A Different Story: Media Stories about Contemporary Indigenous Life

All too frequently, media depictions of indigenous peoples gives a very one-sided picture of them as passive victims, and fails to capture the resilience and vibrancy of modern indigenous lives. Perhaps mainstream media and culture are more comfortable with that image of indigenous peoples, but now and again a more rounded and complete account of indigenous peoples appears.



According to this news story, the Lakota Peoples Law Project speaks favourably about the depiction of life in the Pine Ridge Reservation in the National Geographic Article, “In the Shadow of Wounded Knee.”
Both the newstory and the National Geographic article provide informative and balanced stories on indigenous life and the way in which history is a source of strength and identity in the present, not a tale of unmitigated victimhood and suffering. These are stories well worth reading, that give an unblinking and insight view into contemporary indigenous lives.

These media stories tell a different story, removing the all-too-prevalent and inaccurate portrayal of indigenous peoples as nothing but victims.

Human Blockade in Lakota Nation land: blocking transport of parts for Keystone XL Pipeline

Lastrealindians.com is carrying a story about a human blockade that was formed yesterday-- March 5-- on the Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota. The human blockade prevented trucks carrying parts for the contested Keystone XL pipeline from travelling on Oglala Lakota lands. The route through the Oglala Lakota homelands was planned without consultation with the indigenous groups, and further, planned the route to try to evade paying a significant sum for the use of state roads, according to the post at Lastrealindians.com: “The heavy-hauling trucks were allegedly cutting through Oglala country in attempts to avoid a $50,000.00 fee to pass through using State of South Dakota roadways.”

If the trucks had crossed the Lakota lands, it would also have been in violation of several resolutions that have been adopted by indigenous governance bodies. The story in full is at the Lastrealindians.com website.