Synopsis
In 2016, the world turned its eyes to the people of Standing Rock as they formed a coalition to defend their land and water against the threat of the Dakota Access Pipeline. An inflection point for human rights and environmental justice, the #NoDAPL struggle became a rallying cry for Indigenous people everywhere to take a stand against centuries of land theft, imposed poverty, and cultural erasure. Oyate elevates the voices of Indigenous activists, organizers, and politicians as they offer their perspective on that complicated history, contextualize the #NoDAPL movement, illuminate the interconnectivity between the issues facing Indian Country today, and look towards a more sovereign and sustainable future for their people. Woven together with exclusive interviews, decades-spanning archival footage, and personal moments on the ground with our subjects, Oyate immerses viewers who might be new to the Indigenous experience. What results is a story that is both grand and intimate in scope.