“From the north a black snake will come. It will cross our lands, slowly killing all it touches, and in its passing the water will become poison.”
– Lakota End-Of-Time Prophecy
Pipelines are not safe, despite what oils companies such as Enbridge tell us. Enbridge Inc. is responsible for one of the biggest oil spills in the United States. In 2010 Enbridge's oil line that ran from Athabasca, Alberta Canada to the United States burst open and flowed into Talmadge Creek, a tributary of the Kalamazoo creek. The leak spilled over one million gallons of Crude Oil into the Kalamazoo River that was devastating to the ecosystem and the Kalamazoo Tribe who relied on the river for their cultural practices.
This is the reality of oil lines. They are not only devastating to the ecosystem but are also weapons of cultural genocide. Several pipelines in North America were and still are being installed through Indigenous lands. In 2016, the Dakota Access Pipeline not only threatened the Mississippi River, which is the source of water for several Indigenous nations, but also destroyed several cultural sites that belonged to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. In 2021, a new oil line was built that poses a threat to one-fifth of the world's freshwater by passing through Indigenous wetlands near Lake Superior. Line 3 violated the treaty rights of the Anishinaabe peoples because it was constructed through their territory without permission.
Colonialism is ruthless and will not stop until everyone has conformed to the dominant culture. The dominant culture of colonialism is a ruthless competition to acquire the most profit from other people’s expense. These pipelines, these Black Snakes, are a tool of colonialism that is meant to poison everything it touches. They are used to break up the last remnants of Native American Cultures. If these pipelines illegally cut through their land and poison their water, what is left? It is a way to force Indigenous Americans to conform to the dominant culture while making the most profit.
Our ecosystem, our water, and so many cultures are threatened by these pipelines. But there is hope. All across the country, there are thousands of people flooding to pipeline construction sites and standing up against them. They are putting their lives on the line to protect their culture and our water. They are our Water Protectors fighting against a relentless Black Snake.
How Can You Help?
Listen: Listen and understand our Indigenous Brothers and Sisters.
Constant Education: The worst enemy of colonialism is educating yourself and others on it.
Protest: Participate in any protests against colonialism. Protests are a great way to get our voices heard.
Donate: Donating is a great way to support our Water Protectors as well as other organizations.
For more information visit these sites:
-Pierce Rasmussen, CULTURE Society Incorporated