Dakota Access Pipeline is a construction project owned by Energy Transfer Company out of Dallas, which is a subsidiary of Enbridge. This Pipeline has been intended to connect Fracked Oil from the Bakken oil field in Canada & North Dakota to refinery in Chicago. This proposed pipeline, which is currently under construction, crosses the Missouri River, the Mississippi River and is said to cross over 200 other waterways in it’s current path. Permits for the pipeline have been issued by the American Army Corp and at this time the permits are being revisited to ensure that environmental risks were fully considered. Considering that leadership of the DAPL has previously been key persons at the Army Corp, it is questionable whether or not there may be bias in the environmental risk surveys leading to permits. The Army Corp is currently being sued for insufficient survey leading to initial permits for the DAPL. The White House/ Executive Branch of the national government has the right to pull these permits and permanently stop construction on this pipeline at any time.
What are the Environmental Risks Associated with the DAPL?
There are two primary environmental concerns. These are major concerns that impact millions of human lives and the ability to survive for countless plants and animals.
FRACKING: Fracking is the process of extracting oil by injecting large amounts of water and chemicals into oil wells in order to move oil toward extractability. The wastewater of this process reliably decimates local ecosystems as water carrying crude oil and chemicals lethally contaminate soil and waterways, and becomes toxic for all living beings. The existence of the DAPL will support and encourage copious amounts of fracking for decades to come while the same regious could be producing significant amounts of more environmentally neutral energy through wind power.
PIPELINE CROSSING WATERWAYS: The DAPL is proposed to cross upwards of 200 waterways. The Missouri River alone (the point of the Standing Rock Prayer & Political Action camps) is responsible for providing drinking water to over 18 million people, and millions more animals and plants/ ecosystems. History tells us that nothing manmade lasts forever as there are always imperfections in man made mechanisms. A leak or full rupture of a pipeline is not a matter of if, but unfortunately, when. Thousands of oil leaks occur worldwide each year! Some are small and some are large, but they all have environmental impact, devastate drinking water and impact all wild life. Amongst other health concerns crude oil in drinking water can expose people to neurotoxins known to cause birth defects and other irreversible damage.
Oil spills in the past have destroyed entire ecosystems surrounding rivers and have resulted in entire kills of fish populations leaving the bodies of dead fish and birds piled upon river banks, with that same water used by farms, cities and towns for drinking water. Again, the Missouri River is just one example. Pipeline construction is currently occurring under the Mississippi right now! Can you imagine the devastation of an oil spill at the bottom of the Mississippi River?
This is not only an environmental issue, but a Human-Rights and a national security issue; all for the further development of an energy source becoming more obsolete each year with the development of renewable energy technologies and infrastructure.
How did the resistance to this pipeline begin?
In April 2016 a small group of people led by LaDonna Allard began camping at the intersection of the Cannon Ball and Missouri River near the proposed DAPL crossing of the Missouri River. This gathering became named Sacred Stone Camp and was founded to pray and create awareness around the proposed river crossing.
On Aug 8th, 2016 a 48 hour notice for construction was announced. The Sacred Stone Camp alerted needed supports to come and protect the river. On Aug 9th a small group of young men set up small blockades in front of the construction activity. On Aug 10th at dawn 35 activists showed up taking a stand against the gates. These 35 activists were confronted by approx 35 police units. These activists risked arrest and stayed their ground in peaceful prayer for the purity of the water, all people and creatures downstream and the future generations of all life on earth. This prayer protest resulted in 4 arrests.
Each consecutive day thereafter, for about fifteen days, the numbers of peaceful protestors multiplied until 2,000 people showed up in direct action to prevent construction. These activists stood daily in prayer and unity while many sacrificed themselves to arrest and felony charges. Since the of the largest 2,000 person direct action there has been no construction on the East side of Hwy 1806 leading toward the Missouri River.
What’s is the purpose of the Camp at Standing Rock?
The purpose of these camps is to create a logistical hub allowing people from all over the world to gather, pray, create awareness, participate in direction action against construction efforts and support the coming together of leader of First Nation peoples in order to collaborate around the resistance of the DAPL and the protection of the rights of the environment, indigenous peoples and the well-being of all people for generations to come.
What is the significance of the many different nations coming together in this camp and rallying behind this cause?
For the first time in 140 years, the Seven Bands (Seven Council Fires) of the Great Sioux Nation are gathered in unity. Additional nations began streaming into the camps as well. Over 300 indigenous nations have come together for a common cause to protect the land and the water. This is the first time in history a gathering of tribes like this has occurred resulting in an awakening of indigenous people and indigenous leadership. Cohesion of indigenous people is forming right now at Standing Rock. They are taking a firmer stand, in unity, than ever before. Their discontentment and activation that ‘enough is enough’ regarding the desecration of land, water, people is galvanizing.
The unity and cohesion of hundreds of First Nation groups is unprecedented and time will tell the impact this issue will have on all future injustices against any one Tribe that previously was isolated in their attempts to create awareness and thwart the Treaty-breaking environmentally dangerous government supported corporate initiatives.
Why does this issue matter to the "average person"?
There is a word in Lakota - Mitakuye Oyasin - which is translated to: All of My Relations. This is an incantation to remind us that all living things on Earth are interconnected in a field of Life that sustains all beings.
Every living thing needs water to survive. Our bodies are made of water. Water is life. Without pure water, there is no life. When we talk about protecting this Missouri River, we are talking about the values of protecting all life on this planet. We are protecting the plants and animals that have no voice. We are standing up to protect this source of life - Water. Our species and our planet are striving to survive this onslaught of greed and power that is set to extract from this planet without concerns of the impact to future generations. We must do something about this.
It is every parents wish that our children have a better life than we do. Protecting our water is integral to fulfilling this parental instinct or else they will have a worse life as the ecosystems that support them will be jeopardized. There is no more water or land being made, just people being made- we must protect and steward what we have in order to create an opportunity for future generations.
If someone is moved to get involved, what is most needed for the sake of the cause?
EDUCATION: We must educate ourselves about what it is that we want for our future generations. Education that we are not the only living things and the things that we do, have a direct affect on our lives and every living thing that we are connected to.
ACTIVISM: We need the other 18 M Americans who drink water from the Missouri river and the rest of the country to stand up and say “this is not acceptable” and that we must protect our water sources as our prime obligation.
We must be calling into our city councils, congress and white house and let them know that permanently jeopardizing the waterways of America is not accessible and that our natural resources must be protected.
CONTRIBUTE: The camp is now preparing for winter. We don’t know how long this issues is going to take place, but we are not going to leave. Camp organizers are putting out a call for shelter, provisions and financial resources in order to build a self sufficient community with wind and solar in order to sustain the resistance through the winter and beyond.
CAMP: If you can come, come. Our strength is our numbers and prayer is our power. If some one is compelled to come join, camp, bring resources, prayer with us and participate in non-violent, prayerful direct action they should follow the call and come.
PRAYER: The energetic field of unity created through prayer should not be underestimated. Prayers not only help create energetic cohesion of the cause, but plants the cause deeper into the hearts of those who pray. Organize prayer with any and all groups offline and online to further awareness and connectivity to this globally significant cause and pivitol moment in time. .
Intended Outcomes
What does success look like? Every day that this pipeline project is stopped by prayerful action is a success. As awareness and political pressure are growing daily the cause is winning. Every new citizen of this planet who cares a bit more than they did before about the wellbeing of our Mother Earth is a victory.
Beyond individual awareness and engagement this cause is looking for a permanent removal of permits to further a pipeline in the region. This will not only protect these 200+ waterways and all those affected downstream, but it will show the people of the world that taking a stand matters and that the voice of a unified collective is more powerful than political and corporate greed.
Stand with Standing Rock - Be a Part of History- Here’s How:
First → Share StandingWithStandinRock.com so more people in your network can get connented to this cause ongoing.
Next → Make a financial contribution to the Camp and Political Action Coordinators right now here --> DONATE NOW
And then → Prayerfully determine how you would like to further your engagement and look for additional emails with invitations to participate further.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and for your support,
Mekasi Horinek | Appointment Camp & Political Action Coordinator at Standing Rock