Opinion

Albert Bender: The war against Dakota Access can still be won

Monday, February 27, 2017

Residents depart the #NoDAPL encampment in North Dakota ahead of February 22, 2017, deadline. Photo: Dark Sevier

Massive public demonstrations can help put and end to the Dakota Access Pipeline, argues Albert Bender, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation:

The #NoDAPL struggle moves forward, but some aspects of the current struggle need to be rethought at this point. To begin with the present slogan of #NoDAPL- Last Stand as a battle cry needs to be withdrawn. It is a defeatist slogan and can be very demoralizing. When I first saw it the word association that entered my mind was Custer’s Last Stand. We, of course all know, what happened to Custer. The implication is that we are headed to defeat.
A better war cry for #NoDAPL would be: “We will fight harder than ever”; or “We will defeat DAPL regardless of the costs”. Anything but the Last Stand. Other Native people with whom I discussed this strongly felt the same.
Another mistake has been the efforts by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Council to dismantle the Water Protector camps. This only encouraged Trump, the Army Corps of Engineers and the federal court system to take aggressive, negative measures against the #NoDAPL movement. The federal government without exception has never failed in its efforts to take action against Native American protesters holding a physical site when the numbers decrease.

Read More on the Story:
Albert Bender: Reflections on next steps for the #NoDAPL movement (People's World 2/22)

Indian Country #NoDAPL Briefs:
Oglala Sioux Tribe (February 21, 2017)
Pueblo of Pojoaque / Association on American Indian Affairs / University of New Mexico School of Law Natural Resources and Environmental Law Clinic (February 21, 2017)
National Indigenous Women's Resource Center / 13 Tribes / 105 Non-Profit Organizations (February 21, 2017)
National Congress of American Indians / 34 Tribes / 11 Tribal Organizations / 2 Civil Rights Organizations (February 22, 2017)

Federal Register Notice:
Notice of Termination of the Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement in Connection With Dakota Access, LLC's Request for an Easement To Cross Lake Oahe, North Dakota (February 17, 2017)

Prior Federal Register Notice:
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement in Connection With Dakota Access, LLC's Request for an Easement To Cross Lake Oahe, North Dakota (January 18, 2017)

Dakota Access Pipeline Approval Documents:
Department of Justice Notice | Department of the Army Approval Memorandum | Notice of Termination of EIS for Dakota Access Pipeline | Easement Letter to Congressional Leadership

White House Documents:
Presidential Memorandum Regarding Construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline (January 24, 2017)
Presidential Memorandum Regarding Construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline (January 24, 2017)
Executive Order Expediting Environmental Reviews and Approvals For High Priority Infrastructure Projects (January 24, 2017)
Presidential Memorandum Regarding Construction of American Pipelines (January 24, 2017)
Presidential Memorandum Streamlining Permitting and Reducing Regulatory Burdens for Domestic Manufacturing (January 24, 2017)
Press Release: President Trump Takes Action to Expedite Priority Energy and Infrastructure Projects (January 24, 2017)