"We Are Water Protectors" is a bold and lyrical picture book written by Carole Lindstrom and illustrated by Michaela Goade that issues an urgent call to safeguard the Earth's water from harm and corruption. The story follows a young Indigenous girl who explains the importance of water to her people and all living beings. When a "black snake," a metaphor for an oil pipeline, threatens to poison the water and land, she rallies her people to stand against it and protect this sacred resource. The book emphasizes environmental stewardship, Indigenous wisdom, and activism to defend water as the first medicine that connects and nourishes all life.
This book is inspired by Indigenous-led movements to protect water from pipeline projects such as the Dakota Access Pipeline. It uses powerful metaphors and poetic storytelling to convey the urgency of this environmental issue while inviting readers to join in protecting the Earth as stewards.
