Arizona tribes show outpouring of support in pipeline battle

[tadoflamb]

I've been a little surprised how little I've heard about what's going on in North Dakota. Aside from some of my Facebook friends and my friend, Red Fox, there has been little news on what, to me, is a compelling story.

Finally, this morning, there were two very good articles on the protest. What I found most interesting is how the indigenous peoples of Arizona understand what it's like to have their water supplies threatened.

http://tucson.com/news/arizona-trib...cle_3602e69b-05f0-562b-9800-085dcab107ed.html

 

[mmksparbud]

It was on a thread here, and someone derailed it and then it was shut down. I've been wondering what was going on. Thanks.

 

[tadoflamb]

Given that the Navajo are suing the government for a off-reservation mine polluting it's water source and the the San Carlos Apache just stopped a giant mine from being built in their backyard it's easy to see that what is happening in North Dakota isn't an isolated event but a continuation of the exploitation of indigenous peoples which has been going on for 500 years. No wonder they're so upset.

It's good to see some light finally being shed on the subject and solidarity being expressed among the tribes. It's about time.

 

[Shiloh Raven]

I've been a little surprised how little I've heard about what's going on in North Dakota. Aside from some of my Facebook friends and my friend, Red Fox, there has been little news on what, to me, is a compelling story.

Finally, this morning, there were two very good articles on the protest. What I found most interesting is how the indigenous peoples of Arizona understand what it's like to have their water supplies threatened.

http://tucson.com/news/arizona-trib...cle_3602e69b-05f0-562b-9800-085dcab107ed.html

I am not surprised by the lack of attention and concern over this happening to Native Americans in mainstream America, Tad. I am not even surprised by the lack of concern from the majority of Christians either. But I will refrain from any further comment and not derail your thread, because you know exactly how I feel about it.

 

[Shiloh Raven]

It was on a thread here, and someone derailed it and then it was shut down. I've been wondering what was going on. Thanks.

If you would like to know what is going on, just let me know and we can talk privately. I will update you on the current news.

 

[Shiloh Raven]

Given that the Navajo are suing the government for a off-reservation mine polluting it's water source and the the San Carlos Apache just stopped a giant mine from being built in their backyard it's easy to see that what is happening in North Dakota isn't an isolated event but a continuation of the exploitation of indigenous peoples which has been going on for 500 years. No wonder they're so upset.

Yes, it has been an ongoing battle for centuries to protect and defend what scraps of land we have left.

It's good to see some light finally being shed on the subject and solidarity being expressed among the tribes. It's about time.

The current count is 280 tribes united in solidarity with the Sioux Nation of Standing Rock against the Dakota Access pipeline.

 

[Shiloh Raven]

And for your information:

 

[LoAmmi]

Sad to see something like this being forced upon people. I mean, were it being built to carry water to communities that needed it, I'd probably side with helping the people, but this isn't that at all. I imagine it'll just be rammed through regardless, but I can dream that it doesn't.

 

[tadoflamb]

There was a great interview on NPR with the chairman of the Stand Rock Sioux, David Archambault, last Saturday.

ARCHAMBAULT: Let me help you understand where I come from. I know I have a little bit of time on this Earth. So what I have to do is try to make a place better and safer for kids, our future generations that are not even born yet. So what can I do? I need to protect this water. I need to protect our lands from projects like this. Now, I'm not opposed to economic development. I'm not opposed to energy independence. What I'm opposed to is the infringement on our indigenous rights, our indigenous lands and our indigenous people.

This is something that has been going on for over 500 years. We have been used for the best interest of this nation. And this nation has hydropower, and our lands were taken from that. There was gold discovered in Black Hills. Our lands were taken for that. It's just another infringement on our rights, and we have to stand up for it.

 

[mmksparbud]

If you would like to know what is going on, just let me know and we can talk privately. I will update you on the current news.

Just post it on here--tried to PM you but can not. Doesn't matter. This thread was started about this so as long as somebody doesn't derail, just post here.
I am not Indian--I was born in Costa Rica of German, English and Honduranian background. Well, I guess the Honduranian would be some sort of Mayan type Indian!---I came to states when I was 9. I just spend 4 1/2 years in North Dakota (about 40 years ago!) and will always have a soft spot in my heart for it. I went to several Indian gatherings and it was my 2nd exposure to the American Indian. 1st was in grade school of east LA private school, a little Navajo girl I was very fond of.
Having not been born here no matter how long you've been here and even if American citizen, you're still somewhat different from those born here. I think maybe we appreciate this country more because of it. The history of it was something I had to learn in school, and was intrigued by the Indian and their treatment. I was not given the cleaned up version, I was informed of all the warts of it from the start, which I came to understand all schools do not do, esp the public schools.
This latest thing is something I did not hear about much until that last thread was started. Seems like another wart on our nose. That is the history of every government everywhere towards the Indigenous peoples.

 

[Shiloh Raven]

"NPR reached out to the construction pipeline company, Energy Transfer Partners, for this interview. They declined to comment." Cowards.

Thank you for posting this interview, Tad. I appreciate it very much.

 

[Shiloh Raven]

Just post it on here--tried to PM you but can not. Doesn't matter. This thread was started about this so as long as somebody doesn't derail, just post here

Sorry, I have my message setting on only people I follow. I can post some news here. I am sure Tad will not mind.

And thank you for sharing your story with me.

That is the history of every government everywhere towards the Indigenous peoples.

Yes, it is the history of the United States. It is the history of Canada. It is the history of Australia. And it is the history of many other Indigenous people in our world. Such invasions have been likened to a horde of locusts. But at least the nations of Canada and Australia had the honor to acknowledge and apologize for what its country did to the Indigenous people living there before them. Both apologies were unlike President Obama's attempted apology that no one heard, like a tree falling in the forest.

 

[tadoflamb]

"NPR reached out to the construction pipeline company, Energy Transfer Partners, for this interview. They declined to comment."

You noticed that too?

 

[Shiloh Raven]

You noticed that too?

Like I said, cowards. I am sure they would not want to be confronted about why they hired a private security team (one member a convicted sex offender and another charged in a domestic dispute) to violently attack non-violent Native American water protectors (including women and children) with vicious dogs and pepper spray.

 

[Colin]

I've been looking for coverage of this issue in the media here .

I came across this article on the Guardian Newspaper Website......

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/sep/13/dakota-access-pipeline-protests-north-dakota-sioux

 

[mmksparbud]

It is interesting to note that the articles says that the pipeline was meant to go near Bismarck, a predominately white area, but they objected so it was moved to near Indian land. Isn't that typical.

 

[tadoflamb]

I've been looking for coverage of this issue in the media here .

I came across this article on the Guardian Newspaper Website......

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/sep/13/dakota-access-pipeline-protests-north-dakota-sioux

The first significant article I came across in my daily paper was in the business section. They only looked at it as a money issue.

Reminds me of our upcoming Gospel.

 

[tadoflamb]

It is interesting to note that the articles says that the pipeline was meant to go near Bismarck, a predominately white area, but they objected so it was moved to near Indian land. Isn't that typical.

I guess they were hoping that nobody would notice. There seems to be a trend to think that the Standing Rock Sioux should take one for the Gipper, but I think the protest isn't just about this project but what indigenous peoples have already sacrificed and how they have been marginalized by our society.

 

[Shiloh Raven]

It is interesting to note that the articles says that the pipeline was meant to go near Bismarck, a predominately white area, but they objected so it was moved to near Indian land. Isn't that typical.

I guess they were hoping that nobody would notice. There seems to be a trend to think that the Standing Rock Sioux should take one for the Gipper, but I think the protest isn't just about this project but what indigenous peoples have already sacrificed and how they have been marginalized by our society.

What? We are just American Indians after all. Take what scraps of tribal lands we have left, keep violating the treaties, go visit the desecrated mountain in the Black Hills with the heads of four racist United States presidents who either had our ancestors slaughtered or forcibly removed from their homes, let the greedy conservative politicians try to sell Oak Flats Apache land to a foreign mining company, keep poisoning the water of the Navajo Nation with uranium and coal mining, let the US government sell off more land in the Black Hills, let the big oil corporations keep fracking and running those black snake oil pipelines through our lands. Who cares? We are just Indians. Out of sight, out of mind. Invisible. Am I angry? You can bet your life I am angry. And before any of the usual suspects have a chance to even speak and mock me. Yes, I know, "Get over it!" "Stop living in the past!" "Stop playing the victim!" "Stop playing the race card!" "There is no such thing as race!" "All Lives Matter!" I think I have heard it all, ad nauseam.

 

[LoAmmi]

What? We are just American Indians after all. Take what scraps of tribal lands we have left, keep violating the treaties, go visit the desecrated mountain in the Black Hills with the heads of four racist United States presidents who either had our ancestors slaughtered or forcibly removed from their homes, let the greedy conservative politicians try to sell Oak Flats Apache land to a foreign mining company, keep poisoning the water of the Navajo Nation with uranium and coal mining, let the US government sell off more land in the Black Hills, let the big oil corporations keep fracking and running those black snake oil pipelines through our lands. Who cares? We are just Indians. Out of sight, out of mind. Invisible. Am I angry? You can bet your life I am angry. And before any of the usual suspects have a chance to even speak and mock me. Yes, I know, "Get over it!" "Stop living in the past!" "Stop playing the victim!" "Stop playing the race card!" "There is no such thing as race!" "All Lives Matter!" I think I have heard it all, ad nauseam.

It is my opinion that getting over it is a two way street. If the country had turned it around, worked very hard with not only relations but rebuilding and aiding the Native Americans, the argument could be made that holding onto a grudge against people who had worked hard to fix the mistakes of the past is unhealthy. I've yet to see that kind of aid offered.