06 Feb Clean Water is Pro-Life
Clean water wasn’t the initial reason for a movement that caught the attention of the nation, but water became the group’s galvanizing force. A small band of Native American teenagers wanted to make a difference in the lives of their peers, too many of their friends and were attempting suicide, and many of them were successful. This youth group of Native American activists successfully launched a movement at Standing Rock to block the Dekota Access Pipeline, but started out as a group of teenagers who wanted to make a difference to bring hope to their community. The scope of their movement changed when they started to fill a void for themselves, to aim for what their lives really needed, which was support, care, friendships, and a place that was safe. Drug abuse, alcoholism, verbal and physical abuse were rampant, and the way to begin to make changes was to go back to respect for the land, and respect for life giving water.
Everyone deserves clean water. In 2014, Flint Michigan learned that their drinking water was contaminated with lead and other toxins. At least nine people were criminally charged for their misconduct and violation of the Michigan Safe Drinking Water Act, but the damage has already been done in Flint Michigan. While political health officials knew of the problem, they neglected to tell the residents of the city putting residents of all ages at risk. The Dekota Access Pipeline now threatens the safety of the water for Native Americans living close to the pipeline structure.
Clean water, clean air, clean environment, Every child deserves access to clean water. Every pregnant woman deserves to nourish her child with the elements to keep her baby safe. If we don’t care about these fundamental aspects of life, then we have disconnected to our true spirits. We are water, our bodies are about 70% water. We are air, as our lungs breath in oxygen that we need to feed our cells. We are the earth, we need minerals to support our bodily functions. Water, air, land, what we do to our resources we are ultimately doing to ourselves. The young people of Standing Rock have helped to wake up a nation, that we are all in this together, and it is our job to make sure we maintain respect for life, starting with water.