Week 15 Reflection yeah!

Lindsay Harris

COMM 3824-01

4/24/19

Comm 3824 Reflection 13

            The readings for this week’s unit focused on indigenous people, specifically the experiences of indigenous women when it comes to fighting for the environment and the protection of their land. The article by LaDuke was an interesting read because I had never considered the role of indigenous peoples in the United States military as I assumed the did not need to serve as they were considered their own nation (in my mind). Similarly, the TallBear article was enlightening because when one thinks of the current women’s movement in America they would not necessarily think that indigenous women may have any issue (or direct role, for that matter) with the movement. The Strauss article that we read was more relevant to us as Tulane students due to the relation to the Louisiana Bucket Brigade spearheading a coalition of groups solely to fight the building of pipelines in Louisiana and along the land and rivers in our coastal wetlands.

            Watching the videos in class on Tuesday was hard to watch because one particular video showcased a woman getting incredibly emotional when talking about how she feels a responsibility to fight for the land and animals in our environment. She spoke about how not only does she have to fight for the future generations who cannot yet fight for themselves, but she also must fight for the animals on the land who have no voice which they could use to speak up and fight for themselves. After watching that video I feel connected to her story because she grew up with wildlife being a large part of her upbringing and I am sure she wants the same for her children and grandchildren. Additionally, reading about the exploitation of indigenous people for militarization was very upsetting. To learn that they made up such a large number of the total troops in the Vietnam War even though they only make up 2% of the overall population is disheartening to say the least.

1) Bold Louisiana: A Native American led organization which is an outgrowth of the anti-pipeline group that stopped the Keystone XL Pipeline in Nebraska.

2) ETP: Energy Transfer Partners.

3) Louisiana Bucket Brigade: A non-profit environmental health and justice organization that works with communities neighboring state oil refineries and chemical plants to address air quality issues.