Standing Rock tribe protests over North Dakota pipeline

[accadacca]

Cannon Ball, United States - Thousands of Native Americans have been camping out in North Dakota since April to protest against a pipeline that is meant to cross sacred burial grounds and the Missouri river - the main water source for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.

Last week, some protesters moved their camp directly in the path of the proposed pipeline as construction nears the river, but on Thursday morning, police descended on the camp with a show of force not yet seen in the months of peaceful protests.

Clad in riot gear and backed by armoured vehicles, the police cleared the protest camp, using sound cannons, pepper spray, taser guns, and shotguns said to contain beanbags against the protesters.

More than 100 people were arrested, including elders praying peacefully in the roadway, according to the Morton County Sheriff Department.
The department said a protester fired three shots at police, but Al Jazeera could not independently verify this allegation.

Some protesters shouted at police, built and lit fire to barricades, and a few threw water bottles and logs at the officers as tensions rose, but most remained nonviolent as protest leaders urged colleagues to fall back from the superior government force.

Police continued to march south into the night, blocked only by a burning barricade set up by protesters as dusk fell.

http://www.aljazeera.com/mritems/Images/2016/10/28/0f75fcb0a8354c7687c5e956a04b11b9_8.jpgA protester calls on his colleagues to step back as over 100 heavily armed police push towards their protest camp. [Jason Patinkin/Al Jazeera]



http://www.aljazeera.com/mritems/Images/2016/10/28/8f4a5d01743c43269de3ca34a18d36e0_8.jpgProtesters built barricades and set them ablaze as heavily armed police approached the protest camp. [Jason Patinkin/Al Jazeera]



http://www.aljazeera.com/mritems/Images/2016/10/28/241bbae37747429f8c7363aaaf989428_8.jpgHeavily armed police march on a camp where Native Americans prevented construction of an oil pipeline. [Jason Patinkin/Al Jazeera]



http://www.aljazeera.com/mritems/Images/2016/10/28/cef5f5eda15b449c8179a16b3d847fad_8.jpgProtesters confront police over ground the Lakota tribe considers as sacred burial grounds but which the Dakota Access oil company dug up earlier this year. [Jason Patinkin/Al Jazeera]



http://www.aljazeera.com/mritems/Images/2016/10/28/63a94cccffac4419a31e86b5daa122ad_8.jpgPolice move on the camp blocking pipeline construction as Native American protesters stand in defiance. [Jason Patinkin/Al Jazeera]



http://www.aljazeera.com/mritems/Images/2016/10/28/7d267e7834644b94ab6416e0f7129382_8.jpgA protester yells for his colleagues to stand down as heavily armed police approach a barricade. [Jason Patinkin/Al Jazeera]



http://www.aljazeera.com/mritems/Images/2016/10/28/dff6592dd55a4f7db217da68354fda30_8.jpgA protester waves a tribal flag as a phalanx of police move on a barricade. [Jason Patinkin/Al Jazeera]



http://www.aljazeera.com/mritems/Images/2016/10/28/98b62920db864e0eb22ce6af84fd6a75_8.jpgProtesters retreat after police took over their camp, arrested protesters, and used pepper spray. [Jason Patinkin/Al Jazeera]



http://www.aljazeera.com/mritems/Images/2016/10/28/bad04662744841bbbaba2c1937c4bf1b_8.jpgA protester holds an eagle feather and sings a prayer as police move across land considered to be sacred burial grounds but in the way of an oil pipeline. [Jason Patinkin/Al Jazeera]



http://www.aljazeera.com/mritems/Images/2016/10/28/a38ced0bbfb847ca9f0a672ad9218863_8.jpgBy nightfall, the protesters had moved back to a bridge where they set up another burning barricade as police continued to press south past the protest camp along the pipeline route. [Jason Patinkin/Al Jazeera]



http://www.aljazeera.com/mritems/Images/2016/10/28/18ad553b6977459d8c405c12fb8eff86_8.jpgA protester pours milk over his face after being pepper sprayed by police. [Jason Patinkin/Al Jazeera]



http://www.aljazeera.com/mritems/Images/2016/10/28/452503dc4052403e97d06f8ed04a8288_8.jpgProtesters stand at a barricade in a failed attempt to block police movement south through their protest camp. [Jason Patinkin/Al Jazeera]



http://www.aljazeera.com/mritems/Images/2016/10/28/f93b832d5d344235887ec17c2066a6b1_8.jpg

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/2016/10/north-dakota-native-americans-protest-pipeline-161028150518748.html

[rockgremlin]

Why don't they just reroute the pipeline around the burial ground, ffs? Pretty easy solution, amirite?

[accadacca]

Not sure if these are facts, but I read them on the internet.

#1. The pipeline is NOT going across native land. Just near it.
#2. The current method of transport of oil (rail and truck) causes many more spills in much more dangerous places than pipelines ever do. Even across rivers.
#3. The pipeline is slated to follow, almost exactly, a current natural gas pipeline. That is, it already goes across the Missouri at the same place. This is why the route was able to be fast tracked through EPA investigation.

[rockgremlin]

Not sure if these are facts, but I read them on the internet.

#1. The pipeline is NOT going across native land. Just near it.
#2. The current method of transport of oil (rail and truck) causes many more spills in much more dangerous places than pipelines ever do. Even across rivers.
#3. The pipeline is slated to follow, almost exactly, a current natural gas pipeline. That is, it already goes across the Missouri at the same place. This is why the route was able to be fast tracked through EPA investigation.

Then what's the problem? I don't get it.

I guess we could just buy ALL of our oil from Saudi Arabia...how does that sound?

[Scott P]

Then what's the problem? I don't get it.

The problem is that the land is no longer tribal land, but the Native Americans are claiming that the pipe goes through a burial ground. From a legal standpoint, the pipeline diggers are allowed to dig (the Native Americans no longer hold title to the land since they were driven off years ago) unless the diggers start to uncover bones or archeological sites.

Apparently the Native Americans believe that if the bones of the Native Americans are disturbed, the souls of their dead in the afterlife are also disturbed and that a separated skeleton causes the spirit in the afterlife to also be separated and tormented.

It's a pretty tough issue. From a strictly legal standpoint, the pipe construction crew has the rights, as long as they don't start digging up bones and bodies.

[rockgremlin]

^^^ again I go back to my original question. Why not just reroute around the burial site? It might be a little more expensive, but if that's what it takes, then so what.

[Iceaxe]

You would think the Indians would have learned by now what happens with they tangle with the white eyes.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/8c/d5/3d/8cd53dccfa45a0a04bee0f241224f654.jpg

[DiscGo]

An informed Facebook friend of mine posted the following:

"I'm so disappointed in both "sides" on this issue. Neither one is handling (or have handled) themselves in a reasonable and respectful manner.

Fact - The tribe had a member directly representing them on the board that evaluated, investigated and approved the route. The member did not put forth objections during this period.

Fact - Vandalizing any property (equipment, vehicles, etc) is a criminal act, regardless of 'protest' or not. This is not a "peaceful" protest as people are claiming. There have been attacks on the workers as well as the protesters, both having received bodily harm.

Fact - the information, filings, permits and such are all public record. The website of the company doing the DAPL has much of this published for public access. The rest you have to go find yourself but is all public information.

Fact - pipelines DO rupture but only when they are improperly maintained, improperly used, improper caution when working around them or due to uncontrolled natural disaster (earthquake, etc). However, they are safer than other transport (land) methods.

I am very saddened that the DAPL company themselves did not conduct a more reasonable and humane response to the protest. It really seems like sitting down and having an open discussion to work towards a resolution would be a much better alternative than what has transpired.

I feel like this is nothing more than two corporations fighting (very publicly) over natural resources. One wants land, water and money for land access rights and the other wants gas/oil transportation for as reasonable cost as possible. I just think this is a huge fight and mess, which just saddens me...it all has come down to greed and money."

[accadacca]

Yikes!

Monitoring equipment failed to detect a leak in an oil pipeline that dropped 176,000 gallons of crude into a creek about 150 miles from the Dakota access pipeline protests.

--

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) Officials estimate more than 176,000 gallons of crude oil leaked from a pipeline into a North Dakota creek about 150 miles from the Dakota Access pipeline protests.

State environmental scientist Bill Suess says a landowner discovered the spill on Dec. 5 near Belfield.

Suess says the oil has migrated more than five miles from the spill site along Ash Coulee Creek. The creek feeds into the Little Missouri River, but Suess said the oil didn't make it there. He says the spill appears to be contained and no drinking water sources were affected.

Suess says about 37,000 gallons of oil has been recovered.

Wyoming-based Belle Fourche (foosh) Pipeline operates the pipeline. Spokeswoman Wendy Owen says it was equipped with monitoring equipment that failed to detect the leak.

http://kutv.com/news/nation-world/pipeline-spills-176000-gallons-of-oil-in-north-dakota-creek

[Sombeech]

I think there is a lot of big chunks of info we are not hearing about, such as over the last several years, more like half a dozen, there have been hundreds of meetings WITH tribal members planning this pipeline route.

[rockgremlin]

VINDICATION!!

[double moo]

[QUOTE=accadacca;581692]Yikes!
Suess says about 37,000 gallons of oil has been recovered.
/QUOTE]

They would not could not the pipeline block

The tires burn, their stomachs churn, still oil flows at Standing Rock...

[Scott P]

I think there is a lot of big chunks of info we are not hearing about, such as over the last several years, more like half a dozen, there have been hundreds of meetings WITH tribal members planning this pipeline route.

This is true, but the tribe has always been against the pipeline, including since at least 2014. Being against a pipeline doesn't mean that you always get your way. The Corps of Engineers can still issue a permit if people are against a pipeline. The tribe feels slighted because the pipe was routed around Bismark due to concern of leakage and pollution, but that it wasn't routed away from the reservation.

The tricky thing is however, that the pipeline doesn't actually cross or even encroach on reservation lands.

It also sounds like the tribe has a grudge against the corps of engineers because of the Pick Sloan Missouri Basin Program, where five reservoirs flooded part of the reservation. Supposedly the displaced residents received little or no compensation for the towns that were flooded.

Another conundrum is that it probably wouldn't do the tribe much good if the pipeline was rerouted. Even if it were rerouted farther from the reservation, it would still be up river from the reservation. There is no way the pipe will be routed all the way to the south of the reservation.

From the pipeline company's point of view, they were granted a legal permit for the planned route and thus have the legal right to construct the pipeline. They have already lost over $100 million from the protests and they could potentially lose a whole lot more than that if the pipe has to be rerouted, or if construction is halted. As of right now, there is an expensive pipe to nowhere that dead-ends near the river.

It's a messy situation for sure.

It seems to me that if the river crossing is the real issue, engineers could find a way to reinforce the he-- out of the pipe at that location and make it impenetrable. It wouldn't be cost effective to do it to the entire pipeline, but it might be a solution for just the part under the river.

[rockgremlin]

[QUOTE=accadacca;581692]Yikes!
Suess says about 37,000 gallons of oil has been recovered.
/QUOTE]

They would not could not the pipeline block

The tires burn, their stomachs churn, still oil flows at Standing Rock...

Oh! The places you'll go, the places oil flows...

[accadacca]

85574

[rockgremlin]

Please enjoy these buns from some white people...

85627

[accadacca]

Trump Signs Executive Orders On Keystone XL, Dakota Access Pipelines

The new president has long supported the fiercely protested oil pipelines.

[Iceaxe]

It sure is sweet to see an elected official keeping promises.

#WINNING

[rockgremlin]

It sure is sweet to see an elected official keeping promises.

#WINNING

I'm just glad to see an elected official take a stance and actively DO something as regards this pipeline project. Obama's stall tactics were maddening, and only served to perpetuate the media circus that surrounded this event.