10 Celebratory Photos From Standing Rock

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Photos by Brian Nevins, Introduction by Joe Spring

This past Saturday night, Dispatch singer Brad Corrigan called photographer Brian Nevins, and told him he wanted to go to Standing Rock. Nevins was on a flight six hours later from Boston. At the time, Corrigan was in Pine Ridge Reservation doing work for his organization Love, Light and Melody, which he’d founded to raise the profile of vulnerable children by telling their stories. Some of the people with him at Pine Ridge wanted to go to Standing Rock to be water protectors. He invited Nevins to join them, because the photographer has worked with him on past projects, most notably in Nicaragua.

Both men were present when news moved through the camp that the Department of the Army would look for an alternative route to the pipeline, instead of drilling near the camp and under the Missouri River. After the announcement, Nevins said the reaction in camp ranged from happy to concerned that the news couldn’t be trusted. He said that people also realized that the forces behind the Dakota Access Pipeline might just wait until Donald Trump is in office to move forward and that they are resolved to protest until the end.

His photos capture a march that took place after the announcement was made. “It’s a far cry from what it felt like to be there, but I hope it captures our best side of humanity,” Nevins said. “For a day we were one people with one cause all unified in prayer for the cause of our planet. It brought me to tears. We are truly amazing as humans.”

Reposted with permission from our media associate SIERRA Magazine.

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