The Dakota Access Pipeline has been controversial regarding its necessity and impacts, not only on the environment but on the lives of people living in Native American reservations in North and South Dakota. Protests at the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation have been occurring for several months, with brutal attacks from law enforcement officials which include everything from tear gas to freezing water cannons launched on the protesters. With the inauguration of Donald Trump looming ahead, members of the reservation fear for their livelihoods and the protection of their sacred way of life being taken away from them through the completion of the pipeline.
Political cartoons and various other methods of activism have only increased in the past few months as the issue of clean water and preservation of these lands grows more and more concerning. This illustration by Jackie Fawn argues for the protection and defense of Standing Rock through pushing for clean water and access to sacred grounds for those that live there and fighting back against the Dakota Access Pipeline. The artwork uses color, symbolism, and metaphor to show their standpoint and set up an argument against the DAPL.
One of the most prominent metaphors in the image is the comparison of the hair of the figure to water. Historically, water has represented life and rebirth, and water as life is what many protesters advocate for as they challenge the DAPL. If the pipeline was put in place, members of the reservation would be denied basic access to clean water, which makes it not only an issue of environmental preservation but also a humanitarian issue that needs to be resolved. The water in the image is filled with fish, showing a healthy river flowing with life and growth. It is brightly colored, which adds to the overall depiction of life and vitality.
The snake, an outgrowth of the horse's mane, appears to be hissing and biting at the figure, who is attempting to control it. It is clearly shaped like a pipe and meant to represent the pipeline itself. While historically snakes have represented immortality and continual renewal of life, the dark color of this snake indicates that it may have a darker meaning - the negative consequences that stem from the building of the pipeline, ultimately resulting in death. The arrows stuck into the snake are the defense of protesters fighting for their lifeforce.
The color choice made in the artwork is very selective. The use of bright colors to represent all of the things that are full of life and ultimately, positive - like the sun, the water, the figure and the horse - helps cast a positive light on the people of the Standing Rock reservation. The dark colors condemning the pipeline (or snake) also help cast a negative light on the DAPL and corporations who are permitting it. The use of red helps show not only the rage of the people being affected, but also provides a sense of urgency for the issues regarding the pipeline. Time is running out.
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