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The violence of police had harsh consequences, but those outcomes could have easily been much worse. Law enforcement was clearly risking the lives of those whose prayers it aimed to halt. In addition to the harmful effects of the chemicals unleashed on Protectors, a teenage boy was also shot in the chest with a rubber bullet, causing him to cough up blood. A journalist was also hit with a rubber bullet during the police attack. But despite the violence repression at hand, I felt an invigoration during and after that standoff, where spirituality and a love of the water held firm against the dehumanizing violence of the state.
Far from broken, our spirits were lifted, and our heels dug in further.
In the days that followed, our numbers continued to grow, and the days felt a bit warmer. When I left on Friday, I sensed that more action was on the horizon, and that those present were rallying their energies to face what was to come.
As construction lights illuminated the round-the-clock momentum of the pipeline's advance, the timeline couldn't be clearer. Despite Obama's empty statement, which conveyed that he "thought" that the Army Corps was looking at alternative routes for the pipeline, and that federal officials would monitor the situation for a "few more weeks," those at Standing Rock could have no doubt that, without continued action by the Protectors, this struggle would never last that long. Once again, Obama had simply kicked the matter down the road. Having done this once before, to significant liberal accolades (in spite of the noncommittal nature of his so-called intervention), Obama was clearly not to be believed. Fortunately, it seems that many around the country are refusing to be fooled twice.
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The struggle for their land is just a foreshadowing of we losing ours to trade deals, bankers and oil. How do you feel about the struggle at Standing Rock?