A Victory for Indigenous Americans, and a Step in the Right Direction

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Protesters unite in opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline

Jacey Mismash, Staff Writer

Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492, and in doing so, he created an inhumane, fatal, and unfortunately long lasting plan to kill and abuse the Indigenous people of the Americas. This rhetoric echoed through all American history, seen in the letters wrote by Columbus himself that detailed how Native Americans would make good slaves, and the forcible and deadly movement of the Natives through the Trail of Tears in 1838. The design of North Dakota Access Pipeline can easily be added to this list.

The pipeline is a $3.8 billion dollar project that is used to transport crude oil from western North Dakota to Illinois. The project was originally scheduled to be built underneath the city of Bismarck—a city whose population is 90% white—but when the people of the town voiced their concerns about a possible oil leak, the pipeline was rerouted to cross under the Missouri River, the main water  source of the Standing Rock Reservation. The members of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe were concerned about this decision, and reasonably so. The members of the tribe were not included in this decision, the project leaders did not respect the Tribe’s spiritual ties to the land, nor did they respect the Tribe’s right to safe drinking water.

The Sioux Tribe, alongside many thousands of supporters, peacefully protested against the construction. Instead of being treated civilly like the people of Bismarck were, they were attacked with dogs, tear gas, and water cannons.

These harsh and unnecessary actions taken against the Native Americans perpetuates the negative stereotype that Indigenous people should be treated as savages. After enduring so much pain and suffering, it’s no surprise that they rise up to take a stand against their mistreatment.  

“We are protectors, not protesters” said Iyuskin American Horse in Canyon Ball, North Dakota, “The Dakota Access pipeline threatens to destroy our sacred ground. I am defending the land and water of my people, as my ancestors did before me.”

The Indigenous people of the Americas are incredibly resilient, they have been combating this oppression for hundreds of years. This time, they won the battle.

On December 4th, after reviewing their initial decision to grant access to build the pipeline under the Missouri river near Standing Rock Reservation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced to the public that they will no longer allow the North Dakota Access Pipeline to cross under the river near Standing Rock Reservation without the completion of a complete environmental impact assessment. In the meantime, they recommended that other possible locations for the pipeline be considered as a substitute.

A chairman of Standing Rock Sioux tribe says “[The Tribe has] the utmost gratitude the courage it took on the part of President Obama, the Army Corps, the Department of Justice, and the Department of the Interior… to take a new approach to our nation-to-nation relationship, and we will be forever grateful.”

The resilience, strength, and pride of the Native Americans beams through in even the darkest of times. These incredible people stand up against their mistreatment time after time again. In North Dakota, what might seem like a small victory to most people, is a massive stride for Indigenous people, and the country that has failed them time and time again. In April of 2016, members of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe made efforts to do their very best to protect their land. On December 4th, 2016, after nine months, the American Government ruled in the favor of the Indigenous people of America. This is what progress looks like.