Mni Wiconi/Water is Life: A phenomenological approach for better understanding Native American views on nature; experienced mistreatments and acts of resistance at the Dakota Access Pipeline protests.

Abstract

The build of the Dakota Access Pipeline in 2017 caused collective protests within Native American communities as the pipeline was threatening the Sioux Nation’s access to clean water. In addition to this, the company building the pipeline, Energy Transfer, was violating treaty rights, and ignoring environmental assessment risks and tribal concerns. This thesis aims to identify differences in views on nature between Native Americans and Energy Transfer; identify postcolonial mistreatments, as well as acts of resistance among Native Americans communities. The thesis will incorporate hermeneutic phenomenology for the methodological analysis. Hermeneutic phenomenology concerns itself with understanding lived experiences and putting meaning behind words that might identify those said experiences. The data collection was based on quotes made by protestors at the Dakota Access Pipeline which resulted in sorting out specific answers that embraced phenomenology. Further, a theoretical analysis including nature based theories as well as theories and concepts on postcolonialism, tribal sovereignty and resilience, was also included. The analysis is therefore split into two sections, one methodological and one theoretical. The results show that Native Americans generally tend to associate nature, and the Earth, with being spiritual, cultural and historic. Land that is to be taken care of and protected as it provides for us. This view differs from how they believe the supporters of the pipeline view nature, which is seen to serve only as a monetary benefit. The results further show how Native American communities have experienced feeling ignored and disregarded by the court and the government. In response to this they have strengthened their resilience which in turn has strengthened their collective actions towards resistance.