Chapman students stand their ground at Standing Rock

More than 100 Chapman students showed their support of the protests at the Dakota Access Pipeline by checking in on Facebook at Standing Rock. Photo courtesy of Moon Mandel

The day after Halloween, Moon Mandel, a news and documentary major who is taking a semester off, packed a bag and joined some friends on a trip to the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in North Dakota, an area of heated conflict between protesters and police.

Tensions at Standing Rock have been rising between law enforcement and protesters to stop Energy Transfer Partners from constructing a pipeline that could potentially cut through Native American burial grounds and threaten the region’s water supply, according to The New York Times. The oil pipeline would span more than 1,100 miles from North Dakota to Illinois.

Moon Mandel, who has been at Standing Rock Indian Reservation in North Dakota for more than a week, is protesting the construction of an oil pipeline from North Dakota to Illinois. Photo courtesy of Moon Mandel

“I just kind of decided that nothing else in my life could be more important than being here,” Mandel said.

Mandel has met protesters who have gone to extraneous measures to be at Standing Rock just to help people.

“There’s just such compassion in all of the people here. You know, people sold their houses and quit their jobs just to be here,” Mandel said.

Since being at Standing Rock, Mandel has helped protest efforts by working in the camp kitchen and picking up trash on the land. Mandel said an amazing moment was when she was a part of a silent prayer with Native Americans and clergy outside the local police department.

“People of all faiths spoke,” Mandel said. “We tried to tell the cops we loved them no matter what they did.”

Photo courtesy of Moon Mandel.

While Mandel went directly to Standing Rock, some students are protesting through Facebook.

A rumor that police officers in North Dakota were using Facebook check-ins to find and arrest protesters to arrest sparked a movement where people all over the country checked in at Standing Rock to confuse the police. More than 100 Chapman students chose to participate in this movement.

Pete Thiengtrong, a sophomore public relations and advertising major who checked in to Standing Rock on Facebook, is frustrated about the pipeline.

“It’s a classic tale of white people, white privilege and huge corporations stepping on minorities and their rights, giving no regards to other people’s cultures or feelings,” Thiengtrong said.

Police officers have arrested more than 142 people and have used bean bag rounds and pepper spray on protesters, according to The New York Times.

“Protesters were treated rather horrifically by law enforcement,” said Kendra Klint, a sophomore sociology major who also checked in to Standing Rock on Facebook. “I hope that we can find a peaceful resolution and a proactive solution to the issue of climate change.”

Dory Ann Carter, a sophomore communication studies major, also checked in at Standing Rock, but wants to help more.

“Ultimately, they are ignoring Native American history and their rights, so blatant racism is going on here,” Carter said. “As of right now, I’m just sharing information by word-of-mouth. I don’t know what else to do at this instant.”

Mandel has some ideas of what students can do to be proactive.

“Sign as many petitions as you can, talk to your local representatives, call (President Barack) Obama, call the Dakota Access Pipeline people,” Mandel said. “It’s all about making one’s voice heard. Local organizations and rallies are absolutely pivotal.”