Social Arguments For The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe

The United States is currently attempting to build a pipeline underneath Lake Oahe that will damage Native American burial sites and will contaminate primary source of drinking water for the Sioux Tribe. First there will be a brief description of what happening with the protest at Standing Rock. Following these facts about this atrocity this paper will begin with a historical summary of the Sioux Tribe, the main set of protesters who are fighting to keep the pipeline from being constructed. Following this the paper will discus the culture and sacred sites that the pipeline would be affecting for the Sioux Tribe. Therefore no tribe should have to go through these abuse violation of their lands and such should be a better policy to protect

Justin Worland reports in TIME, since 2010, 3,300 incidents of leaks and ruptures have been reported on oil pipelines and even the smallest spill could damage the tribes water supply. This can be very controversial, but with over 10,000 Native Americans living on the Standing Rock Reservation, many lives may be affected. In fact, the pipeline would travel directly under the Missouri River which is the tribes primary drinking water source. Also, Native Americans received specific rights they have obtained since 1898. The Lakota tribe signed the Fort Laramie Treaty in 1898 that protects hunting, fishing and water rights in the surrounding area(Ward). As a result of signing this treaty, officials cannot threaten their water by installing a pipeline. Furthermore, the 1972 Clean Water Act declares it is unlawful to discharge any pollutant from an identifiable source into bodies of water without a permit(Brodwin). The problem found within the pipeline is that is causes potential harm to drinking water. Therefore, the significance of Native Americans relying on this drinking water overpowers the installation of the Dakota Access

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 Standing Rock Sioux Tribe currently fights to save its only water source from natural gas and oil contamination. This troubling current event has a somewhat forgotten historical analogue where very similar themes presented themselves. The Kinzua Dam Controversy, which took place in the 1950’s and early 1960’s, resulted in the displacement of over 600 Seneca Indian families and the acquisition of a large tract of traditional Seneca Land for dam building. Additionally, the acquisition of Seneca land represented a breach of “The Treaty with the Six Nations of 1794,” which explicated prevented such action by the US Government. The dam and its construction, which primarily benefitted Pittsburg, inspired a heated discourse concerning the ethics of native relocation.

Protect the native’s land and the planet! The Dakota Pipeline project is not going to be as beneficial as it’s made out to be. “It’s a 3.7 billion dollar project that would cross four states. The results could be an economic boon that makes the country more self-sufficient or an environmental disaster that destroys sacred Native American sites” (Yan). Construction of the Dakota pipeline does not only violate the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851, but implementing this pipeline will release more pollution, risk contamination of the water supply, and provide temporary jobs.

If it is built it could create climate change which affects the environment very harshly. Also, there could be a possible risk of a leak in the pipeline making it even more detrimental on the environment. If it is built then it could help the economy and help prices go decrease on products. But on the other hand, the path of the pipeline is making Native Americans give up their sacred land and possibly their water supply if a leaks happens. The pipeline has many different perspectives toward it and how it should be handled; because of this, the pipeline that Obama’s administration has paused the construction of the pipeline. But, Trump is determined to keep it going once he is in office, which is coming to the attention to more protesters. Many of the protesters of the pipeline come from many different backgrounds, social location and religion, but they all think the pipeline will be hazardous. This current event is very controversial, in which there is no side that is right or

To explain, local water sources will be majorly affected due to the Dakota Access Pipeline. “The Standing Rock Sioux and supporters say the $3.8 billion oil pipeline disrupts sacred burial grounds and threatens the tribes main source of drinking water.” (Source 2) The DAPL will harm multiple Native American water sources, which is why it should be built on another route to protect the Native Americans. Putting $3.8 billion into a project that may later on, need more money to support the funding of the Native Americans water supply is ridiculous. The most reasonable option is to reroute the pipeline and save the water source of the native tribes. “The tribes say the pipeline would threaten their cultural sites and water supply.” (Source 3) Many

To Native Americans, the land is sacred and should be treated with respect. They’re a part of nature and nature is a part of them; they are all one. Land does not belong to one, it belongs to all. The Dakota Access pipeline would damage the Native Americans water, and it would hurt the ancestral cultural sites along with spiritual factors. This is shown in “Song of the Sky Loom” and “The Man to Send Rain Clouds” along with the present day focus of the pipeline.

The Indians tend to think that the pipe line is far too risky, given the catastrophic effects that an oil spill would have on their way of life. Many influential political figures have lent their voices against the construction of the pipe line. The debate still rages even as the pipeline nears completion, as the ethics of the pipe line is called in to question by many. Many people remember the devastation that the Oil spill did to the ocean, and they would hate for history to repeat itself. Ultimately it comes down to does the needs of the people equal the possible destruction of the environment and the way of life

The Standing Rock Sioux tribe believes in the importance of tradition, and protecting their history; The Developers of the DAPL believe in progress, expediency, and the law. These are two way of thinking that are not going to be compatible when it comes to the cooperation and development of the DPAL. Even though much cooperation from other tribes has been conducted and alteration of development has been facilitated so to reach a compromise with the effected tribes. The ultimate want for these tribes is that the pipeline simply does not exist, this unfortunately is not a possibility considering much development, time, and resources have been put into the project. Only so much compromise can be made but there must come a point when no more mitigation

For the past several months, Native Americans have been peacefully protesting an oil pipeline being placed on their tribal ground, along the banks of Missouri. This was explained by Bill McKibben in the article he wrote, “Why Dakota Is the New Keystone.”

The Treaty of Fort Laramie of April 29, 1868 described the boundaries of the reservation which is the east bank of the Missouri river to the Nebraska line. The Native Americans that are apart of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe have been protesting the pipeline being built for nearly two years. The uproar from the protesters started in July when the engineers asked for a permit to build the pipeline to cross under the missouri river at Lake Oahe. The native americans have began protesting for a number of reasons. The first is that the tribe get their water from the Missouri River and any oil spills could put their drinking water at risk. The start of the construction has begun digging up the Sioux sacred burial sites. I feel the pipeline should not cross under because it would be going against the Treaty of Fort Laramie and because that is the native americans sacred

Native Americans are being disrespected, harmed, and their homeland is being taken from them. Am I talking about events taken place centuries ago? No, because these unfortunate circumstances yet again are occurring right here, now, in the present. This horrid affair has a name: The Dakota Access Pipeline. This Pipeline is an oil transporting pipeline, which is funded by the U.S Army Corps of Engineers, who have devised a plan for the pipeline to run through the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and Illinois. However, unfortunately, this pipeline will run straight through the reservation of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. The Standing Rock Sioux tribe, expressing their distress for the pipeline have said, that the pipeline will be “Destroying our burial sites, prayer sites, and culturally significant artifacts,” Arguments for the pipeline however have tried to counter this claim, trying to emphasize that “The pipeline wouldn 't just be an economic boon, it would also significantly decrease U.S. reliance on foreign oil”, and that the pipeline is estimated to produce “374.3 million gallons of gasoline per day.”, which could help the sinking oil economy. (Yan, 2016) However, despite the economical growth it could achieve, the Dakota Access Pipeline could have damaging environmental effects on the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and the areas surrounding.

For every spill of oil or gas, it damages that ecosystem sometimes beyond repair or it takes it many many years to recover from it. That being said the North Dakota Pipeline is going to be one of the safest most technologically advanced pipelines in the world. Another controversy is that the Native Americans are claiming that the pipeline runs through some of their sacred lands and can possibly contaminate their water supply. The North Dakota Pipeline can be a very successful oil transporter but there also seems to be some drawbacks like it possibly running through sacred land, contaminating water, and the possibility of leaking or exploding and causing a major disaster for the people and animals that live