Arriving at Standing Rock:
As we came over the hill and the view of camp opened up to us, I was hit with this feeling of love, awe and gratitude that so many people had come to stand for water. Cars lined the road, North and South, waiting for their turn to get into camp. We followed the other cars till ground opened up for us to camp. People started setting up camp with haste as a storm was approaching. As we set up camp, we met our new neighbors that like us, we're just arriving. Our closest neighbor was a freelance writer for Huffington Post and her boyfriend.
Once we were set up, the rain started. Trevor and I quickly grabbed the rain gear and headed to the donation tent. We took several trips back and forth of tents, sleeping bags, tarps, and rain gear. The rest could wait till morning. We had some exploring to do to get our bearings and learn about our surroundings.
As we walked around, in the rain, we found the main gathering area, a side stage set up for youth performances, a volley ball court, the row of Flags representing the tribes and nations that are in solidarity with Standing rock, a seven tepee (in one) set up that had a lovely glow from the fire within, horse corrals, port potty stations, water stations, firewood stations, collective art areas, fire rings throughout camp, and so on.
The rain lightened then stopped. We wandered camp listening to the drums, the singing, watched the performances and dancing, heard stories shared from tribes across the country and world, and enjoyed the glow and warmth of the fires until exaughstion of our travels took over. As I lay in bed, the sound of all the above lulled me to sleep.
Seven Tepee:
Flags
The View From Our Campsite
AfterStorm Rainbow
No comments:
Post a Comment