The U. S government has always had a tense and colorful past in regards to environmental and native rights. This issue has again become a source of tension between native/environmental activists and corporate advancement and policy in the form of a pipeline. The source of tension comes from the fact that this pipeline stems from the fact that the pipe runs near a vital water source and also cultural heritage sites that would be damaged.
Opposition to this comes in the form the benefits that it would bring to the economy among the monetary boost also giving a new safer way to transport oil. Both sides have taken their concerns to government and are trying to solve the problem to suit their own interests. The Dakota Access Pipeline is a 2,000-mile long pipeline that according to the parent company The Energy Transfer Partners and its subsidiary Dakota Access, the pipeline would not only make it easier but also a much safer and far more efficient manner of transporting just under 500,000 barrels of oil each day.
In regards to the transport of oil according to the company pipelines prove to be the safest option to transfer massive amounts of oil. The added benefit would be rather than have smaller individual pipelines this would be one continuous pipeline that would be built from the states of North Dakota,South Dakota ,Iowa, and Illinois. This large a project would open about 11,000 or more temporary jobs during construction while over one hundred permanent jobs would be available after construction is completed.
However, by far the biggest benefit would the fact that the pipeline would lessen U. S. reliance on foreign oil. The economic boost is nothing to scoff at either the estimated $130 million that would be added to state income would boost funding towards many important government programs. Energy Transfer Partners has also assured the public that they will use high-end American made products to ensure the safety and reliability of the pipe itself and subsequently the safety of the public’s as well.
Even with the company’s reassurances that the pipe would add a boost to the state economy and that the company has taken every precaution to ensure that the pipe is up to federal and state standards however not all of the public is happy with the safety and efficacy the pipeline will have on a grander scale. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe/ many other tribes and environmental activists have recognized the pipeline not as a boon but as a threat due to its environmental impact.
The plan is for the part of the pipe that would be in North Dakota to run underneath the Missouri and Cannon Ball rivers which would place a vital source of drinking water at risk due to running the risk of contamination due to a potential oil spill. Despite the company stating that the chance of an oil spill happening is very small the tribe argues that despite safety measures all pipes are fallible and cause harm to the environment and everything that inhabits it. The pipe would also change the landscape and would halt agricultural work in that and many other areas in on the route.
The dispute between the tribes/environmentalists and Corporations has now become large enough to attract the attention of both local and federal government each side lobbying the government and the people to get them to hear their side of the story. In the case of the Dakota Access,LLC the company has stated that they along with the Army Corps of Engineers reached out to the Standing Rock tribe in the early stages of the project back in 2014 to discuss the issues of the environmental and cultural impact the route would have on the tribe and tribal land however, neither party was contacted by the tribe.
When the case was brought before the court it was stated explicitly that the tribe had thirty days in which the could contact either party but failed to do so. The company and the government have also stated that they have rerouted the project many times in the past to avoid being on the tribe’s land. The bigger reason the pipe was moved due to other environmental concerns over the pipe being too close to the North Dakota capital’s residential area.
A large hit to the tribe’s argument is that fact that an oil pipeline already exists on the tribe’s land which dates back 1982 which The Federal Energy Regulatory has no record of the tribe ever complaining about. The fact that hurts the tribe’s argument the most is the fact that the pipe isn’t on their land, to begin with even though tribes have referenced back to Fort Laramie Treaty which was made with The Sioux Nation as a whole, not just individual tribes. Despite these accusations, the Standing Rock Tribe has challenged these claims with just as equal the energy as the Dakota Access LLC and its associates.
Native arguments have been amplified by popular media on the grounds that the pipeline route destroys native cultural and heritage sites. The tribe has stated that they were in no way contacted by the company or Army Corps in anyway contrary to what the company and Army Corps claim. As a result of no communication, the project went on as planned thus disturbing very important native sites. A large part of the reason was because Dakota Access was using outdated surveys and therefore had no accurate way of knowing the defined borders of Standing Rock.
This happened while the tribe was getting an injunction to stop Dakota Access from progressing with the project even though they were still progressing with construction. The reason the use The Laramie Treaty to back their arguments is the fact the treaty was broken by the U. S. government and by tribal accounts it was under threat of starvation on the grounds that there was gold on the land. Tribes use this and many other accounts to bring up the many times in which native sovereignty has been disregarded by the government.
Tribes also cite The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s Section 106 which forces companies to speak with federally recognized tribes in regards to artifacts of historical value to native history no matter where that land is( Advisory Council on Historic Preservation,Consulting with Indian Tribes Section 106) , this piece would directly oppose Dakota Access’s claim that a survey was done due to the fact that tribal borders change and that information could have been outdated.
Many people thus far have taken to citing these arguments as well even going as far as taking the fight directly to the pipe. Support for the Standing Rock Tribe has come from all walks of life here in the U. S and internationally. Support has come in forms of monetary about over one million dollars have been contributed to the cause. Support has also come from outside the U. S in countries like Canada in which protests have been lead once Canadians found out that some Canadian banks were supporting the pipeline.
Protesters had also gathered more than 70 people outside of the U. S consulate in order to give support to those at Standing Rock. The support has even gone as far to include the New Zealand Native population Maori have pledged support to this cause. Academics have also urged people to care about what the protests would mean in regards to the native people and their culture of which the pipeline has already destroyed. However, on the other hand, a lot of support has been also gathered in favor of the pipeline. Support in favor of the pipeline has come in equal power to those who are against it.
On the political side of the argument there is a great deal of support that is pro-pipeline coming from the governor of North Dakota, Jack Dalrymple who called in the nation guard, after which he was sent a message by the group “Anonymous” stating that if a protester was harmed they would leak important documents of his and those responsible. On the public side, however, there are many who support the project however it seems that it’s not enough due to the fact that fake accounts called “bots” appear on various forms of social media in support of the project.
The sides taken as a result of this project have led to altercations involving various groups and individuals at the sites of these protests. Violent acts have happened on the site of the protests of the site since protests have gained more and more attention from popular media. The protests in regards to the one’s lead by Standing Rock have mostly been peaceful and have been subject to attacks by pro-pipeline activists in which there have been serious safety and conduct concerns. Protesters have been harmed through the use of forceful arrests and also thing like being pepper sprayed and hit with water cannons.
Private security has also been hired in order to deter protesters from damaging the project even going as far as erecting walls and fencing to further deter any damaging to the project. It also is concerning to protesters as to why law enforcement have to be brought it. Arming law enforcement adds to the numerous concerns as to the reason they are being armed at peaceful protests. There is the reasoning that they could be there to protect the protesters and their right to free speech however law enforcement has over loudspeaker asked protesters to leave the area.
Since appearing at Standing Rock law enforcement has been armed with military grade weapons,armored vehicles, and crowd dispersal technology. These acts towards the protesters have garnered the attention of The United Nations who have called out U. S. security forces on the Efforts by law enforcement to remove protesters have also been more subtle as they have tried to make it seem as if protesters have become attacked law enforcement first however this proved to add more fuel to the fire as it prompted more instances of violence at these protests and others like it.
Individualized instances of violence in the protests of the pipeline had lead to protesters being in actual life-threatening situations. Violence has also been present in the camps in the form of an armed man who pointed a gun at a Sioux child however he was later apprehended by the FBI who thinks he was there to tarnish the reputation of the protesters. The tribal council has warned the protesters to keep information to themselves as there many be infiltrations in the on behalf of pro-pipeline supporters. Tribal leaders have denounced all who promote violent acts in solidarity with Standing Rock.
Despite these measures to limit the violence experienced at these protests there is the concern of how violence in these protests has risen and the concern of the damage this will cause to their cause. These protests have led to violence acts in which all parties directly involved have placed in a state of tension . Due to the danger of the protests escalating that may affect both law enforcement and protesters alike Army Corps has asked the protesters to remove themselves from the area or they could be charged with trespassing on private property.
In response to this statement, Standing Rock states that they will keep fighting for native rights and for mother earth. The commitment to the cause is strong due to the fact that a baby was born in the camp who bears the symbolic name Mni Wiconi which in the Lakota language means “ Water is Life”. Despite the news of the protests being shut down by The Army Corps, The Army Corps will be setting up a zone where protesters can protest without a potential escalation of violence.
However, due to the violence at the protest and the fact that they were militarized has brought it to the attention of Senator Cory Booker who wants law enforcement to be formally investigated by The Department of Justice to ensure the protesters right to manifest and protest. Media coverage since the beginning has had a lot of influence and even in regards how some of the rulings were perceived the public. Media in this instance was a very crucial part in the way we think about protests.
Most popular media outlets like Time and CNN in regards to Standing Rock cause used sympathetic language using the name “water protectors” to refer to the protesters as it is what they prefer to be known as. In the case of the pipeline Standing Rock refers back to native mythology to warn people that this pipeline is a danger to the earth. In cases of conservative news outlets, however, they use language that either ignores the protesters and only talks about the economic benefits of the pipeline or they use unflattering language such as calling them “Anti-energy”.
Linguistically it is a rather fascinating to see the way in which different types of media outlets use carefully crafted language to craft subtle biases between the opposition sides of a charged argument. Bias in media is also a tool used to fuel public interest and encourage public participation. This is further emphasized by the way in which the public loves biases which appear in The Huffington Post which has more appeal to liberal causes vs The Wall Street Journal which has more popularity with conservatives and their interests.
Bias also plays a power role that directly influences politics on the grounds that most politicians/companies/activists want to be portrayed in a favorable light by media to appeal to their target audience. This effect that media directly has on political processes and the view the public has on politics. In regards to this issue corporations like Dakota Access have shown that advancement of technology has given society many great advancements that we would have never dreamed of.
It also shows that society has the duty to advance itself for the economic betterment of its people. Dakota Access has shown that it can affect politics on a grand scale by using its knowledge to lobby and navigate the political world. This also gives a better the way a business incorporates and acts on the input from the people. Also, the way in which Standing Rock concerns were addressed in a concise way. Regardless of political affiliation, the happenings at Standing Rock show the power of peaceful protests.
Protesters at Standing Rock as a whole have changed the way government will deal with its people in the future due to the fact this caused international interest. Also having the added effect of giving a visible platform for environmentalist nationwide on which they can have a larger voice in politics to seek a resolution to their issues. Natives have also made a platform for themselves to dispel the belief that natives in the U. S. are something stuck in the past but the fact that they are still here and willing to fight for the right for natives to exist.
As a person preference, the author of this paper would like to respectfully decline explicitly stating personal thoughts on this issue, however, the author believes that this issue has changed the way in which both the author and the public participate in political affairs. However, the public has also had to view the symbiotic relationship businesses and the government have with the public and being the public eye. What happened at Standing Rock will surely fuel discussions and discourse for years to come and while having these discussions it should be paramount that all voices are heard.
