Indigenous Women Lead the Fight to Stop Pipelines

Our matriarchal cultures were built to resist

Photos courtesy of Manuel

As warnings about the impending threat of climate change become reality, the western world has begun seeking alternatives to a civilization seemingly driven by greed and consumption, and if unabated, will render Earth unable to support life.

In the search for answers, scientists have discovered what my ancestors knew long ago: Indigenous people have climate wisdom, and our knowledge of ecosystems, as well as the sustainable practices we developed to live in balance with them over millennia, are key to helping curtail the damage that’s been wrought.

But not only do Indigenous people possess the know-how to help the world navigate through looming global upheaval, they are also putting themselves in harm’s way to protect ancestral lands and water.

Precolonial Indigenous cultures were the antithesis of the patriarchal, White supremacist, dominionist, imperialistic system brought by settlers. Many Native nations have matriarchal origins, so it should come as no surprise that Indigenous women have emerged as leaders in the effort to stop pipelines from crossing their territory, the very vessels that carry the toxic fossil fuels being held responsible for causing the climate crisis.