And Again, The Waters Speak – A Puppet Show Against Pipelines

The Pirates of the Buried Swamp present a puppet show against pipelines: “And Again, The Waters Speak”.

Time: Friday, February 27, doors at 6:30pm, show at 7pm
Location: United Church of Roger’s Park, in the sanctuary
Price: Pay what you can, suggested donation $15

“And Again, The Waters Speak” is a community built puppet show about colonial wounds, and building connections from Chicago, across the Great Lakes, and to the Enbridge Line 5 re-route in the ceded territories. Most of us who live in cities have been severed from relationship with water. In fact, the city as imagined by empires cannot exist without this desecration, and many cities have been standing for so long that we don’t know any other reality.

Because of this, when people hear of extraction projects happening in rural places, places that have often been protected for longer, they rush to the front lines, because it’s easier to fight for something one may see as ‘whole’ or ‘pristine’ than the waters of their own homes. This isn’t to say that one is more important than the other. All our waters are connected, and by learning the stories of the waters we call home, by learning how to listen when they speak, we can stand in solidarity with those fighting extraction farther away from us, rooted in deep love and responsibility for every being we are connected to in struggle.

We chose the medium of puppetry to tell these stories because we wanted to use public art builds as a way to connect with people and get folks thinking about extractive projects both in and around Chicago, as well as in connection to the Enbridge Line 5 re-route through the ceded territories. Our goal is to draw attention to and question the settler colonial ways of understanding land and water, to share research about the history of the canalization of Chicago and the effects of line 5 done by others, and to put on a good show.

This is a story in a constant state of telling and retelling, and we are reaching out earnestly and with curiosity to people who have something they wish to share or correct. Please reach out to us so we can sharpen our minds together.

Thank You!