ALL TOGETHER
A brief disclaimer: As
a relatively young white man, I am not an expert in white allyship for
native causes, and am in no way a spokesperson for any indigenous
movement. I was inspired to write this piece only because of painful
mistakes I have witnessed continuously repeated in native spaces by
people like me. In fact, virtually all the actions one can
unintentionally take to hamper indigenous movements, I have personally
committed. I am writing this so that others can avoid common pitfalls
and step into what I see as effective allyship within native movements.
1) Work towards the ultimate goal
Everyone
knows that the immediate goal of the protests are to stop the pipeline,
but what many outside observers seem to fail to realize is that the
ultimate goal is for unified indigenous peoples themselves to stop the
pipeline.
The last
time that many of these tribes came together was for what the Lakota know as the Battle of Greasy Grass, and we know as Custer’s Last Stand.
They are well aware of this fact at Standing Rock, as flying all over
camp are exact replicas of the flag captured during that total defeat of
the US army. This gathering is even more significant than that famous
battle in terms of unity, because never in the history of this continent
have so many tribes come together to work as one for a single goal. If
this action against the pipeline is accomplished via grassroots
indigenous support, native unity is gaining a track record of
successfully fighting for their equal treatment.
What
this means for us on the ground is that our top goal is to strengthen
the peace and unity of the indigenous factions within the camp, and to
support natives stepping into positions of leadership and influence in
this movement. Non-indigenous individuals attempting to assist the
protests by leading, organizing, and coordinating natives are actually
harming the long term outlook of this movement.
The ultimate goal is for unified indigenous peoples themselves to stop the pipeline.2) Understand the different ways you can help
There
is a lot of need on the ground in North Dakota, and there are many ways
you can support. One is by simply donating. There are several different
funds for the various camps out there. If you donate in this way, the money will likely be used for legal fees, central kitchen supplies, care of the children and elderly, winter gear for the protectors, and more.
At
Standing Rock, we met a lot of impoverished individuals who had been
camping for weeks or months, and were prepared to spend the whole winter
there, despite not even having sub-zero sleeping bags. These groups are
often small, autonomous, traditional, and too proud to ask for the help
they need when there are so many elderly and children present. I
believe that distributing aid directly to the people who are in it for
the long haul has a powerful impact on ultimately stopping the pipeline.
To read more about how aid on the ground can help, please look at this document we compiled, tracking how our money was spent.
There
is also need on the ground. Kitchen volunteers commonly worked up to
midnight, started feeding people at the crack of dawn, and could
certainly use extra help. There is a school on site that may still be
looking for teachers. First aid skills, manual labor, trash clearance,
minor landscaping, balanced media coverage, running errands: All were
required from what I could see. If you feel comfortable contributing in
these ways, are willing to navigate the complexities of race and
colonialism, and are able to be self sufficient, I think your presence
would be valued and appreciated onsite.
Some have been camping for weeks or months.
3) Know how not to contribute
Since
returning, I have seen a few fundraising efforts online that I thought
were well intentioned but potentially problematic. One was of a Los
Angeles based art director who was trying to raise $6,000 to fund her
dance company to travel to Standing Rock, so that they could make an art
documentary and choreograph a modern dance piece of the protests.
Another was of a Brooklyn based alternative healer who had raised $1,750
to fund her travels there so she and her coworkers could give free
acupuncturist sessions to the activists. Both of these funds advertised
the needs of the protesters on the ground and promised that excess money
would be donated to the activists.
There
is a painful history of indigenous personal struggles being
appropriated for someone’s artwork, personal validation, or new age
experience, and they are rightly sensitive towards these forms of
well-intentioned exploitation.
Native
communities have a long tradition of powerful art that resonates with
individuals from all backgrounds, and alternative healing that supports
their people in the absence of modern medicine. From what I can tell,
this movement is about strengthening indigenous culture, not diluting
it. Most people who are not part of the tribes that are unifying should
be paying their own way out there and fundraising for the activists.
Some
people may say it’s better to donate money you would use to travel
there, to the organizers. Essentially, I view simply writing a fat check
as one of the downfalls of western solidarity. There is a strong
tendency to donate out of guilt and then move on from the struggle. This
is a budding movement and needs individuals from all walks of life in
this country on the ground, interacting with, and trying to understand
the complexities of the challenges facing Native Americans. The camps
themselves are asking for empowered allies, willing to do the hard
day-to-day labor that this space requires.
This movement is about strengthening indigenous culture, not diluting it.
4) Work to Build Unity
Much
white activism is built around generating outrage and anger, so as to
better rally support for a specific cause. This is a fine strategy for
many protests, but when these habits are brought to Standing Rock they
fall oddly flat. This is because there is already plenty of conviction
(and anger) on these reservations whose residents are turning up in
force. There are hundreds of Natives prepared to camp through the winter
if need be, and Standing Rock has turned into a village at this point,
with all the politics and natural divisions that a village would have.
What
this group of people effectively living together needs, is to have
peace amongst themselves and to celebrate what they are accomplishing,
so that they have the emotional stamina to thrive for the long haul.
Unleashing a bunch of dramatic agitators in this space does nothing to
relieve these essential problems facing the various camps stopping the
pipeline. If anything, it exacerbates them. If you are going with the
assumption that this protest is a place for theatrics, costumes, ironic
signs, and anger, think again. The rules of activism there are
fundamentally different, and revolve around building cohesion, unity,
and mutual solidarity rather than incitement and dramatic education.
5) Trust native competency
This
is a particularly challenging thing for many newcomers to this
struggle. First Nations do things a bit differently than we do, and at
times it can feel grating. Often you may wonder if any Indian you meet
will ever reference something specifically in time and space. You will
even see individuals with critical jobs sitting around the whole day
appearing to do nothing. Ignore your frustration and do not try to step
in and save the day. If you feel the need to assist, simply ask how you
can help and do whatever is asked of you, no matter how trivial. Just
know that things happen on their own time out there, and remember that
there is only one group to ever extract an unconditional military
surrender from the Unites States of America: the Lakota nation. You are
around highly competent individuals doing what they do best: protecting
their lands, culture, and way of life. Take this opportunity to learn
from the experts.
They need to have peace amongst themselves and to celebrate what they are accomplishing.
6) Understand the cultural context of the situation
Before
you go, please do yourself and everyone else a favor and read up on two
things: Basic statistics on the quality of life on the reservations in
South and North Dakota, and the activism of the American Indian Movement
around the 70s.
You will find some things that surprise you. Alcoholism rates of up to 80%, 15% of high schoolers have attempted suicide in the last 12 months, and a life expectancy that is lower than any other country in the world. No you didn’t read that wrong. If your goal was to live as long as
possible, you would be better off being born in Sub-Saharan Africa than
on many reservations next to Standing Rock. You will encounter poverty
and hear stories to rival, and likely surpass, anything else you have
ever seen or heard. Brace yourself and check your privilege. You may
have things stolen from you. Remember that for many youth on the
reservation, a dollar is powerful, a nice pair of jeans maybe comes by
once every few years, and a gallon or two of gas opens up a world of
possibility. Protect yourself from theft and false promises about what
offered goods will be used for, but respond to such events with
compassion.
Remember
that the last time serious activism was occurring on these reservations,
it resulted in great loss of life. Know that despite the peaceful
nature of these protests, many are prepared to die for the good of their
people, and personally know people who have.
7) Be prepared to experience race as the racial minority
This
is the thing I was least prepared for, which changed my life the most. I
had been in other contexts where I was a racial minority (say Latin
America or Nepal), where I was celebrated for my race or at least
acknowledged as neutral.
This
is different on “The Rez”. The reality is that most whites coming onto
native land over the last 100 years have been exploiting, whether
intentionally or not, these indigenous communities. Additionally, the
last time there was serious activism on these reservations many of the
whites trying to get involved were FBI informants. While all races are
genuinely invited to all the camps at Standing Rock, as a white person
you will find yourself having to prove yourself to be an exception to
the rule. Ironically, this is how I imagine what it is like being a
racial minority in America in general, where you have to continuously
prove yourself to be the exception to stereotypes imposed on you by the
majority culture. If you are paying the slightest bit of attention, you
will experience what it is like to be a racial minority with an attached
sense of “otherness”, and this will likely change how you view the
world.
You will experience what it is like to be a racial minority.
8) Be aware of the importance of symbolism
It
was commonplace for Natives to recount intimate details of some
historical massacre in casual conversation. It was normal to see someone
carrying around a jar of water, or other item, from a piece of land
where hundreds of their people had been massacred by colonialists. Why
is there this intimate connection to the past when our own culture
swiftly forgets details about anything that happened to our family
before our grandparents?
In
my opinion, natives have a greater closeness with the history because
many view themselves not as wholly individuals, but also as a part of a
larger tribe, with the trials and tribulations of those communities not
being completely separate from theirs. It is important to try to
navigate these difficult waters so that you aren’t accidentally rubbing
someone’s face into an incident that seems like ancient history to you,
but might as well have been yesterday for many of your companions.
I
made plenty of mistakes when I was out there. One time, I suggested to
the people who I was distributing funding and materials with that
perhaps we should get some old army surplus wool blankets, as these are
cheap, extremely durable, can fit both needs of cold weather garb and
sleeping gear. I was gently reminded that many traditionals simply
wouldn’t accept blankets from a white man, as the bio-terrorism of our
shared history is still remembered quite clearly.
Try
and avoid obvious pitfalls like these but also know that while you are
there you will make mistakes, I guarantee it. Don’t let a gentle
reminder hurt your feelings, as no one is questioning your intentions.
It is important to not be defensive, but simply apologize and correct
whatever you can.
'Many view themselves not as wholly individuals, but also as a part of a larger tribe.
9) Avoid ceremony unless you are explicitly invited
I
imagine nearly everyone has the desire to participate in a Native
American ceremony, held by some powerful medicine person which
facilitates a unique and authentic experience. These protests are not
the place to come looking for that.
Moreover,
I am sure many hold a desire to gain some kind of spiritual connection
with these ancient traditions, and develop a relationship with these
ceremonies such that you could hold them with as much power as any
Native American you come across. These protests are not the place to
demonstrate that.
There
is something that can only be described as a deep hunger in white
people for authentic, earth-based spirituality. Unfortunately, this
hunger is often combined with an unfortunate combination of feeling
entitled to be taught these traditions, and a complete lack of cultural
awareness. Coming into native space with charged religious symbols,
attempting to participate in ceremonies uninvited, or publicly leading
new age rituals, patched together from the mutilated parts of other
divergent traditions, makes you as complicit in cultural genocide as the
racist cops arresting activists at the checkpoint you will be going
through.
On my last
night camping next to the Missouri River, I was talking late past
midnight with one local young man who seemed pretty traditional. I asked
him if he was learning the old ways. He replied that he was trying to,
but it took a lot of time. His elders and grandparents would often wait
months or even years in between teaching or sharing with him aspects of
his people’s religion, waiting for the moment that was just right to
impart a specific piece of wisdom.
These protests are not the place to come looking for a Native American ceremony.
10) Leave your costume at home
I
am incredulous that this actually needs to be said, but apparently a
bunch of people feel that they need to literally dress up at this
occupation. I would like to ask these people, seriously, if they would
consider wearing their sparkle pony fox-eared hat and matching mittens
to the marches for women’s suffrage occurring in the 1920s. We are here
to support quietly in the background, not flaunt a radical-ragamuffin
style that our privilege affords us.
11) Don’t take up space
One
odd but unsurprising thing I noticed was that although the protectors
were ~95% native, 50% of the individuals who sat closest to the central
fire were white. We have a habit of taking up inordinate amounts of
space, and often can attempt to make a situation or movement about our
own struggle and personal exploration. Move back and help from the
edges so that others can step into the center.
12) Check out this small recommended reading list
Neither Wolf Nor Dog, by Kent Nerburn. This book was recommended to me by my native family when I was first going to help on a reservation years ago, and I found
its perspectives indispensable.
Additionally, Standing Rock Allies Resource Packet
provides important information on what you need to know before going to
Standing Rock. This includes guidelines on joining camp culture and
Oceti Sakowin Camp Protocols.
