I cannot believe it’s been a year already of our trip to Neligh, Nebraska to attend the event “Harvest the Hope” to fight against the Keystone XL pipeline with legendary artists Neil Young and Willie Nelson.  I had a chance to learn about some wonderful achievements of the Lakota and Ponca nations and the unusual and original “Cowboy and Indian Alliance” they formed with local ranchers. But it wasn’t before reading the book  Race/Gender/Class/Media by Rebecca Lind and understanding the concept of  symbolic annihilation that I realized that these powerful stories have not been shared in the media except for a few local outlets. The idea that media content can actually become a representation of society, and determine which groups can or not be part of that reality brought me back to my first contact with the American natives in Neligh.

Little or nothing we hear about American natives these days. Browsing the New York Times one can find articles about the problems of youth suicide among some tribal nations, the establishment of a new casino and the long standing fight to change the offensive name Washington Redskins. But what I learned by spending a day in Neligh, was a fascinating story involving political activism, interaction of very diverse groups all interested in the conservaton of the water resources and th preservation of a place holy to American natives: The tragic Trail of Tears.

It all took place in September of 2014, at the farm of Art Tanderup who kindly opened his farm for the event. Two old friends who have worked with small farmers for 30 years now, as founders of Farm Aid, Willie Nelson and Neil Young came together with their songs and their message. However what really got my attention was the cooperation of tribal Poncas and Lakota-Dakota Nation with old enemies: local farmers. Together they fight against the construction of the pipeline across their farms and sacred lands. This Cowboy and Indian Alliance may sound strange to someone like me, whose references to Cowboys and Indians were John Wayne movies.

A Lakota woman with her little girl in a traditional dress spoke with us, and we could feel her pride. We were honored to watch the solemn ceremony were Young and Nelson were dressed up in buffalo hides as they were now considered brothers of the Ponca and Lakota Nation.  Another American Indian artist designed a flag with a huge snake (the Keystone XL pipeline) cut in three. Each cut represents locations where the fight of Cowboys and Indians hindered the construction of the pipeline.

The original Nations are making a comeback. Every penny they make through lawsuits, operation of Casinos etc. goes to the Nation and is used to buy back land. All these news are ignored by the media and represent an example of symbolic annihilation. What is worse, the victims of this framing are the survivors of a genocide: the Trail of Tears.

Conclusion: During the months following this event, a lot has happened, including President Obama’s veto of Keystone XL in February of 2015. But the fight is not over yet. Neil Young keeps asking the audience “Who’s gonna stand up and save the Earth?.”

At least in this part of the world we know the answer: our Indians will.