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There are my recommendations for revising the article: Water protectors.

  • I added a sentence as to why they do not call themselves "protestors".
  • I added a sentence in the first paragraph.
  • I added a citation in the section "Actions" about Dundon v. Kirchmeier.
  • Talked a little bit about the lawsuit under "The Dakota Access Pipeline"
  • I added a citation in the section "Trans Mountain Pipeline"
  • I added another citation in the section "People" about frontline activists.
  • I added a sentence in the section "Alton Gas"
  • I added a citation under the section "Wet'suwet'en resistance camps"


Copied content from Water protectors; see that page's history for attribution.


Water protectors are activists, organizers, and cultural workers focused on the defense of the world's water and water systems. Though not all, many of the water protectors belong to Native American nations. The water protector name, analysis and style of activism arose from Indigenous communities in North America, during the Dakota Access Pipeline protests at the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, that began in April, 2016, in North Dakota.[1] Water protectors are distinguished from other forms of environmental activists by this philosophy and approach that is rooted in an Indigenous cultural perspective that sees water and the land as sacred.[2]

Some Water Protectors say that the reasons for protection of water are older, more holistic, and integrated into a larger cultural and spiritual whole than in most modern forms of environmental activism which may be more based in seeing water and other extractive resources as commodities.[3] For example, water walker Josephine Mandamin of the Anishinaabe has said that water is associated with Mother Earth and spoke of the responsibility of grandmothers to lead other women in praying for and protecting the water.[4] After a prophecy from an elder, Mandamin led water walks, to pray and raise awareness, from 2000 until her death in 2019. They do not consider themselves as "protestors" because that word has a negative connotation to it. Her peaceful actions inspired many to become water protectors.[5]

Actions

[edit]

Water protectors have been involved in actions against construction of multiple pipelines, as well as other projects by the fossil fuel industries, and resource extraction activities such as fracking that can lead to the contamination of water.[6]

Actions have involved traditional direct actions like blockades on reserve lands and traditional territories to block corporations from engaging in resource extraction.[7] Water and land protectors have also created resistance camps as a way to re-occupy and refuse to give away their traditional territories. Usually part of these encampments, when led by Indigenous people, is a strengthening of cultural ties and traditions, with inclusion of activities like language revitalization.[8] [9]

In addition to those direct actions, legal actions have also been taken. [10]


Nov. 20, 2016, attack on water protectors on Backwater Bridge with firehoses, impact munitions, grenades and teargas, to move forward with discovery

Generally, this resistance turns violent as police and security responses from the dominant culture escalate despite the peaceful nature of demonstrations.

The Dakota Access Pipeline

[edit]

On Nov. 26, 2016 the water protector activists were hit with firehoses, impact munitions, including grenades and teargas on Backwater Bridge. The use of excessive force by police led Water protector activists to file a civil lawsuit against the law enforcement team that handled the situation. The civil suit consisted of nine named plaintiffs, on behalf those who were injured.

Main article: Dakota Access Pipeline protests

Alton Gas

[edit]

In May 2018 Mi'kmaq peoples in Nova Scotia blocked the Alton Gas company from extracting water from the Shubenacadie River for a natural gas project; Many locals felt like they did not have say in the project as well as a say in what happens on what they consider to be sacred land. the project was disrupting the natural balance between freshwater and seawater in the tidal region, and threatening the drinking water, fish and other water life of the region.[11]

Muskrat Falls

[edit]

Action has also been taken across Canada, including Muskrat Falls hydro dam project in Labrador.[12][13]

There are concerns about health risk impacts from the hydroelectric project. The increase concentrations of the neurotoxin methylmercury has an impact on Indigenous people's health.

Trans Mountain Pipeline

[edit]

In Burnaby Mountain, thousands have staged demonstrations opposing the Trans Mountain pipeline.[14][15]

A big reason as to why there is a resistance against the Trans Mountain Pipeline is because it a threat to Indigenous people's food supplies. [16] The pipeline expansion has caused water contamination and can be seen in biotoxin levels. The chemical toxins are harmful to the marine life in the area.

Wet'suwet'en resistance camps

[edit]

The Wet’suwet’en peoples have ongoing of resistance camps, including Unist’ot’en Camp and action against the construction of a Coastal GasLink pipeline and the heavily militarized RCMP, in Northern British Columbia.[17] Though environmental justice is a theory still being coined, these people are amongst those who have faced and experienced environmental injustices.[18]

People

[edit]

Many water protectors are women.[19][20] In many Native American and FNIM cultures, women are seen to have a strong connection to water, the moon, and the cycles of the tide as they are able to become pregnant and give birth.[21] In Anishinaabe culture women perform ceremonies to honour water and water is considered to be alive and have a spirit.[22] Indigenous women are well known to be at the front of the line against the resistance. [23]

The water walks begun by Josephine Mandamin in the Great Lakes region continue to take place, and have spread worldwide, in an ongoing effort to raise visibility.[24]

Well-known water protectors include: Autumn Peltier (of the Wikwemikong First Nation);[22][25][26] Peltier's aunt Josephine Mandamin, Marjorie Flowers, Inuk, Nunatsiavut, Labrador.[27][28]

  1. ^ LeQuesne, Theo (2019-04-03). "Petro-hegemony and the matrix of resistance: What can Standing Rock's Water Protectors teach us about organizing for climate justice in the United States?". Environmental Sociology. 5 (2): 188–206. doi:10.1080/23251042.2018.1541953.
  2. ^ "Standing Rock activists: Don't call us protesters. We're water protectors". Public Radio International. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
  3. ^ "Grandmother Josephine Mandamin, a 69 Year Old Who Walked Around the Great Lakes, Talks About the Water Docs International Festival - Shedoesthecity". Shedoesthecity. 2013-03-22. Retrieved 2017-10-18.
  4. ^ "Meet Josephine Mandamin (Anishinaabekwe), The "Water Walker" | Mother Earth Water Walk". www.motherearthwaterwalk.com. Retrieved 2017-10-18.
  5. ^ "Anishinabek Nation mourns the loss of Grandmother Water Walker Josephine Mandamin". Manitoulin Expositor. 2019-02-22. Retrieved 2019-10-19.
  6. ^ "Mi'kmaq water protectors blocking fossil fuel infrastructure in Nova Scotia | rabble.ca". rabble.ca. 2018-03-20. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
  7. ^ "Standing Rock activists: Don't call us protesters. We're water protectors". Public Radio International. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
  8. ^ Rowe, James K (2017-10-09). "Lessons From the Frontlines of Anti-Colonial Pipeline Resistance" (PDF). escholarship.org. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
  9. ^ "The Water Protector Movement". Truthdig: Expert Reporting, Current News, Provocative Columnists. Retrieved 2020-10-16.
  10. ^ Loor, Karen Pita (2020-05-01). "Tear Gas + Water Hoses + Dispersal Orders: The Fourth Amendment Endorses Brutality in Protest Policing". Rochester, NY. doi:10.2139/ssrn.3610856. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  11. ^ "Mi'kmaq water protectors blocking fossil fuel infrastructure in Nova Scotia | rabble.ca". rabble.ca. 2018-03-20. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
  12. ^ "3 Labrador water protectors in St. John's jail over Muskrat Falls protest". aptnnews.ca. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
  13. ^ "Muskrat Falls Ecological Grief: Resistance became a "profound, unstoppable force," says researcher". aptnnews.ca. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
  14. ^ "Camp Cloud eviction deadline comes and goes as assistant fire chief pledges support for water protectors". aptnnews.ca. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
  15. ^ López, Edwin (2019-01-18). "Race, Culture, and Resistance at Standing Rock: an Analysis of Racialized Dispossession and Indigenous Resistance". Perspectives on Global Development and Technology. 18 (1–2): 113–133. doi:10.1163/15691497-12341508. ISSN 1569-1500.
  16. ^ Jonasson, Michael E.; Spiegel, Samuel J.; Thomas, Sarah; Yassi, Annalee; Wittman, Hannah; Takaro, Tim; Afshari, Reza; Markwick, Michael; Spiegel, Jerry M. (2019-12-01). "Oil pipelines and food sovereignty: threat to health equity for Indigenous communities". Journal of Public Health Policy. 40 (4): 504–517. doi:10.1057/s41271-019-00186-1. ISSN 1745-655X.
  17. ^ Wong, Rita (8 January 2019). "We can all learn from Wet'suwet'en laws". National Observer. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
  18. ^ Temper, Leah (2019-02). "Blocking pipelines, unsettling environmental justice: from rights of nature to responsibility to territory". Local Environment. 24 (2): 94–112. doi:10.1080/13549839.2018.1536698. ISSN 1354-9839. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. ^ "Women Warrior Water Protectors of DAPL". IndianCountryToday.com. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
  20. ^ Monkman, Lenard (19 August 2017). "How art and spirituality are defining the 'water protectors'". CBC News. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
  21. ^ "Meet Josephine Mandamin (Anishinaabekwe), The "Water Walker" | Mother Earth Water Walk". www.motherearthwaterwalk.com. Retrieved 2017-10-18.
  22. ^ a b Kent, Melissa (22 March 2018). "Canadian teen tells UN to 'warrior up,' give water same protections as people". CBC News. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
  23. ^ Lane, Temryss MacLean (2018-03-16). "The frontline of refusal: indigenous women warriors of standing rock". International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education. 31 (3): 197–214. doi:10.1080/09518398.2017.1401151. ISSN 0951-8398.
  24. ^ Johnson, Rhiannon (23 September 2017). "'It's really very crucial right now': Great Lakes Water Walk focuses on protecting 'lifeblood'". CBC News. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
  25. ^ "Teen who scolded Trudeau to address UN". BBC News. 2017-12-31. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
  26. ^ "Autumn Peltier up for Nobel children's prize". aptnnews.ca. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
  27. ^ Breen, Katie (29 Aug 2017). "Muskrat Falls protester Marjorie Flowers no longer under house arrest". CBC News. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
  28. ^ "Land protectors face criminal charges for defending water, food, culture – TheIndependent.ca". 2017-03-18. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
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