Watch Al Jazeera 'Akicita: The Legacy of Standing Rock at Sundance Film Festival'

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Screenshots by Censored News

At Sundance Film Festival, Al Jazeera talks with Akicita Producer Cody Lucich, and water protectors Curtis Ray Yaz and Mark Tilsen, with Jenni Monet via Skype in Tucson. Film clips from the new film, 'Akicita: The Battle of Standing Rock.'

Watch Al Jazeera broadcast below:

'Akicita': What is the legacy of the #NoDAPL movement at Standing Rock? | The Stream

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=8&v=bO0FrZBA-pg

By Al Jazeera

A movement against the construction of a multi-billion-dollar oil pipeline across N3ative American lands last winter spurred solidarity among environmentalists and civil rights activists around the globe. Now, a new documentary premiering at the Sundance Film Festival explores the trials and tribulations of the "Water Protectors" who gathered to say "No" to the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). "Akicita: The Battle of Standing Rock" chronicles the widespread opposition to DAPL, which drew thousands of people to the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in the US state of North Dakota. According to local tribes, construction of the pipeline through their territories would contaminate the water supply, rendering it impure and unsuitable for use in religious ceremonies. Tribes also argued that the US government failed to consult with them before the project was allowed to proceed. Many activists were hospitalised over the course of the demonstrations, injured by the "'less-than-lethal' weapons" used by police officials to disperse the crowd. US federal courts repeatedly denied requests from tribes to suspend the project, prompting construction to resume by March 2017. But for indigenous activists featured in the documentary, like Kanahus Manuel, the film serves as a wake-up call to others about the injustices many Native communities still experience. “I think [with] this collective consciousness right now that has awoken because of Standing Rock, people are really going to start supporting indigenous people", Manuel said. “And this film that’s going to be coming is going to be a real shock and awe for the world.” So, what is the legacy of the movement against DAPL? In this episode, The Stream speaks with the documentary's producers to learn about the film and examine the challenges indigenous communities encounter as they fight to protect their lands. Join the conversation: TWITTER: https://twitter.com/AJStream FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/AJStream GOOGLE+: http://google.com/+TheStream Subscribe to our channel http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe