Months of time, hope, and dedication became worthwhile to the pipeline protesters in North Dakota Saturday, Dec. 5. CNN reports, “The Army Corps of Engineers announced it will look for an alternate route for the Dakota Access Pipeline to cross under Lake Oahe in North Dakota.” The thousands of protesters finally have a sigh of relief, but still fear the announcement will not follow through, especially with the Trump Administration going into effect in January.
In order to know why this land means so much, here’s some background on the Sioux tribe. The tribe has people spread out over the Midwest, mainly in Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and over in Montana. According to a 1990 census, North Dakota, where the pipeline is, had 25, 917 Native Americans, which was an increase from 1980. If the population increased every decade, there are much more than 26,000 today. Back in the late nineteenth century, the U.S. tried to force the Sioux tribe to integrate into American culture. They made children go to school, cut their hair, and live in dorms based on the military. The tribe was able to keep their language and religion, but had to learn English to communicate with the Americans. Their lives have been uprooted on multiple occasions by the people who stole their land from them in the first place, so there’s good reasoning for the tribe’s fear.
There’s no doubt these protesters and members of the Sioux tribe have given their all to the efforts of stopping the pipeline from being constructed. A lot of celebrities have been very vocal about their support of stopping the pipeline from destroying the Sioux tribe’s water supply and sacred sites. There was a lot of commotion after actress Shailene Woodley was arrested during a Facebook Live video for silently protesting the pipeline. In the live video, Woodley explains why she cares so much about the native tribes and agreed to arrest without a fight. Hearing serious conversations from celebrities people look up to and adore almost triggers a switch in their heads. The support the tribe has received from all over the country has been phenomenal. After all, Americans should have much respect and sympathy for the Natives given the history the United States has with them. The natives have endured a lot throughout the past few centuries from Americans and have definitely had their sacred land taken away a few too many times.
The pipeline itself does not raise an issue so much for the natives, it’s the fact that it will be running through an area of land which will affect their entire lives. Millenama Prasai, senior, says, “It’s ridiculous that the U.S. government doesn’t place as much value on Native American lives as much as they do on other citizens.” In the scheme of things, it seems like redirecting the pipeline to a different route would be easy, but it isn’t. Although the task may be stressful and take a long time, saving the native’s land proves an even bigger win. Thankfully, the Army Corps of Engineers has agreed to look for an alternative route, but it is not certain the task will be followed through.
