Indigenous land defender Tara Houska reflects on the legacies of colonialism and the need to revitalize our experiences in being a part of nature. Houska has been defending the land against the Line 3 pipeline for years, joining the Indigenous and frontline communities who have been carrying out nonviolent protection measures against the construction of the pipeline. Colonialism and its compounding impacts have led to environmental degradation and the separation of Indigenous communities from their culture and connection to their environment. The loss of land rights, language, community, autonomy, and traditional knowledge are detaching the umbilical connections that were once present between humans and the environment. However, leaders such as Houska and other Indigenous women, two-spirit, and others are restrengthening this bond through land protection and rediscovering lost connections for new generations.
