Looking to protect the water, around 200 nations have gathered near Cannon Ball in order to protest the Dakota Access Pipe Line. Dustin White photo

Dustin White
Editor

As snow covered the ground, a movement was beginning to take a new shape. A century old fight had taken a new, but familiar, form. Unbeknownst to those, who on April 1, 2016, set the foundations of the Sacred Stones Camp, a pleasant surprise would blossom out of the struggle.

Gathered upon the land of LaDonna Brave Bull Allard, a Tribal historian with the Standing Rock Tribal Historic Preservation Office, and the closest land owner to the proposed Missouri River crossing of the Dakota Access Pipe Line, the Scared Stones Camp was established as a way to stop the pipeline through prayer, and non-violent direct action.



The camp would also become a beacon for the nations, as a historic gathering would soon occur.

Reflection
Sitting behind her desk at the Standing Rock Administrative Center, Allard spent most of the day fielding phone calls and giving interviews. The eyes of the nation were upon North Dakota, and she was working to assure an accurate story would be told.

It was an uphill battle. With local media looking to sensationalize the events that were occurring, or completely ignoring them altogether, myths and misconceptions were running wild. But among those gathered, hope was rising.

“We can also save the people,” Allard said. “Is this how the hoop heals? Is this what we’ve been waiting for, the seventh generation?”

As the gathering continued to grow, so did the hope. With just a handful having come together on April 1, the camp had swelled to two to three thousand. Represented were individuals from around 200 Tribal Nations. A historic moment was upon the country.

For the first time since the Battle of the Little Bighorn, the Seven Council Fires, or also known as the Great Sioux Nation, gathered together. It would also be a time in which old enemies, nations who had once fought, put those past transgressions behind them, and joined as one.

The movement had grown far beyond what first was imagined. Yet, even with the influx of new supporters, water protectors, order had remained in the camp, as organization became natural among each group.

“I don’t have anything to do with the organizing,” Allard said. “It’s as if ancestral memory has kicked in.”

While overall rules would govern the whole, including a prohibition of weapons and alcohol, each Tribe, or group, took to organizing themselves, so all could work as one.

With many nations coming together as one, old enemies have placed their past transgressions behind them. As construction crews continue at work, worry increases with the possibility of sacred and cultural sites being destroyed. Dustin White photo

Fighting a system from within
For many, the protest has meant walking in two separate worlds. While at the heart of the matter is the safety of a community from a future oil spill, there is also a fight against oil, and a push to greener alternatives.

“We do the best we can,” Allard said.

Allard said that Standing Rock is a large land based tribe, which means that there is a need for transportation. While many would prefer alternative means of transportation, it often isn’t an option for the poor. Instead, they become stuck.



“Its a system that is forced on the poor people,” Allard said.

However, it is not uncommon for those within a system to fight against it, as is often necessary.

“How do you get out of the system?” Allard said. “You stand up and fight against the system.”

Taking note of history, the fight that the protectors have undertaken is a peaceful one. Hoping to enact change through prayer and non-violent direct action, they are seeking to be a positive voice.

As the protest has grown, that peaceful action has manifested itself in a number of different ways. When police initially came to the site of the protest, along Highway 1806, that peace manifested itself in a form of respect.

“When the police came out, we offered them water and sandwiches,” Allard said. “Some of the officers apologized and told us they were just doing their jobs.”

Even as negative news continued to escalate, peace remained the focus. However, while peace remains at the forefront of the movement, they have also remained aware of potential dangers. With a history filled with atrocities, those at camp don’t want to take any chances.

“We have made an escape plan for our children; who has to do that?” Allard said. “We had to prepare our people so they are safe.

At the forefront of the protest were many youths, who were fighting against what they saw as a threat to their future. Dustin White photo

A powerful nation
Surviving atrocities, massacres and destruction, those gathered have a long history of not only surviving, but also thriving.

“We are a power people,” Allard said. “We are a powerful nation. We are powerful because we can stand up. We just forgot for awhile … we were just quite for awhile.”

With their water threatened, it became time to stand up. It was a simple understanding. Without water, there is no life.

Yet while there are other pipe lines crossing the Missouri, the DAPL became more.

“When it comes to your backdoor, it becomes your reality,” Allard said. “But its already other people’s reality, which is why people are coming out here to stand up.”

It isn’t just for Standing Rock that they are standing up for though. Its for all those who will be effected. The farmers, ranchers, and those communities further down the Missouri River.

“It’s a water issue,” Allard said.