Tag: Environment, Indigenous Politics,

Photo by Alberta Wilderness Association A coal-mine expansion in the Canadian Rocky Mountains threatens the drinking water supply of the Mountain Cree-Smallboy Camp, where about 140 Indigenous people have been practising and maintaining their traditional spirituality, language and culture for the past half-century. It takes several hours of driving on

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Photo from RavenTrust.com At the 2015 Paris COP 21 climate conference Justin Trudeau pledged his newly-elected government would help “to limit global average temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius as well as pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees.” The strategy adopted was two-pronged and contradictory

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Photo by Tony Webster

Mainstream media would have most of us believe that the current struggle at Standing Rock, North Dakota is all about clean water – that its only focus is stopping the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) from running through Indigenous reservation land. And, yes, it is about these things. But while such a narrative may create “hot headlines,” it fails to capture the full truth and essence of what‘s really going on there.

On September 9 through September 12, our Workers World Party delegation gathered with 8,000 others to support the national call to mobilize for support.

Resistance, unity and mass consciousness

Shortly after our flight into Bismarck, North Dakota, we drove directly to the State Capitol Building for a local protest there. I began to realize that this was much bigger than just a fight for water. Is water a central component to this struggle? Yes! Yes, it is. But as local members of the Indigenous community began to gather, as school-aged Native youth began marching down the street in pouring rain, I quickly realized that the current developments at Standing Rock were not only politically and culturally significant, but that this moment in time was becoming historic. This “local protest” had indeed become monumental.

Representatives of Indigenous Nations began pouring into Bismarck from all over the country. In spite of the rain, more and more people just kept coming. A protest had become a reunion, a reunion for some who had never even spoken to each other, a reunion many thought would never happen again. The struggle for water had performed the miracle of bringing nations together from all over the Western Hemisphere. Resistance had created both unity and mass consciousness.

It was Friday and we had just arrived. So much was unfolding, and we hadn’t even made it to the encampment at Standing Rock yet. We had merely decided to support a local protest we heard about via Facebook. We still needed to get settled and set-up for the evening. After the protest, we finally arrived at Main Camp of Standing Rock late Friday afternoon, just a few hours before dark. We debated for a half hour about where to pitch our tent, and finally, collectively found a spot.

Word broke during camp that evening that the Obama administration and U.S. government had decided to temporarily “halt” further construction of the DAPL in the immediate Lake Oahe area by Standing Rock. But the overall project had not been “ceased” in North Dakota, or elsewhere.

Indigenous Nations came from all over: Ontario and Vancouver (Canada), Hawaii, Ecuador, Jamaica, Arizona, Alaska, Massachusetts, California. There were elders and small children, women and men. Some drove. Some flew. Some even came in by canoe.

Main Camp organizers noted that over 260 nations had gathered, the largest of any such gathering since Wounded Knee in 1973. Morale was high from the decision to “halt,” but leaders and organizers were still quite leery. After 500 years of colonial lies, false promises and broken treaties, many of their elders had seen this story before. They reminded the media and informed the various nations to stay vigilant.

As organizer and Standing Rock Sioux elder, Phyllis Young stated: “Our freedom is in our DNA. Our culture is bigger than the U.S. Constitution. When one nation’s rights are violated, we are all violated.” On the subject of settler treaties, Young reminded us that “these agreements are problematic because they do not recognize our sovereignty. They have not kept their promises.”

Building collective memory

Our time and efforts were divided between four different encampments. If you’re coming from Bismarck, the first encampment you’ll approach is “The Frontline”. This was the site where private security firm, G4S, sprayed Water Protectors with pepper spray, prompting dogs to attack women and defenseless children.

Located just off the road, the camp is small in size but well-guarded. A few yards behind the company’s barbed wire gates, you can actually see the uprooted soil, courtesy of U.S. Army Engineers and private construction vehicles. North Dakota later issued a misdemeanor warrant for Democracy Now host, Amy Goodman at this same site. Goodman was simply documenting what was happening there.

Main Camp is where the masses resided — a 20-acre plot of flatland surrounded by sacred burial space, “Facebook Hill” (where people can pick up just enough cell service to post on social media), and scattered marsh remnants of the Missouri and Cannonball rivers. Main Camp is where most of the socializing and public assemblies took place.

Though much smaller, Sacred Stone is probably the camp most recognized by name. Sacred Stone is the location of the initial resistance, dating back to early spring of this year.

Last, but certainly not least, is Red Warrior Camp – the heavily targeted and radical youth encampment located just between Main Camp and Sacred Stone. It was Red Warrior Camp that initially took to social media and began to spread the word. And it’s Red Warrior Camp that has truly inspired and galvanized Native youth. We were honored to formally meet with them the day before we left. In return, we left the Red Warrior Camp much of our camping equipment and the remaining supplies that we could spare. Their spokesperson, Cody Hall, had just been arrested the day we arrived, and was being held without bail.

Main Camp, which housed over 7,000 people, was highly organized and well laid out. Tents and tipis were sporadically spaced at the site of your own choosing. The kitchen, dry storage and main assembly circle were all conjoined. While the main circle was open-air seating, all other stations were well constructed for the harsh conditions of North Dakota.

There was a medical room and camp infirmary, a freedom school and welcome center – a donation center and legal support station. There were safety teams and ground sanitation. Several thousand of us were fed for free, sheltered and provided for, every day. Many participants came merely on faith, and with very few resources. The ingenuity required to seamlessly feed three meals a day to thousands, is no small feat.

In addition to the elements of traditional dance, custom dress and tribal flags, there was also a special emphasis placed on remembrance — remembrance of the old names and Native languages that so many still fight to preserve, remembrance of past freedom fighters and political prisoners. Elders and youth alike noted the important contributions of Sitting Bull and Leonard Peltier, Russell Means and John Trudell.

With over 260 Indigenous nations represented, yes, of course, there were a few internal differences. But there was also a celebration of those differences, a moment of magic that so many were able to come together and build on their commonalities. Not only was there a collective sense of pride, urgency and organization — a collective memory was etched in communal stone, passed down to the next ‘Seven Generations.’

“We want our grandchildren to see this, to be here and touch the land,” said Chief Arvol Looking Horse. “I remember my grandmother teaching me about Wounded Knee, and we have to pass this down…the story of today.”

It was so important that the youth and children were able to witness this display of unity. This is the moment that they too, will pass down to their children — the preservation of culture, history, tradition — the interconnection of water, soil, air, life — the importance of respecting the land, animals and fellow human beings.

Water is life, not a business

Standing Rock is more than just a fight to stop construction vehicles from digging up the soil. What this is really about is the preservation of the Indigenous way of life — a way of life that walks in accord with the natural elements and resources around them — a way of life that not only honors each other, but also the Earth, the land, the water. It is a way of life that deeply respects the air we breathe, the sun, the soil — a way of life that seeks to live in unity with these elements, not to somehow profit from them. Water is life, not a business.

Standing Rock is not only a political struggle for the right to assemble, protest and create change. It is, as well, a cultural struggle for independence and autonomy, for sovereignty and complete liberation — a resistance against forced displacement and assimilation. There are also elements of class struggle here — a “stand-off” of the poor and working class against big oil companies and the super-rich.

This struggle is about supporting the right to be free from corporate greed and white supremacist domination, the right for Indigenous people to determine their own destiny, the right to function without the U.S. government meddling in the internal affairs of Native Nations.

What we saw at Standing Rock were the effects of colonialism continuing to play out, 500 years later. Some Indigenous have survived through surface-level assimilation, adopting more Eurocentric names, styles of dress and religious practices. Others have refused to assimilate and remain rooted in the old ways. Some favor prayer and non-direct actions; others embrace a more militant form of resistance by any means necessary.

The only negative aspect of our entire stay was the state repression. Drones, helicopters and aerial surveillance were an absolute constant. No kidding! Checkpoints, encampment warrants and threat of arrests were very real. Supporters and organizers were quite conscious of the repressive character of the state, yet refused to allow that presence to dampen the occasion. I guess that’s to be expected when you’re pursuing liberation.

Nearly 70 people have been arrested for simply standing up to the DAPL, but many more are springing to take their places. When we talk about #NoDAPL, it is so critical that we demand all charges be dropped against protesters, local supporters and those who are being targeted.

Standing Rock is, in many regards, no different than Black Lives Matter, no different than the Palestinian resistance and Latinx Movement. The struggle against capitalism, state violence and white supremacy will undoubtedly require all of us to stand together.

Much thanks to #StandingRock for allowing us to be there. Long live the Indigenous Nations! Free Leonard Peltier! All power to the people!

Lamont Lilly is a contributing editor with the Triangle Free Press and Human Rights Delegate with Witness for Peace and organizer with Workers World Socialist Party. He has recently served as field staff in Baltimore, Ferguson, Oakland, Boston and Philadelphia. In February 2015, he traveled to both Syria and Lebanon with Ramsey Clark and Cynthia McKinney.

This article originally appeared on DissidentVoice.org.

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Photo from Public Domain

Some 1,000 Native American activists from the Standing Rock Indian Reservation and across the country faced off against police and security forces protecting the construction of the Dakota Access pipeline project. Dozens of people have been arrested and assaulted by police while attempting to stop the project, and many more continue to risk arrest to protest the pipeline.

The Dakota Access pipeline, which is being built by Energy Transfer Partners, is planned to stretch 1,172 miles from the Bakken oil fields in North Dakota through South Dakota and Iowa, before ending in Illinois.

The $3.8-billion project was begun in 2014 and is supposed to be completed by the end of the year. Once finished, the pipeline will carry a daily load of 570,000 barrels of oil extracted through hydraulic fracturing. It will cross 209 rivers, creeks and tributaries. Unless, that is, activists have anything to say about it.

Legal and Activist Challenge

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe (SRST), members of the Hunkpapa Lakota Nation, has been leading the resistance. The current stage of pipeline construction has reached a segment that runs only a half-mile away from the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, located in North and South Dakota.

In response, the Nation has put together a legal and activist challenge to the pipeline. The SRST filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which quietly approved the pipeline without proper consultation with the tribe. The SRST says the route of the pipeline, through the Missouri River and Lake Oahe, will disturb tribal burial grounds and affect the Nation’s drinking water. In a statement, Standing Rock Sioux Chairman Dave Archambault II said:

The Corps puts our water and the lives and livelihoods of many in jeopardy. We have laws that require federal agencies to consider environmental risks and protection of Indian historic and sacred sites. But the Army Corps has ignored all those laws and fast-tracked this massive project just to meet the pipeline’s aggressive construction schedule.

In April, protesters set up a camp, named the Sacred Stone Spiritual Camp, at the Cannonball river, which meets the Missouri River and is the border of the reservation. Jon Eagle Sr., SRST’s tribal historic preservation officer, explained the historic and cultural significance of the site:

The land between the Cannonball River and the Heart River is sacred. It’s a historic place of commerce where enemy tribes camped peacefully within sight of each other because of the reverence they had for this place. In the area are sacred stones where our ancestors went to pray for good direction, strength and protection for the coming year. Those stones are still there, and our people still go there today.

Before the protests, 31 Lakota youth from various reservations in North and South Dakota participated in a relay run more than 1,600 miles to Washington, D.C., to hand over a petition condemning the pipeline signed by over 160,000 people.

The camp has swelled to approximately 1,000 activists, both Native and non-Native, anxious to continue the fight for indigenous sovereignty and environmental justice.

The protests have been nonviolent, but that hasn’t stopped Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier from making absurd claims that the protesters were about to physically destroy the pipeline. “They were preparing to throw pipe bombs at our line, M80s, fireworks, things of that nature to disrupt us,” Kirchmeier claimed.

Work on the pipeline was halted on August 19 over what officials claimed were “safety concerns” caused by protesters. A judge is currently considering whether to grant an order halting construction while various arguments can be heard in court.

Treaty Rights

Dave Archambault II invoked treaty rights in his call to halt the pipeline, stating, “We don’t want this black snake within our Treaty boundaries.”

In 1851 and 1868, the Lakota (Sioux) signed the Fort Laramie Treaty with the U.S. government, creating the Great Sioux reservation, which included all of South Dakota west of the Missouri river. The treaty also protected hunting rights in the surrounding area, including where the pipeline is set to go through.

While numerous violations of the treaties have displaced the Lakota, there is also a history of resistance – which we are seeing again today with the struggle against the Dakota Access pipeline and the breaking of treaty rights and denial of sovereignty to the Native community.

The struggle is also a continuation of the successful fight waged by Native activists and environmentalists against the Keystone XL pipeline. Much like that fight, Native Americans are leading the way – but it has created the opportunity to build a multiracial movement against climate change.

One resounding message from Native American activists has been the power of solidarity. During the fight against the Keystone XL pipeline, for example, Natives and non-Natives formed the Cowboy-Indian Alliance. Similar coalitions are being forged in the current struggle.

Crow Creek Sioux Tribal Chairman Brandon Sazue explained in a Facebook statement why he and his tribe were offering support:

We will stand with you, my relatives. Whether we are Native, white, African American, etc. Our water is our most precious resource along with our children. We must all stand together in this most urgent of times. This is not about race, but about the human race! What we do today will make a difference tomorrow! If there was ever a time to stand united, that time is now!

This sentiment is widespread in Indian Country. Oglala Sioux Tribal President John Yellow Bird Steele sent supplies and buses of people from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation to Cannonball to support the protesters. Currently, over 60 American Indian Nations are represented at the camp.

Farmers in Iowa are also putting up a fight against the pipeline and asking the courts for an injunction against eminent domain proceedings.

The SRST has been calling on the Obama administration to halt the pipeline. Obama is only the fourth sitting president to make an official visit to an Indian reservation, and he chose to come to the Standing Rock Reservation. But Obama and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton have been silent on the issue of the Dakota Access pipeline. The Democratic Party continues to promote an “all of the above” energy strategy that includes fracking and the new oil fields in North Dakota. The only presidential candidate who is opposing the Dakota Access pipeline – and all new pipelines – is Green Party nominee Jill Stein.

Energy Transfer’s Dakota Access LLC recently filed a law suit against protesters at the site, including SRST Chairman Dave Archambault. The company claims protesters “have created and will continue to create a risk of bodily injury and harm to Dakota Access employees and contractors, as well as to law enforcement personnel and other individuals at the construction site.”

A North Dakota federal court recently granted a temporary restraining order against protestors who are interfering with pipeline construction. But activists say the real threat comes from the pipeline and the environmental damage it will cause, not from the efforts to halt it.

As Hunkpapa Lakota medicine man Sitting Bull once stated:

We have now to deal with another race – small and feeble when our fathers first met them, but now great and overbearing. Strangely enough they have a mind to till the soil and the love of possession is a disease with them. These people have made many rules that the rich may break but the poor may not. They take their tithes from the poor and weak to support the rich and those who rule.

Today, those pushing for the Dakota Access pipeline are steamrolling through Indian treaty land without concern for the earth or the people whose land they are invading.

It took a strong movement to halt the Keystone XL pipeline. We will need to continue that struggle to halt other pipelines and the system Sitting Bull described and fight for a society that puts people and the planet first over profits.

This article originally appeared on SocialistWorker.org.

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