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Jerica Meditz brings her new horse, Shota, to a stream so that he can have a drink of water at the Sacred Stone Camp in North Dakota. Jerica received the horse from the Standing Rock Horse Society after Shota was injured from being kicked by another horse.
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Alex Good Cane Milk, a Sioux Native American from Yankton, SD, talks about his role as an International Indigenous Youth Council organizer. "We started this movement to give the youth a voice and to promote awareness and unity. We bring people together and get stuff done", says Alex. The Youth Council plans to return to traditional values in order to survive winter at the camp by learning how to make teepees from elders and by harvesting seasonal vegetables. Alex believes that this is the best way to break free from government colonization and unite generations of Natives.
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Nikoli Schlatter is arrested by Deputy Steve Sproul after she engaged in a peaceful protest that stopped a vehicle carrying Dakota Access Pipeline equipment from entering the Mississippi construction site in Montrose, IA.
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Sierra Laguarde braids Salvatore Geloso's hair outside of their teepee at the Sacred Stone Camp in North Dakota. Salvatore, a half-Dinè musician who travelled on a school bus from New Orleans to the camp, says: "All of my friends that I travelled here with are leaving tomorrow, but I'm staying. This camp is such a spiritual place; I feel like this is where I'm supposed to be."
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Standing Rock Sioux Native Americans Charles Wise Spirit and his wife, Lindsay, build a fire outside of their tent the Sacred Stone Camp in North Dakota. Lindsay is 9 months pregnant and expecting her third child, a boy, at any given moment.
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Justin, a Cheyenne River Sioux Native American, chops firewood for his family behind their teepee at the Sacred Stone Camp in Cannon Ball, North Dakota. Firewood is a prized commodity at the camp, especially as the winter season is rapidly approaching.
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Over 300 tribal flags representing each Indian nation that have visited the camp are posted around the Sacred Stone Camp in North Dakota. This is the first time in over 150 years that feuding tribes have set aside their long-time rivalries to stand in solidarity and protect the water.
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Juanita Cabrera Lopez, a Mayan who is originally from Guatemala, hugs an elder during a Native American welcoming ceremony at the Sacred Stone Camp.
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Lee Hampton stirs a pot of beef on a portable stove at the makeshift camp's kitchen in Argyle, Iowa. Lee, who was formerly a caterer for many years in Illinois, is the main chef at the camp and is responsible for cooking meals that adhere to every protester's dietary restrictions.
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Mònica Hurrera, a sophomore who studies Global Health & Human Rights, holds a "Water is Life" sign in front of tribal flags that represent some of the Native American students during an anti-Columbus Day rally/ Dakota Access Pipeline protest at the University of Iowa. The college’s Native American Student Association organized the event.
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Steve Hickenbottom is an organic farmer of 37 years who lives on the outskirts of Fairfield, Iowa. DAPL representatives initially used condemnation to try and acquire the 8 acres of Steve's farmland the pipeline runs through, but Steve rejected their price because it was less than 1/4 of what the land is worth. "When they come in, they threaten you with either you sell your land to them or they're going to take it with eminent domain," which is ultimately what DAPL did to Steve's property- they seized his land and he received no financial compensation. "They were harassing me, calling me on my phone 3-4 times a day. I just don't think that this is right at all." His main motivation for fighting this cause is his children: "I pity my children because more than likely they will have to deal with the repercussions of this pipeline. What happens to my children? What happens to my grandchildren, my great grandchildren? This is like a nightmare you never wake up from," he said.
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A protester attempts to dislocate a Dakota Access Pipeline sewage pipe that allegedly leads from the Montrose construction site into the Mississippi River waterfront in Iowa.
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Emily Onnebane sings songs and makes pleas urging workers to stop building the pipeline at the base of the DAPL construction site where Iowa protesters have set up a camp in Montrose, IA. Protesters were evicted from the land they had previously occupied at midnight the previous day.
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Construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline can be seen along Highway 6 in St. Anthony, North Dakota. The construction site, where land is unearthed with a crane so that the pipes can be situated into the ground, is now under 24 hours surveillance by both North Dakota law enforcement and DAPL security guards.
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Emerson Bobtail Bear, left, and David Red Bear Jr. hold "Protect the Water" and "Honor the Land" signs at a rally for Amy Goodman and other water protectors that had to make a court appearance at the Morton County Courthouse in North Dakota.
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Democracy Now! journalist Amy Goodman speaks to the press outside of the Morton County Courthouse after being cleared of charges for trespassing and enticing a riot. Goodman was charged for recording the now infamous video of a snarling attack dog with blood dripping down its mouth after biting peaceful protestors Monday, Oct. 17, 2016 in Bismarck, North Dakota.
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The sun sets glistens on tipis at the Sacred Stone Camp in North Dakota. Over 100,000 people have visited the camp to stand in solidarity with water protectors, including over 500 Indian tribes from all over the world.
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Story written for The Hawk Eye, which was published in their Thanksgiving 2016 newspaper with a selection of my photographs:
“What people don’t realize is this is about more than just water; it’s a spiritual movement. It’s about fighting capitalism and standing up to the government,” Georgia Andre said as she takes a sip of her ginger tea. The Burlington native has lived in her deceased mother’s home at the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in Bullhead, S.D. for the past 15 years with her four pet horses. During her leave of absence as a special education teacher for middle school students on the reservation, Andre served as my guide in the camps where “water protectors” (the terminology protestors prefer) were staying. Every day, Georgia and I would make the 50-minute drive from her home to the Sacred Stone Camp in Fort Yates, N.D. After passing through security which monitors the camp’s entrance 24/7, the second thing that greets all visitors are more than 300 flags posted along the sides of the camp’s main road. Each flag represents a different indigenous nation that have visited Sacred Stone from all over the world. So far, it is estimated more than 100,000 people have visited the camp since it officially opened on April 1st, 2016.
A wide variety of caravans, teepees, and generic camping tents are scattered throughout the hilly terrain of Sacred Stone. The camp has a communal kitchen and dining area, which are supplied by donations and operated by volunteers. Deborah Roussee, a Native American woman who lives at the Cheyenne River Reservation, has cooked food at home with her mother since the beginning of August to feed Sacred Stone campers. “My mother and I started baking bread at home and bringing it up to the camp once a week because they hardly ever have bread up there. As more people started coming to the camp, my cousin, who works in the kitchen, asked us to help make frybread (a flat dough bread that is deep-fried in oil or lard) on an open flame.” Despite the popularity of the camp kitchen, some campers opt to use their own makeshift kitchens instead. Sacred Stone also features medic stations for minor to serious health ailments, an education tent for the youngest campers to learn about Native American culture and even animal pens for campers who bring along their horses. The camp also boasts a very strict ban on drugs, alcohol and weapons of any kind, although that rule didn't seem to be an issue for most campers. As I walk around the camp, I hear a gentleman echo a phrase heard in passing conversations from numerous people: “When people who have substance abuse problems come here, they say they no longer have the urge to drink or use drugs. This land is sacred, and it is a place for people to come and heal their souls.” It seems that one of the greatest challenges campers face is the upcoming winter. Alex Good Cane Milk, who is an International Indigenous Youth Council Organizer from South Dakota, wants to unite the youth and elders for winter survival. He believes having younger generations learn traditional survival skills from elders, such as learning how to harvest vegetables that are in season and building teepees that will withstand harsh winder conditions will keep younger generations more connected to their culture and learn how to become self-sufficient. Since Sacred Stone is prone to flooding, campers have begun to settle into the new winter camp, Oceti Sakowin Treaty Camp, which is about a mile from the Sacred Stone Camp. Water protestors and campers will continue to stand in solidarity with one another as Dakota Access Pipeline construction progresses towards completion. Native Americans and non-natives alike have settled into their newly established camp communities and have proved they’re in this battle for the long haul.
The protestors said the pipeline violates numerous federal laws and treaties, such as the 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty, which guarantees the Sioux will "enjoy the undisturbed use and occupation of the Standing Rock Indian Reservation."
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Section 4A of The Hawk Eye's Thanksgiving newspaper, which featured a 2 page spread of my DAPL photos from North Dakota and my first ever print article about my experience photographing the #NoDAPL movement.
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Section 5A of The Hawk Eye's Thanksgiving newspaper, which featured a 2 page spread of my DAPL photos from North Dakota and my first ever print article about my experience photographing the #NoDAPL movement.
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The Dakota Access Pipeline is a 1,172 mile pipeline that spans from North Dakota to Illinois under the Mississippi and Missouri River and would carry 470,000 barrels of Canadian crude oil per day. The pipeline, which violates numerous American federal laws and Indian treaties, would contaminate the water supply of over 18 million people if the pipeline bursts as many pre-existing pipelines in the US have- water that is used for drinking, agriculture, and numerous ecosystems would become compromised by oil. Over 100,000 "water protectors", both Native American and non-Native alike answered the Sioux tribe’s call for standing in solidarity at the Sacred Stone Camp in North Dakota. This is the first time in over 150 years that feuding tribes have set aside their long-time rivalries to stand in solidarity and protect the water. People have gathered at Sacred Stone to pray and peacefully protest in hopes of stopping the pipeline. Despite being terrorized by militarized police officers, which included unarmed water protectors being shot with rubber bullets, maced, being hit with concussion grenades, sprayed with water cannons in 26 degree weather, and being arrested for praying, the water protectors’ strength never waivered. My photographs celebrate the unsung heroes that uprooted their lives to oppose the DAPL pipeline and shows the world what can be accomplished when the people stand united.
