Oct 24, 2016 - Media Incites Anti-Indian Racism Against Water Protectors by Tabitha Milian

The forces of the state are at hand and agitators are coming in the form of “media”. Let’s not forget the old tactics of the state. Cointelpro proved to divide and conquer and those tactics have not changed much, with the exception of the advent of the internet and monitoring media. The state is trying their best to frame this powerful prayerful movement as a “riot” as “violent”. We are unarmed we have our power of prayer and that is something that those that are trying to divide us cannot touch, it is not tangible. So the old tactics of division come out. Those that are vulnerable will be used to gain access to information. We need to be diligent. We need our Protectors. We need people trained in Direct Action to come, we need people. It is worth the sacrifice, it is our responsibility of people of this Mother Earth.

The local bismark and mandan media are creating an air of fear around the prayer camps of Sacred Stone and Oceti Sakowin. Recently a farmer reported to the police that he had 2 missing cattle, the camps were the prime suspects in the investigation. Days ago the farmer came forward to let the police know that the cattle were found in a nearby ravine. The police have not retracted their statement that the Prayer Camps were the prime suspect. At a camp where we receive so much global support in the form of food, clothing, and shelter, we have absolutely no need to steal. We have almost everything we need, except the halt of the black snake, and the Honoring of the Treaties. These are what we want, this is why we as Water Protectors have answered the call to be here, we are merely answering the prayer of the Youth that called us here.

Last night an Elder shared with us that he had already dreamed about this encampment 11 years ago. He didn’t realize it until the day came when he arrived at the camp. He lives here, his land is here, if the water is destroyed, life cannot happen, the Standing Rock People will have nowhere to go. His Prayer is that we all come back to Praying, honoring the circle of life that we belong to. He also understands when we win here, we have to go to support other Tribes’ fight against these corporations that are exploiting our Mother and in turn killing us.

So now we come to a point where the completion of the pipeline is less than 4-5 miles away. There is an urgency and today by the sacred fire an Elder spoke about how if the pipeline crosses hwy 1806, that we have lost. We are coming to a breaking point. What will happen, I do not know.

Today as we crossed over the desecrated burial site we walked 4 miles towards the pipeline. We were going to support the folks that locked down at the pipeline construction site. We laid out tobacco and said our prayers that we have not come to disrespect where they are laid to rest. That we come to protect the land they are resting on for the future generations. We walked off the construction road into the plains, we prayed, and we did our best to outwit the riot police. We came close to where folks locked down and were met with a line of about 30 riot police and 2 tanks one of them from a different county. On our frontlines we stayed cool but the police sprayed us with pepper spray and pushed people in the face, pushed us with batons and tried to push people down. They snatched folks and arrested them. We prayed and sang a song. We decided to retreat and the cops kept coming at us. We were being chased but we were leaving and the cops wouldn’t stop coming at us. We tried our best to stay together and we were being stopped from leaving through a fence gap. They started to corral us and we split into two groups one of the groups about 50 people were kettled, surrounded and arrested. The other group decided to go wide around the police and slide down an embankment, cross a creek and climb up the other side. All the while still being chased by the cops. We walked back along the trenched path of the pipeline towards the road all the while the threat of arrest loomed, the armored trucks were following close and snatched more people from the back that were elders and those that couldn’t move as quickly. About half were arrested of the 300 that went out.

Now (oct 23) we are set up our winter camp across 1806 from where the ancestors were bulldozed. It is our blockade our new camp, 1806 is our line of no surrender, it is our last stand. We will protect what is Sacred, we do this for our ancestors. It is our responsibility.

So here we are the turning point in our Indigenous Story, we are at the fork in the road. We need everyone to come out and set up camp at the winter camp. The time is now to fight for our Right to Life, and to fight for the honoring of the treaties that the u.s. gov has broken time and time again. Return the land to the rightful caretakers. This is our moment to fight to be free.

From the hills of the Oceti Sakowin, Warrior Water Protectors