“No matter how this turns out, our Tribe will be terribly crippled by this entire affair, but my son says that it’s worth it if Tribes are treated with respect in the future by these big corporations.”
— Dave Archambault II
Sacred Fire Foundation provided funds for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe to continue their fight to protect the water and their sacred lands. They said that the day would come when they would have to protect the Earth from our government and corporations. They had been battling the Dakota Access Pipeline for years and in April 2016 they decided to peacfully occupy a piece of land in protest of the pipeline through ceremony and prayer. The Tribe’s Chairman, Dave Archambault II, shared with Sacred Fire Foundation their desperate need for funding and supplies. We were able to fund the Tribe for firewood to help keep the Water Protectors warm during a brutally cold winter and to keep their ceremonial fires burning. The funds were also used to buy oats for their horses
We know that a battle has been won but that the war is far from over. Chairman Archambault reminds us the true cost for standing up for what is right:
Photos: Madeline Merrit / Joe Bruski