The Standing Rock Battle for the Environment, Clean Water, Native Rights, Civil Rights, A Future

[Peter Lemkin]

Most do not know that for months now there have been daily battles against peaceful protesters of the DAPL [Dakota Access Pipeline] which is passing ON Native American territory and even THROUGH sacred burial grounds, as well as under the river from which their water comes. I will post a series of articles about what has been going on. I has been horrible - the worst kind of police brutality and excess. The demonstrators, who call themselves Water Protectors have never been armed and have been peacefully praying or just blocking the road in civil disobedience. For this they have been beaten, sprayed with pepper spray and tear gas, rubber bullets fired at them, some horses killed, many having to go to the hospital, women and elders as well as children beaten, arrested in droves, set upon by attack dogs and more. There is little press coverage and it is out of sight away from non-Native anything/anywhere.

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At Standing Rock, A Native American Woman Elder Says "This is What I Have Been Waiting for My Entire Life!"

By Ann Wright
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(image by Ann Wright) License DMCA

This time I have been at Standing Rock, North Dakota at the Oceti Shakowin camp to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) for four days during a whirlwind of national and international attention following two terrible displays of police brutality toward the water protectors.
On October 27, over 100 local and state police and National Guard dressed in riot gear with helmets, face masks, batons and other protective clothing, carrying assault rifles stormed the Front Line North camp. They had other military equipment such as Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Personnel carriers (MRAP) and Long Range Acoustic Devices (LRAD) and a full assortment of tasers, bean bag bullets and clubs/batons. They arrested 141 persons, destroyed the Frontline camp and threw the personal possessions of those arrested in garbage dumpsters. The Morton county sheriff reportedly is investigating the purposeful destruction of personal property.
In another overreaction to the unarmed civilian water protectors, on November 2, police shot tear gas and beanbag bullets at water protectors who were standing in a small tributary to the Missouri River. They were standing in the frigid water to protect a handmade bridge across the river to sacred burial sites that was being destroyed by the police. Police snipers stood on the ridge of the burial hill with their feet on sacred burial sites.
On October 3, in solidarity with water protectors, almost 500 religious leaders from all over the United States arrived to join water protectors in a day of prayer for stopping the Dakota Access Pipeline. Retired Episcopal Priest John Flogerty had put out a national call for clergy to come to Standing Rock. He said he was stunned that in less than 10 days, 474 leaders answered the call to stand for protection of Mother Earth. During the two-hour interfaith witness, discussion and prayer near the current digging of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), one could hear the digging machines destroying the ridge line to the south of Highway 1806.

(image by Ann Wright) License DMCA

After the gathering, about 50 of the group drove to Bismarck, the capital of North Dakota, to call on the Governor of the State to stop the pipeline. Fourteen clergy sat down in the rotunda of the capitol in prayer, refused to end their prayers and leave the capitol building when ordered by the police, and were arrested.
Another five people were arrested 30 minutes later when storm troopers were deployed to intimidate the remainder of the group when they walked across the street toward the sidewalk in front of the Governor's ranch style house to kneel in prayer. The women arrestees were transported four hours to a county jail in Fargo, North Dakota when a women's cell was available in Bismarck. Two of the men arrested were shocked when they were told that the women arrestees had been taken to Fargo as they had been placed by themselves in a cell that would accommodate 10 that was filled with feminine hygiene products.
The men arrestees also said that their cash was taken and the jail issued a check for the cash, resulting in their having NO cash upon release making getting a cab or buying food virtually impossible as taxis and grocery stores generally don't cash checks. Instead, those emerging from jail are told to go to a bank to cash the checks which are located far from the jail and probably closed when arrestees are released.
On Saturday, November 5, tribal council leaders arranged for a ceremony for horses as the plains Indians are "descendants from a powerful horse nation." Tribal leader John Eagle reminded the approximately 1,000 persons in a large circle at the new Tribal Council Sacred Fire, that in August 1876, 4,000 horses were taken by U.S. military from the Lakota in what is known as the Battle of Greasy Grass, and known to the U.S. military as the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
Eagle also mentioned for the non-Sioux that the Sioux word for horse means "my son, my daughter." He said that the return of horses to the sacred fire would be a healing for the horses for their genetic memory of the treatment of their ancestors in the past century as well as a healing for the native American population for the genetic trauma for their historical treatment of their ancestors. Healing for many at Standing Rock from their recent violent treatment by police and North Dakota National Guard, was an important aspect of the ceremony.
Chief John Eagle pointed out that many Native Americans have joined the military and that as combat veterans, they have double post traumatic stress (PTS), first from their treatment as Native Americans and second as combat veterans. John emphasized that for native combat veterans in particular, it is important to use the word "water protectors," as the terms "demonstrators and protesters" may trigger a PTSD response from their days in the U.S. military. He said that he could see PTSD in the eyes of many who went through each of the recent encounters with the police.
As John Eagle explained the purpose of the ceremony, in the distance galloping down the road of flags into the Oceti Sankowin camp came 30 horses and riders. With "peace cries" not war cries, the large 1,000-person circle opened to welcome the horses and riders. They circled the sacred fire many times to the every increasing "peace cries" and the beating of a large drum. He called on each "water protector" to have courage in their hearts to overcome anger and fear and to turn to prayer, as the police and government don't know how to deal with nonviolence and prayer. Leaders asked that no one take photos of the sacred ceremony once the horses entered the circle.
Another leader said that Native Americans must begin forgiving rather than waiting for an apology for their treatment by the U.S. government. He predicted that the U.S. government will never give an apology and that unless Native Americans forgive the pain the live in, they will live in anger. "Lives are better if one can forgive," he said. "We must change and we must change our treatment of Mother Earth."
The son of American Indian Movement (AIM) leader Russell Means told of being in the Front line camp and being clubbed by police as he protected an elder woman. He said that he felt that he had seen violence unfold before, that the treatment by police in 2016 was "familiar in our blood." Means also reminded everyone to help the young water protectors who are having difficulty in coping with their experiences with the police in the past two weeks.
As the ceremony was ending approximately thirty Navajo Hopi youth and adult supporters arrived into the circle after running from Arizona. Greeted by great cries from the 1,000 persons in the circle, a 15 year-old Hopi youth in sobs said, "150 years ago we were forced to run away from our homes but today we have run to help keep your and our homes, in a prayerful spirit, but to show the government that it cannot make us run away again."

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(image by Ann Wright) License DMCA

As I walked from the circle, an older Sioux woman told me that she had been at the Front Line camp the day it was destroyed. She had been sitting in prayer when the police stormed in, roughed people up, broke up the camp and arrested her. She said that she has been in the camp for three months and will stay until the camp ends.
In tears, she said, "I am now living as my ancestors lived...in nature all day, everyday, in community living, working and praying together. I have been waiting for this gathering all my life."

[Peter Lemkin]

One of Norway's largest banks is reconsidering its 10% line of credit for DAPL, "if concerns raised by Native American tribes against its construction are not addressed," it stated late on Sunday.
Local authorities and protesters have been clashing over Energy Transfer Partner's $3.8 billion Dakota Access pipeline project, which would offer the fastest and most direct route to bring shale oil from North Dakota to Illinois.
Native American tribes contend that the pipeline would disturb sacred land and pollute waterways supplying nearby homes. Protests have reached alarming levels, and the police violence has no doubt been noticed by bankers in Oslo.
"DNB looks with worry at how the situation around the pipeline in North Dakota has developed. The bank will therefore take initiative and use its position to bring about a more constructive process to find a solution to the conflict," Norway's largest bank said in a statement.




"If these initiatives do not give appeasing answers and results, DNB will consider its further involvement in the financing of the project."
The bank didn't say in its statement how much financing it is contributing to the project and related lines of credit. However, Norway's largest daily newspaper, Aftenposten, reported the bank is responsible for some $342.36 million in loans to build the pipeline, or close to 10 percent of the cost of the project.

[Lauren Johnson]

Having lived out in eastern Montana for three years at the edge of a reservation, I know how much hatred there is towards First Nations peoples.

The pipeline was to be routed up river from Bismarck, but the residents objected and relocated it down river over Indian land. Fuck 'em.

[Peter Lemkin]

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Unarmed Dakota Pipeline Protesters Withstand Dogs and Mace, Drive Back Enbridge Security Forces

By Marc Ash
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RT @AmericanIndian8: Presidential candidate Jill Stein is on site for the peaceful resistance supporting all water warriors! #NoDAPL https:… at
The She-It House (@KimberlyGladwin) September 6, 2016

The bulldozers returned to the site of the proposed Dakota Access Pipeline project Saturday. The protesters, anchored by Standing Rock Sioux tribal activists, rallied quickly to defend "the land." The result was a chaotic confrontation between white private security forces armed with mace and attack dogs and an unarmed multi-ethnic coalition of Americans determined to stop them in their tracks.
The all-white security personnel did not hesitate to use their mace, and unleash the dogs. Multiple protesters were treated at the scene for pepper spray exposure and dog bites. The snouts and mouths of the dogs could be seen smeared with human blood. Security forces claim four security personnel and two dogs were injured.
The protesters did not back down. Withstanding the attacks and risking personal injury, they advanced toward security, dogs, and bulldozers alike, demanding the work cease and the Enbridge personnel depart.
The construction site quickly took on the feel of a battlefield. Skirmishes erupted around the newly plowed mounds and trenches, with cameras and reports from Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! rolling.
As it became clear that the protesters would not be intimidated, Enbridge security reigned in their dogs and began to withdraw, finally departing in their pickup trucks and SUVs.




The Dakota Access Pipeline, also known as the Bakken Pipeline System, is backed by a murky affiliation of energy industry players including Enbridge Energy Partners, L.P., Energy Transfer Partners, L.P, Marathon Petroleum Corp., and Sunoco Logistics Partners, L.P., with Enbridge playing a central role.

RT @ajplus: Guard dogs & pepper spray were used on #NoDAPL activists resisting construction of the Dakota Access oil pipeline. https://t.co… at https://t.co
Sundjata❂ (@Peacekeepurwar) September 6, 2016

Late last week, Enbridge announced it was rolling up the separate but related Sandpiper Pipeline project in the face of heavy protests and mounting losses.
Also last week, the City of Minneapolis passed a City Council resolution in support of the indigenous resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline on the Standing Rock Reservation. It was the third such municipal resolution to be passed. St. Paul and Seattle have passed similar resolutions recently.
This most recent confrontation and the violence surrounding it are likely to strengthen the resolve of those standing in defiance of the Dakota Access Pipeline. If the fate of the Keystone XL and Sandpiper pipelines is any indicator, local resistance may yet again prevail.