In recent news, there has been a lot of light shone on the situation going on in North Dakota. To many people, this is upsetting, shocking, and most importantly, new. But in reality, this fight has been going on for years. Back in 2010, a pipeline that would lead from Alberta, Canada all the way to Nebraska was placed underground. This was an opportunity to import oil from Canada, our biggest oil exporter, into America at a faster rate. The biggest problem with this plan was the layout of the pipes went under the ground of many American Native reservations. The pipes would disrupt the water source on the reservations, and taint the water: a water source that is already poor and tainted to the point that it is unsafe in the first place.
Back in 2010, there were many protests against the proposed pipeline. In current news, the protests are labeled with the tribe's name that is protesting, which is Standing Rock tribe. But back in 2010, it was labeled under Keystone-XL pipeline protests. Sound a little more familiar now?
I remember the attention the media gave to the pipelines and the outrage against it. But the news soon stopped the reports after a couple of months and people stopped caring and talking about it as if everything was settled and figured out. But now, here we are six years later and light has come to the same situation.
In my opinion, the main thing that has the media focusing on the protests once again are the people who are standing with the protests — Shailene Woodley being one of them, who was actually at the protest. There, she was arrested for trespassing on sovereign land. After the reports of her being arrested, social media flooded with articles on her arrest. People started to talk about how devastating the situation is at Standing Rock Reservation...
...which is wonderful, people using social media in a positive light that is bringing people together instead of using it for nonsense. But as much as I love it, I still think that this situation will be handled the way it was treated by the media back in 2010. The protests have been going on since April, with people of the Sioux reservation camped out to try and stop the pipelines, and it isn't until now that people are talking and supporting its efforts.
I was talking to my father the other day about the native history, and historically, natives haven't been treated as people — the pipeline being proof, showing that we do not deserve clean drinking water. But there have been disparities such as this all throughout our history, but the media pays no attention to it. The Sioux especially, feeling like they have to fight for their land again like they did back in the 1800s for wounded knee. And also like wounded knee, it feels just as threatening to the natives.
Over a hundred police officers are at the protests with military equipment. Is it really necessary to use military equipment against people that your country is supposed to include in protection? People are being arrested, attacked by trained dogs, beaten with batons, and maced. Now I understand that protests must be watched over to make sure it does not get out of control, but the reactions are extreme and a little too anticipated. How can the protests go on in a way that does not go against freedom of speech if the attacks of defense are excessive?
Now do not take my words harshly; I am just trying to give the reality of what is going on with the situation. I am thankful that people on social media are standing with the protesters, and I hope it continues with support from communities and people outside the reservations and culture. With this support, something possibly might have an outcome that is far greater than natives can push for by themselves.
The point of this article is to not only educate people more on the severity of the situation, but to also point out that there are many ways to help actively with the fight. The most common of all which I have seen most people do is repost videos and pictures on social media of what is going on in North Dakota. The second that goes along with it is the use of the hashtag, #Nodapl, dapl standing for Dakota access pipeline. Another way that is more of an active help is going to protests, in North Dakota, but also small protests in other states that are there to say they do not stand for the pipelines as well. Not everyone should feel obligated to do that, as your posts keeping the media focused on the situation is more than enough and grateful from the native community, and I hope that it is an ongoing thing and the efforts of this do not die.
Other huge ways to help actively but do not involve protesting is supporting the funding pages for Standing Rock — one being the gofundme account, another is a funding page from the official Standing Rock website, another being the Legal Defense funding page, and the last one donating camping supplies. There are also tons of other ways that you can help without having to donate money. They have two petitions you can sign, one is the White House petition, and the other one is a petition to Obama asking him to stop the pipelines.
You can also Google ways to help in your state, and to find phone numbers to call the Army Corps of Engineers, the companies building the pipelines, the White House, and the governor of North Dakota, to state your opinions on the pipelines and to ask them to stop dapl. I love the strong showing of support I have been seeing on social media and I know that with the knowledge of what people can do, there can be great efforts to bring a stop to the long fight of six years.
