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Oglala Lakota poet Mark Tilsen relives the Indigenous-led struggle against the pipeline at Standing Rock and elsewhere through a blend of journal entries and poems.The poems and words collected in Water Protector are bold, urgent, and incomplete, just like the struggle at Standing Rock, where Mark Tilsen fought bravely and wrote defiantly. Through his meditations, he brings us to the frontlines of meaning and struggle, of poetry and power. His writings conjure the aching beauty of seeing Indigenous tribes from all around Turtle Island and beyond come to Standing Rock, the canoes of warriors coming to camp, the heartbreak of ever brutal action, the cold indifference of the government, the weird mixed blessings of the Veterans, the behind the scenes heroes, the bitter atmosphere left behind by social media opportunists and vultures. As Mark writes, “there comes a point where you have to call it and let it be, that point is here.”
About the author
Mark k. Tilsen is an Oglala Lakota Poet Educator from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. He comes from activist families long steeped in the struggle for liberation for all people and the long term survival of the Lakota Nation. At Standing Rock he stepped into the role of a direct action trainer and police liaison. Since then he has led trainings and teach ins about the lessons learned from Standing Rock. During the pandemic Tilsen worked with Camp Mniluzahan providing shelter for unhoused relatives on Lakota land near Rapid City, SD.
He has spent months at the L’eau est La Vie Camp helping fight against the Bayou Bridge Pipeline which is the tail end of the Dakota Access Pipeline ending in Louisiana. His first book of poetry,
Water Protector, recalls the struggle against the pipeline through a blend of journal entries and poems.
Summary
Oglala Lakota poet Mark Tilsen relives the Indigenous-led struggle against the pipeline at Standing Rock and elsewhere through a blend of journal entries and poems.
The poems and words collected in Water Protector are bold, urgent, and incomplete, just like the struggle at Standing Rock, where Mark Tilsen fought bravely and wrote defiantly. Through his meditations, he brings us to the frontlines of meaning and struggle, of poetry and power. His writings conjure the aching beauty of seeing Indigenous tribes from all around Turtle Island and beyond come to Standing Rock, the canoes of warriors coming to camp, the heartbreak of ever brutal action, the cold indifference of the government, the weird mixed blessings of the Veterans, the behind the scenes heroes, the bitter atmosphere left behind by social media opportunists and vultures. As Mark writes, “there comes a point where you have to call it and let it be, that point is here.”
Foreword
Oglala Lakota poet Mark Tilsen relives the Indigenous-led struggle against the pipeline at Standing Rock and elsewhere through a blend of journal entries and poems.
