Mni Wichoni - "Water is Life"

In Cannon Ball, North Dakota, the US Army Corps of Engineers denied to grant easement on the Dakota Access oil pipeline. This decision favored a victory to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and all of there supporters. The pipeline protesters argued that the oil pipeline would threaten the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation's water source and cultural sites, such as property, ceremony sites, and sacred burial grounds. Some 250 veterans arrived to support the protesters and block the route. The $3.8 billion four-state project is almost complete except for the blocked segment under Lake Oahe. Gov. Jack Dalrymple of North Dakota criticizes the decision, calling it a "serious mistake" that "prolongs hundreds of protesters" on the federal land. On the other hand, Assistant Secretary for Civil Works Jo-Ellen Darcy states decisions were based on the need to "explore alternate routes" for pipeline crossings. After the news had spread of the decision on Sunday, hundreds of people began cheering "mni wichoni" which means "water is life" in Lakota Sioux in celebration.

Link to story: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/12/04/feds-block-route-dakota-access-pipeline.html

Questions:

1. Do you support the decision to not permit construction of the oil pipeline? Why or why not?

2. What do you think is more important in this situation? Building a pipeline to gather oil and energy needed to provide to our economy and national security, or respecting the environment of the federal land and the concerns of the Native American Community?

My Opinion:

I support the decision made to help the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and not build the pipeline. I know that there has been lots of cases in which the federal government has broken numerous treaties throughout US history. That is what little land that was given to them in the first place and I think that the least we could do is let them be and respect there concerns. As an active camper and outdoors man, I support the preservation of our natural environment and conservation. I do realize that our country is in a tight spot in our economical situation and I think it's okay to build pipelines, but I think it's better to take in account where you do these projects and remain conservation minded when building. 

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Replies

  • I support it, it is their ground, they were there first.  I think that we cannot force them to build a pipeline on their ground.

  • yes, all of the way. That is the siouxland, there were there first and that is their sacred ground. We cannot force them to have a pipeline put on top of their sacred land. I believe that respecting the environment is more important. If we don't protect our land we could lose it.

  • Yes because this is the Sioux's land and we cannot just come in and change everything, we need to stand by our word. Respecting the environment is more important to me because we have already taken so much of their land, we cannot just come in and take the one little bit that they have left. 

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