Shailene Woodley Writes Essay Revealing ‘The Truth’ About Her Arrest

Shailene Woodley has kept protesting ever since she was arrested earlier this month. This week, she has penned an essay explaining the reasons of her arrest.

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On Oct. 10, the actress and outspoken activist was protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline when she was initially arrested. This week, she decided to write an essay for Time magazine to reveal the story behind her arrest, explaining the importance of her peaceful protest.

In an Instagram post, she captioned, “I was arrested a little over a week ago while protecting clean water in North Dakota alongside many others. here is my statement.”

The Divergent star expressed her disagreement with the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline in Bismarck, North Dakota, a project designed to transport fracked oil across North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and Illinois. For the last few months, Woodley has been voicing her support for the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, claiming that the $3.8 billion project would destroy sacred lands and affect their water supply. She even livestreamed the incident and the video went viral.

In her essay, the actress began to call out Americans for exploiting Native American traditions without respecting their culture. “We wear their heritage, their sacred totems, as decoration and in fashion trends, failing to honor their culture. Headdresses, feathers, arrows. Moccasins, sage, beadwork. You know what I’m talking about, Coachella. Walking around the flea market this weekend, I can’t even tell you how many native references I saw being used in a way that feeds our western narrative,” she wrote.

“Treaties are broken. Land is stolen. Dams are built. Reservations are flooded. People are displaced. Yet we fail to notice. We fail to acknowledge. We fail to act,” she added. “I am not scared. I am not afraid. I am grateful, and I am amazed to be standing by the sides of so many peaceful warriors.”

Woodley is set to appear in a North Dakota court this month, where she could face 60 days in jail and $3,000 in fines if she gets convicted. Back on Wednesday, she pleaded not guilty to charges of criminal trespass and engaging in a riot.