I've been here 6 weeks now, and today, the veterans arrived.
A permit was denied, and there was great celebration.
Over 2000 announced themselves by registering. How many are actually here, is significantly more than this, and their families and support teams came too. The line to get to camp stretched and curved to the South around the hills and out of sight all day long. People were still pouring in after dark as Unci (Grandmother) and I headed up to the Prairie Knights Casino for a night at the hotel we had reserved weeks before.
This is where I am now, sitting in the buffet dining room this morning to begin chronicling the stories of the past 42 days.
This picture was taken last time I stayed at this casino and started learning how to use Steemit:
And this is Unci, the grandmother I was in jail with after being arrested on October 27th during a prayer ceremony with elders from many nations.
Unci (Rachelle Figueroa) and I have connected deeply personally and through our work; we are SO grateful to Creator for uniting our paths here at Standing Rock. Much humor is found in the story of our coming together.. and too there is sorrow, and miracles. More of this to come in later stories!
Unci and I stay in a winter shelter at the Sicangu Oyate Camp known as Rosebud, because it was first started by the Sicangu Sioux People of the Rosebud Reservation who chose to camp on the South side of the Cannonball River, which is Standing Rock Sioux Reservation land.
The rest of Oceti Sakowin (Seven Councils Fire of the Sioux Nations) Camp is just across the river on land that according to the US Government is owned by the Army Corps of Engineers. There are a lot of lies, a legacy of theft, and a long history of deceit that are being revealed through the actions taken regarding this Stand.
The Army Corps issued a permit to allow Water Protectors use of this land for the exercise of their First Amendment right to free speech, then rescinded that and ordered everyone leave by December 5th.
That's today, and since the letter was posted, people from all over the world have been pouring in, more and more winter shelters and structures are being built, and the next steps are being taken.
42 days ago, Andy Clark and I set up his Burning Man Carport, put a tent inside, and made a home at Standing Rock.
We're still standing.