The Mistreatment Of Native Americans

This leaves the tribes fighting against the pipeline helpless when it comes to actions that they can take against these corporations in court. This is due to a recent order from President Trump to the department of the army to do whatever it took to build the pipeline. Before this order in the Obama administration work on the pipeline had been stopped due to it going through a stretch of government-owned land. It has now resumed due to army engineers giving the go ahead for the pipeline to be continued to be built through the government-owned land once again leaving the tribes helpless. The lack of wealth from these tribes also gives them less power than that of the wealthy corporations they fight against. This prevents the tribes from hiring good legal representation in the courts. Also in the eyes of businessman and lawmakers is that the risk to the environment is worth it for the economic benefits of the pipeline. Taking in any considerations for the health for those that could that be affected by pipeline as acceptable collateral damage, devaluing their worth as humans. Sicangu Lakota reinforced this by stating that is pipeline would directly contaminate their sources of drinking water. This contamination would be equal to or even worse than the contamination that Flint,

Power can be viewed as the ability to influence and/or control others. Another flaw about reservations is the fact that they are not totally governed by Native American representatives. The U.S. government actually has tight control over the majority, if not all, reservations (Perry, 2002, p 233). This tight control has left the Native American population powerless in terms of self- regulation. Despite the fact that Native American government do exist,

Nearly every Native American Indian tribe has experienced some kind of neglect or discrimination. The white man has forcefully moved tribes from their homes, broken

For many Native Americans like Chief Laduke say, “This is a place the creator gave us. This is the only place in the word that is ours.” Native Americans are the true lovers of nature and have an indefinite love for their land. Native Americans have announced that the Dakota Access Pipeline disrespects their culture and their lost loved ones. “The tribe has even sued Army Corps of Engineers for permitting a project that violated the National Historic Preservation Act(NHPA) and the National Environmental Preservation Act(NEPA)” says TIME. This event proves that the pipeline is unjustified and is legally against Native American rights when destroying sacred land. The “National Geographic Channel” also states, “Many tribes members are concerned about burial grounds being disturbed during construction because bulldozers have already removed topsoil on ground that members consider sacred.” The importance of sacred land to Native Americans is significant. Moreso, there is already damage being done before the actual construction. Therefore, it cannot be determined the damage that will be done during the installment of the pipeline. “Those echoes from the land have a power that draws people, allowing them to connect with their roots.” (CNN.com) The importance of land goes in hand with the importance to tradition. Areas that were once having tribal ceremonies in 1713 such as the sundance are currently still used

The North Dakota Pipeline will be placed under Lake Oahe and if the pipeline spills it could harm Standing Rocks water supply.

As professor Ferguson related “Six months ago the Dakota Access Pipeline was provided a permit for the construction to begin. For six months or so there has been development of this pipeline. Now, enter the Standing Rock Sioux, which are one of the Sioux nations, a sovereign indigenous tribe who has historically experienced loss of land and tree rights and been prevalent in this area. Many of them have been pushed into these certain areas called reservations were the last remnants of land were provided, this history is important. The broken promise of the government and other parties that promised that things would be okay has been long standing.” For the standing Rock Sioux they see the pipeline going through the Missouri River as creating problems with water access for the tribe, change in the water environment and a threat to their access to water quality. Secondly, the pipeline itself is also going to upset and encroach upon Native American burial sights and artifact sights that have existed for years untouched until there was a change in the interest regarding oil. This pipeline has threatened these rights for the Standing Rock Sioux. As a Sovereign Nation, they see this change fueled by national and corporate interest as a direct threat to their nationhood because access to water is key to survival. Professor Ferguson also emphasized that “There is also a larger story, and it comes from the call for all for the great Sioux Nation and all indigenous people to come and gather in protest against the pipeline. These protest then have larger meaning because they address the threat to indigenous people around the world and not just in the united states” because often times the narrative of losses for indigenous people around the world are a very similar

The North Dakota Access Pipeline will span from the Bakken, North Dakota to southern Illinois. The Standing Rock Sioux reservation opposes the pipeline because they believe that it goes through sacred land. The Sioux tribe also opposes the pipeline because it will cross the Missouri River twice, which is the reservations main water source. They believe that the pipeline may contaminate the Missouri River, but the pipeline company claims that the pipeline is the safest method to transfer the oil. I believe that this is a tough topic to form an opinion on, but I will hopefully explain my stance on this issue throughout this essay.

The area known as the Standing Rock Indian Reservation located in North Dakota and along the Missouri River, has been targeted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and other governmental entities, to construct a 1,172-mile-long pipe, right through the area’s clean water and ancient burial grounds. The United States Government is in favor of the project for its economic benefit, while the Indian American tribes of Standing Rock are against the project due to the harmful implications that this pipe brings to their wellbeing and their heritage. With the news that this pipe was originally headed towards Bismarck North Dakota, (90% white population) and then re-routed towards Native lands, the question can be brought up: why was the pipe rerouted?

The native americans and other DAPL (Dakota Access Pipeline) opposers are filled with determination, distress, passion, and such resentment towards the pipeline project because it would run under and through ground that their ancestors knew as sacred and those beliefs are still very alive to this day. The pipeline is a 1,172 mile underground oil pipeline that will aid transporting oil through all 50 states in the USA; it was projected to go through sacred lands, reservations, and rivers. There are multifarious issues and concerns pertaining to project but some of the preeminent concerns are; historic preservation and sacred grounds becoming significantly damaged and irreparable, climate change and how it would just increase the production of CO2, and potential pipeline fractures and spills that would mutilate the crucial nearby farms and threaten contaminate for the water supply of thousands of people who depend on it.

First, one reason why the pipeline shouldn’t be built because it would contaminate the water that the natives drink. By building it, the pipeline would roughly cross the missouri river 70 miles. Also, the pipeline will hold approximately 470,000 barrels per day so there is a 50/50

of this pipeline that is threating the Natives and their sacred land, we should worry about the amount of power Big Oil and Big Banks have. Although everything that is being done by Energy Transfer Partners, in

Depending on their upbringings and potential distortion to one’s thought process, could lead to disregard of ongoing events. One major benefit of the Dakota Access Pipeline is the creation of more than 12,000 jobs (Dakota Access Pipeline 12). This increase in jobs would only be sustained while the pipeline is being constructed. Another benefit is the reduction of U.S. dependence on foreign oil and allowing the U.S. economy to grow, but a break in the pipeline could lead to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe potentially losing their only water source. One major socio-cultural issue involved is the way Native Americans perceive the Earth and its resources, compared to how Non-Natives perceive the Earth. Native Americans perceive the Earth as the provider of all life, along with it being very sacred to them. Resulting in the utmost respect for the Earth, and the responsibility for its well-being. One with opposing viewpoints should consider the rather negative and the heart wrenching history of the Native American people. Then and only then one can begin to understand the pride and heart of the Native American people. The constant battle with modern day Genocide and Colonization is one of the main driving forces behind the protest of the Dakota Access

In the article, “A high-plains showdown over the Dakota Access Pipeline”, Justin Worland addresses the current situation the North Dakota Access Pipeline has brought upon America and its Native American tribes. In particular, the Standing Rock Sioux tribe has a conflict between the Energy Transfer Partners company. Energy Transfer Partners wants to build an oil pipeline near the Standing Rock Reservation. The Sioux tribe is against the project because the oil pipeline will destroy their historical ground and their water source of Lake Oahe.

One of the darkest subject matters in United States history is the government's policy toward Native Americans. When European settlers first landed in North America they depended on Native Americans to give them food, trade for skins, and teach them how to gather food. Without the help of friendly Native Americans the possibility of any colony surviving, much less thriving, would be virtually impossible. However, once the colonies were self-dependent the colonists felt like they had a God given right to the land that the very people who helped them survive lived upon. Since that time Native Americans have been pushed off

Pipeliners continue to trespass onto sacred lands and violate landowners’ rights. Many of these lands belong amongst the tribe which means approval of the pipeline would be the