Still standing: Standing Rock resistance remains peaceful and strong
Opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline continues to grow at the Standing Rock reservation as the overflow of the original Sacred Stone resistance camp has additional encampments cropping up near the meeting of the Missouri and Cannonball rivers.
Known as Oceti Sakowin or the Seven Council Fires camp, the most recent protest site sits on land that technically belongs to the US Army Corps of Engineers. While the camp was created without federal permission, Cody Hall, spokesperson for the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of South Dakota, stated firmly that the Standing Rock Sioux “never ceded” this land.
The Army Corps of Engineers is concerned they are simply “encouraging” protestors at the Oceti Sakowin camp to relocate to permitted areas as they say they are worried about the negative impressions they would create by evicting them.
“We don’t have the physical ability to go out and evict people,” said Corp spokeswoman Eileen Williamson. “It gives the appearance of not protecting free speech. Our hands are really tied.”
Following direct action on the pipeline site on September 28, police brandishing shotguns and assault rifles confronted a group of protestors. Some 21 people were arrested on various charges including criminal trespass on private property, possession of stolen property and resisting arrest.
First Nations opposed to the pipeline along with women, children, Elders and environmental activists clashed with police from the Morton County Sheriff’s Department following a prayer gathering held at the proposed construction site. According to various reports and photos circulated online, police arrived on the scene with military vehicles, riot gear and automatic weapons before setting up blockades that prevented people from leaving. As the water protectors, alternative media and activist groups attempted to broadcast the ongoing conflict there were also reports that Facebook was censoring live videos of the protest.
“How many more generations of our people have to be traumatized before this country starts treating First Peoples with dignity and respect?” asked Thomas H. Joseph II in a Facebook post.
Facebook originally deleted Thomas’ live video of the violent confrontation, but since being re-uploaded it has hit over 1.5 million views. The eight-minute video shows officers surrounding the unarmed crowd, loading and pointing weapons in their direction and blocking protestors in as they attempt to leave the site. Several people can be heard telling police that they have no weapons.
“Today’s actions were uncalled for,” said Joseph in his description of the video. “We gathered in prayer un-armed (sic), prayed, sang songs and attempted to leave. No threats, no vandalism, no violence was taken on our part.”
The Morton County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement that, “Law enforcement arrested 21 protesters Wednesday for various crimes related to protests on private property. With today’s arrests, there have been 95 arrests since 8/11/16 for illegal protest activity in Morton County.”
The pressure is mounting on both police and protestors alike as the Standing Rock Sioux and their supporters refuse to budge in the face of natural gas corporation intent on developing on Sioux land. The longer the construction company, Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners, are forced to halt construction, the more likely their investors are to back out of their commitment to finance the pipeline.
Said Sioux spokesperson Cody Hall to Associated Press, “We’re not leaving until we defeat this big black snake.”
Updates from Standing Rock are available at facebook.com/campofthesacredstone, facebook.com/rezpectourwater and standingrock.org. You can also share news, give support and raise awareness on social media by using the hashtag #NODAPL.