New York, NY – Around 800 people gathered at Foley Square, in lower Manhattan, Nov. 15, to stand in solidarity with Standing Rock and protest against the North Dakota Access Pipeline.

Brilliant signs were held by the protesters with the slogans “Water is life” and “Keep the oil in the soil.” After the initial introductions from the organizers, people chanted, “Get up! Get down! Keep fossil fuels in the ground!” and “Street by street, block by block, we stand with Standing Rock!”

Nov. 15 marked a national day of action where over 200 U.S. cities participated and demanded that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers deny Energy Transfer Partners, the company spearheading the pipeline, access to the Standing Rock territory. A small victory was won the night of the Nov. 14, when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers made a concession saying that they must have further discussions with the Lakota nation before allowing further work could occur near and in Lake Oahe, a part of the Missouri River.

This concession came after weeks of militant protests, led by indigenous people, at Standing Rock.

There was a heavy police presence at the New York action as approximately squad 30 squad cars lined the square where the protest took place. When protesters tried to take the streets, the cops retaliated immediately and arrested 12 activists. The rest of the people there chanted at them, “Who do you serve? Who do you protect?”

However, the arrests didn't hinder the rest of the protesters and the action continued. One of the attendees, Colleen Baublitz, spoke about why it’s necessary to have actions of solidarity , “It is essential that we stand with them and speak out against growth in fossil fuel infrastructure that risks drinking water quality in the short term as well as long-term public health by exacerbating climate change.”

The crowd left in high spirits at the end of the protest, knowing that while a small concession was made, there would be more organizing to come.

#NewYorkNY #IndigenousPeoples #EnvironmentalJustice #StandingRockNation #DakotaAccessPipeline #NODAPL

Minneapolis, MN – Nearly 2000 protesters, many Native American, rallied at city hall here, Oct. 28, demanding that Hennepin County Sheriff Stanek immediately withdraw sheriff department personnel from North Dakota, where they have been deployed against demonstrators who are fighting to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline.

About 30 sheriff department personnel have been sent to North Dakota, where they have been photographed carrying out brutal attacks on demonstrators who are defending water resources and sacred land.

#MinneapolisMN #IndigenousPeoples #EnvironmentalJustice #SheriffStanek #StandingRockNation #DakotaAccessPipeline #NODAPL

Steve and Rhiannon Moon live in Saint Cloud, Minnesota with their four-year-old son. Their respective mothers come from Standing Rock Reservation. They were at the encampment on day three, when the DAPL machines were stopped for the first time.

Rhiannon Moon:

“I came here on day three of the front line, with my son and my husband. We came here together. I ended up staying the day, then I had to go back because I had other commitments to keep. I worked that whole week and I was torn, like my heart was ripped. And I told my boss I couldn't be there. I was just in tears, like I have to go, I can't do this. He supported me in it and he gave me the week off. I wish I would've said 'I don't know how long I'll be gone’.

“It was a Friday, and we got here at like 7:00 in the morning. And it was really a small crowd. There was maybe 50 of us, maybe, that's being generous. They were protecting the gates from when the oil companies come in with their vehicles and machinery and things like that. There were a total of seven arrests that day or that morning. We were all singing and praying, and trying to protect the land, trying to stop the trucks from coming in.

“That day was really intense. There were a lot of prayers and a lot of singing. It was really humbling. It was beautiful.

“It is all so beautiful. The last time this happened, the government did not win, and that's what I want to happen here.

“In 1873, I believe, was the last time the Seven Council Fires burned united. So for Standing Rock as a whole, that's huge because that hasn't been the way it's been. Even though we're one, Standing Rock, we each have our own divisions, and it's been separate, have not been united. And that's not just Standing Rock, that goes for multiple nations. It's disheartening because we're losing so much.

“Hopefully this will change everything for the future. It's for my little guy that runs around and raises hell. That's why. Everything I do is for him. And they [future generations] deserve it.

“He earned his first eagle feather on day three. I was so proud of him. And even like the march this week in Bismarck, oh my gosh, he was just there, stone-faced with his fists in the air. A four-year-old knows that this is what should be done. Why is this a question? How do you question something so powerful? Very proud, very proud of him.

“If need be, it'd be worth risking my job for.”

Steve Moon:

“After 150 years, this is all we have left and we can't let that be taken away – an aggressive word, rape – [is] essentially what's happening. So we came up. My wife and I said, 'we have to go.'

“It just sinks in, the community, that you have a purpose – everybody needs that in life. Not just us here, but every color, every race. Once you have that feeling, you can't get rid of it.

“My youngest son is along. He loves it. To watch him be comfortable here is huge. He already has four years of knowledge, where we had to fight tooth and nail just to survive for 30 years before we got here. It's pretty amazing to see all the kids, the feeling that they have here with the community, the oneness. They're going to take that forever. We’re changing these kids' lives. It's amazing. They're not going to be afraid to stand up. Even at school and at home, they're not going to be afraid to say 'no, this isn't right,' and it's okay to stand up. I think that's the greatest thing here so far.

“Day three we broke through, when they said they found remains and they were taking heads home and stuff. We broke through that day. We broke through the fence. The word came through and everybody got pretty worked up. I flanked the side and stood at the fence, waiting for my wife and my boy. My sister said, 'do you wanna go?' Yeah, so we jumped over. A lot of people would look down on that, doing illegal stuff with your kids, but that's standing up for something. That's going to change his life.

“So they actually started breaking earth on Monday when they started bringing trucks in. I'm not sure how the word got through. I mean there were [drones] flying around everywhere, but they said they were disturbing our burial sites. And as soon as that hits the people, everybody's going to go do what they have to do to stop it. The police lined up and people got arrested. The chairman got arrested that day, and some other people. So with all that going on, a lot of people got around the police. If I remember right, the first person over was an old lady. She just hopped right over. She had someone help her get over. 'Help me get over the fence.' So we helped her get over the fence, and she was the first one back there. And then more and more people, they were arresting people, the cops were busy, so a lot of us got over. And we ran back, all the way back, to where they were working, to see exactly what they were doing.

“I'm glad my son got to be there, and my wife. We all went back there. She knows me well enough, she just looks at me and she knows. I'll stand up and chain myself. That's what we do. We stand up for what we believe in and for our families. Even though the water’s not for me, it's my people, it's not even native people, it's everybody.”

#CannonBallND #IndigenousPeoples #EnvironmentalJustice #StandingRockNation #DAPL #NODAPL

Travis LaRouche is from the Lower Brule reservation in South Dakota. Travis also was active in opposing the Keystone XL pipeline. Travis was one of the Riders on the first day of breaking through the police lines and challenging the Dakota Access Pipe Line machines and retold his experience.

Travis LaRouche:

“I was out there, everybody was praying, keeping peaceful. They brought those barriers in, told everybody move back , let them bring these barriers in because we keep tearing that fence down. For me it was like, why we giving up more ground? Why we letting them do that?

“You know what, I said, I mean prayer’s good, but in situations like this, I said prayer ain’t enough. I said they don’t understand prayer. I kinda got disgusted with it and I went back to camp here; we was the only ones here at the time. Brule camp, first ones to set up a teepee. Came back and my nephew showed up. And he got his horses and got all regalia’ed up. Come on get on, he said.

“We got up there, and kinda riding around, and they called us over to the ditch. Elders pulled us down in the ditch, they asked us if we’d do something for them; explained what they wanted done. And that’s how we greet the enemy. He explained how to greet the enemy and push them back. You guys don’t have to do it, they said, it’s dangerous, you know. Everybody was committed. I was all committed because I wanted action. So I said, I didn’t come up here to watch construction being done, I said. I’m all about prayer, but I said we need to do something, I ain’t gonna stand here and watch them. Anyway, when the elders approached us to do that and explained the ceremony and everything, we all agreed, they prayed with us and they told us that you do it in a good way, a good heart. They explained all that and we acknowledged it, they said they was gonna sing us in, and the rest is history. I had goose bumps doing it.”

Fight Back!: Describe how you moved the police back?

Travis LaRouche:“Just charging them, coming in, charging them, if you see some of those videos that’s what they was doing, and held them at bay. I was kinda surprised, we didn’t know the other people were gonna jump the fence, but it was just like a domino effect, cause and reaction, gave the people hope; that’s what it was after and that was what I was after too.

“So being a part of that was a great honor, you know, because we did it for the people. And within that action, we, we’re here today. We pushed them back, we caused the construction to stop, to cease. We got that ground back. And it was [because] of action. Yeah I just had goose bumps doing it, and I turned around and seen everybody jumping fence and running after those dozers was pretty cool. Being a warrior that’s kinda what you do – things you do for your people.

“Being part of AIM, that’s who we are, we fight for the people, I’ve always had that mentality whenever, wherever.

“I was pretty exhilarated, we got done and then they called us in the circle and the guy explained to the crowd what was just done what the elders asked us to do, how to acknowledge, greet the enemy, so he explained all that. Everybody shook your hands and seen a post, we were in New York Times, front page. The pitch [to the states] was it created more jobs in their state with $5, $10 million, if they let this go through it’d help the economy. But if you think about it, if Keystone would’ve went through, and went all the way down to Texas, these little, drops in the bucket here, each state, ten, whatever million they’re giving these states to do this, or these landowners, shit, that’s just a drop in the bucket, Koch Brothers, Canada will get trillions of dollars to get that oil where they wanna get it, so this little $10 million ain’t nothing to them.

I was just glad I did that action.”

#StandingRockSD #IndigenousPeoples #EnvironmentalJustice #StandingRockNation #DakotaAccessPipeline

J. Sitting Bear is a Lakota mother and grandmother from the Rosebud reservation in South Dakota and now lives in Rapid City. She was a continuous presence in the kitchen that feeds the multitudes of protectors at the Oceti Sakowin encampment along the Cannonball River, where thousands traveled to oppose the Dakota Access Pipeline. J. Sitting Bear and her daughter traveled to Standing Rock near the beginning of the encampment and have worked tirelessly from early morning until night to prepare meals and to help with security since they arrived at the site.

J. Sitting Bear has lived a life of activism. At 16 years old, she was at the Wounded Knee uprising on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Now 59, she has a legacy of standing up for the rights of native people in multiple forms, including fighting against police brutality and killings of native people in South Dakota.

J. Sitting Bear:

“If there’s one thing in the world I could pay for and to have it go away, it’s this racism. Because of this racism… it’s just like, like cracking of the ice… you know the racism tears in and it all goes out in veins. And the more it goes out the worse it’s getting. And that just breaks my heart to see that. My chante (heart) is sick when I think of it, it really hurts, because those are all of our brothers and sisters out there.

“That’s why I’m here, I just want to be here for my people. Like I said, if it comes to it, I can lay down my life. I would give my blood, I would let my blood flow. If just one person you know doesn’t get hurt by these people [DAPL],or if just one part of the pipeline gets stopped, that’s worth it. It’s our people…and it’s not only just our people. People think it’s just us natives fighting. But it’s for all people – the farmers and ranchers have their cows, they live off the land by selling crops… that’s gonna affect them too. So it’s just so emotional for me to be here. When I heard of this starting, I told my daughter we gotta go, gotta go and she says, you’re going? And I said ya.

“I guess my life is going to be this until my time comes. I will continue to be at these things, these protests standing up for my people. If I have to crawl, I’ll get there. As long as I have a mouth, I can still speak. I’m here to help people, I give my all.”

#StandingRockSD #IndigenousPeoples #EnvironmentalJustice #StandingRockNation #DakotaAccessPipeline #DAPL

Four groups led by Native American organizers converged on the capitol, chanting, “No more oil, keep it in the soil!” and “Water is life!”

“The pipeline will be about a half mile off the reservation, but it is still a treaty territory. They have already dug up on sacred ground, where many of our ancestors are lying. It’s about desecrating sacred ground, and how it’s going to impact our future generations and our earth”, said Molly Ryan-Kills Enemy of the Sicangu Lakota, from St. Francis, South Dakota, on the Rosebud Reservation.

Ryan-Kills Enemy, the principle organizer of the event continued, “When those pipelines break, it will contaminate the water, and it will not be drinkable. We won’t have anything for our children. This isn’t just a Native American issue. It’s an earth issue, a human being issue.”

Ultimately, the message of the rally was one of unity, with many Native American speakers reiterating that the fight against corporate power is a global matter.

#DenverCO #IndigenousPeoples #EnvironmentalJustice #StandingRockNation #DakotaAccessPipeline

Cannon Ball, ND – As the sun came up behind the clouds, Aug. 26, the camp was already stirring in one of the two main Sacred Stone Spirit resistance camps. Flags of different colors and designs flapped in the morning wind, advertising the multitude of different indigenous peoples represented at the camp. Thousands have traveled to the site to stand in solidarity with the people of Standing Rock as they oppose a pipeline’s threat to the water and land of their people, and millions of others down the Missouri River.

The Dakota Access Pipeline is a $3.78 billion project by Dakota Access LLC, which belongs to Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners. The proposed Dakota Access Pipeline is 1172 miles and will connect oil production areas in North Dakota and Illinois. The DAP is only seven miles shorter than the proposed Keystone XL pipeline (which was defeated).

The Standing Rock Nation has invited indigenous and non-indigenous peoples to join them in solidarity to stand against the Dakota Access Pipeline. The occupation and resistance camps have averaged 2000 to 4000-plus people. Currently 87 tribal nations from across the Dakotas and the U.S. have officially taken action to support Standing Rock’s opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline.

A combined camp morning meeting included speakers from many nations speaking on the need to protect sacred water and protect Mother Earth. Each spoke passionately and resolutely about the need to continue the encampment and resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline and oil corporations that are greedily seeking to destroy precious land and water for their own profit.

#CannonBallND #IndigenousPeoples #EnvironmentalJustice #SacredStoneSpirit #StandingRockNation #DakotaAccessPipeline