Water is Life – Musicians Stand with Standing Rock Protesters

THUNDER BAY – It is a protest that is slowly garnering coverage. The Standing Rock protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline has seen protestors attacked by dogs, pregnant women attacked an bitten, and little mainstream media coverage.

Now, nominees of the 16th Annual Native American Music Awards have donated their songs to a free compilation CD entitled, Water is Life, in support of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s efforts to protect their land, water and sacred sites from the Dakota Access Pipeline. The free CD, Water is Life, features a variety of artist contributions from all tribal nations and music styles that can be downloaded online on the Native American Music Awards website. To download the album “WATER IS LIFE ” for free, go to http://nativeamericanmusicawards.com/dl and enter the code 42qv-hxow

Featured artists on the CD include: Shelley Morningsong (N. Cheyenne), CC Murdock (Timpanogos), Howard Lyons (Mohawk), Cindy Paul (Metis Cree), Blue Mountain Tribe (Chiricahua Apache), Thana Redhawk (Apache/Cherokee/Aztec/Sioux/Mexica), Steven Rushingwind (Cahuilla/Opata), Rhonda Head (Cree), Conrad Benally (Shoshone Bannock), Darren Thompson (Lac Du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior/Chippewa), Jace Martin (Mohawk Six Nations of the Grand River Iroquois), Rockapelli (Chumash/Huichol) and  NightShield (Sioux).

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has received an outpouring of support from other Tribes, First Nations, Organizations, Cities, and Businesses who have visited and sent them signed resolutions and letters of support of their efforts against the Energy Transfer Partners’ Dakota Access Pipeline. Mainstream artist, Pharrell Williams, Divergent star Shailene Woodley, Actors Jason Momoa and Leonardo DiCaprio have also expressed their support.

Construction on The Dakota Access Pipeline is still underway. The planned $3.7 billon pipeline would transport approximately 470,000 barrels of crude oil per day, from the Bakken oil field in North Dakota to a refinery near Chicago. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe doesn’t want the Dakota Access Pipeline to go on their tribal lands or beneath the Missouri river, fearing it will endanger the reservation’s drinking water and ancient burial sites.

The Cannonball river flows into the mighty Missouri about 50 miles south of Bismarck, North Dakota. There, a series of camps, on both sides of the Cannonball have been established to help guide the non violent resistance of the Dakota Access Pipeline. This gathering has become the site of a historic display of unity and solidarity as thousands continue to peacefully protest the construction of this oil pipeline to protect the water.  Many at the encampment speak of two prophecies;  when Black Elk foretold that in seven generations the Native American nations will rise again, and the prophecy that predicted that a zuzeca  or  black snake –  would threaten all life. We are in the time of the Seventh Generation, and many believe, the pipeline is that black snake.

To support the efforts and actions of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, you can make a donation at:http://standingrock.org/news/standing-rock-sioux-tribe–dakota-access-pipeline-donation-fund/