The Carrier editorial reflects a consensus of the editorial board
The sacred land of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is threatened by an invasive and environmentally damaging pipeline proposal.
According to TIME magazine, representatives from at least 100 tribes from across the U.S. and Canada have arrived at the Sacred Stone Camp in North Dakota to protest pipeline construction, which they fear will contaminate the sole water supply of the tribe.
The overarching concern for Native Americans has been the infringement on tribal sovereignty. Federally recognized tribes are sovereign nations. According to TIME magazine, treaty rights and trust responsibility act as guarantors against the destruction of Indian sacred sites. This means that constructions like the pipeline should be illegal. But the history of the federal government failing to make good on that agreement is a long one. These tribes are not going to count on the U.S. government to take care of them, but rather are going to fight for their sovereignty and for the protection of their land through protest.
The New York Times featured the stories of several people at the site of the protest. “We say ‘mni wiconi’: Water is life,” said David Archambault II, the chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux, whose reservation sits just south of the pipeline’s route. “We can’t put it at risk, not for just us, but everybody downstream.” Their protest has been extremely successful in gaining attention from the media, and more importantly, in educating people about Native American rights and environmental issues.
This has been an inspiring show of community and love, as Ceanna Horned Eagle of Nakota and Kickapoo of Kansas expressed.
“Many of our ways — our culture, our way of life, our spirituality, our language — we have slowly lost [them],” said Horned Eagle in the New York Times article.
“But I have seen a change,” she said, “we’re trying to relearn it or to gain it back. And this coming together gives me hope that my kids won’t have to fight as hard as my parents did, as I have.”
The protests forced a halt in construction in August, so no moves will be made to begin building the pipeline yet, according to NPR. The Standing Rock tribe requested a preliminary injunction, arguing that the U.S. Army Corps, which approved the pipeline in July, failed to adequately consider its impact on sacred sites. Meanwhile, North Dakota has declared an emergency in this area, and more than two dozen protesters have been arrested. However, the protest organizers say they’re not going anywhere and are committed to protesting this pipeline peacefully.
The Rome-based group, Turn Your Back on Hate, organized a drum circle on Sept. 9 in support of those protesting the pipeline. “With little media coverage on the East Coast, we want to raise awareness for those fighting for their home and celebrate their rich heritage,” the group posted on Facebook. It’s amazing that they were able to join together and find a way to support the Standing Rock Sioux tribe within our city. In order to further support the protestors, it’s important to spread awareness and help educate people who don’t know about this issue.
These people should not have to fight for the government to uphold their promises and should not have to fight to keep their sacred land from being tampered with and potentially destroyed. Thayliah Henry-Suppah, a Paiute of Oregon, recounted a Native American proverb to the New York Times, “Treat the earth well. It was not given to you by your parents. It was loaned to you by your children.”