Denendeh to Dakota: N.W.T. activists head to Standing Rock to join pipeline protests

Jiah Dzentu says she's willing to be arrested.

The 19-year-old is one of five people from the Northwest Territories planning to drive to North Dakota this week to join the protests at the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation.

People from across North America have been gathering at several camps north of Cannon Ball, N.D., since April, in an attempt to prevent the final stretch of of the $3.7 billion US Dakota Access Pipeline from being built.

"At this point we really need people who are willing to be arrested, to be on the front line, to be willing to put your body on the line, to be willing to go through the state, to go through the jails, to show the world we're still there," says Dzentu.

"It's just another thing the state has to do, another person they have to process, more money that they have to waste on us."

Dzentu says she'd planned to join the camp later this month but, hearing reports that construction was speeding up and seeing videos of mass arrests, she decided to head down early.

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"It's going to take a week for them to continue and finish everything up so it's a time crunch," she says.

Denendeh Against DAPL

The small group heading south which Dzentusaysincludes Snookie Catholique and Daniel T'seleie, who have bothalready spent time at the camps has been rallying support at home over the past week, organizing around the hashtag#DenendehAgainstDAPL.

Denendeh is the name for the Denehomeland.

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At noon on Tuesday, around 60 people with drums, banners andplacardsgathered in front of the post office in downtown Yellowknife to show solidarity with Standing Rock and raisemoney to purchase and transport winter gear to the camps.

"Alot of these people aren't from the northern parts of the States. They're from much warmer climates;they might not know what they're doing," says Dzentu.

"Nobody there really knows how to set up a wall tent, so we can set up the wall tents, we help get the firewood all together, we can helppeople winterize and keep the fires going."

'We have a history with pipelines here'

Dzentu isn't sure how long she'll be in North Dakota.

"Twoweeks, three weeks, a month. If the camp stays, I'll stay as long as I can. If the camp goes, I'll pack up and come back here, I guess."

She said she recognizes the potential dangers of the situation, but saysit's about building Indigenous solidarity across North America.

"This is primarily an Indigenous issue:asserting Indigenous sovereignty, having the treaties respected, having our voices listened towhen we say, 'No, we don't want this industry here.'

"When industry comes to the North again, I'm hoping our people in Denendeh will rally. I'm hoping that people elsewhere will rally to come up here and protect us as well."

The sentiment is echoed by Peyton Straker, who's helping organize the group.

"We have a history with pipelines here," saysStraker.

"The Indian Brotherhood and Dene Nation have a history of turning pipelines away, and I think a lot of us are really inspired by that.I think why it's relevant to usis because I think a lot of us feel Standing Rock is not a standalone situation, it's kind of symbolic of what's happening all over the place and what we're up against."