The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is attempting to stop construction of a section of the $3.8 billion USA four-state pipeline that tribal leaders say would violate sacred and culturally sensitive grounds and possibly pollute water.
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Within the camp, the tribal flags planted into the soil side-by-side with American flags flown upside down as a sign of distress, populated the landscape on the outskirts of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. The federal government in effect overruled a judge as its order came shortly after United States district judge, Judge James Boasberg, denied a recent request to halt construction.
Provost, a member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, said she has helped support the protesters through demonstrations and donations.
Late Friday afternoon, a federal judge denied the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s motion to stop the Dakota Access oil pipeline in North Dakota.
The company Energy Transfer Partners thought it had all the approval it needed to build the 1,172-mile-long, $3.78 billion pipeline.
Speaking from the red carpet at the Toronto International Film Festival world premiere of “Snowden” on Friday, actress Shailene Woodley, who has backed efforts to halt the pipeline, lauded the USA government’s decision.
“The Army will not authorize constructing the Dakota Access pipeline on Corps land bordering or under Lake Oahe until it can determine whether it will need to reconsider any of its previous decisions regarding the Lake Oahe site under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) or other federal laws”, the statement said.
This case has highlighted the need for a serious discussion on whether there should be nationwide reform with respect to considering tribes’ views on these types of infrastructure projects.
“Everywhere in Indian Country, people are talking about this”, said Eid, who spoke by phone Saturday while on horseback during a parade at the Navajo Nation Fair in Window Rock, Arizona.
“(The protest) was initially just the pipeline, but the way the government has chose to label these protest, and us, makes me feel like my life, my families lives don’t matter”, she said. But then the Obama administration stepped in and stopped construction on federal land.
“Tribes want to be able to influence the outcome in a substantive way”, Eid said.
Attorney Jan Hasselman with the environmental group Earthjustice, who filed the lawsuit on the tribe’s behalf, said earlier this week any such decision would be challenged. “Things are very different now, whether from the right wing or left wing, politics of all kinds are being injected into this”.
Provost said she thinks the pipeline, if completed, will cause further irreversible damage.
“It is also concerning that the federal government would threaten the livelihoods of thousands of workers who rely on good governance to support a stable workplace”, he said in a statement.
That global organizing extended to Laos, where an activist asked President Obama during his Southeast Asian trip last week what he could do to protect Native rights against the oil pipeline.
“The reality is (Dakota Access) likely will move forward – not that I believe it should move forward – but all the pieces are in place for it to go forward”, Jorde said.
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SoCal 350 Climate Action, in solidarity with American Indian Movement (AIMSoCal) and Idle No More Los Angeles, held a rally at the Los Angeles offices of the security firm G4S.
