Cowboys and Indians pipeline protest a throwback — in more ways than one

[xchrom]

http://grist.org/climate-energy/cowboys-and-indians-pipeline-protest-a-throwback-in-more-ways-than-one/

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As a city reporter turned environmental reporter, I’ve covered a lot of protests. I’ve seen it all: the signs made with magic marker. The shouting in unison. The puppets. The person dressed like the Statue of Liberty (alternately: Uncle Sam). The people who appear to have arrived at this protest with signs from a completely different protest. The ukuleles. The kids with black bandannas over their faces looking for a Starbucks to tag. Yhe four police officers to every one protester.

And so, when I saw the photos of the Cowboy and Indian Alliance in Washington, DC, last week, the first thought that floated into my mind, unbidden, was this: “Damn. That’s a good-looking protest.” The signs looked like they’d been made by someone with some serious experience in sign making. The people in the photographs looked comfortable, but they had clearly dressed for the occasion.

Back in the civil rights era, protests were carefully designed affairs. They were in a more stylish time, sure, but the church and civil rights groups that organized them also made sure that the people who went to them wore clothes that they might not necessarily wear in their day-to-day life: suits, ties, button-down shirts, dresses, hats. Sunday best, but for a serious Sunday. Participants used the signs that the organizers gave them — they weren’t allowed to make their own.

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The Vietnam War changed that, and set down a model that has been, more or less, followed ever since, right up to and including the Occupy movement: put out a call, and hope a lot of people show up. It was an understandable move. In an interview with The Believer, historian Lucy Barber described it this way: “You’re coming out of a period where, if anyone says anything critical, you call them a Communist or something. So they went for this ‘We’re going to include everybody.’”

[malaise]

1. The Cowboy and Indian protest

was one of the great moments in my life.

[xchrom]

2. it was pretty damn cool. nt