Fighting the Black Snake: Why we went up to Line 3, and why you should too

Content Warning: This article mentions genocide, human trafficking, and sexual violence

The Enbridge Line 3 pipeline in Minnesota is a continuation not just of dirty energy infrastructure, but of centuries of genocide and oppression of Indigenous people. If successfully built, it will stretch from Alberta to Wisconsin, crossing 227 lakes and rivers, including the Mississippi river.¹ Much of the pipeline is already installed and could start transporting oil as early as September 15, sending carcinogenic tar into the water supplies of Indigenous communities.² “Water protectors” from all over the United States have congregated in Minnesota to stop Line 3’s construction before it is too late.

The fight against the pipeline is fraught with dangers, from bribed, pepperspray-ready policemen to human traffickers watching the rivers for potential victims. With the barbed wire, constant surveillance, and persistent potential for violence, the area has an atmosphere bordering on that of a war zone. So why would anyone choose to become a “water protector” and risk their body and mind? Why did my friends and I travel 20 hours from home to fight the pipeline often called the Black Snake?

The following is a collaborative (and anonymous) effort to explain the corruption and evil behind the pipeline, what it means to be a water protector, and why you should join us.

The night before we arrived in camp, we discussed how we felt about the coming days. Most of us were excited but nervous, especially those who had never participated in climate justice work like this before. It was hard to know what would happen, and we hoped that we could get involved in ways that were not too dangerous, physically nor legally. Moreover, we sought to connect with the land and the other camp members, and to contribute meaningfully to the Line 3 resistance community in lasting ways.

We were motivated (aka. horrified and angered) by the continuation of the centuries long reality of oppression and genocide against Indigenous people of the Americas. Since the eighteenth century, white colonizers have made — and then brazenly broken — treaties with Indigenous groups.³

This pattern continues today, and is exemplified by the Minnesota pipeline, funded by the Canadian natural gas and oil company, Enbridge. Although the literal pipeline only closely borders the land of Ojibwe tribes, the fissures extend into tribal territory, including into riverways. There is a high risk of “frac-outs” where poisonous drilling fluid seeps into these fissures and escapes from the ground, sometimes into aquifers. Just one such event would be devastating to the region’s wild rice agriculture as well as fishing industry. Also, such an outcome is in violation of the Treaty of 1837 that states⁴

“The privilege of hunting, fishing, and gathering the wild rice, upon the lands, the rivers, and the lakes included in the territory ceded, is guaranteed [sic.] to the Indians.”

In addition to violating their treaty rights, Enbridge (and all those assisting them) are violating the environmental human and health rights of the Ojibwe people, who will no longer have access to clean water and will be forced to live in places with carcinogenic tar. This is yet another act of genocide against Indigenous peoples that mirrors how European colonizers spread deadly diseases to native populations and then later forced them onto unfertile ground to starve.

Sex trafficking is another genocidal practice started by early colonizers and continued by some Enbridge pipeline workers.⁵ Just a month ago, six men, including two pipeline workers were arrested for taking part in human trafficking of Indigenous girls and women.⁶ It has become more and more common for Indigenous women living around the pipeline to disappear or to be found dead. This death and trauma were completely avoidable, as many Indigenous women testified beforehand that construction of Line 3 would lead to sex trafficking as it had at another Enbridge project — the infamous Dakota Access pipeline.⁷ This makes heartbreakingly literal the statement by Indigenous leaders and activists that

“Violence against the land is violence against people.”

While we came to Minnesota to fight for Indigenous rights, we also fought for our own rights to a healthy environment. When Line 3 leaks — because all pipelines leak — , the entire Mississippi watershed and the adjoining watersheds covering half of the United States could be poisoned and both adults and children will be forced to drink contaminated water. Combined with the climate crisis that will be exacerbated by new fossil fuel infrastructure, many regions of the United States will become uninhabitable by both humans and other animals.

However, we did not choose to become water protectors out of an existential fear of the future, but out of a sense of hope and duty. So what does it mean to be a “water protector?”

The literal definition of a water protector is an activist or organizer who protects the world’s water from external threats, such as fracking. Many are Indigenous, but anyone can be one! However, those of us who are not Indigenous are mindful that we are guests on tribal land, and that we must respect sacred spaces and tribal social norms. As white (defined as European in origin) activists, we must always remember that we are there to support Indigenous activists, not to attempt to save the day ourselves.

Being a water protector means being part of something much bigger than yourself. It means being part of a community dedicated to fighting not just against the pipeline, but towards a better way of being. For instance, after one water protector had been pepper sprayed by the police, they requested clean clothing and another member of the camp gave it to them without question. Another time, one member of the camp suffered a medical emergency after some chemical irritant from the fracking site got in their eyes, blinding them. Another member rushed them over to the medics, who quickly rinsed out their eyes without even asking for a “thank-you” in return.

And that leads to the final aspect of what a water protector is: They can take many different roles. There are water protectors who put their bodies on the line, rushing into pepper spray and police batons, and there are those, such as medics, who do far less dangerous but highly necessary work around the camp. For instance, the night we arrived in camp there was an action that had people running and shouting. Regardless, the members of that night’s kitchen crew were hard at work, calmly making us dinner. Their resolve and stoicism were contagious and just being in their presence relaxed many of us during that trying period.

At the end of the week, we were forced to return back home with heavy hearts. The pipeline went into the ground the day we left, which was a crushing blow. So many people had made major sacrifices (aka. acquiring felonies and gross misdemeanors, as well as sustaining physical wounds) attempting to prevent the pipeline from being finished. A lot of the arrested were young people, reacting to the urgency of the situation. The last time we saw them, they were handcuffed in orange jumpsuits, being arraigned.

Despite all of the grief, we were glad we had come. It was eye-opening to see how certain communities are not seen at all by the state, and we developed a close connection to the Line 3 community as well as to the earth. The painful events only hardened our resolve to continue working as water protectors, and we plan to go back to the camp relatively soon. If you would like to join the fight against the Black Snake, get in contact with stopline3.org.

https://www.stopline3.org/#intro

Can’t get to Minnesota? Consider attending Shut Down DC’s day of action on August 23rd in DC.

https://www.facebook.com/StrikeDC/

The following was written by members of Sunrise Mvt. MD, who will remain anonymous to protect themselves as well as other members of the Line 3 community.

C¹ https://www.stopline3.org/take-action
C² https://www.jwnenergy.com/article/2021/8/16/enbridges-line-3-could-start-shipping-next-month/
C³ https://www.history.com/news/native-american-broken-treaties
C⁴ https://www.sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/sce/north-star-chapter/pdf/TreatRightsFactSheet.pdf:
C⁵ https://www.npr.org/2017/11/20/565410514/an-american-secret-the-untold-story-of-native-american-enslavement
C⁶ https://www.mprnews.org/story/2021/07/03/six-men-including-two-line-3-workers-arrested-in-human-trafficking-sting
C⁷ https://www.stopline3.org/news/2021/6/29/two-enbridge-line-3-subcontractors-arrested-in-multi-agency-anti-human-trafficking-operation