The Hearts of Its Women

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"A nation is not defeated 
until the hearts of its women 
are on the ground."
Cheyenne proverb

My heart is with the women of Standing Rock these days, as the people make their stand against a billion dollar corporation, that places no value on human rights, sacred burial sites, or the drinking water of millions of people. All it sees is oil and dollar signs. The ancestors prophesied this Black Snake would come, and here it is, threatening the survival of every living thing in its path.

The heavily militarized police are defending the corporate criminals, who have not complied with the law requiring a complete environmental study, (because they know the project would not pass the criteria). And, once the oil is flowing, it will be shipped to China, benefiting not one North American, at the possible cost of the water which now serves millions. It boggles the mind. But it will fatten the purses of a few billionaires. The police are backing the wrong group.

The women - mothers, grandmothers, daughters - are rising, saying "Enough is enough." The fight between money/greed and those who wish the planet to survive has reached the point of no return. There is no giving up or giving in, when it comes to the survival of Mother Earth in a livable state. And so they brave the cold, the water attacks, the tear gas, the rubber bullets. They are not standing only for themselves. They are standing for us all. They know that water is life, that oil brings death, that we are connected, on this planet, with every other living thing, and what happens to one happens to us all.

They are standing for us all at Standing Rock, true hearts that know money is not the only thing that matters, at any cost. And my heart is standing with them.

I have been unable to upload this short video about the women of Standing Rock, but this is the link, and it is so worth watching.

I am posting this for Elizabeth  Crawford's challenge at 1sojournal: Meaning. There is so much meaning in the stand the people of Standing Rock are taking. If I had health and money for gas, I would be right there standing with them, for they know the meaning of life, and how to live on Mother Earth with respect. All My Relations.