The Water is Life Banner: A Look Back

I did not even imagine that my trip to Standing Rock, North Dakota from Sacramento, California with a banner signed by members of the elementary school would end up on the front of the guard shack at the main entrance to the camp.

It is a story.

After watching the news of attacks on peaceful protestors and reading about the oil pipeline being rapidly approved, I felt that I must act. I designed a banner, had it printed, and scheduled a signing party at the elementary school where I taught. Everyone at William Land Elementary placed their signatures on the banner during the event on November 17, 2016.

When I arrived in Bismark, I had one mission. I needed to deliver the banner to the tribe.

I was in contact with a woman on Facebook who said she had a friend who was on her way to Standing Rock. This friend, her name was Katie, was going to meet me at the hotel but was delayed. I met her instead at the main gate in Standing Rock. I witnessed the live feed of a major action against the water protectors the night before.

Katie (not her name) had a friend (Billy) come with us to pick up supplies from the Walmart in Bismarck. I found the guy to be very untrustworthy – he shoplifted a hat in Walmart. He did not seem to have the spirit of a person participating in prayer vigils or protest of an oil pipeline. I found Katie to also be very suspect. I thought they might be agents of some sort. I found out on our drive into town that they had already been in Standing Rock and had been involved in the action the night before. They were still coughing from the tear gas.

We delivered the supplies to the various tents at camp: medical, food, and school.

On the third day at Standing Rock, I was able to formally present the banner to the tribal chief. I had purchased tobacco in Bismarck to give as a gift first. Then I handed the chief the banner and asked him to accept it from all the signatories in Sacramento. He accepted it and told me that I had permission to hang it at the front gate. There were hundreds of banners from around the world and around the country in the camp. Each had to get permission from the tribal council to be hung. I was very lucky to get to hang ours on the front gate near the main entrance. In the video it is fleetingly visible, the third banner to the left of the large EnbridgeLies banner.

Unknown water protector, Katie, and Billy with the banner.

I felt I was supposed to be there. None of the staff of my school had even heard about what was happening at Standing Rock. The mainstream media was not covering what was happening. Here I was, able to deliver a signed banner all the way from California to Bismarck, North Dakota!

I found out from Katie that Billy was kicked out of camp for not complying with camp rules.

On the day I left Standing Rock, I heard that people were told to evacuate the camp. I worried about the banner and I called and asked Katie to take it down and send it to the tribal offices on the reservation. She told me that she found two guys who would deliver it because she was on her way out of the camp also.

Katie sent me this photo. But instead of delivering the banner to the reservation, they hung it in front of the guard shack! I can only speculate that they put it there temporarily and that it would be taken to the reservation later. I did not know of the ritual burning of everything in the camp as it was evacuated. I left on the 28th.