Standing Rock...

If you don’t care about what is going on in Standing Rock, you are not alone.  It is not getting the coverage it deserves and the fearless water protectors are not getting the attention they have earned.  They are fighting not only for their own clean drinking water, but for MILLIONS of other people as well who rely on the Missouri River as their source of clean drinking water.

So you heard that the Army Corp of Engineers didn’t grant the permit to run the pipeline under the Missouri River, so everyone can go home and everything is resolved, right?  The Native Americans won their battle, right?  WRONG!!!  Well, sort of wrong.  I did last week’s show on the situation at Standing Rock and felt compelled to do another show on it because of the misconception of the most recent events there.  This whole situation is REALLY tugging at my heart and it infuriates me. 

As you may know, because I always mention it in my shows, I do a ton of research to prepare for each show, because I honestly want to know the TRUTH.  I want to understand the whole story and understand both perspectives of an argument.  But on this one, I just can’t understand the government’s perspective.  I think it is so important for everyone to know about the DAPL that I have summarized the key points I made in my show and included them here.  If you don’t have time to do a ton of research and you don’t want to listen but you DO want to know more, read this.  If you think the government and law enforcement have acted appropriately, you are not only wrong, but you are heartless. 

Important Facts about Standing Rock

The Dakota Access Pipeline will move 470,000 barrels of domestic crude oil a day through four states.  It will run near the Standing Rock Sioux Indian reservation in North Dakota and directly under their main source of water.  (This land was actually theirs at one time until our government stole it from them.) The Army Corps of Engineers and the North Dakota state government insist they have no plans to forcibly remove protesters, but there are continuing reports about government officials attacking the protesters.  I keep referring to this as torture and attacking, because, well, that’s what it is.  The Standing Rock Sioux oppose the pipeline running in its current path because the pipeline threatens to destroy sacred sites and the safety of their water supply.  They are not necessarily

against the pipeline in itself, but they oppose its current path.  The “protesters” prefer to be called Water Protectors.  They have been demonstrating since April of 2016.  The violent acts of TORTURE from the militarized police have been escalating as the number of people at the camp grows.  Two weeks ago, officers sprayed over 400 protesters with water in temperatures below freezing, supposedly because he PEACEFUL protesters were being violent.

Recently, there were various threats made to “encourage” the protesters to move to a different location.  They first threatened physical removal of people, and then they changed their mind THE SAME DAY and said they would not MAKE people leave.  Just a day or so later, the governor of North Dakota later said he would impose a fine of $1000 to anyone providing goods to the water protectors.  He also ordered a mandatory evacuation by December 5 “for their safety” because of extreme weather conditions.  (He was certainly not concerned about their safety when law enforcement took such extreme measures against them, but he apparently is suddenly looking out for their best interest.)

The News

On December 4, The Army Corps of Engineers denied the necessary permits for the pipeline to go under the river, but the company building the pipeline, Energy Transfer Partners, says they will not stop construction.  And apparently they ARE still drilling and they will not stop!!!

On a more positive note, those thousands of veterans who said they were going to the encampment did indeed go, most of them arriving this past Sunday, December 4, to defend the water protectors against the government.  The veterans say their duty is to protect Americans from both foreign AND domestic threats, and the American government is a domestic threat at this time.  Not everyone was happy to see them, though.  Some of the people from the neighboring towns are tired of the extra people around, all of the hotels are booked completely, and some of the locals are threatening people.  (I would think the people there would be HAPPY because this HAS to be good for their economy!  But whatevs…)

The Morton County Sheriff’s Department released an interesting video explaining how they feel about the Veterans.  Apparently the Veterans were viciously attacking the poor female sheriffs….with snow balls and curse words!  How dare them?!

How are Local Authorities Treating the Protesters?

I talked about this a lot last week, but the militarized police have been TORTURING the people at Standing Rock.  Just over 400 arrests have taken place at the pipeline construction site since the protests began.   Protesters say local law enforcement is using pepper spray, tear gas, rubber bullets, water cannons, concussion grenades, etc on them and responding to peaceful demonstrations, pipe ceremonies, and prayer circles with militarized force.   The force coming from law enforcement has prompted Amnesty International to send a team of observers to monitor how law enforcement is handling the protests. A United Nations group is also investigating the tribe’s allegations that law enforcement is using excessive force and committing other human rights violations.

What’s Going to Happen Next?

The protesters are not leaving. A tribal leader told the Guardian that the group is preparing for “the last stand.”  Law enforcement isn’t planning on backing off, either, apparently. The Bismarck Tribune reported Tuesday that the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services will receive $4 million in additional funding it requested to support its response to the protests. This funding is on top of $6 million the department has already received for this purpose.

Meanwhile, construction of the pipeline is almost complete and quickly advancing toward the Missouri River, regardless of the fact that the permits was not granted.   BUT…If the pipeline is not completed and moving oil by Jan. 1, the oil shippers’ contract could expire, so they will most likely forge ahead...illegally.  For that reason, many people are saying Energy Transfer Partners will continue construction and just pay the fine.  They think the fine will be meaningless to them since they stand to gain SO MUCH from the completion of the pipeline.

Not Everyone around Standing Rock Agrees with Each Other

Water Protectors are coming from all over the world: Japan, Russia, Germany, Australia, Israel, Serbia, from all corners of the US.  They’re opposing the Dakota Access Pipeline, a $3.7 billion investment, for various reasons.  Some are fighting for the indigenous people.  Others are there to take a stance against what they see as corporate greed.  The vast majority, though, are there to fight the environmental threat to the water the pipeline makes as well as the desecrating of sacred land.

The Standing Rock Sioux call this reservation home, and some are actually asking people to go home now that the permits have not been granted.  They said they no longer need the added number or people to stand with them.

The district chairman of Cannon Ball, Robert Fool Bear Sr., 54, says his people want their land back and he doesn’t seem too happy about the whole situation.  The town he runs, estimated population of 840, is just a few miles from the protest site.  In fact, because of the protests, you have to pass through a police checkpoint to reach his town now.  He said "It irks me. People are here from all over the world," he says. "If they could come from other planets, I think they would."  The presence of all these people has become a downright nuisance to his community, he says. 

Yet in another town, Fort Yates, which is around 30 miles south of the protests, the people are very sympathetic.  The little town has less than 200 people living there, but when entering the town, you see a hand-painted sign that announces, "Oil & water don't mix!"  The people there can't imagine how anyone would disagree with the water protectors.  The people of Fort Yates point out that this battle isn't about race. "It's about water, not just native people," she says. "We don't get another Earth."

After all, we DO only get one Earth.  I am no tree hugger, but I try to do my part.  I am also not a scientist, but I would imagine crude oil in our drinking water would not be healthy.  At some point, we MUST change things or we will not have a place to live, air to breathe, or water to drink!!!