Artist Cannupa Hanska Luger (Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara, Lakota) was born not 30 yards from the Missouri River in a small town known as Fort Yates, ND on the Standing Rock Reservation. For the past year, the Dakota Access Pipeline (ETP) in collaboration with the North Dakota State police force have been trampling upon the constitutional, human, and civil rights of his people.

In this episode Cannupa shares through childhood memory, what Standing Rock means to him as a place where he simply goes home to. He also shares the story behind the namesake Standing Rock and the complexity of all Indigenous story which is overlooked in our popular culture. Cannupa speaks about the organic nature of the water protector camps, the evolution of the movement and the relationship of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe to this now global movement. Cannupa also tells us about his experience as artist and water protector, participating in what ways he is able to create collaboration and empowerment for his people through artwork and actions such as the mirror shield project.

Here is the conversation with Cannupa Hanska Luger:

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Learn more about the work Cannupa Hanska Luger and crew are doing in relationship to Standing Rock at cannupahanska.com/nodapl

Image: 'Thanksgiving' day at Turtle Hill. The Boston Globe.