Contact us at: whispernthunder1@gmail.comHonoring Our Oglala Youth: The Water Protectors of Today and Tomorrow
~ Joelle Clark
Across the homelands of the Oceti Sakowin, our
young people are rising. They are standing on the
riverbanks, on the prairies, in the schools, in the
community halls, and in the digital spaces where
our voices now travel. They are lifting their signs,
their songs, their prayers, and their courage. They
are protecting the water. Mni Wiconi, the very
thing that gives life to all of us.
And it is time we honor them the way our ancestors would have.
Our Youth Are Doing What Our Teachings Demand:
For generations, our elders taught us:
- Protect the water
- Protect the land
- Protect the people
- Protect the futureThese teachings are not metaphors. They are responsibilities.
Our Oglala youth have taken these responsibilities into their own hands. They are not waiting for permission. They are not waiting for someone older to tell them it is their turn. They understand that the threats to our water are happening now, and so they are acting now.
They are doing exactly what a Lakota should do.
They Stand in the Footsteps of the Ancestors:
When our youth stand up for the water, they are walking the same path as:
- the grandmothers who prayed at the river
- the grandfathers who fought to protect the land
- the women who carried water to their families
- the men who guarded the camps
- the children who learned early that survival depends on respect.
Our young people are not “activists.” They are fulfilling their role in the Oyáte.
They are the next generation of protectors, just as our ancestors were the protectors before us.
They Carry the Prayers of the People
Every time a young person speaks for the water, they are carrying:
- the prayers of their Ina
- the teachings of their Unčí
- the hopes of their younger relatives
- the strength of their ancestors
- the future of the Oceti Sakowin. They are not standing alone. They are standing with all of us, even when we forget to stand with them.
Why the Oceti Sakowin Should Honor These Youth:
Because they remind us of who we are.
Because they are doing the work that keeps our people alive.
Because they are showing courage in a world that tries to silence Indigenous voices.
Because they are protecting something that cannot be replaced.
Because they are living the teachings we claim to value.
Because they are the ones who will inherit the land, the water, the responsibilities, and the consequences.
And because they are showing us the way forward.
Possessions Mean Nothing:
The People Who Stand for Us Mean Everything.
Our youth are not fighting for money. They are not fighting for recognition. They are not fighting for themselves.
They are fighting for:
- clean water for the next seven generations
- the health of our communities
- the survival of our homelands
- the dignity of our nations
- the future of the Oceti Sakowin.
They are giving their time, their energy, their voices, and their hearts.
And in our way, when someone gives so much, the people honor them.
It Is Time to Lift Them Up
We should be:
- feeding them
- supporting them
- protecting them
- listening to them
- thanking them
- praying for them
- standing beside themNot because they are children. But because they are warriors in the truest sense , warriors who protect life, not take it.
Our Youth Are the Water Protectors:
And We Are Their People.
If we want our nations to survive, we must honor those who are already doing the work of survival.
Our Oglala youth are showing us what it means to be Lakota in this generation. They are showing us what it means to love the land. They are showing us what it means to protect the water. They are showing us what it means to carry the future.
It is time for the Oceti Sakowin to stand behind them with pride, with gratitude, and with the full strength of our nations.
It is time for the Oceti Sakowin Elders to stand, its is time for our Councils to put aside the petty and greedy things and truly stand with and for their nations.
It is past time for our nations to unite. Our youth are leading the way!