Mni wiconi - Water is life

Chapter 2

"You really want to travel to North Dakota?" The colleague pushed her far-too-large glasses up her nose and brushed a strand of her gray hair behind her ear. "Or was it South Dakota?"

"The Standing Rock Reservation includes parts of both states. But the protests are taking place in the north. At Cannon Ball, to be precise." Emily smiled grimly. "We have to stop the pipeline. It is not acceptable for it to be built under the Missouri River and Lake Oahe and to jeopardize the drinking water supply for millions of people once it is operational!"

"The protests won't change the situation; they will only delay the inevitable." The colleague shrugged her shoulders. "There is far too much money involved. The oil companies do not care at all. They are only interested in increasing their wealth. They don't care what they destroy in the process. The rich ruin nature with their greed. It has always been like that, and it always will be."

"And that is exactly the reasons why we should fight them with everything we got." Emily put her fists to her sides and straightened her back to make up for her small size and exude more authority. "I did not expect you to be this numb."

The older woman sighed. "It has little to do with indifference or numbness, as you put it. I've seen all too often where it all leads. Do you want to know what will happen? The courts will rule in favor of the oil company. Whether they are bribed, want to protect the jobs that will be temporarily created by the construction of the pipeline, or don't take the residents of the reservation and their concerns seriously, is secondary. First and foremost, it is about money and alleged progress. Nevertheless, relying on fossil fuels is a step backwards. Humanity is destroying itself."

"That is precisely the reason why it is incomprehensible that not more people are demonstrating against the construction of the pipeline. We only have this one planet!" Emily dropped her arms powerlessly. Sometimes she felt like the Spanish Knight of the Mournful Countenance who fought windmills because he thought they were giants. Except that, unlike the character in the novel, she was perfectly capable of separating truth from fiction. The construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline was not a bad dream, not a figment of her imagination that would one day dissolve without outside help. "It is not a lost case right from the beginning. We have to stop man-made climate change and the destruction of our living environment. And that starts with small steps," she added fiercely. Unlike her colleague, she would never give up and resign without even trying.

"But you don't have to sacrifice your annual vacation for that. You could start a blog from your apartment, spread the word about the problem to a wider section of the population and collect donations for the local people. That might be more helpful than sleeping in a tent," the older woman suggested.

"I like your way ot thinking." With one small exception, which she disliked. Emily gnawed on her lower lip. "Depending on how I have access to the internet over there, I will set up a blog and a YouTube channel. Then I will film and photograph everything I notice and reach out to other environmentalists once I've uploaded the material." She tapped her chin. "Of course, I should make friends with some locals on site so they can provide me with footage when I get back to Washington. But that should not be a problem."

"You really refuse to be persuaded that it would be better if you stayed at home?" The colleague's eyes gleamed wetly. "Please take good care of yourself. Don't become a pawn in an unfair fight whre the outcome has long since been decided."

Emily frowned. "You fear for my safety? The protests are peaceful, and the government will be wary of sending in soldiers. We live in the United States, not Myanmar or Rwanda."

"You will soon realize that life on the reservation is more like living in a developing country than you might imagine. Please don't walk into it blue-eyed. Not everyone will welcome you with open arms." The older woman glanced at her watch. "Unfortunately I have to leave now. Doctor's appointment." She pulled Emily into a hug. "I am looking forward to see you again in a month. Please come back to me in one piece." Her voice broke towards the end, and she sniffled softly.