Water Protector Gina Peltier is Fighting for Future Generations

Line 3 is poised to bring nearly a million barrels of oil a day from Alberta, Canada to Minnesota and Wisconsin. Construction runs through more than 200 fresh water bodies, 75 miles of wetlands, and some of the world’s largest wild rice beds. [4] Line 3 also violates tribal sovereignty and treaties dating back to the 1850s [2]. The effects on climate and community, today and for generations to come, are incalculable.

Peltier, a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa in North Dakota, is determined to stop that from happening. When she learned about Line 3, and the threat it poses to water, climate, and neighboring tribes, she knew she had to do something. “My sisters are out there on the front lines,” she says. “I have to be with them by their sides. Our water is at stake and everyone needs water to live.

The construction of Line 3 underscores how Indigenous communities are often hit hardest by fossil fuel production and the climate crisis. “Our communities are going to be facing the worst of this,” Peltier says. “Just like the Navajo nation during the Pandemic". [3]

Peltier feels honored to be fighting for future generations, and to be part of a lineage of Indigenous water protectors.

From peaceful protests at construction sites to ongoing legal battles and calls to action, Indigenous-led organizations like Honor the Earth are doing everything they can to raise awareness and Stop Line 3.

For those on the front lines, the fight is not without risks. When Peltier first become a water protector in December, 2020, she was often outdoors in below-freezing weather. Now, she and other water protectors face sweltering summer temperatures and long days of sun exposure. “It’s a big sacrifice for people to be out here doing this. It’s exhausting.”

Even though Indigenous women have been historically marginalized and discriminated against, Peltier is proud that “Indigenous women are the ones out there leading this fight. We’re the ones trying to bring awareness. In Indigenous culture, we are peaceful, and we want to live in a peaceful world.”

But water protectors can’t do it alone. They need businesses, citizens, and elected officials to step up and do their part.

Peltier believes there are lots of ways for ordinary people to take action, not only to Stop Line 3, but to protect water and our climate for future generations. “You don’t need to be on the front lines to be a water protector. You can be an advocate by going out in your community and spreading awareness.”