https://socialistaction.org/2017/03/09/long-live-standing-rock/
Long Live Standing Rock!
/ 2 days ago
March 2017 Standing Rock 2By MARTY GOODMAN
On his fifth day in office, President Donald Trump ordered the U.S. Army
Core of engineers to restart digging the $3.8 billion Dakota Access
Pipeline (DAPL) on sacred Sioux land, in violation of the Fort Laramie
Treaty of 1851. The camp, known as Standing Rock, near Cannonball, N.D.,
was officially closed on Feb. 22 on order of North Dakota Governor Doug
Burgum.
Standing Rock had become the flashpoint for unprecedented mass
mobilization of Native Americans, thousands of solidarity activists and
a worldwide outcry against corporate greed, racism and the bitter U.S.
legacy of genocide. Many activists came from the struggle against the XL
Keystone Pipeline, stretching from Canada to the Gulf Coast, halted in
2015 but set to restart under Trump.
Since last August, some 700 “Water Protectors” were arrested, shot with
beanbags, tear-gassed, clubbed, sprayed with ice-cold water in freezing
temperatures, and attacked by dogs unleashed by private security goons.
Chase Iron Eyes, a Standing Rock Sioux, described the militarized police
and National Guard that descended on the camp in February as “a violent
enforcer of the will of capital. The corporate state is here: an oil war
in the heartland.”
The army of occupation arrived in Humvees and armored personnel
carriers, pointing automatic rifles at peaceful water protectors,
insuring capitalist profits with the installation of the hazard-prone
fossil-fuel pipelines.
Said another camp resident, “This is Treaty land. This is our life. This
is how we live as Native people and nothing has changed. It’s just
gotten worse. They have bigger weapons to kill us with. And here we are,
unarmed, facing an army in our own land.” Forty-one percent of Native
Americans live in poverty, and 24% are unemployed.
The evacuation also targeted independent journalists like Jenni Monet,
who said on livestream that cops were literally “chasing down
journalists. I can’t believe this is happening!”
The governor blamed oncoming spring floods for the evacuation. However,
Joye Braun of the Indigenous Environmental Network claims the flood
warnings were a “false flag” since flood predictions were officially
downgraded. Outraged, Braun insisted that the 1851 U.S. Treaty
guarantees “the free, prior, informed consent” is a constitutional
right—a right violated at Standing Rock.
Many who were expelled from the camp sought refuge in nearby Native
American camps. Teepees and structures at Standing Rock were set ablaze
by water protectors who refused to allow the desecration of sacred
objects, and to deprive the enemy of a perceived victory. Some 50 water
protectors who remained were arrested.
On March 7, Judge James Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for the
District of Columbia denied legal challenges by Native American tribes
to halt construction of the final link in the 1170-mile-long pipeline.
DAPL funder Energy Transfer Partners (ETP) says oil will be flowing at
Standing Rock later in the month.
Trump is invested in Energy Transfer Partners for up to $1 million,
although he’s claimed to have dis-invested. Trump received campaign
contributions from ETP head Kelsey Warren, including $100,000 to the
Trump victory fund. Amazingly, Trump denies receiving any messages
against DAPL.
The groundwork for DAPL and other pipelines was facilitated by the Obama
administration. When asked about Standing Rock in 2015, Obama said he
would let the situation “play out,” despite ongoing brutality. Only
after a mass mobilization of Native Americans and an early December
solidarity mobilization of 3000 U.S. veterans at Standing Rock did Obama
respond. Fearing an election year blowback if veterans were seen being
beaten by cops on TV, Obama issued a Dec. 4 executive order to delay,
not cancel, digging under the Missouri River’s Oahe Lake, a source of
water for the Sioux and some 18 million others.
Pipeline struggles have erupted across the country, including in Texas,
Florida, and against the Spectra pipelines in the Northeast. A DAPL
divestment campaign is growing.
On March 10, the Standing Rock and Native Nations will lead a march of
activists in Washington, D.C. The protest is organized by the Native
Nations Rise Planning Committee and will march from the Mall to the
White House beginning at 10 a.m.
Check the addresses below for more information: Facebook NoDapl, Stand
With Standing Rock, Labor for Standing Rock, Defunddapl, ResistSpectra,
Indian Ministry.
Photo: Veterans for Standing Rock #NoDAPL
=
Share this:
Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
8Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)8
Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
March 9, 2017 in Environment, Indigenous Rights. Tags: pipelines
Related posts
Standing Rock: Native American land under siege
Trump okays oil pipelines
Standing with Standing Rock
Post navigation
← Civil rights attorney Lynne Stewart passes away
Women strike worldwide on International Women’s Day →
Get Involved!
Donate to help support our work
Get email updates
Join Socialist Action
Newspaper Archives
Newspaper Archives Select Month March 2017 (4) February 2017 (19)
January 2017 (13) December 2016 (12) November 2016 (19) October 2016
(12) September 2016 (10) August 2016 (10) July 2016 (14) June 2016
(14) May 2016 (9) April 2016 (12) March 2016 (14) February 2016 (8)
January 2016 (11) December 2015 (11) November 2015 (9) October 2015
(8) September 2015 (10) August 2015 (7) July 2015 (13) June 2015 (9)
May 2015 (10) April 2015 (12) March 2015 (9) February 2015 (11)
January 2015 (10) December 2014 (12) November 2014 (11) October 2014
(9) September 2014 (6) August 2014 (10) July 2014 (11) June 2014 (10)
May 2014 (11) April 2014 (10) March 2014 (9) February 2014 (11)
January 2014 (11) December 2013 (10) November 2013 (11) October 2013
(17) September 2013 (13) August 2013 (10) July 2013 (11) June 2013
(15) May 2013 (14) April 2013 (14) March 2013 (12) February 2013
(10) January 2013 (17) December 2012 (7) November 2012 (8) October
2012 (19) September 2012 (2) August 2012 (27) July 2012 (18) June
2012 (3) May 2012 (19) April 2012 (14) March 2012 (17) February 2012
(19) January 2012 (17) December 2011 (3) November 2011 (33) October
2011 (14) September 2011 (13) August 2011 (34) July 2011 (24) June
2011 (19) May 2011 (19) April 2011 (15) March 2011 (15) February
2011 (16) January 2011 (15) December 2010 (17) November 2010 (1)
October 2010 (6) September 2010 (3) August 2010 (8) July 2010 (7)
June 2010 (2) May 2010 (9) April 2010 (3) March 2010 (8) February
2010 (3) January 2010 (9) December 2009 (6) November 2009 (5)
October 2009 (16) September 2009 (3) August 2009 (2) July 2009 (5)
June 2009 (2) May 2009 (7) April 2009 (6) March 2009 (16) February
2009 (9) January 2009 (10) December 2008 (11) November 2008 (8)
October 2008 (16) September 2008 (14) August 2008 (18) July 2008
(12) June 2008 (3) May 2008 (2) April 2008 (3) March 2008 (14)
February 2008 (11) January 2008 (11) December 2007 (8) November 2007
(1) July 2007 (1) June 2007 (1) April 2007 (1) March 2007 (1)
February 2007 (3) December 2006 (11) November 2006 (11) October 2006
(13) September 2006 (15) August 2006 (11) July 2006 (18) June 2006
(7) May 2006 (14) April 2006 (6) March 2006 (14) February 2006 (5)
January 2006 (2) December 2005 (9) November 2005 (8) October 2005
(13) September 2005 (12) August 2005 (9) July 2005 (16) June 2005
(16) May 2005 (16) April 2005 (12) March 2005 (14) February 2005
(19) January 2005 (15) December 2004 (14) November 2002 (17) October
2002 (19) September 2002 (22) August 2002 (21) July 2002 (15) May
2002 (21) April 2002 (21) February 2002 (15) January 2002 (15)
December 2001 (17) October 2001 (24) September 2001 (18) July 2001
(19) June 2001 (18) October 2000 (17) September 2000 (21) August
2000 (19) July 2000 (16) June 2000 (26) May 2000 (21) April 2000
(22) March 2000 (28) February 2000 (18) January 2000 (20) December
1999 (20) November 1999 (26) October 1999 (25) September 1999 (18)
August 1999 (40) July 1999 (38) June 1999 (24) May 1999 (27) April
1999 (25) March 1999 (26) February 1999 (29) January 1999 (24) July
1998 (12)
Search
View socialistactionusa’s profile on Facebook
View SocialistActUS’s profile on Twitter
View SocialistActionCT’s profile on YouTube
Subscribe to Our Newspaper
Upcoming Events
After the Women's March: Which Way Forward?
March 24, 2017 at 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Elmwood Community Center, 1106 New Britain Ave., West Hartford, Connecticut
Category Cloud
Actions & Protest Africa Anti-War Arts & Culture Black Liberation Canada
Caribbean Civil Liberties Cuba East Asia Economy Education & Schools
Elections Environment Europe Immigration Indigenous Rights International
Labor Latin America Latino Civil Liberties Marxist Theory & History
Middle East National Oppression Police & FBI Prisons South Asia
Uncategorized Vote Socialist Action Women's Liberation
View Calendar
Blog at WordPress.com.
