For centuries we have seen Native American rights being violated, now our democracy has to stand up for them.

Background on Standing Rock

For several months we have heard in news articles about Standing Rock, and we have even seen the hashtag #NODAPL on social media. But what is actually happening here?

Native American tribes, led by Standing Rock Sioux, have been protesting against the Dakota access pipeline. The pipeline would transport oil from the Bakken oil fields in North Dakota and Montanna to Illinois. The protesters argue that in doing so, the pipeline would desecrate ancestral lands, threaten water supply, and burden the Standing Rock Sioux tribe. Additionally, the tribe would unlikely benefit from it economically.

Moreover, Energy Transfer Partners, the company responsible for the projection of the Dakota access pipeline is concerned about the economic advantages it would bring the company and the state of Dakota, not the Native American tribes. It is a $3.7 Billion project and $7.4 billion barrels of undiscovered oil is estimated to be discovered in the creation of the pipeline.

What the pipeline means to Native Americans

Although the creation of the pipeline would bring million of jobs to Americans, in the back of my mind I keep thinking of the Standing Rock Sioux and their ongoing sentiment of America betraying them. We have pushed them off their lands and in July the US Army Corps of Engineer approved the project and granted permits — even rejecting the claims that the pipeline crosses Standing Rock Sioux reservation.

The pipeline, quoted by a tribe member would, "destroy our burial sites, prayer sites, and culturally significant artifacts". My heart breaks knowing that we have given them this little piece of land and their rights are being violated once again. What to us is a piece of land with the opportunity of economic gain, to the tribe members it is holy land — land their ancestors died at, land with cultural significance to them.

For centuries, Native Americans have tried to reinforce to the public that this little piece of land is their land. There is no money that can be given to them that would remove the sentimental value they have for their land.

Moreover, when first reading and seeing the #NODAPL hashtag on Facebook, my heart broke that Native Americans were once again being removed and told their land meant nothing by American imperialist.

Should we claim victory?

The Obama administration announced Sunday that the pipeline would not cross the reservation. This is a victory for protestors who have been camped out for eight months. The Army Corps has rerouted the DAPL two times previous to Standing Rock because they declared it environmentally unsafe. Although my heart is filled with joy for Standing Rock's victory, the pipeline has to cross water at some point. Furthermore, it will have to put another community's water at risk.

As millennials, this is a victory for us

Standing Rock has demonstrated the power of social media, and resilience. Without the support through social media, the outcome wouldn't have been the same. The hashtags, and national outcry has given us the ability to make a change.