Vanessa Dundon, also known as Sioux Z , has been working since September as a first responder at a blockade meant to protect the environment, a community's water supply, and their people's national treasure all at the same time. She
is a Warrior woman, not merely in figure-of-speech, but in accordance
with her Dine (Navajo) tribal
traditions. Many
tribes have warrior cultures and traditions that do not exclude women
or associate empathy with weakness, and that emphasize service,
self-sacrifice, courage and finding peaceful resolutions if at all
possible.
Her duties involve listening and watching for other protesters who lose their temper and become aggressive or who antagonize police, and physically remove them form the front lines. So she was policing the front lines for people who are too angry to represent their movement properly. She also assisted injured protesters and carried them to safety. Both very physically and emotionally demanding jobs, but all in a days work for a No DAPL Pipeline first responder.
In the course of her service, Dundon suffered the loss of all her most treasured possessions after a raid at the North camp, when people were forbidden to return to highway 1806 to retrieve their belongings. Hers and many other people's belongings were later dumped in one area, having been badly damaged and soaked in what seemed to be urine and ammonia.
Last night, on November 27th 2016, an officer aimed a tear gas canister directly at her, after another officer pointed her out. Normally, tear gas canisters are aimed upward. The canister hit her in the eye and severed her retina. At this point, Vanessa has been told she may never see out of her right eye again.
Her duties involve listening and watching for other protesters who lose their temper and become aggressive or who antagonize police, and physically remove them form the front lines. So she was policing the front lines for people who are too angry to represent their movement properly. She also assisted injured protesters and carried them to safety. Both very physically and emotionally demanding jobs, but all in a days work for a No DAPL Pipeline first responder.
In the course of her service, Dundon suffered the loss of all her most treasured possessions after a raid at the North camp, when people were forbidden to return to highway 1806 to retrieve their belongings. Hers and many other people's belongings were later dumped in one area, having been badly damaged and soaked in what seemed to be urine and ammonia.
Last night, on November 27th 2016, an officer aimed a tear gas canister directly at her, after another officer pointed her out. Normally, tear gas canisters are aimed upward. The canister hit her in the eye and severed her retina. At this point, Vanessa has been told she may never see out of her right eye again.
After she was basically shot with the teargas canister, she pulled off her bandana and covered her injured eye, turning to run for safety. At that point, she was shot in the back with a rubber bullet, which brought her to the ground. Two other first responders then rushed to her side and carried her to safety.
She gave the following interview after the incident. Despite the physical and emotional tolls and losing almost everything she had, Vanessa, like many of her comrades – some of whom may now have to have amputations because of their injuries – has not given up. She gave this interview after her ordeal:
She gave the following interview after the incident. Despite the physical and emotional tolls and losing almost everything she had, Vanessa, like many of her comrades – some of whom may now have to have amputations because of their injuries – has not given up. She gave this interview after her ordeal:
Due
to receiving
orders to participate in situations like this one, at least two
police officers have turned in their badges. Media outlets owned by
multinational corporations, like Fox and MSNBC, have generally failed
to report on the treatment of the protesters, and some have even
misreported acts committed against them as acts committed by them
instead.
In
a world torn by lies, where people hear only what they wish to hear
and believe whatever makes them comfortable, real stories of those
who face down terrible odds, pay heavy prices and keep fighting are
priceless.
We
applaud
all heroines, of every shade in the human rainbow, who stand for what
they believe in and who never give up. May
her story and others be cried from the rooftops, and may they
continue to inspire, as well as convict. We
wish her and all her comrades a speedy, and complete, recovery.
-
F.W.F.G.
