Crowd gathers in Winnipeg for Standing Rock

More than one hundred people gathered at the Manitoba Legislature Thursday evening in a show of support for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. People from the North Dakota Reservation have been protesting the Dakota Access pipeline since April.

"I felt like this is more than Standing Rock's fight. Without water there is no life for any of us. There's no future for any of us," said organizer Rebecca Begg.

Crowd gathers to support Standing Rock

8 years ago

Duration 0:46

Huge crowd gathers at Manitoba legislature to support Standing Rock movement

Begg created the event on Facebook following the protest online. She said she was surprised by how many people came out to the rally.

"Quite honestly I really don't know what possessed me to do this. I feel like something bigger is working through me," she said.

"It just made me pick up the keyboard one day and type up an event and clearly it's taken on a life all of it's own," said Begg.

Several community leaders spoke to the crowd. Some offered their voices and drums to sing a healing song for the water.

"As an Indigenous person, we all believe that water is a sacred thing, as we are all born from water in the womb," said supporter Erin Egachie, who has been to Standing Rock.

The protest in Standing Rock, led by Indigenous groups from across North America, has gained international attention. There have been more than 200 arrests in confrontations with police, which have escalated in recent weeks.

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People who call themselves "water protectors" have been camping out, blocking the pipeline route since April. They worry the path of the pipeline puts the Reservation's water supply at risk.

Several Manitobans have already made the trip to Standing Rock to take part in the movement. Some are planning on taking supplies with them to help those who remain camped out at the protest site.