By Mary True Bell
I say, “No longer can we sit back and watch the lives and ways of native people being disrespected and threatened.”
As of Saturday, September 3 over 60 tribes had gathered together at The Camp of the Sacred Stones to stand peacefully against the Dakota pipeline that threatens their precious water supply. In every way possible these people are giving and working together in harmony to stop oil from being pumped through their sacred land.
Here is one powerful example: On Wednesday, August 31 we stopped at the Rock District Community Center in Bullhead, S. Dak. to check into an overnight cabin. A huge tractor blocked the front door and from it’s bucket hung two black legs and the remains of a 1,200-pound steer dangled down. Five men were in the final stages of butchering the first of six steers that they would process over the next 24 hours. This Sioux Rock Creek District has about 700 and is part of the Standing Rock Reservation and they volunteered to provide food on Saturday for all the people gathered at The Camp of the Sacred Stones. It was a 93-degree day and we watched as an older, thin man, dripping with sweat walked in carrying two large green pails brimming with wild plums. “We will make it into a sauce we call “Wojapi” he said. “We dip fry bread in it.” On Saturday, at least eight District volunteers would prepare and serve various beef dishes, including soup, fry bread and peppermint tea.
It was beyond impressive to witness this community’s show of support, their unity and commitment to stop the pipeline. This meal was their second contribution. The first collection was over $2,000 in groceries and supplies and they had already begun organizing another fundraising effort to follow the Saturday meal.
These are our original people and they have a right to be guaranteed clean water. Winona LaDuke said, “Someone needs to explain to me why wanting clean drinking water makes you an activist, and why proposing to destroy water with chemical warfare doesn’t make a corporation a terrorist.”
We must all say no more. No longer can we sit back and do or say nothing. Each one of us has the power to do something. Pray. Talk. Send messages. Show support. Check out Sacredstonecamp.org. The camp address is P.O. Box 1011, Fort Yates, N. Dak. 58538. Supplies can be dropped at the camp located near Cannon Ball, N. Dak.