by Arjun Walia, Collective Evolution
On September 3, the Dakota Access pipeline (DAPL) company attacked Native Americans with dogs and pepper spray as they protested against the $3.8 billion pipeline’s construction.
If completed, the pipeline would carry about 500,000 barrels of crude per day from North Dakota’s Bakken oilfield to Illinois.
The project has faced months of resistance from the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and members of nearly 100 more tribes from across the U.S. and Canada, as well as activists and alternative media outlets arounds the world.
These are big time human/earth rights violations.
The DAPL has huge potential to leak into the Missouri River. How does this make any sense? If it does, it would pretty much destroy the lives of an entire nation that depend on it for their livelihood.
Below is a video with Amy Goodman of Democracy Now who was at the scene.
Urgent Appeal For International Observers
From the Dakota Access Pipeline Resistance: (contact information in the link)
We, the Indigenous defenders of the land and water within the traditional treaty lands of the Oceti Sakowin, makean urgent appeal to the international community to assist us in facing a human rights crisis. Dakota Access is trying to put a crude oil pipeline under the Missouri River. This is a dire threat to the drinking water and future generations of the Oceti Sakowin who have lived here for generations.
For the past few days there has been unidentified air-craft circling the camp and we’ve been surrounded by federal and state police. We believe the elders, women and children present at this peaceful assembly could be under threat and in danger of imminent harm and possible violence from state and federal police (including Homeland Security) as well as private security. The Governor of North Dakota has issued a state of emergency and closed roads and restricted freedom of movement. We are unarmed. We do not have cell phone service or wifi. We are unable to communicate and document for the world community this peaceful assembly.
We are committed to peaceful defense of our water and our territory.
We urgently seek national and international human rights observers to come. We need United Nations’ rapporteurs, NGOs (especially Indigneous NGOs), and Churches, to be aware of the rapidly escalating dangers facing this peaceful gathering. Please come and bear witness.
Joseph White Eyes 605-230-0812
jwhiteeyes62@gmail.com
Michelle Cook 914-334-0888
cookmichelle7@gmail.com
Carolyn Raffensperger 515-450-2320
raffenspergerc@cs.com
