Back in April, North Dakota Access Pipeline protesters started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for basic camp needs like blankets and food. Now the crowdfunding campaign has raised over $1 million. As the camp prepares for the cold North Dakota winter, when temperatures often hover below freezing, they’re asking for supplies like winter clothes and sleeping bags.
Protester Howaste Wakiya started the official Sacred Stone Camp GoFundMe page on April 19 on behalf of one of the camp founders, LaDonna Brave Bull Allard. He wrote, “This is a prayer camp movement to save our sacred land and water and has been entirely supported by the people and the campers.”
Related: Armed police arrest 141 protesters over Dakota Access Pipeline
Donations began to roll in as the camp grew. Wakiya reported in an update on the GoFundMe page two months ago that the camp swelled from 50 people to 2,000 people in just a week. As law enforcement arrested protesters, funds gathered on the page also began to go towards bail and court costs.
About a month ago, Wakiya wrote an update saying that as the camp readies itself for winter, they needed supplies like wood stoves and teepee liners. The camp has been able to use some wind and solar power, but according to the Sacred Stone Camp website have only limited means of generating such clean energies. Just this week Wakiya requested 40 additional solar panels. The camp is asking for firewood as one of their “biggest winter needs.”
Sacred Stone Camp has an Amazon wishlist which includes items like a snow thrower, log splitter, and wind turbine generator kit. There’s also a FundRazr page to raise money for legal defense. Over 15,000 people have contributed over $800,000 out of a goal of $1 million.
Images via Tony Webster on Flickr and Sacred Stone Camp Facebook
