8x10" black glass ambrotype, Carl Zeiss Tessar 300mm lens, f4.5, 11 seconds of exposure, natural light coming through Northern facing studio window at Nostalgic Glass Wet Plate Studio.  The closeup

WORDS OF FLORIS WHITE BULL, May 20th, 2018:

"I am beside myself.  This life, this journey has been a long road with it's own twists and turns. It has never been anything I would have expected. Life has taken some of the most important people in my life. I pray for the strength to endure this heartache. It makes those I love that much more valuable. I understand the fragility of life. They say when you lose your parents that you see your own mortality, it's true. I see how valuable this one life we have is. With the passing of my parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, friends, I've also experienced the gift of motherhood. I cannot imagine my life without my children and nieces and nephews (blood and adopted). They've given my life purpose. My relatives and people, our way of life, has given me a solid foundation of love and an honorable path to aspire to. I still live to make my family proud in the Star Camps. I live my life so that I may hold my head high in the next life among our ancestors; that I will be able to say I did my best.  You know how much you love your family. How when one gets sick or hurt, you wish you could do something to make it better, to help. Your child gets sick and you wish you could take it away. It's with this same love for the future generations that we fight. It's with this same love that measured against the threat of jail, is greater and worth the fight. We stand together out of love for our people, land, waters, the very lives that cannot voice their opposition- the trees, birds, the swimmers, the four legged, all creation that has every right to exist and be sustained by this world. Our love crosses the span of seven generations as we make the best decisions that we can with them in mind. What kind of life will they have? What will their quality of life be? We can bear the brunt of change for them. We have it within our power, unified, to right this path before it's out of our control. As a collective, humanity is taking so much that we are taking from the future. Our conviences are robbing those that come after us of even a simple life. We have it within our power to act. Not for glory. Not for ego. Not for credit. But out of love. That our actions come from a place of love. When we lose sight of our reasons, when our vision gets blurred by our human flaws of ego and jealousy, I pray we remind ourselves of our reasons to work through it with integrity, keeping in mind the youth are watching. Keep up the good fight my friends. Thank you again Shane Balkowitsch for your beautiful gift. For following your own heart. Where it has led along with your spirit has been a beautiful gift for the people. It has a power, a good power. Thank you so much for your friendship. Life is made beautiful by the souls that inspire, empower, uplift, and encourage."
#FREEREDFAWN #stillnoDAPL #waterislife