Momentary Victory at Standing Rock!
From the New York Times, December 4, 2016
“Federal
officials announced on Sunday that they would not approve permits for
construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline beneath a dammed section of the
Missouri River that tribes say sits near sacred burial sites.
“The
decision is a victory for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of protesters camped
near the construction site who have opposed the project because they said would
it threaten a water source and cultural sites. Federal officials had given the
protesters until tomorrow to leave a campsite near the construction site.
 |
| Initial gathering of Veterans to support Native American protests. |
“In
a statement on Sunday, the Department of the Army’s assistant secretary for
Civil Works, Jo-Ellen Darcy, said that the decision was based on a need to
explore alternate routes for the pipeline crossing.
“’Although
we have had continuing discussion and exchanges of new information with the
Standing Rock Sioux and Dakota Access, it’s clear that there’s more work to
do,” Ms. Darcy said. “The best way to complete that work responsibly and
expeditiously is to explore alternate routes for the pipeline crossing.’
“The
consideration of alternative routes ‘would be best accomplished through an Environmental
Impact Statement with full public input and analysis,’ Ms Darcy said in a
statement.
“The
Obama administration had blocked construction of that section since September,
and in November President Obama, revealed that the Army Corps of Engineers was considering an alternative route for the
project.
“Dave
Archambault II, the chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, expressed
gratitude for ‘the courage it took on the part of President Obama, the Army
Corps, the Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior to take
steps to correct the course of history and to do the right thing.’
“Tribal
officials had criticized the route because of the potential damage to the
tribe’s drinking water and that it would disrupt sacred lands.
“The
company building the pipeline, Energy Transfer Partners of Dallas, has said
that it was unwilling to reroute the project.”
Beyond
the cost of an alternate route, the other likely reason for the Energy Transfer
Partners dismissal of changing the scheme is the President-elect Trump’s
promised backing of their plan.
According
to Salon.com, the demonstrations, calls to the White House and Congress, as
well as the despicable uses of force and injury to try to turn away protestors
gained traction as the month of December arrived.
“In
a letter sent to Attorney General Loretta Lynch late last week, Sen. Cory
Booker of New Jersey called on the Department of Justice to open an
investigation into the tactics used by police against peaceful protesters (who
have designated themselves “water protectors”) and to deploy federal monitors
to Standing Rock as reports emerge of violence against protesters.
“Booker
cited ‘ongoing danger to both protesters and law enforcement,’ at the sites of
ongoing protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline, which indigenous
protesters and their allies believe could contaminate the Missouri River, and
desecrate sacred tribal sites.
“Last
week, as the nation prepared to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, police used
water cannons and rubber bullets on people attempting to halt the
pipeline’s construction.” (http://www.salon.com/2016/11/29/congress-finally-begins-to-notice-the-dakota-access-pipeline-protests-at-standing-rock/)
The land, originally deeded to the Native Americans in 1851
and then rescinded by the U.S. government.
Today, over 1000 veterans arrived at Standing Rock to join with Native
Americans protesting the action to disturb their tribal grounds and possibly
endanger millions of people who depend upon the Missouri for drinking water.
It is not over: Call the Whitehouse at
202-456-1111 to urge President Obama to maintain the halt to shale oil
transfer across sacred land and water resources.
My wife and I stood with 120 others earlier today at a busy intersection holding signs and waving at motorists to show our support for the Native Americans in North Dakota at Standing Rock.
ReplyDeleteLater today, the "victory" was announced. Here is a little background.
It is true the letter of the laws those corporations wrote were being followed. The pipeline had been redrawn around Bismarck, a very white Republican city. The present boundaries did not cross Native American reservations due to broken treaties and reconfigured boundaries. As non-whites who are practicing non-Christian prayers and beliefs, Injuns are expendable. White corporate lawyers have paid state legislators for pipeline access in state after state.
Illinois legislators were bought. Florida legislators were bought. Other states sold out the safety of its citizens by legislators in both political parties. Florida's Sabal Pipeline endangers the water supplies of cities and communities (Orlando, Daytona, Tampa, etc.) across Florida. Titusville (20 miles from me) has a major pumping station under construction. Fracking and pipeline pumping stations rarely catch fire; they explode and also poison water, land and air branched along their pumping feed lines.
Corporations are treating the USA like a third world nation used to rape their minerals and wealth with no heed to the damages done. The Keystone Pipeline was "blocked" as we were all set up for a bunch of interconnected state level pipelines. Under Bush, Obama and the future Supreme Court the laws were re-written and will be approved and followed. The North Dakota Pipeline WILL meet some of the demands of the Standing Rock tribes as we face the realpolitik of state level pipelines destroying our water supplies. The pipelines will continue.
I, however, refuse to be a willing victim. Alone, if need be, I will yell and point to the not-so-subtle truth until my cremated ashes are blown away by the winds of time.
I am afraid Trump will reverse Obamas decision. I think Obama knows it, too. I think he issued the order because he did not want protesters to end up injured by frostbite or hypothermia. The tribal members from North Dakota know what to watch out for, but protestors from other areas could get serious frostbite before realizing it and lose toes or fingers.
ReplyDelete