ABSTRACT
In the spring through fall of 2016, representatives from hundreds of indigenous nations gathered to defend the Missouri River, the longest river in North America. Tens of thousands of river protesters, or “river protectors,” spontaneously showed up to block the installation of the Dakota Access oil pipeline under the River. At the encampments, water protectors drew on traditional prayer, ceremony, and non-violent protest strategies under the banner Mni Wiconi (Lakota for “water is life”). This chapter provides an historical context to this gathering by describing the indigenous history of this section of the River, focusing on the dam-building era, hydraulic fracturing (fracking), and the cultural resistance to oil pipelines. Its purpose is to examine the emerging story of water and oil at Fort Berthold and Standing Rock Reservations by underscoring why the cultural revitalization of indigenous language, story, and ceremony is a necessary component of the restoration of the Missouri River. The central question is this: How does a displaced riverine people restore what seems to be destroyed?
Dean P. Good Eagle Fox, deceased, was a member of the Three Affiliated Tribes (MHA Nation) and a faculty member at Fort Berthold Community College.
Alesia Maltz PhD is Professor of Environmental Studies at Antioch University New England in Keene, New Hampshire, USA.
