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Another Ashlander headed to Standing Rock Joan Kalvelage Wednesday Nov 16, 2016 at 2:00 AM By John Darling For the Tidings For Ashland therapist Joan Kalvelage, 67, this fall has been one of intense activity, working on a failed presidential campaign and, after that, gathering supplies and money to take to battle the Dakota Access Pipeline for a couple weeks.  She’s taking firewood, propane heaters, herbal remedies, low-temp down sleeping bags and jackets to North Dakota — and donating via several channels, including gofundme and PayPal and on the Sacred Stone Camp website at www.sacredstonecamp.org/faq/#how.  What they really need is a working, donated pickup truck, Kalvelage says.  “I’m making this trip to support 200 tribes,” she notes. “I have four sons and some grandchildren. It’s about the generations coming up. I’ve been talking a lot to millennials, backtracking last summer and I heard over and over that they’re kind of jealous of us boomers, because we had the opportunity, one that is not coming again for them, especially with environmental issues, which, now, will be the legacy from Trump — and he’s heavily invested in the company that builds the pipeline. So, this protest encourages us to take care of the water for each other and salvage what we can for future generations.”  About her reaction to the election, Kalvelage says she put everything on hold to campaign and, “I didn’t have time to be scared. When he got elected, I was stunned and am still feeling stages of grieving. It’s not at all, ‘you win some and lose some.’ It’s really time to do something about the environment. We have this very limited opportunity for future generations — and there’s less time for this issue than for any other issue.”  Kalvelage observes that the environmental crisis is a lot like people in therapy who are in denial, so they are “failing to meet the challenge or recognize the magnitude of the challenge and rise to it” but that rising to it is a good way to overcome the depression it can bring.  “Sad can be cooked to compassion,” she jokes, “and scared can be cooked into courage.”  Kalvelage plans to leave Friday, Nov. 18, and return by Dec. 1. John Darling is an Ashland freelance writer. Reach him at [email protected].