Jasilyn Charger facts for kids

Jasilyn Charger (born May 20, 1996) is a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. They are from Eagle Butte, South Dakota, USA. Jasilyn is a land activist and a water protector. They are also a community organizer and speak up for Native American rights. Jasilyn helped start the Dakota Access Pipeline protests. They have also protested against the Keystone Pipeline.

Jasilyn helped create the One Mind Youth Movement, the International Indigenous Youth Council, and the Seventh Defenders. They are also part of the Warrior Women Project.

Early Life

Jasilyn Charger grew up on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation in South Dakota. They learned about activism from family members who were against a uranium mine. Their mother taught them many traditional Indigenous ways.

When Jasilyn was 18, they returned home. They faced some tough times until Chief David Bald Eagle helped them. In 2015, Jasilyn and two friends started the One Mind Youth Movement. This group encouraged young people to support each other.

Activism

Standing Up for Justice

In November 2015, Jasilyn and other members of the One Mind Youth Movement went to a rally in Washington, D.C.. This event was called "Our Generation, Our Choice." They wanted politicians to deal with issues like fairness for all people and climate change. Jasilyn gave a speech, saying, "We're tired, we've had enough." The group focused on problems facing Native communities and young Native Americans. They used the rally to speak up for tribal youth and make sure their voices were heard.

Protecting Water from the Dakota Access Pipeline

In April 2016, Jasilyn, the One Mind Youth Movement, and experienced activists started Sacred Stone Camp. This was a small prayer camp in Cannon Ball, North Dakota. It was on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. Ladonna Brave-Bull Allard allowed the camp to be on her land. Her words inspired Jasilyn.

This camp was the first step to stop the pipeline from being built. The Dakota Access Pipeline would carry a lot of oil under the Missouri River. This would threaten the main drinking water source for the Standing Rock Sioux people.

The prayer camp was also a safe place for young people. They could learn skills to help them deal with difficult experiences. Jasilyn explained how important it was to move forward. "We don't want our children to inherit this depression," they said. The members of Sacred Stone Camp later called themselves the International Indigenous Youth Council. For many young people, this group felt like a family. Groups like the Indigenous Environmental Network (I.E.N.) supported the activists. The I.E.N. even paid for Jasilyn to go to Washington for training as an organizer. Jasilyn said, "Who better to speak for the past than the voice of the future?"

In July and August 2016, about 30 activists, including Jasilyn and their twin sister Jasilea, took part in a 2,000-mile relay run. They ran from Sacred Stone Camp to Washington, D.C. Their goal was to bring attention to the protests. They also delivered a petition with over 140,000 signatures against the pipeline. This run was organized by ReZpect Our Water and Octei Sakowin Youth and allies. Running in a relay to deliver an important message is a traditional Native American custom. The runners pass messages like a baton to deliver them quickly. About 40 runners completed the entire distance. Actress and activist Shailene Woodley also joined the relay. The petition on Change.org eventually gathered 559,237 signatures.

The group ran for 22 days, arriving on August 5. They met with important government groups like the Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The Dakota Access Pipeline protests gained attention from all over the world.

Jasilyn said, "I run for every man, woman and child that was, that is, and for those who will come to be... I run for my life, because I want to live." They added, "It's a system designed to let things slip through the cracks, but it's up to us to hold our government accountable. Our land is in danger, as well as our identity, but we will not stand in silence ... We are rising from this dilemma and uniting nations that have been separate for generations. We must take advantage of this chance to make a change." In an interview, they also said, "If the youth can ... work with other youth from different places and not know them personally and do this run ….and stand together in this fight, the elders, the adults, can do that, too."

In September 2016, Chief Arvol Looking Horse gave the young people a chanupa. This is a sacred ceremonial pipe that represents how people, nature, ancestors, and living things are connected. Most importantly, the council called the youth akicita. This is a Lakota word that means "warriors for the people."

In December 2016, the Army Corps of Engineers stopped the pipeline from getting the needed permission. David Archambault II, the chairman of the Standing Rock tribal government, thanked the runners for their activism. He said, "When the youth ran to D.C., that's when this really got started."

Continuing the Fight in Eagle Butte

When the Standing Rock camps closed in early 2017, Jasilyn returned to Eagle Butte. They stayed with friends. This experience made them even more determined to protect the earth. They decided to use their knowledge to help prevent suicide and organize against the Keystone Pipeline.

Roots Camp and Keystone Pipeline Protests

Jasilyn and other tribal members started Roots Camp. This was a small protest camp on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. The people at the camp plan to stay until all parts of the Keystone Pipeline are removed from an area of land. This land belongs to the Lakota people by treaty, but it was taken by settlers and the government.

Jasilyn took part in a non-violent protest in November 2020. They were represented by the Lakota People's Law Project. The Keystone Pipeline was officially cancelled on June 9, 2021.

In December 2020, Jasilyn was a main speaker in an online event called "Indigenous Womxn Fighting Pipelines." This event was presented by the Indigenous Environmental Network.

Recognition

• Teen Vogue’s Water Warriors - April 2017
• MIT News MIT Media Lab’s Disobedience Award - Honorable Mention - July 2017
• How Stuff Works (History): Five times young people changed the world - 2018
• The Guardian: The Frederick Douglass 200 - February 2019
• Rolling Stone: Children of the Climate Crisis - March 2020
• Ms. Magazine Book Review: How we go home - a collection of twelve oral histories by Indigenous people from across Canada and the United States. - Nov 2020

See also

• Dakota Access Pipeline protests
• Dakota Access Pipeline protests - indigenous youth activists
• Keystone Pipeline - protests and opposition