my ancestors and I am very proud of my heritage - I am a mixture of great cultures (Maori, English/Scottish, and Irish/English) and as a result of my background, it's important not to forget what has occurred in history. So often, we pretend that what happened so long ago as a result of white settlement to indigenous people across the world is history and shouldn't be spoken about, but we are here as a result of this history and therefore are a part of the larger story. It is the complete attitude that "it doesn't matter," that is the injustice.
I wish I could say that we have evolved and that history won't repeat itself, but look around at what is happening, what is taking place. What we continue to do in the guise of "progress," we are raping our resources, we continue to take till there is no more, we have lost touch with nature and have replace it with distractions and take no responsibility for the greater good. We distance ourselves and tell ourselves, "it's not my problem," thereby cutting ties to any connection.  So, I ask, how is that working? For most, perhaps the saying "ignorance is bliss," is true, but I can't ignore what is happening.

Right or wrong, I am completely honest with my children about everything - before we went to Standing Rock, we talked openly about what was going on, about the issue and asked if they were comfortable in going with us. They were hesitant but also felt it was important to show support. So, even after we left we still talk about what is going on, the hubs left yesterday to go up to Standing Rock and all of us were a bit disappointed we couldn't join him. My sweet pea says, "Mommy, I'm really upset and angry with America right now and I'm not proud to be an American, I'm afraid, what my future is going to be like, what the world is going to be like?"
It took a moment to let her words sink in and decide how I was going to respond. I told her that I too am scared about their future, but that I'm hopeful. I told her that she should be proud because Americans as a people stand up for what they believe in, whatever view (right or wrong) and that is something she mustn't forget. I told her that she and her brother have the ability to shape their future, that change starts with each one of them and as a result, they can make an impact. I told her to look at what was happening at Standing Rock, the message that the younger generation was speaking about and what they are protecting. And I reminded her that she should never feel like she can't make a difference, I reminded her that great social change starts with one individual spreading that idea. I told them to always be open and to always question everything, even if it is questioning me or daddy. I don't know if it was the right response, but I believe we all have a responsibility for our future, we all have a part, even if we don't know what that part is.

Right now, my part is standing with Standing Rock and all of the other people who are standing up.
There are pockets of protectors along the four states this $3.7 billion pipeline crosses and people everywhere are protesting and everyone should be standing with these protectors. There are many across the world that are behind this cause, but to say I'm not bothered by the indifference shown by most Americans about it, would be a lie.
Sometimes I wonder if people really understand what is at stake here. We have a private corporation that has been granted the right to take private land from land owners and the land owners can either get on board with the project and remain quiet or in the eyes of the corporation and law enforcement become the "enemy." And what other people seem to miss is that "we" the people are not going to benefit from the crude oil that this pipeline is exporting, it is not helping us become less dependent on oil because the company is selling it. And then there is the water issues, how is it, that those protecting our water are activists, but the company that is going to contaminate our water seen as "normal," in what world does this make sense? And to simply believe this pipeline will not leak, is absurd. Leaks happen, it is unavoidable. In fact, any advance leak detection equipment that is used is only capable of detecting leaks as small as .10 gallons per hour, by this, it means that a pipeline can lose one gallon every ten hours (2.4 gallons per day, 876 gallons per year) without being detected. According to various state pollution control agencies, it only takes one gallon of crude oil to contaminate 1 million gallons of water. And this pipeline is going under the Missouri River, the Standnig Rock Sioux Tribe's main source of water. Would you want this pipeline under your water source?  According to the EPA, 14,000 oil spills are reported each year - are we simply suppose to ignore the statistics that pipelines leak or must we wait till it is too late?

You can continue to believe this is not your problem, but I urge you to look closer, to learn what is taking place, what is happening. We live in an age where information is right at our fingertips, other than what is being fed to you. Only then can you decide where you should stand.

Ways you can voice your support:
Learn more about Dakota Access
Learn more about Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
Sign the White House Petition to stop DALP
Sign the the petition on Change.org
Donate supplies to the camp
Call the Army Corps of Engineers and ask they reverse the permit: 202-761-5903
Contact your elected representatives
Share


I'm including this song, Love Letters to God because if you listen to the lyrics, I feel it is appropriate for those at Standing Rock



“Civil disobedience, as I put it to the audience, was not the problem, despite the warnings of some that it threatened social stability, that it led to anarchy. The greatest danger, I argued, was civil obedience, the submission of individual conscience to governmental authority. Such obedience led to the horrors we saw in totalitarian states, and in liberal states it led to the public's acceptance of war whenever the so-called democratic government decided on it...
In such a world, the rule of law maintains things as they are. Therefore, to begin the process of change, to stop a war, to establish justice, it may be necessary to break the law, to commit acts of civil disobedience, as Southern black did, as antiwar protesters did.”
― Howard Zinn, You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train: A Personal History of Our Times