'We are protectors, not protesters': why I'm fighting the North Dakota pipeline
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
People against the Dakota Access pipeline chant in opposition on Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016, at a site where a roadway was being constructed to begin the process of building the pipeline.
Thursday 18 August 2016 11.06 EDT Last modified on Thursday 18 August 2016 11.21 EDT
Our elders have told us that if the zuzeca sape, the black snake, comes across our land, our world will end. Zuzeca has come – in the form of the Dakota Access pipeline – and so I must fight.
I am Sicangu/Oglala Lakota, born in Rosebud, South Dakota, and writing from the frontline of the movement against the pipeline in Cannon Ball. I have been holding this ground with my Standing Rock Sioux tribe relatives since the spring. I am defending the land and water of my people, as my ancestors did before me.
The $3.8bn pipeline project is proposed to carry approximately 470,000 barrels per day of fracked oil from our Bakken oil fields, 1,172 miles through the country’s heartland, to Illinois. The pipeline will cross the confluence of the Cannonball and Missouri rivers, where it threatens to contaminate our primary source of drinking water and damage the bordering Indigenous burial grounds, historic villages and sundance sites that surround the area in all directions. Those sites that were not desecrated when the area was flooded in 1948 by the construction of the Oahe dam are now in danger again.
I have seen where their machines clawed through the earth that once held my relatives’ villages
This week, I have witnessed pipeline construction tear its way toward the waters of the Missouri river which flow into the Mississippi, threatening to pollute the aquifer that carries drinking water to 10 million people. I have seen where their machines clawed through the earth that once held my relatives’ villages. I have watched law enforcement officials protect the oil industry by dragging away my indigenous brothers and sisters who stood up for our people.
The fact that Energy Transfer Partners, the company behind the pipeline, would use the word “Dakota”, which means “friend” or “ally”, in the name of its project is disrespectful. This pipeline is a direct threat to all Dakota, Lakota and Nakota people, especially our future generations. And we are not the only ones. We know that burning this oil is changing our climate and Indigenous people all over the world are bearing the brunt of the catastrophes that causes.
Tribune Law enforcement arrested several people protesting the Dakota Access pipeline on a newly constructed roadway to be used in building the pipeline Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016.
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Tribune police arrested several people protesting the Dakota Access pipeline on a newly constructed roadway to be used in building the pipeline. Photograph: Tom Stromme/AP
This pipeline poses threats strikingly similar to those posed by the now defeated Keystone XL, but has received a fraction of the attention from mainstream media and big environmental groups. On 26 July, we were surprised to learn that the North Dakota permits were approved by the US Army Corps of Engineers to run the pipeline within a half-mile of our reservation. My tribal leaders have said that this done without consulting tribal governments, and without a meaningful study of the impacts it will have. This is a violation of federal law and, more importantly, of our treaties with the US government – the supreme law of the land.
It was my Ina, my mother, who first told me of this struggle. With my Ina, ciye (older brother), and tunwin (aunt) we have joined our Standing Rock relatives to face this new storm. For the past month, we have stood with Standing Rock in solidarity, we have prayed, we have cried, and we have also laughed, even when we thought it impossible to do so.
I never thought I would be on the frontline of a fight like this. I grew up admiring Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, and my ancestor American Horse, for their courage and leadership in battle against their oppressors. Now I am fighting alongside their descendants, my relatives from all seven tribes, against the very same oppressors.
It saddens me that the government time and time again continues to ravage my people with the same treatment and attitude, only different weapons. But why should be surprised? This is the definition of insanity – to go through the same situations over and over believing the outcome will be different.
'For as long as it takes': Native American protesters defy North Dakota pipeline construction
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This camp was created as a last defense for the water that our communities depend on to survive. I have watched our numbers dwindle down to the single digits, and now we have swelled to over 300 people in just a few days. Hundreds more are on the way right now, as other tribes gather resources to send people and supplies.
This historic battle is bringing the Oceti Sakowin together like nothing has ever before. The Hunkpapa, the tribal band of Standing Rock, are now joined by the Oglala from Pine Ridge, the Sicangu from Rosebud, and relatives from Crow Creek, Cheyenne River, and Yankton, as well as Dine and Ponca relatives from the south, Ojibwe relatives from the Great Lakes, and countless others. From all across the country, tribes are bringing us shelter, food and most importantly, prayers.
To have all this unity of tribes standing together in solidarity before my eyes is a beautiful sight. Our tribes now live together, eat together, and pray together on the front lines.
We are not protesters. We are protectors. We are peacefully defending our land and our ways of life. We are standing together in prayer, and fighting for what is right. We are making history here. We invite you to stand with us in defiance of the black snake.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... oil-fields
Oceti Sakowin’s fight with the Black Snake rages on -
By Damon Buckley
Special to the Times
Lakota Country Times brings you a three part series on the fight against the Keystone XL Pipeline This article was shared with us by Damon Buckley of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe.
ROSEBUD, SD – On May 29, 2014 Sicangu Eyapaha had the opportunity to sit down with the Rosebud Sioux Tribe’s most prominent scientist Syed Huq, the director of Water Resources. He has been serving in that capacity for almost 30 years. He is a hydrologist by education and training:
“I have set up a monitoring program on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. We have the Ogallala Aquifer of which starts in Texas and ends here in South Dakota. We derive our drinking, domestic, municipal, industrial water from this aquifer. About 70% of our water comes from it and 30% comes from the Missouri River in the North. We have a Mni Wiconi Rural Water System that provides drinking water to our population. It is funded by the Bureau of Reclamation as part of the federal government. The entire project which comprises the Rosebud Reservation, the Pine Ridge Reservation, Lower Brule Reservation, and West River Lyman Jones Counties. It serves about 17% of South Dakota’s population.”
The Ogallala Aquifer is a shallow body water source where in some places it’s merely 48 inches below the surface. It is amongst some of the purest waters on this planet. It is replenished not by the nearby Missouri River but natural rain water. However, its ability to absorb rain water is a slow process and takes years to raise its table an inch. In the last ten years scientists have noticed a dramatic drop in its water table. They contribute this draining to the spike in farming and ranching in America’s breadbasket. So if the KXL Pipeline is intended to be 36 inches in diameter than there is a mere 12 inches of buffer in some areas between pipeline and aquifer.
Mr. Huq has set up a monitoring system on the Rosebud Sioux Tribe’s reservation. He continues: “In our assessment we see that the Ogallala Aquifer which has been depleted considerably in the South in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico and a little bit in Nebraska. We have done fairly well. However, the potential to contaminate the aquifer is a big concern for Rosebud Sioux Tribe.”
“We have 28 monitor wells. We monitor the fluctuation in those wells at least once a month. We have generated hydrographs for the last 30 years. There are some of those wells where the water tables are falling. It is not falling tremendously but it is falling. We also have a program to monitor the water quality. We take samples and we analyze to see what the impacts that the pesticides and fertilizers from (the local) irrigations systems are having.”
Considering all the effort and time RST has put into monitoring its water resource we can see this is no guessing game from a layman’s point of view. Mr. Huq explains: “In certain areas the water has been contaminated by nitrates and hydrocarbons by leaking underwater tanks in the town of Mission. There is a natural contamination by arsenic in a few places.” By taking this information into account we can see how vulnerable the RST underground water source is too common, every day variables. Even the smallest spill by shale oil, the most toxic of all the oils, could have devastating affects on the water we use.
The KXL Pipeline is of great concern to the experts at RST’s Water Resources. “This Keystone XL Pipeline crosses the Mni Wiconi water line in two places: near Fort Pierre and near Murdo. It crosses the Cheyenne River and the intake of the Mni Wiconi water system is at Fort Pierre. Now Cheyenne River flows up gradient from our intake and Keystone XL crosses the Cheyenne River. If it (KXL) contaminates then it will impact our water intake and jeopardize about 50% of water supplied to the Rosebud Reservation. Because that is what we intend to have from the Mni Wiconi, from the surface water, from the Missouri River for our use on our (Indian) reservation. This is in accordance to the Mni Wiconi Act which is the public law 100-516,” says Mr. Huq.
Below ground it has the potential for significant detriment as well professes our water scientist. He goes on to say, “The Keystone XL Pipeline also traverses the Ogallala Aquifer near Winner, Colombe, Ideal, in South Dakota. We derive our drinking water for four communities for Ideal, Winner, Milk’s Camp, and Gregory from the Ogallala Aquifer near Winner. We derive that water through Tripp County. They have about seven production wells drilled into the Ogallala Aquifer and the Keystone XL will traverse about four miles from these wells. Just think about it. If those wells are contaminated the water systems for the previous mentioned four communities will be completely jeopardized.”
Reversing the effect of a possible oil spill is a more difficult process than most people can imagine. The RST scientist goes on to explain the potential a spill can have. Mr. Huq states: “Once ground water is contaminated it is extremely difficult to clean it up. So we have to have preventative measures in place. Keystone XL Pipeline has the potential to contaminate our water on the surface while crossing the Cheyenne River, crossing our water lines in 2 places, and the potential to contaminate our underground water and the Ogallala Aquifer. So the Rosebud Sioux Tribe faces a double whammy from the Keystone XL Pipeline.”
The threat is real as far as those citizens living in this area. We aren’t talking about a tiny water system that can be easily overlooked. Monetarily much has gone into making it work for 1/6 of the South Dakota population. The director for the RST Water Resources and hydrologist remarks: “The (federal) government has invested over 1/2 billion dollars for the Mni Wiconi water system. The government has developed a reasonable amount of trust with the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, the Oglala Sioux Tribe, and the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe by providing funding for this excellent rural water system. This water system has been constructed by the (RST) Tribe, managed by the Tribe, will be operated and maintained by the Tribe so we have a lot invested with this (system).”
Oceti Sakowin is aware of the potential threat caused by the KXL Pipeline. It has set up spiritual camps along the planned pipeline route that Cheyenne River, Lower Brule, and Rosebud Sioux are contributing to at great expense and maintaining. It is huge cost to the already impoverished peoples. Oceti Sakowin knows how important the upcoming November elections are to saving our environs not only in defending against the KXL Pipeline but other mineral developments proposed within the state of South Dakota. It is through prayer they hope to defend its people and land. However, civil disobedience weighs heavily on the minds of everyone involved with the fight against the Black Snake. Physical clashes will always be the last desperate option of tribes affiliated with Oceti Sakowin.
According to David Borgardous of E & E, Publishing dated July 22, 2014: “TransCanada Pipelines Ltd. (a subsidiary of TransCanada Corporation) has spent $790,000 on lobbying so far this year, according to the disclosure records filed with the U.S. Senate. That’s more than the $450,000 that the company spent for the first half of 2013.” Oceti Sakowin’s fight with the Black Snake rages on
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