by Lauren Howland

The International Indigenous Youth Council (IIYC) is honored to accept the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award 2018 along with March for Our Lives, Color of Change and United We Dream. This award is the result of many young leaders hard work and hours of dedication to our people. We could not have done it without our community support and the many individuals that answered the call to protect our Mother Earth from destructive forces such as the Dakota Access Pipeline.  We want to honor all of those people with this blog so they know their work is seen and appreciated. Thank you to our elders that laid this strong foundation we can stand on in solidarity. We will not let you down!

In 1492, the first of our Indigenous people, the Taino, were massacred and the genocide of Indigenous people of the Americas started. Since then it hasn’t stopped. Even today this genocide continues in a passive, yet effective way. We, as Indigenous people, were never meant to survive this genocide to tell the tale. The oppressive systems that came in hoards starting in 1492 all had the same goal in mind. Eradicate the Indigenous way of life and ultimately solve the Indian problem. Our ancestors fought; Some survived while others fell victim to guns, germs and steel. Today, in the so-called “United States of America,” the descendants of these great warriors continue to make a stand. Though we aren’t as strong in numbers, we are still here.

The IIYC is an organization that was started and led by womxn and two-spirit peoples during the Standing Rock Indigenous Uprising of 2016, while peacefully protecting the Cannonball and Missouri Rivers against the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. In April of 2016, runners from the organization Oceti Sakowin Youth and Allies (OSYA) ran from Cannonball, North Dakota to Washington, D.C. in a prayerful ceremony to deliver petitions to the Obama administration that asked for the easements for the Dakota Access Pipeline be denied and the pipeline be moved elsewhere.  They demanded the pipeline be rerouted rather than through the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Reservation and 1848 Fort Laramie Treaty Territory. Upon their return, members from OSYA and other youth members from the resistance camp banded together and formed a youth group with the original goal of amplifying the youth voice in camp. There, next to the sacred fire, the unofficial International Indigenous Youth Council had its first meeting. These “founding members” ranged in age, experience and tribal affiliations but all came together to form this council in prayer and ceremony with the common goal of protecting life, water and the Earth. Whether that be in the form of social justice, environmental justice, education reform or other issues regarding the rights of Indigenous peoples and people of the Earth, we as the Indigenous youth have chosen to stand in solidarity.

When we gathered, we started with a prayer and when we left, we ended with a prayer. We established the IIYC camp in Oceti Sakowin and lived together. We sang, we danced, we cooked, we cleaned and we took care of each other. The IIYC camp would wake each other up in our tipi and make sure we were all at the morning prayers. Everybody would gather at the South Gate every morning and we would sing the Lakota Canupa (Pipe) loading song with the Canupa carriers as they loaded their Canupas. We would smoke those Canupas  as a family and pray with and for each other. We would pray for the safety of ourselves and Mother Earth. Then we would head out to whatever action we were doing that day to prevent further destruction and desecration to our people, our sacred sites and the Earth.

We began as Indigenous Youth Organizers from our respective communities and moved on to organizing as a group. We organized events in Oceti Sakowin Camp and the surrounding communities such as the run from Oceti Sakowin to the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Pow-wow where the runners were honored for our active help on the front lines in Standing Rock.

We started organizing different ceremonies and events in camp.  We demonstrated our power by leading actions and ceremonies such as the silent prayer march on Backwater Bridge, the medicine wheel aerial photo, the Free Red Fawn aerial photo, the forgiveness walk at Morton County Sheriff’s Office, Thanks-taking Day at Turtle Island and many more. We helped other organizations in camp organize to amplify their voices with a focus on our youth as our leaders. We also took part in the occupy inauguration march at which we did an IIYC Flash Round Dance in front of the Gala for the Oil and Gas Administration. We have also played powerful roles in leading marches such as the Women’s March ’17, Native Nations March on Washington and the Equality March for Unity and Pride.