Even the River Starts Small is a collection of stories from the movement to stop construction of the Line 3 pipeline through northern Minnesota. It features anonymous writing, art, and photos spanning nearly a decade, and includes reflections on many of the diverse experiences that made up this grassroots resistance. There are 300 pages of writing and visual art in the collection published in full color.
Line 3 is a tar sands oil pipeline that threatens communities, land, and water along its route, as well as the future of our climate. In 2021, despite fierce resistance, Enbridge completed construction of Line 3. Anishinaabe water protectors led the fight, asserting their sovereignty to oppose construction of this extractive project through their lands. For the better part of a decade thousands of people in Minnesota and around turtle island submitted public comments and testimony about the risks of Line 3, organized mass marches and rallies, protested the banks and funders of the pipeline, coordinated sustained direct action and ceremonial protest along the pipeline route to halt construction, and so much more.
The Line 3 Storytelling Anthology team received more than a thousand submissions to this collection. We weren't able to capture every story or perspective, and we know that this project cannot speak for or record the entirety of the movement, but we are honored to uplift some of the stories people chose to share with us about their time resisting this extractive project.
The book was first released in April of 2023 and distributed for free as a gift to people who had participated in the resistance. Now that the book is available for traditional sale, we’ve worked with Haymarket to keep the price as low as possible. All profits will be spent on printing and distributing further copies of the collection.
