joe

I met Joe at the headwaters of the “Misiziibi” (Great River). This ~2500 mile waterway is one of the most ecologically and economically significant in the world. When I approached Joe he was laying in the grass, resting with his two dogs and his partner, among a handful of other people near the Headwaters. Not ten yards away from this group, waves of tourists took turns posing for pictures with the sign announcing the Headwaters and went about admiring the start of the Great River. I too came here to enjoy the sights and the sounds of this beautiful place. Joe came here to protect the water.

Joe is Pascua Yaqui, an indigenous tribe from the South West. He was one of eight and experienced abuse early in life: “My childhood was rough.” As a twenty-year-old he was confronted with the realities of the Cold War and took to activism to fight for denuclearization: “We all thought the world was going to end.” Throughout his life Joe has pondered the duality of what it means to be a part of the relentless march of modern human activity. On the one hand he drives a car and has worked jobs in manufacturing. On the other hand, he has remained very active in using his voice and actions to fight the powers that be – who threaten our Earth by way of exploiting and depleting her natural resources and habitats.

The group’s plan is to walk from the Headwaters to the Capitol in St. Paul in protest of a controversial pipeline that is being built through ecologically delicate and indigenous lands. Joe recognizes that the probability that the pipeline will be completed is highly likely, nevertheless, he sees all efforts to fight for a more sustainable future as paramount to our collective survival. The time is now.

Activism is incredibly hard work. Joe is a skier and his knees have suffered as a result. Walking from Itasca to St. Paul is no walk in the park. Nor is standing up to power. I ask Joe where he finds the energy to keep fighting. Joe tells me that his quest is spiritual, and that ceremony and ritual play a critical role in remembering the purpose behind it all.

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87 | mississippi head waters (lake itasca)