This past Sunday, incredible news swept the nation that, at least for the time being, drilling on the Dakota Access Pipeline has been halted by the US Army. Prior to hearing the news, I had the opportunity to interview an LA resident who made the trek to Standing Rock over Thanksgiving weekend with his wife and daughter in order to show solidarity with the cause. While the mass media has produced many accounts of what the situation has been like amongst the protestors, this interview provides an opportunity to hear a firsthand account of what the scene was really like. While this may depart from our usual coverage, in a time of mass uncertainty and division, there is no longer time to wait for other people to stand up for what is right: we must ourselves.
About the interviewee:
Elias Matar is an LA-based film director. Earlier this year, he released Ribbons, an indie drama which we reviewed (and you can read about here). In addition, over the past two years, he has directed three documentaries related to the worldwide refugee crisis, filming in Lebanon, Turkey, Greece, and multiple countries in central Europe. Here are some highlights from our conversation revolving around his recent journey to Standing Rock.
Nelson Tracey: So first tell me about the moment you decided, ‘I’m gonna hop in the car and go to Standing Rock,’ and what it was like.
Elias Matar: My wife said she wanted to go to Standing Rock with a team of people from the Zen Center in LA. My daughter wanted to go too, and so I thought, ‘Why don’t all three of us go, on Thanksgiving?’
We took off early in the morning on Tuesday [November 22] and we got there late Wednesday [November 23]. It took us a while, it’s about 24 hours, 1,500 miles from LA. We arrived in the evening, and it gets dark by 5pm, so by the time we were there it was pitch black. We decided to crash somewhere in a hotel [they had 1 room available] and come back the next morning. Early Thanksgiving morning we went back to the camp and there was a line of cars trying to get into to this massive camp. I think it soared on Thanksgiving/Friday to 8,000 people at the camp. But it’s just the most amazing thing you could possibly see– it’s a prayer camp– It’s not anything else.
An elderly Native American woman welcomed us, told us to find a place to park, and then go to the orientation for newcomers. In the orientation [we were told]: no alcohol, no drugs, no weapons, none whatsoever. That’s one rule they were adamant about, this is a peaceful camp. Nothing that remotely promotes violence is allowed because the last thing we want to do is give the police a chance to attack us with a reason.
As we were familiarizing ourselves with where everything was, all of a sudden I hear a woman screaming this Native-style song, “Warriors to the front line. Warriors to the front line.” I saw some commotion happening and all the men were heading out, and the women were shouting, “Women and children to the dome please.” I had no idea what was going on, so I walked with the men. Just to the other side of where we were staying is this fortress, the road/bridge that you’ve seen pictures of on TV, and I saw army vehicles, heavy military, barbed wire, and barricades… these guys were serious.
And then, about 300 men and I, we all stood in a circle and prayed. Non-violent, praying the Native way, not the Western way. A man named David led this amazing prayer, he kept reiterating, “We are peaceful protesters, we are here to protect the water. We are not aggressive. We stand right here. We are not going to raise our arms/fight, we are here to protect this water.”
This is called “direct action.” This is where you put yourself in a prayer but on the front line, and you can be arrested. That’s something you have to understand and they warn you. They go to the mall and create a prayer circle with signs that say “water is life” and stuff. That second day, my daughter got involved with a young group of protestors and decided she didn’t want to risk getting arrested, so stayed back the next time. The group went and 22 people were arrested. They were waiting for us, and that’s the thing: the camp is under surveillance 24/7. Planes flying above, drones, helicopters, very intimidating. We saw first hand the suppression that the Natives are under. People would say, ‘I’ve never been treated that way’ and the Natives would say ‘We live like this all the time.’
“All of sudden, every single refugee kid that I saw from the last year and a half [while filming] came to me like a meteor. I start bawling…”
And the people arrested, the charge is what? Encroaching on private land?
There were no charges. The story is that they all drove in different cars to the mall where they would reconvene and just pray. The girls went to the bathroom and when they came out, the cops were there and arrested them on the spot without saying anything. Nothing. They were in riot gear and had zip-tie handcuffs. They were ready.
In Bismarck, every time someone would get arrested from the camp, white people, non-Natives would yell ‘Yeah take ‘em away! Go home!’ screaming. Let me remind you, the pipeline was supposed to go through Bismarck. But the town fought it, so they pushed it through a Native land, under a river, putting everything in jeopardy. And these people are ok with it now? It’s so short-sighted. The truth is if they ever build the pipe and oil spills and a disaster happens it’s going to affect everyone.
Can you describe the camp?
These elders hold down an amazing camp, they were showing the community, especially the youth, to peacefully have a voice to protect Mother Earth. They were praying and singing all the time! There was a fire they had set since the beginning and they keep that fire going, it’s the center of the prayer. They have a makeshift stage and these singers would come in and sing all day and night. You can feel the whole place is elevated, like a vortex of something truly amazing. Forget about what you hear on the news– the arrests, the water cannons– all of that is sensationalizing what this message really is. It is a peaceful protest. What the elders are talking about is protecting the water. What the pipeline is doing is drilling for oil under the Wisconsin River. Now pipelines are notorious for leaking, breaking, and polluting the water. This is the same river that feeds into the Mississippi. Millions of people will be affected if any leak happened there, and that’s the thing that blows my mind– the media is not interested [in the real problem].
My daughter had to go to the bathroom, and had taken off her jacket [before she left]. She’s waiting in line and gets a little cold and this elderly lady runs up to her and says “Oh darling, we have clothes for you and then when you’re done you can put it back.” It’s such a utopian mentality. There was always somebody offering food, there were 7 kitchens. Whatever you needed, someone was there offering it. Someone set up a tea place, open 24/7, if you needed hot tea or hot coffee. It was the most beautiful mentality I’ve ever seen.
Saturday finally broke me and my family emotionally. The women wanted to do a ceremony at the Sacred Fire. The women, who we consider to be the connection to Mother Earth, wanted to honor the River. All the women, I’d say around 800 people, walked to the river, singing all kinds of songs, Native, Christian, etc. We [did this ritual where] you take tobacco in your left hand, women first, by the way, offer a prayer, and throw the tobacco. My wife and daughter participated, and they’re crying. I asked why? Then this elder man says to me, ‘It’s our turn.’ So we all walk into the river. And then something [came over me], I can’t tell you what. I took the tobacco in my left hand and all of sudden I was down on my knees… Middle Easterners, we bow, that means you are completely surrendering yourself to what’s in front of you. I wasn’t planning to do anything but suddenly it’s my turn and I just get on my knees, my head is touching the deck, and I rise up and say ‘I don’t know, I haven’t prepared anything here.’ All of sudden, every single refugee kid that I saw from the last year and a half [while filming] came to me like a meteor. I start bawling, realizing that I had brought all the kids, all the ones who had passed by me, ones I could and couldn’t save, all were there with me at the river. And that for me, was everything.
I understood why I was there. I was there to show solidarity, just be. [Because of my time at Standing Rock], I feel like I’m going on my next trip to Lebanon differently, my relationship with my family is different, I feel like I’m called upon to show up in different places in a new way. I got so much. I used to say I’m going to help, instead of helping, I received a gift, a spiritual gift.
People say ‘protestors’ – these are not protestors, they’re not shouting and screaming. They’re sitting in the camp in a constant state of prayer. And that’s it.
What percentage of people at the camp are local and what percent are visitors like you?
It felt like the visitors were the majority, at the moment. People were coming and going and with the Thanksgiving holiday there was a lot of college kids that took advantage of the time off, and people who wanted to show a different kind of Thanksgiving instead of shopping on Black Friday. As we were leaving, though, there were still lots of people coming. There’s a lot of people who came from LA, a lot of CA license plates. People from New York, all over the Midwest, I was amazed how many states we saw there, even Alaska! There was not a single state that was not represented it seems to me. It was an amazing pool.
Here’s the thing: I hate when [media] says they’re professional protestors. What is that supposed to mean? These are people like me and you, they’re veterans, business people, every industry people. There was a chef that left his job in San Francisco and set up a tent and turned it into a kitchen. He’s going to be there a while. People say ‘protestors’ – these are not protestors, they’re not shouting and screaming. They’re sitting in the camp in a constant state of prayer. And that’s it.
Where is the camp in relationship to the reservation and where the pipeline is going to be? I’m not too familiar with the geography of the area.
There is a Native Scenic Highway that goes all the way to Bismarck. The cops closed it, put up a barricade and barbed wire, and a perimeter with military Jeeps. There are these huge spotlights that face the camp, so it’s always lit– if anybody tries to walk toward the police they see it quickly. This land was issued to the Sioux as Standing Rock Sioux Nation, but [the government] never actually gave it to them. It’s contested land. It’s the same land that the Army Core of Engineers said belongs to the Federal Government. Between that is a small island called Turtle island, and on the other side is the actual reservation, so it’s very close in proximity. And then there’s Sacred Hill, that’s where people cross in canoes and that’s on the edge of the camp. On the other side of the hill, that’s where they’re drilling.
So it’s really close.
Yeah, it’s right there. On Thanksgiving day, Natives from different tribes all drove to Turtle island, around 3000 people, and everybody is chanting and singing, it was beautiful… as long as you don’t look up the hill. At the top of the hill are about 80 cops, staring at us, pointing their guns at us. Once in a while, they would shout “Hey, don’t be throwing this fire at us” as if someone was throwing a Molotov cocktail. And we all think, what are you talking about? But then it registered– just in case they need to shoot in our direction, they have the excuse that “we started it.” All people did was listen to the elders, chant, and sing. That’s all it was. It was the opposite of what the police are saying. We were offering peace to the cops. Those guys were pointing guns at me, my wife and daughter. I’m not cool with that. One of the elders said ‘These guys have a job, they have children, and they also have feelings. They are also humans so we have to include them in our prayers.’ It’s a very tough thing to forgive, but that’s what we were asked to do.
“It’s a very tough thing to forgive, but that’s what we were asked to do.”
Wow, that’s a lot to take in.
Nothing happened, thank God, we were okay. And everyone walked away when it was done, and so did the cops. But the thing is this constant surveillance. Here’s a crazy thing– They warned us that they have the technology to tap into your phone and turn the speaker on so they can hear what you’re saying. And they also can get into your phone and shut it off. (laughs)
Who is this ‘they’?
It seems like some sort of militarized police force. Not quite the army… to me, they looked more like mercenaries than actual cops. [People at camp] said they came from four different neighboring states, like Wisconsin.
One time I was calling my son just to say that I was okay and all of a sudden I hear this crackling noise in my ear, and my phone that was at 80% battery dropped to 2% in a second. I don’t know what technology they’re using to literally spy. When that one group went to the mall, the police knew exactly when they were going, and nobody made that decision until the morning of.
Did this give you a new perspective on Thanksgiving in particular?
Thanksgiving is usually spent overeating, overdrinking, watching football, and rushing on Friday to find a better deal. Instead, I went to my native brothers, and sat with them in a circle, and I did nothing. Friday, I sat with my elders, and we honored nature and what it gives to us. I didn’t spend any money or buy any gifts. That’s how I think we can change. All corporations get their money from us paying them. They make money off us. So don’t give them your money!
It’s frustrating though when the world we live in requires it, like getting in your car you gotta fill the tank…
I hear you. I don’t expect to know the answer but I appreciate re-evaluating what these holidays mean, and what family means, and what we can learn from the elders. That’s tangible change.
“The most important thing is to keep talking about it, don’t let Standing Rock be forgotten.”
What else have you grown more aware of since this experience?
The thing is we don’t honor our elders. Somehow, old people became useless in our eyes and we need to put them in nursing homes, and whatever they say doesn’t make any sense. How did we become that generation? We don’t listen to the people who came before us… at least honor them. You can always make your own decision, but at least live knowing they have wisdom. And then, act like an elder, respect your body, your mind, your spirit.
I also want to say something about my heritage. Syria, in the old times, used to be thick wood forest. The desert was very far from the big city. You look at the books and the writings, there were all kinds of animals like lions and gazelles and the desert was not even a third of the territory. During the Ottoman empire, they cut all the forests and built their fleet using the Syrian trees. Basically, they turned Syria into what it is now, two/thirds desert. The rest is sort of greenery. So yes, we, corporate America, can destroy this country. And they will.
I know many people aren’t able to get out to Standing Rock, what’s the best thing you can do to be in support otherwise?
There’s a group out there raising money for the camp, I’ll find the ones I recommend, sending clothing or supplies. There are a lot of websites in support, just make sure they’re legitimate.
The most important thing is to keep talking about it, don’t let Standing Rock be forgotten. Be wary of the media, try to get information from AJ+, Young Turks, Huffington Post, indie/independent news sites, not mainstream. If you can’t go to North Dakota, get involved in something local. It’s time to do something, I don’t know exactly what it means for every person. But stay involved.
What was the experience like from a documentary filmmaker’s perspective?
As a filmmaker, I say this: I took my camera, microphone, I was ready. Honestly, there were so many people taking videos, it was important to document everything. One of the elders said something powerful, ‘Take what is yours, and whatever is not yours, leave it behind.’ I began to feel like if I shoot video and start making it into something for my benefit, I am doing the wrong thing. I ran into two people I knew that I didn’t know were going to be there. One of them is Raul Gonzalez: he is a Mexican-American graffiti artist. And I ran into him painting an amazing mural he’s leaving there. And the second person was a guy wearing a Palestinian scarf and I randomly ask him if he’s Palestinian. He says yes then, ‘Oh my god, you’re the filmmaker! Elias! I was at your screening at Fullerton!” How random is this, not only to meet someone you know but somebody else who saw your film somewhere. My daughter said something I think it’s powerful, ‘Conscious people: you will run into them because they all go where they need to go.’
“One of the elders said something powerful, ‘Take what is yours, and whatever is not yours, leave it behind.’ I began to feel like if I shoot video and start making it into something for my benefit, I am doing the wrong thing.”
And your daughter, what was her experience at Standing Rock like?
This is something my daughter wrote.
“There are moments in our lives when things come to a certain pinnacle of clarity and remain a constant factor in our lives. These truths become our rock in the storm of uncertainty, when the foundation of our world is shaken and we stand on unsteady ground, we know we can turn to these truths to reaffirm us. This past week in the Oceti Sakowan camp I have learned three things that I know now to be true:
- The power of prayer is awe striking.
- We as people have the power to shape our destiny.
- Water is life.
It is through prayer that this whole resistance exists. People from around the globe have answered the Call of the Standing Rock Sioux. People of every color, creed, tribe, nation, and gender are standing together in prayer. They are saying no to the destruction of sacred land. They are saying no to endangering the water source of millions of Americans. They are saying no to corporate greed. Together. Armed only with song and love. And it is this love that will change the world. This reverence that is held for all living beings and the earth itself is the truth that is at the core of our being; it is something that everyone knows to be true. That we should respect all living things and respect the planet that gives us bounty and haven. If we recognize this truth that is within us and move together to make it a reality then there is no limit to what we can do. And we must protect the water of this planet because IT IS LIFE. We cannot live without it; we are water. That is why this fight is important, because it is not just a fight for us, but for future generations to come. It is up to us to make a change and stand up for what we know to be true. MNI WICONI.
Water Is Life.”
What is the hope for a resolution for this? It seems so David against Goliath, people against mass government.
For me, you have to answer the questions: Are you happy with the political situation? Do you feel like the government really represents you as a human being? Are we conscious, are we aware? Do we care about our fellow man in other countries? Do we care about the people who we stole the country from? Do we care about the environment?
Or do we want to just keep going, keeping busy with the media, playing video games, busy with our busy day. Are we going to constantly be busy or make a different choice? To me, the elders’ message that I took away was to live life, every moment, consciously. Conscious of how what I do affects other people.
While drilling is stopping for now, there is much uncertainty in the future of the situation, and it is not a permanent fix. If you would like to support the camp, please check out their website for ways to get involved and/or donate: http://www.ocetisakowincamp.org/
