Why I disrupted a White House panel at the U.N. climate talks

Like many members of my Indigenous family, I watched the events at Standing Rock unfold with a daily struggle of emotions ranging from heartache to pride to anger to gratitude. Physically, I was 1,200 miles away. I felt powerless, stuck behind a desk at Ohio State University pursuing my PhD. My Indigenous community played a significant role in propelling me through higher education to that desk. I knew I had my own role to play to support my relatives and their struggles at Standing Rock.