BY DAVID TILSEN
The Native people of the Western Hemisphere have come together to support the Standing Rock Lakota in their decision to not allow the Dakota Access Pipeline to be built. They have clearly decided this pipeline threatens their existence. They will not be invisible any more. Native nations from Canada, Central America and South America have sent supporters. There has been remarkably little public Native criticism of the effort. To say this is unusual in the Native community is to understate.
The Native people have invited, and welcomed, non-Natives to join them. Many have. Most for short-term stays, which seems fine.
In the vernacular of Western culture, the Native people have declared war upon the oil industry. They have invited us to join them, but they are the vanguard, the tip of the spear, the leadership. What are people going to do?
We have been invited to join in whatever nonviolent way we want to. The best thing we could do would be to get our government to join on their side or to be less on the oil company’s side.
Join the Revolution—Be a Water Protector
If you want to go to Standing Rock and stand with our Native brothers and sisters, take Freeway 94 to Bismarck/Mandan, N.D., to Exit 155. Take ND Highway 6 south. It will turn into ND 24. Turn left on 92nd Street and continue to Fort Yates and 1 Standing Rock Avenue. This is headquarters for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. It’s about 500 miles. Bring warm clothes. Please be respectful. This is their land. This is not Burning Man Festival.
Three things you can do while staying at home
1. Sign the petition to President Obama. Go to http://standwithstandingrock.net/take-action/
To: Barack Obama, President, United States of America
From: Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and Other 98—“You’ve said that you value Native sovereignty and now you’ve proven that you can halt the Dakota Access Pipeline. Please respect Indigenous lives, their sacred waters and our precious climate and permanently reject this pipeline.”
2. Call the White House: Go to:
http://standwithstandingrock.net/call-president-obama-tell-permanently-stop-dakota-access-pipeline/
Fill out the form and you will be automatically connected to the White House telephone lines.
3. Donate to the official Standing Rock Sioux Tribe DAPL Donation Fund through PayPal or by mail.
Donations can be mailed to: Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Attention: Donations, PO Box D, Building #1, North Standing Rock Avenue, Fort Yates, ND 58538
Make checks payable to Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Donations.
Donations will be used for legal, sanitary and emergency purposes!
