DAPL or the Dakota Access Pipeline has been a monumental issue in current events and media coverage is little to limited. Most people have found out about it through activist and well-known actress Shailene Woodley, who was arrested on October 10th for peacefully protesting DAPL, and live streamed her arrest on Facebook. Other celebrities have also gone down to North Dakota to show their respects and peacefully protest, but it’s sad that the media hasn’t gotten any coverage on this issue, and remains silent. Only now are we getting some type of media coverage, but the news and media has remained silent.
The point of the pipeline is to transport up to 570,000 barrels of oil daily from North Dakota to Illinois. For reference, the pipeline was going to be placed in Bismarck, North Dakota but was averted by the residents because of their concern of having clean drinking water. Now, Bismarck's population is predominantly white, so the fact that their needs were heard without hesitation and accommodated almost immediately boggles my mind, but I digress.
So you may ask yourself, why is this an issue? A vast amount of Natives in North Dakota have resided in this reservation for many years, and the Missouri River is the only source of water that they have in their surroundings. Imagine yourself living in a place that is sacred to you, a place where you feel safe and have the liberty to do as you please, but the government just decides to run a huge pipeline through a place that provides you with the riches of nature and you have no say in it; that’s what DAPL is essentially doing. The Pipeline is supposed to be run under the Missouri River, which is their main source of water and if DAPL is moved forward, there will eventually be a leak. Even the highest quality pipeline will eventually burst, creating pollution for the Natives that use this river as their main, if not only, source of water. Along with that, this pipeline work is supposed to be constructed in sacred burial grounds. HOW does it make sense for the government to not be okay with building a pipeline under a graveyard, but be fully okay with invading SACRED land of Natives? Natives have become angered with this controversial happening and have taken this situation into their own hands. They are asking for allies to stand with them in solidarity and battle the demons of government greed. Natives have felt the burn and still remain as peaceful people, tolerating no violence on their part and living up to the standard of a truly peaceful protest. Many protesters have claimed that there have been aggressive and semi-violent approaches from the police force using K9 dogs as a form of intimidation.
There are so many ways for us to become allies with those at Standing Rock, even without directly going to North Dakota. We can write to congressmen about the Standing Rock issue or make donations to the Standing Rock Tribe. Along with that, we can spread the word and get informed about this pressing issue in current events.
I stand in solidarity with those suffering this terror. We must stand with them and remind one another, UNITED we stand, divided we fall. #NoDapl #saveourwaters
