Sacred Stone Camp founder LaDonna Allard speaks of experiences with Dakota Access Pipeline protests
LaDonna Brave Bull Allard gives a speech to students, faculty and community members of March. 12 in the Powers Hall Ballroom.
As audience members awaited to hear LaDonna Brave Bull Allard speak at 7 p.m. March 12 in Central Michigan University Powers Ballroom, Wabanaisee singers would honor her work by singing two songs, "Strong Woman" and "Water Song."
The night was filled with Allard's personal accounts of what occurred at the Dakota Access Pipeline. Through her stories, the audience learned what being apart of this protest meant.
When Allard first heard of the Dakota Access Pipeline, anger overcame her as she thought of her son who was buried on the hill and what was going to happen to the land.
Her idea wasn’t to start a movement, but to stand up for what she believed in.
With her land being the closest to the pipeline, she offered her property to serve as a camp. However, she never thought she would be the one running the camp.
With a five-day notice, Allard had to learn how to run a camp and even traveled to Michigan to learn tips on what needed to be done. In order to feed the camp, she offered her salary as a way to purchase necessities.
As she received word that construction of the pipeline would soon be underway, Allard took to social media and “started talking." By writing what was occurring, she amassed a large group of people to help protest the pipeline.
Eventually, bulldozers moved in on the land. When Allard arrived at the scene, she was faced with a whole line of children and women being maced and dogs being unleashed on the protesters.
For Allard, this was only the start. Eventually the camp would be faced with a state of an emergency that would cause police and other officials to show up. This would cause her to believe that “America has no justice.”
In order to make changes in the world, Allard claims “there is power in knowing who you are." She believes this is a crucial part in being able to transform the world today.
For Pigeon freshman Aubrey Dickens, this statement really impacted her as she agreed with what Allard said.
“(A moment that stuck out to me was) when she said power comes from knowledge of who you are,” Dickens said. “Once you find out who you are and what you stand for that’s when change really just ignites.”
As for environmental changes, Allard has turned to the younger generation.
“It is up to the young people to change the world and we have no more time,” she said. “If you are comfortable, then you are the problem. If you do not understand what is happening in your world, you’re sleeping. We have enough resources on this world to feed everybody and care (for) everybody. We can care for this Earth.”
For Brighton senior Sara Mcauliffe and Student Environmental Alliance, the whole group decided to come to the event to try to learn more on what happened.
“We have been super interested in what happened at Standing Rock," Mcauliffe said. "When we heard she was coming tonight we cancelled our meeting last night because we found out last second. So we were like ‘You know what, we’re all going to go there as a group and show support and try to learn more.’"
As for the current status of the Dakota Access Line movement, lawsuits are being filed regarding the protest.
“We are now filing the lawsuits against human rights violations. We are filing lawsuits against individuals,” Allard said. “Now that everybody is safe and clear, (they) can come out and start talking about what really happened.
For Allard, the journey with the Dakota Access Pipeline has “only just begun." She claims that although social media is no longer covering the movement, that “doesn’t mean we are done."
