Homage to the Water Protectors: Water is Life!

Emmanuel C. Montoya

The artist states: "This is my homage to and recognition of one of the most important events to take place for Native Peoples since the occupation of Alcatraz Island in the early 1970s. We stand with our elders that came before us, with the blessings they held in their hearts and minds for the many generations to come. We stand with the many young runners who with their strength and endurance brought world-wide attention to the events unfolding on the lands located at the confluence of the Cannonball and Missouri Rivers - Standing Rock.

As our elders have done in their time, we too, forever hold in our hearts and minds those generations to come. We recognize and applaud the conviction of the many thousands from across this country and from around the world that gathered at Standing Rock to protect the sacred: land and water."

The text languages are Lakota - Mini Wichoni; Hawaiian - Ka Wai Ola and Aztec/Nahuatl - Atzintli Yolihuana. All three languages translate: Water is Life!

Montoya's work often addresses current sociopolitical affairs, and "Homage" is no exception. The Standing Rock Sioux tribe and their allies fought to protect their water supply from the damaging effects of oil pipelines in 2016 in North Dakota. The image partially references the youth run of August, 2016, in which teens from several tribes ran from Cannonball, ND, to Washington, D.C., a distance of over 2,000 miles. The phrase "Mni Wiconi" became a rally cry for the water protectors.