Protesters have been at it for months seeking to halt construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline through their tribal lands. Days ago Kamalei Alexander and a group of surfers joined them. Photo: The Guardian
Two days ago Kamalei Alexander and a cohort of surfers from Kauai and Malibu landed in North Dakota in a showing of kinship and solidarity with the thousands of demonstrators protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline.
“Tomorrow at this time I’m going to be spending time with my brothers and sisters up in North Dakota,” said Kamalei in an Instagram post on Tuesday. “I’m taking a couple of friends with me and we’re going to support them in as many ways as possible.”
Over the last four months, the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, along with thousands of environmentalists and supporters from other tribes, have sought to obstruct the $3.7 billion Dakota Access Pipeline project on the grounds that the pipeline will pass beneath the Missouri River – a major source of the tribe’s drinking water.
The response of law enforcement to peaceful protests is bleak, to say the least. While traditional media outlets have faced sharp criticism for their lack of coverage, videos have caught fire across the internet depicting scenes of protesters being subject to mace, attack dogs, rubber bullets, concussion cannons and other means of excessive force. Not to mention reports of protesters being imprisoned in cages like animals with numbers written on their arms.
The United Nations has reportedly stepped in to investigate potential human rights violations.
A handful of members of the surf community have weighed in on the issue, including, Rob Machado, who posted the following with the hashtag #nodapl.
Devon Howard also weighed in with a photo and heartfelt longform caption on Instagram. “Isn’t it extremely sad that the descendants of the Original People here in North America are now being kicked around (again) by the descendants of the invaders of the Original People?” he starts. “I enjoy the cheap fuel we currently have, and I’m certainly no enviro saint, but putting that aside, allowing the Energy Transfer Company to steamroll its Dakota Access Pipeline through Oceti Sakowin (Standing Rock) land is wrong.”
But, Kamalei Alexander has been particularly vocal via Instagram among the rest. His posts have been moving, especially in reference to time he shared with Native American elders. “Difficult to write this (tears),” he starts one post. “On home turf last year a few Native American elders came to support US !?!? In our battle against evil- they danced for us told stories of their land and that they were the last remaining of their tribe that spoke their native tounge- their presence up on the Mauna will never be forgotten- till this very moment their #MANA runs through my #Puuwai #NoDAPL.”
And now, Kamalei, and Keegan Gibbs, Leo Harrington, John Hildebrand, Teva Dexter and Theo Friesen, find themselves on the ground in North Dakota in an effort to support the movement. Keegan has also set up a GoFundMe page for the trip that has raised more than $8,000 – $3,000 more than their goal.
“The funds raised here will pay for much needed supplies for the camp such as firewood, sub-zero sleeping bags, tents and tarps,” says the page. “Mainstream media has been mostly silent, so this trip is about creating content to help bring awareness to the protests, and most importantly, awareness to the mistreatment of the peaceful water protectors. Their First Amendment Rights must be protected and respected.”
“This protest is about more than just standing up against a single pipeline,” the page goes on. “It is about standing up for the equal treatment of the peaceful protestors, who have been illegally and unfairly treated.”
To support Alexander’s efforts on GoFundMe check out this page. Read more about the way the protest has been handled by authorities, here.
