Decolonization starts inside of you. It is a lot about finding compassion and kindness, and less about anger and fear. We should remember that it begins with an internal process of healing and reconciliation. Once we find that peace, then we will be able to move forward and unify as peoples. We must remember that we are all related.
At Standing Rock, we saw a new vision of what it means to be human. The fire and the water were our tools for healing. It was not just a protest; it was an awakening for all of us to return home, back to where our spirit lives in harmony with our past and present. In that way, we can have a healthy future.
The real front lines are within.
Photographer Josué Rivas, Mexica/Otomi, spent seven months living at Standing Rock, documenting the spiritual awakening and gathering force of Native Americans and their allies who were opposing construction of the Dakota Access pipeline on ancestral lands of the Great Sioux Nation. From this experience, he created the first chapter of the Standing Strong Project, which aims to explore contemporary Indigenous identity, sovereignty, and resilience. His unique black and white images from Standing Rock will soon be the subject of a book, published by FotoEvidence as part of the 2018 FotoEvidence Book Award with World Press Photo.
To read more of Josue Rivas' article, please click here.
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