When reading and listening to this text, I immediately found myself being drawn into the imagery on each page. The colors that are used and the water color technique that are put together create each of the captivating and detailed pages. The deep hues of blues and purples invoke a sense of deep, meaningful work. This story invokes a sense of power, hope, and grief. This story is presented through a first-person, point of view and is a representation of a young girl who is a part of an Indigenous people group. In the story this people group is fighting with [Standing Rock] against the "Black Snake," being the pipelines that have been abruptly placed in order to run through their land and leak poisons into their water sources.
Carole Lindstrom is Anishinabe/Metis and is associated with the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe. With her cultural background and heritage, Lindstrom has written an incredible work that pulls at your heart strings while making you think deeply about the treatment of Indigenous people groups in the US and the destruction of their lands. The wording within this story is powerful in and of itself. There are many uses of the word "we" pulling the reader in and wondering "who?" The word "we" with its usage and phrasing throughout the story also provide a sense of strength, might, will power, and determination of the people group described in the story.
This story, being written in the first person pulls the reader in to listen more intently to the speaker -- at least it did for me. Hearing and reading the words "me," "my," and "we," pulled at me just a little more than it would have, had I been reading an article from an outsider's perspective about the events the story was based upon. The fact that the point of view is a child's is also powerful. This brings awareness to children, meeting them at their level, while also trying to pull empathy out of adults who read it. The imagery presented by the illustrator depicts the leaking pipes and shows the harmful effects it has on this people group's surrounding nature and resources. These images are dark and bold enough to pull the reader in to determine what is taking place, yet soft enough that other, more privileged and younger children could still analyze the picture without being scared away from what is taking place.
In this text, the main character is shown attempting to stand her ground, fight, and make a difference for her people group. Unfortunately she is not the one who holds the power to make the change and better the situation. Those who hold power and money and are in charge of the path of the "Black Snake," are the ones who determine the fate of this people group. The ending of the story does show hope for the people group as they band together and link up with one another to show their fierce stance for their land and all that it has to offer.
A critical issue that this book addresses is advocating for change. This issue can facilitate conversations among students and children and even adults in order to learn about the Indigenous people groups fighting with Standing Rock for their clean resources and water supply. Students, children, and adults can learn to connect with this main character because she presents her emotions so vividly -- she describes the grief and the tears she has over this unwanted tragedy taking place in her home. Reflections can take place with thoughts and discussions about the US Government's actions in passing the bill that allowed for this obstruction to take place among this land. There are many possibilities to take action, one being attendance of a protest, showing support for the people who are fighting for their land. Students can also advocate against any future destruction of land among other Indigenous tribes in their land.
An important activity that could take place with students after reading this story is one centered around empathy. Students could be asked to step into this main character's shoes -- imagining themselves as someone fighting for their own property, in their home, wishing for it to not be torn apart and invaded by unwanted intruders. Students should attempt to take part in the emotions portrayed by the main character in order to understand the devastation of the actual people groups fighting this monstrosity.
For more about We are Water Protectors and the author and illustrator, please visit:
For more information on Standing Rock and the pipeline crisis please check out this article:
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