**If you are considering making the journey all the way to North Dakota, it’s wise to consider all options.  There may be more effective and appropriate ways to help, depending on your situation.  Besides going to Standing Rock, activists are also needed to be acting locally, donating money (especially for legal support of Water Protectors committing civil disobedience), and writing + calling the officials listed on the front page of this web site!

If You’re Thinking About Going to Standing Rock…
First of all, thank you! The whole world has been moved and inspired by the water protectors at Standing Rock and many people feel called to go there. It’s important to think through whether you will be able to contribute best by going in person or by doing support work from home.

Good reasons to go:
• To commit civil disobedience blocking construction of the pipeline.
• To do needed physical labor
• To deliver supplies
• To bring a necessary skill
• To bring messages of support from your national or tribal group and share your traditional ceremony and culture
• To support the presence of young people or elders
• To provide media coverage and documentation

Not good enough reasons:
• To experience indigenous culture and wisdom
• Because it seems cool
• Curiosity
*Do not go to Standing Rock “just to see.” Every person in camp needs to pull their weight and contribute in substantial ways.

*If you do plan to go to Standing Rock, please read the following excerpts from my Oceti Sakowin camp mate’s thoughts on the situation and how to walk with the Sioux:

For all of you out there planning or thinking about going to Standing Rock, this message is long, but important, please take the time to read my words here. This goes for everyone, and comes from a place of respect, caring and love. If you cannot respect the ways of these beautiful, beautiful, strong people that I have so much deep love for in my heart, that have been oppressed for 500 long, sad, painful, difficult years, than please, please do your help from home. You will do more harm to the movement by going than you will by helping from home if you cannot respect their ways. They might not tell you if disrespected them, but the pain is still there, the discomfort is still there. They know you are there to help, and that you may be ignorant in these ways, but please take the time to check yourself, look around you, who is standing next to you? What is happening at the time? What are you walking up to?  Is it a prayer, a ceremony, is someone speaking, are you talking loud to your friend? Pay attention.

Respect the locals and the elders… Ask what you need to in a respectful way and respect the answer.  Standing Rock is not a party, a festival, an event, or a rally… it’s a prayer. Respect that, and it’s hosts. If you have other reasons to go, like to say you were there, or a photo op, to be on the news, to charge the frontline on your own action, or to push your ways on others, or to try and run the show, then stay home, help from there.

Do not bring or consume any alcohol or drugs… Get out of your head and into your heart.

Don’t touch anything that isn’t yours, unless you know for sure its ok. Don’t take anything without asking, don’t steal. Share if you have more. Come with more that you need, give more than you take in what ways you can, it doesn’t have to be an object it can be in things you do and help with. Don’t leave things behind unless you know someone wants it and you ask them. Someone will have to clean up camp after you go. People here are modest. Don’t pee in public. Use the porta potties, don’t dig a hole and poop in it, it’s a flood zone, it will be washed into the river eventually and pollute it.

Ask how to enter the sacred fire area properly, there is a way, don’t enter unless you know the way to do so respectfully. Be respectful and respect everyone in there and around you. Give up your seat for elders, don’t block the isle. Don’t put anything in the fire or alter of your own, unless you know for sure its ok or ask if you don’t know. No cig butts, paper, candy Etc.

Pick up after yourself, don’t throw trash on the ground. If you are only going for a short time, take your trash home with you. Check camp when you leave that no trash is left behind. Don’t throw cigarette butts on the ground, put in your pocket or don’t smoke, every time you smoke it’s a prayer, watch your thoughts, when you smoke. Do not put anything but toilet paper and what comes out of your body into the porto potties. People have to clean up your mess and I assure you, it’s not a fun job. If you go somewhere to take a shower, clean up after yourself, leave the place in the same condition or better than it was when you got there. There are people that don’t pick up after themselves and ruin it for others.

Don’t bring a sound system or blast your car radio, don’t go around playing your bongo drums to the beat of the tribal drums or to the beat of your own or guitars, etc., unless you are asked to join in. Don’t feel excluded if you are not. If you want your time to shine in the light with your instrument or voice, go to open mic by the sacred fire and ask if you can play something and seriously be respectful in what you play, NO PROFANITY, VIOLENCE, OR SEXUAL CONTENT. RESPECT THE ELDERS, Wimmin, etc. You don’t need to be in the spotlight, so let go of it if you can.

You need to have the upmost RESPECT for everyone and everything, starting with yourself. If you can’t respect yourself, what else can you RESPECT? Look at yourself and the way you conduct yourself here, the way you conduct yourself in life. If you are unsure how to behave here, politely ask someone. Watch and learn, from the majority of folks doing it the same way. Of course there are differences in ways, and there are reasons. If you don’t know, then don’t do it. If you see an Elder, a woman with a child, someone hurt or disabled, help them, give them your seat, let them stand in front of you ask them if they need anything. Have respect.

These are things that not only we should do at camp to respect the indigenous hosts and people there, these are things we should do and carry through in our lives. These should be the way we live no matter where we are. These are the things that help us to balance in life and live in harmony. Isn’t that why we feel the call to go to help Standing Rock, because we want clean water, clean air, a clean earth, no more greed and suffering and we are sick of the ways that that don’t work? The system that doesn’t work, that doesn’t serve us and our higher selves?

There is more to it than this, these are the basics, but please I urge you all to watch, ask, learn and please have the upmost respect. Listen to what the elders and host of the camp want, don’t act on your own with going out on your own action, what one person does affects everyone and we don’t want to see any more people getting hurt. If you can’t stand in prayer, in a peaceful way and respect these ways, please help in ways you can from home. It’s overwhelming to keep everyone in line and there are infiltrators trying to escalate situations and try to lead people in the wrong directions. There is so much going on and so many cultures coming together. We need to learn to work together and respect one another for it to work.

There are people out there that want to go to war and people that are there to pray. The leaders want to keep it peaceful… If we go out on a silent peaceful prayer action, the don’t shout out at the other side even if they are trying to get us to react. A prayer is a prayer and why are others screaming out when we are asked to remain silent and in prayer? If we react, the other side wins, that’s what they want, it gives them a reason to beat us down and attack us. We must choose our battles wisely.

Prepare yourself physically and mentally for the worst weather, blizzards, cold, wet, deep snow, possible raids, warlike conditions, getting injured, illness, emotionally and mentally ill. Seeing victims dragged out unconscious and bloody, people choking and eyes burning…

This is not a place for everyone at this time, so be mindful if its the right thing for you to come or stay at home and help. Take care of your family. We are all family here and at our homes. Love one another and treat each other with kindness and respect as should we to our Mother Earth and all inhabitants.

Remember that everything eventually finds it way onto the water, so pick up after yourself and be mindful of all you do. You are going to help save the water, what are you consume to get there? what will you consume when you are there? what do you consume in your daily life? It all matters. There are a lot of styrofoam cups being used at camp, what are they made from? Do they decompose? There is a lot of trash in the dumpsters, how can we minimize that? A lot of those things in there are made from petroleum as is the fuel and oil it takes us to get out to Standing Rock, isn’t all that from petroleum, from oil, that we are trying to keep from coming through the pipeline? Think about it all and let that set in. What can we do to stop this from home for the people that it would would be best for them to work from home? Thank You to All My Relations for Listening. Be Safe.

One last note. DO NOT bring your dog. It will be hard on the dog and you. They are not allowed near the sacred fires, ceremonies and must be kept on leash and picked up after. If you must, and I mean must, keep dog on leash at your camp and make sure it’s warm and checked on and not left unattended. Paws get very cold out here. So in everyone’s best interest, leave your pets at home.

If I have offended any elders or anyone with my words, please forgive me. I just feel we all need to speak up about these things so we can all learn from each other.
                                 – Excerpted from Post by S.S., November 2016

Also:
• Elders and families with children are welcome. Families must see to the safety and wellbeing of their children.

• Currently (late October 2016), the main camp has moved north, closer to a major highway. Law enforcement has made it clear that anyone at the new camp is risking arrest. If you are coming and arrest-able, camp at the new camp. The leadership has implored supporters to be here and be ready to be a physical barrier to block the arrival of the black snake making its way quick toward us with militaristic police presence at its head. If you cannot be arrested, consider camping at the “old” camp, or south camp.

What is the best way for me to support Standing Rock?

There are many ways to support the water protectors at Standing Rock. If you are considering going there in person, please read the document “Joining Camp Culture” to understand what’s expected of allies at the camps. The situation at Standing Rock is constantly changing. Check with the websites and Facebook pages of the different camps to determine whether you’re able to provide the specific kinds of support most needed:
•http://www.ocetisakowincamp.org/
•https://www.facebook.com/RedWarriorCamp/
•http://sacredstonecamp.org/
•https://www.facebook.com/standingrocksolidaritytraining/ •http://www.standingrocksolidaritynetwork.org/

Most Pressing Needs, right now (November, 2016):

• People to commit civil disobedience to stop the pipeline, and be arrested. There are urgent calls for as many people as possible to come and take part in direct non-violent actions.
• People who can help with the physical labor of preparing for the winter. This includes moving equipment and supplies to the winter camp sites, building structures, sorting donations, and much more.
• Lawyers who can join the legal support team and be observers of police conduct.
• Media people who can document the water protectors’ peaceful prayers and resistance, and police conduct, and can risk arrest.
• Skilled medical workers, especially with more advanced training, including EMTs, nurses and doctors.
•  Artists who create banners and signs for the actions,
•  Bodyworkers and other healers
•  People with construction skills.

If you can’t participate in any of these ways, assess what resources you have to offer and whether they will add more resource to the camp than your presence will use up.  Consider whether you would be more useful raising funds, organizing shipments of supplies, organizing support actions such as die-ins, flashmobs, demonstrations, guerilla theater, and phone and email campaigns, doing media work, creating and sharing art about Standing Rock, educating people around you, putting public pressure on investors, the Department of Justice, Hillary Clinton, sheriff departments being mobilized to support the pipeline and North Dakota state officials. This work is just as important as the work on site and may be a better fit for you.