Dave Archambault II, chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, told members of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council today (September 20) that the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline violates the tribe’s sovereign rights.
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The Bellingham Herald reports (http://bit.ly/2caShy3 ) that the resolution calls on federal agencies to respect the status and treaty rights of recognized tribes. “I hope the United Nations will use its influence and global platform to protect the rights of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe”. There are also clips of the recent protests against the pipeline. Over the course of the summer, the people of the Standing Rock Indian Reservation and the organization ReZpect Our Water have protested in favor of the Dakota Access Pipeline, in hopes of seeing its growth. Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier said the BIA is representing Native American tribes.
Smith said the pipeline opponents, who fear the pipeline will leak and contaminate the Missouri River and drinking water for millions downstream, weren’t there just to make a statement.
“Thousands have gathered peacefully in Standing Rock in solidarity against the pipeline”, said Archambault. Included in the court filing were the locations of these sites.
The protests forced a halt in construction last month after the tribe sued the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which has jurisdiction over the land, arguing that it did not adequately consult with them before granting Energy Transfer Partners fast track approval in July. The project, he notes, was approved without appropriate consultation with the Tribe.
“The world needs to know what is happening to the indigenous peoples of the United States”, said Archambault.
According to a recent CNN report, the project developer, Dakota Access, says the pipeline would help the U.S. become less dependent on importing energy from unstable regions of the world.
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The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) joined a coalition of union workers to oppose the project, which is slated to deliver more than 4,500 jobs to three states along the pipeline’s route.
