On Saturday, Neil Young turned 71 years old, and he spent his birthday performing for those protesting the proposed Dakota Access Pipeline. The legendary musician, who recently released a song in solidarity with native tribes over the pipeline called “Indian Givers,” traveled to Standing Rock Reservation without fanfare to play some music.
In the video below, posted to Young’s Facebook and the Instagram page of his girlfriend, actress Daryl Hannah, Young’s performance wasn’t the typical stage and lights show, and a far cry from his Desert Trip set a few weeks ago in Southern California. Young walked the Dakota grounds with only an acoustic guitar and harmonica, and those around him eventually caught on.
Young posted the following message, poetically, online:
“got my birthday wish today
my girl took me to #StandWithStandingRock
#WaterIsLife
those who damage Mother Earth
damage us all
forgive them
they don’t yet see”
Native American tribes and sympathizers have stood in protest of the government’s Dakota Access Pipeline since the spring, citing fears of water contamination and damage to the environment and their land. Young’s new album, Peace Trail, arrives December 9.
Watch Young’s video for “Indian Givers” below…
[h/t Stereogum]