Gathering of tribes is history in the making

First Nations’ stand over pipeline in North Dakota misunderstood

I was a witness to history last weekend when we visited the camp at Standing Rock in North Dakota and found the largest gathering of tribes in modern history. Thousands of people are camped at Cannon Ball, just off the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, about an hour south of Bismarck, the state capital.

The movement began in April after the tribe discovered that the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) would cut across sacred land and underneath the Missouri River just upstream from the reservation. The tribe receives its drinking water from the river.

Media are calling the people protesters, but that simplifies and categorizes them. They consider themselves to be protectors of the land and water. The camp is very well run; no alcohol, drugs or firearms are allowed. Anyone caught breaking this rule is shamed and evicted.

The camp consists of many smaller groups of various tribes. Each day the participants gather at a central location where people speak and announcements are made. There are prayers at the end of each day and the day closes with a round dance before people go back to their camps.

Lying in your tent can be a special occasion as different groups sing their songs. You hear a Sioux song coming from one location, followed by a song from the Crow, Cheyenne, Blackfoot and so on. People are awakened in the morning by song as another day begins.

This is a movement that consists of protectors who are firmly rooted in their culture.

Previously, the pipeline route was to cross the Missouri River upstream from Bismarck. However, that would threaten the city’s water supply so it was decided to alter the route further south, which put it north of Standing Rock.

The Missouri is about the size of the South Saskatchewan River where it flows past Bismarck. By the time it gets to Standing Rock it is much wider, since the river is actually a lake at that point. The river is now called Lake Oahe because of a dam downstream.

The camp began in April and has grown steadily since. Standing Rock has become a rallying cry for tribes across North America, and the line has been drawn for all future resource development on Indian land.

A skirmish took place in early September when bulldozers arrived, accompanied by security guards and guard dogs. The dogs attacked those who were trying to stop the bulldozers, injuring some people. Warriors on horseback formed a line and others stood in front of the equipment.

In the end the pipeline workers backed off, but the damage had been done. Ancient graves had been unearthed. I saw the location, and there are human remains in the disturbed earth. The area is marked off because of the human remains and the protectors want to use it as evidence of the desecration.

As well, a historical marker that was on the site is gone. The sacred object was a rock with the constellation Orion’s Belt carved on it. At certain times of the year Orion is seen high in the sky, and it was no doubt a sacred symbol.

The protectors have placed a camp in front of the pipeline right of way and are preventing any further desecration.

Communication is important for any group trying to get a message out to the public. The major news organizations have not shown up, and the local paper, the Bismarck Times, has a pro-business stance. APTN from Canada reported with a satellite uplink and spent a week on the ground at Standing Rock.

However, social media are delivering the story to the public. The highest point in the camp is a small hill called “Facebook Hill.” At the top you are surrounded by people scrolling through their phones and posting pictures, videos or updates.

Even as we left people continued to arrive in a steady stream of campers, pickup trucks and cars bearing licence plates from all over the United States and Canada.

I don’t think people outside Indian Country know what is going on. This is an historical occasion and we are making our presence felt in our traditional way. We were truly honoured to see history in the making.