User:Shirleythai1013/final article

There are my recommendations for revising the article: Water protectors.


 * I added a sentence as to why they do not call themselves "protestors".
 * I added a sentence in the first paragraph.
 * I added a citation in the section "Actions" about Dundon v. Kirchmeier.
 * Talked a little bit about the lawsuit under "The Dakota Access Pipeline"
 * I added a citation in the section "Trans Mountain Pipeline"
 * I added another citation in the section "People" about frontline activists.
 * I added a sentence in the section "Alton Gas"
 * I added a citation under the section "Wet'suwet'en resistance camps"

Copied content from Water protectors; see that page's history for attribution.

Water protectors are activists, organizers, and cultural workers focused on the defense of the world's water and water systems. Though not all, many of the water protectors belong to Native American nations. The water protector name, analysis and style of activism arose from Indigenous communities in North America, during the Dakota Access Pipeline protests at the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, that began in April, 2016, in North Dakota. Water protectors are distinguished from other forms of environmental activists by this philosophy and approach that is rooted in an Indigenous cultural perspective that sees water and the land as sacred.

Some Water Protectors say that the reasons for protection of water are older, more holistic, and integrated into a larger cultural and spiritual whole than in most modern forms of environmental activism which may be more based in seeing water and other extractive resources as commodities. For example, water walker Josephine Mandamin of the Anishinaabe has said that water is associated with Mother Earth and spoke of the responsibility of grandmothers to lead other women in praying for and protecting the water. After a prophecy from an elder, Mandamin led water walks, to pray and raise awareness, from 2000 until her death in 2019. They do not consider themselves as "protestors" because that word has a negative connotation to it. Her peaceful actions inspired many to become water protectors.

Actions
Water protectors have been involved in actions against construction of multiple pipelines, as well as other projects by the fossil fuel industries, and resource extraction activities such as fracking that can lead to the contamination of water.

Actions have involved traditional direct actions like blockades on reserve lands and traditional territories to block corporations from engaging in resource extraction. Water and land protectors have also created resistance camps as a way to re-occupy and refuse to give away their traditional territories. Usually part of these encampments, when led by Indigenous people, is a strengthening of cultural ties and traditions, with inclusion of activities like language revitalization.

In addition to those direct actions, legal actions have also been taken.

Nov. 20, 2016, attack on water protectors on Backwater Bridge with firehoses, impact munitions, grenades and teargas, to move forward with discovery

Generally, this resistance turns violent as police and security responses from the dominant culture escalate despite the peaceful nature of demonstrations.

The Dakota Access Pipeline
'''On Nov. 26, 2016 the water protector activists were hit with firehoses, impact munitions, including grenades and teargas on Backwater Bridge. The use of excessive force by police led Water protector activists to file a civil lawsuit against the law enforcement team that handled the situation. The civil suit consisted of nine named plaintiffs, on behalf those who were injured.'''

Alton Gas
In May 2018 Mi'kmaq peoples in Nova Scotia blocked the Alton Gas company from extracting water from the Shubenacadie River for a natural gas project; Many locals felt like they did not have say in the project as well as a say in what happens on what they consider to be sacred land. the project was disrupting the natural balance between freshwater and seawater in the tidal region, and threatening the drinking water, fish and other water life of the region.

Muskrat Falls
Action has also been taken across Canada, including Muskrat Falls hydro dam project in Labrador.

'''There are concerns about health risk impacts from the hydroelectric project. The increase concentrations of the neurotoxin methylmercury has an impact on Indigenous people's health.'''

Trans Mountain Pipeline
In Burnaby Mountain, thousands have staged demonstrations opposing the Trans Mountain pipeline.

A big reason as to why there is a resistance against the Trans Mountain Pipeline is because it a threat to Indigenous people's food supplies. '''The pipeline expansion has caused water contamination and can be seen in biotoxin levels. The chemical toxins are harmful to the marine life in the area.'''

Wet'suwet'en resistance camps
The Wet’suwet’en peoples have ongoing of resistance camps, including Unist’ot’en Camp and action against the construction of a Coastal GasLink pipeline and the heavily militarized RCMP, in Northern British Columbia. Though environmental justice is a theory still being coined, these people are amongst those who have faced and experienced environmental injustices.

People
Many water protectors are women. In many Native American and FNIM cultures, women are seen to have a strong connection to water, the moon, and the cycles of the tide as they are able to become pregnant and give birth. In Anishinaabe culture women perform ceremonies to honour water and water is considered to be alive and have a spirit. Indigenous women are well known to be at the front of the line against the resistance.

The water walks begun by Josephine Mandamin in the Great Lakes region continue to take place, and have spread worldwide, in an ongoing effort to raise visibility.

Well-known water protectors include: Autumn Peltier (of the Wikwemikong First Nation); Peltier's aunt Josephine Mandamin, Marjorie Flowers, Inuk, Nunatsiavut, Labrador. 