The frontline of refusal: Indigenous women warriors of standing rock

Live social media activity became a powerful tool to support and amplify the action of the Women of Standing Rock.

“Live social media activity became a powerful tool to support and amplify the action of the Women of Standing Rock (Lane 2018;Barnett 2019).”

For proximity, the Missouri River is particularly endangered in that DAPL is required to excavate under the river, and in its immediate surroundings.

“For proximity, the Missouri River is particularly endangered in that DAPL is required to excavate under the river, and in its immediate surroundings (Lane 2018;Parke-Sutherland 2018).”

The growing movement by Indigenous women to assert their rights and move to self-determination in sustainable environmental and spiritual practices and development creates a positive discourse that advances Indigenous women's position in crossing obstacles onto institutional places of privilege.

“The growing movement by Indigenous women to assert their rights, and to move to self-determination in sustainable environmental and spiritual practices and development, creates a positive discourse that advances Indigenous women's position in crossing the obstacles onto”

Brave Bull Allard's husband and son died, and their graves were about to be removed by DAPL bulldozers.

“The death of her husband and son, whose graves were about to be removed by the DAPL bulldozers, the threat brought about by the”

The power of Brave Bull Allard's message comes from the juxtaposition of life and death.

“The power of her message also comes from the juxtaposition of life and death.”

Both the Women of Standing Rock and Idle No More movements are described as peaceful resistance.

“Both movements are described as”

The Lakota expression Mní Wičhóni (water is life) became central in the discourse surrounding the Women of Standing Rock social movement.

“The Lakota expression”

Water became a symbol of survival and refusal in the Women of Standing Rock movement.

“This is why water became a symbol of survival and refusal in the Women of Standing Rock movement (Lane 2018).”

Water represents the essence of Indigenous communities' social, cultural, economic, and spiritual practices.

“Water, in particular, represents the essence of Indigenous communities' social, cultural, economic, and spiritual practices (Lane 2018;Parke-Sutherland 2018).”

The Women of Standing Rock call for action, conjoined with social media hashtags, had the domino effect of mobilizing the masses and speaking to those who for years felt unheard.

“The WSR call for action, conjoined with the operation of social media through hashtags like #waterislife #womenofstandingrock, #standwithstandingrock, and #NoDAPL, had the domino effect of mobilizing the masses and to speaking to those who for years felt unheard (Lane 2018).”