MNI WICONI: POLICY SOLUTIONS TO THE THREAT POSED BY THE DAPL 1

Mni Wiconi:

Policy Solutions to the Threat posed by the Dakota Access Pipeline

Rebecca Sproul

University of Maine, Augusta

SOC 201 – Social Problems

29 November 2016
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Abstract

This year, as we ate turkey with our families on Thanksgiving Day to celebrate the union of our

pilgrim ancestors and their native brothers and sisters, the Sioux tribe of Standing Rock, North

Dakota faced another day of their protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline, a movement which

began in April. The Sioux and their allies are “being attacked with tear gas, rubber bullets, and

water cannons in subfreezing temperatures as they protested [the] oil pipeline [which] threatens to

contaminate their water and disrupt their sacred sites” (Bassett, 2016). For, the Dakota Access

Pipeline poses a threat to not only the environment and the economy as a whole, but also to the

rights of Native American people specifically, and though there are several proposed solutions,

only stopping construction can will serve as a reasonable one.

Keywords: fossil fuel, Dakota Access Pipeline, Sioux tribe, Native American, appropriation
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Mni Wiconi:

Policy Solutions to the Threat posed by the Dakota Access Pipeline

In grade school, our teachers tell us the story of a group of humble people in search of a

better life. These people traveled by way of sea to the great land of America, where they came

across native people, who welcomed them with open arms, offering them food and gifts as

congratulations on a successful journey. We sit at our desks to make our paper hats and turkeys,

half of us to play “Indians,” and the other half Pilgrims. We run around on the playground in mid-

November shouting our “Indian” calls. We “pow-wow” with our friends. Finally, we get a week

off from school to celebrate and stuff our faces at loud dinners with extended family members we

hardly ever see otherwise.

As we continue our education, we learn a slightly different story. We learn of the years of

genocide and oppression to these Native American peoples which were to follow this

Thanksgiving festival. We learn we were responsible for a decrease in the native population of

over ninety percent; we intentionally gifted them with blankets infested with smallpox; we were

paid to kill them, and collect the scalps of men, women, and children; we used the Indian Removal

Act to eradicate them from their land, killing 4,000 Cherokee people on the Trail of Tears; we used

the California Gold Rush in 1848 to push them out of their homes and destroy their land with our

use of toxic chemicals and gravel, which effectively destroyed their ability to continue in their

traditional hunting and farming practices, ultimately leading to starvation; and we legalized slavery

and used that legalization to buy and sell their children (United, 2016). In fact, it was not until

“1978, [that] Congress passed the Indian Child Welfare Act, which protects Native American
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children and the custody of their parents” (United, 2016). Even here in Maine, “the Maine Truth

and Reconciliation Committee [still] seeks to uncover and acknowledge the truth about what

happened to Wabanaki children and families involved with the Maine child welfare system.” To

this day, the State “forcibly [removes] children from Native American families” (United, 2016).

This is without mention of the countless military battles and unprompted massacres. Most

importantly, we learn we have been one of the last to apologize for the atrocities we caused to our

country’s indigenous population.

Now, as adults, we have, sadly, not learned from our mistakes. This year, as we ate turkey

with our families on Thanksgiving Day to celebrate this so-called union with our native brothers

and sisters, the Sioux tribe of Standing Rock, North Dakota faced another day of their months-

long protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline. As our handprint turkeys hung on our

refrigerators full with leftovers, the Sioux and their allies were “being attacked with tear gas,

rubber bullets, and water cannons in subfreezing temperatures as they protested [the] oil pipeline

[which] threatens to contaminate their water and disrupt their sacred sites” (Bassett, 2016). For,

the Dakota Access Pipeline poses a threat to not only the environment and the economy as a whole,

but also to the rights of Native American people specifically, and though there are several

proposed solutions, only stopping construction can will serve as a reasonable one.

THE DAKOTA ACCESS PIPELINE

To understand the concerns of the Sioux tribe and those protesters, who prefer to be called

“water protectors,” who stand beside them, it is important to understand what the Dakota Access

Pipeline actually is. “The Dakota Access Pipeline is a 1,885 kilometer crude [fracked] oil delivery

pipeline running from Bakken, North Dakota to Patoka, Illinois. If completed, it will transport as

many as 570,000 barrels of oil per day” (Atack, 2016). The 3.8 billion dollar project was
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developed by Energy Transfer Partners, who created a daughter company called Dakota Access,

LLC (Sidder, 2016). Supporters of the project say the pipeline will help Americans gain “energy

independence” because “although the United States is the third-largest producer in the world, we

are the number one consumer of crude oil. [They say] we need to close the gap between what we

produce as a country and what we consume before we can be truly independent of foreign imports”

(Energy, 2015). Supporters also cite the fact that the Dakota Access Pipeline will create around

10,000 local jobs while it is under construction (Energy, 2015).

#NoDAPL. There are, however, a great deal of opponents to the Dakota Access Pipeline

project, as well. “What began as a small protest camp in April on the Standing Rock reservation”

(Sidder, 2016) has since turned into a vast social movement, even attracting the support of

celebrities such as Shailene Woodley, Ian Somerhalder, Susan Sarandon, and Mark Ruffalo. For

water protectors unable to attend peaceful sit-ins and prayer circles on the actual reservation, many

have turned to other methods to show their support. From writing letters to the Obama

Administration, sending supplies to Standing Rock, and spreading awareness through social media

under the blanket hashtag NoDAPL, this movement has gained a great amount of support. In fact,

“over 1.6 million people [have] ‘checked in’ via Facebook at the reservation in an act of solidarity

with Standing Rock Sioux tribe members and other supporters who for months have been

protesting the construction of [the] oil pipeline” (Erbentraut, 2016). Water protectors are

concerned because, although “construction has already begun . . . the plan is for the pipeline to go

underneath the [Missouri] river, despite the risk that creates for the [Sioux] tribe and for millions

of others who rely on the [river] for water” (Johnson, 2016). The threat of spill or leakage is very

probable, considering the history of the fossil fuel industry in the United States, and across the

globe. “The activist movement has grown steadily since the tribe established Sacred Stone Camp
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in Cannon Ball, North Dakota, [and the] movement has remained strong even as temperatures have

turned frigid” (Gagnon, 2016). The willingness of the Sioux and other water protectors to remain

at the site shows how truly significant this movement is.

Environmental Impact. The primary foundation of the protests is the impact the Dakota

Access Pipeline will have on the environment, though there are severe social implications, as well.

Environmentally, “oil pipelines break, spill and leak—it’s not a question of if, it’s a question of

where and when” (Johnson, 2016). The Sioux tribe, of course, gets its water directly from the river

the pipeline will lie beneath. A spill could have detrimental effects to their drinking supply, as

well as water to farm with. “The protesters want to see construction of the pipeline halted entirely

and its route changed. They point to a rising number of pipeline accidents in recent years as

evidence that they are right to be concerned about the safety of their water source” (Erbentraut,

2016). As recently as October, a pipeline leak led to an explosion that killed one, and injured

several others in Alabama, further leading to several wildfires in dry heat, just two of which

managed to burn 31 acres of land (Associated Press, 2016). Similarly, leaks in September spilled

nearly 300,000 gallons of gasoline leading to “days of dry pumps and higher gas prices in Alabama,

Georgia, Tennessee, and the Carolinas” (Associated Press, 2016) without mention of the

environmental damage. Imagine if such a leak were to occur under the Missouri River, and the

detrimental consequences for our earth. These are consequences we have already seen since the

use of fossil fuels began.

“The [#NoDAPL] movement is unique, because while it addresses a symptom, [namely

leaky pipelines,] it also challenges the system which allows climate change to transpire” (Alcorn,

2016). To build this pipeline, the United States Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for

ensuring a safe design. “Many have noted that the pipeline corridor was repositioned from its
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original route north of Bismarck after white citizens spoke up against the threat a spill would pose

to their drinking water ― a threat duly recognized by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers” (Sack,

2016). Not wanting to endanger the citizens of Bismarck, which is the capital city of North Dakota,

“the pipeline was shifted to a crossing half a mile from the reservation” (Sidder, 2016).

Sack, 2016

According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 94.78 percent of Bismarck’s population identifies as white

(AreaConnect, 2016). Essentially, this means the Sioux, and all those downstream who also rely

on the Missouri River, are being forced to accept the environmental consequences the white
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citizens of Bismarck refused, and are being criminalized, arrested, and beaten for standing up to

those so evidently oppressing them.

Social Impact. This forced compliance represents something considerably greater than

ecological impact, for there is a social impact, as well. Despite the fact that race is a social, rather

than a biological, construct, we live in a country, and a world, consistently basing the treatment of

others on their perceived “race.” For example, “there is no gene or cluster of genes common to all

blacks or all whites” (Onwuachi-Willig, 2016). In fact, “racial identity can be fluid. [For instance,]

a person who could be categorized as black in the United States might be considered white in

Brazil or colored in South Africa” (Onwuachi-Willig, 2016). Understand, too, there are multi-

racial individuals in this world, who make defining race accurately even harder. This is not to say

that race does not exist, for its implications are real. Its implications are very real for the thousands

of oppressed, criminalized, or ostracized individuals in the United States founded on their skin

color, religion, or cultural beliefs. For the Sioux and other Native Americans throughout the

United States, the implications brought-on by the idea of race and racial superiority have led to the

mistreatment, abuse, oppression, and appropriation of their entire culture.

These rigid racial categories we set in the United States are responsible for this corrupt

system, wherein those identifying as Native Americans, such as those in the Sioux tribe, can be

forced at gun-point to accept the consequences, ecologically, economically, and socially, of an oil

pipeline the white citizens rejected, simply because they are not “white.” These racial categories

perpetuate a culture in which a man, namely Mr. Donald Trump, can ignorantly call Senator

Elizabeth Warren, one of the chief advocates for stopping construction of the Dakota Access

Pipeline, “Pocahontas” and still be elected President of the United States of America (Atack,

2016). Granted, the argument was based on a statement Warren had made classifying her heritage
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as being Native American, even when many see her skin color and perceive her to be white.

Nevertheless, the racist comment demonstrates a deep concern for many people in America: Native

Americans, and other minority groups, are consistently being belittled to stories greatly changed

and white-washed by the entertainment industry. For, we are a society which embraces cultural

appropriation, rather than appreciation.

There is an immense difference between cultural appreciation, or exchange, and cultural

appropriation. This dissimilarity is commonly misunderstood. “Many [people have] taken cultural

appropriation to mean the policing of what white people can or can’t wear and enjoy” (Uwujaren,

2013). To use the example of Native American culture in the United States, reflect on how a

Native American would be treated showing up to work in traditional Native American attire. It is

highly likely he or she would be considered “unprofessional.” It is the same reason many black

women have said they feel they have to

straighten their hair to be taken seriously

at work, as their natural curls are

regarded by coworkers and clients as

unprofessional. In this same scenario,

remember young white girls showing up

to frat parties dressed in skimpy “Native

American” costumes are viewed as

sexy, praised for their “acceptance” of

other cultures. This is exemplified

visually in the aside graphic by Tyler

Amato (2016) depicting a Native Amato, 2016

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American girl opposing the Dakota Access Pipeline on one side, and a white girl dressed in

“Indian” costume on the other. A hand reaches out to both of them, but while the white girl smiles

for a cellphone photo, for which she will be praised on social media, the Native American girl is

pepper-sprayed. This is a true exemplification of cultural appropriation in our culture. When

actual Native Americans are struggling for their rights, they are regarded as savages. When white

people wear a feather in their hair and turquoise jewelry, they are “ethnic.” Cultural appropriation

in our culture means as white individuals, we benefit from the same cultures we shame. “There

have been times when [Native Americans] had to prove [they] were human” (Bassett, 2016), yet,

as white Americans, our response has been to continuously take from them, oppress them, and

harm them.

Maine. This issue is not just affecting those of the Sioux tribe, either. This year, on Black

Friday, over a hundred protesters gathered at the Bangor Mall in Maine to draw attention to this

important issue. “The protest was highly visible as hundreds of shoppers headed to and from the

mall and surrounding businesses in search of Black Friday bargains” (Gagnon, 2016). For, the

impact of the Dakota Access Pipeline does not stop at the states it touches. In fact, its impact can

even be felt here in Maine. First, the Dakota Access Pipeline, and the damage of fossil fuels in

general, can be felt because we share this world with all of the creatures who inhabit it. If we

damage our planet, whether the destruction be through oil spills, wildfires, or animal extinction,

all of us will be affected by those consequences. Second, a leak in the pipeline could cause

economic consequences for our entire country, not only by means of clean up, but also through the

rising of prices due to limited supply. Perhaps more urgently, the impact of the Dakota Access

Pipeline can be felt in Maine through our understanding of our own local Native American

communities, and the hurt felt for their brothers and sisters. Many members of Maine’s Penobscot
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Nation are headed to Standing Rock (Gagnon, 2016) where they will face rubber bullets, tear gas,

and freezing water simply because of their belief to protect our earth and the water supply of

millions downstream of the Missouri River.

INFRINGEMENT OF RIGHTS

The Dakota Access Pipeline and the subsequent protests have shed light on another

important issue in our country, which is the infringement of rights. Protests are always difficult,

because despite having laws regarding the freedom of American citizens to protest, there are grey

areas as to which behaviors people consider within the realms of peacefulness in the eyes of the

law. Likewise, there are loopholes for local governments and law enforcement to utilize in order

to criminalize protest movements. In the case of the Dakota Access Pipeline and the #NoDAPL

movement, there have been many examples of basic rights infringements.

Land Rights. Land rights, for example, have always been an issue of particular importance

in America, as we have a long history of forcing Native Americans from their land, followed by

signing treaties to protect small portions until we decide we want to take more. Various websites

have referenced a number of only two percent of land in the United States being “Indian” trust

land, a percentage which has drastically being decreasing since “Americans” settled on the land

hundreds of years ago. What is incredibly important to remember about this specific case

regarding the Dakota Access Pipeline, is that the white people of Bismarck were allowed to deny

the route going through their land because there was a threat of the pipe bursting and polluting

their water. Yet, the Sioux tribe was meant to voicelessly accept these terms without even being

consulted. This act is a shining example of white privilege, of course. In Energy Transfer Partners’

defense,
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the government says the $3.7 billion Dakota Access Pipeline is the safest, most

efficient way to carry crude oil from North Dakota to Illinois. But the project has

become a rallying point for Native Americans because the pipe would cut under the

Missouri River within a mile of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, potentially

contaminating the local tribes’ source of fresh water and encroaching on land that

the U.S. government had agreed to set aside for them in an 1851 treaty. (Bassett,

2016)

Though the pipeline technically crosses half a mile from the reservation, as earlier mentioned

through a graphic map, the pipeline does cross through unceded land under the treaty. Additionally,

“the Army Corps of Engineers never took a hard look at the impacts of an oil spill on the Tribe, as

the law requires . . . Federal law [also] requires that sacred places be protected in consultation with

the Tribe, but the Corps has not complied with that requirement, either” (Johnson, 2016).

Freedom to Protest. Similarly, actions taken by local law enforcement encroach on the

laws of the First Amendment. As American citizens, who Native Americans are, we are granted

the right to free speech, and, within it, the right to peacefully protest. However, oftentimes this

right is limited by law enforcement and government officials. First and foremost, law enforcement

is responsible for protecting citizens. This is a difficult job, for which law enforcement should be

respected. Still, President Obama rightfully mentioned in an interview regarding the pipeline that

while “there is an obligation for protesters to be peaceful, [there is also] an obligation for

authorities to show restraint” (Hauser, 2016). Thus far, “just over 400 arrests have taken place at

the pipeline construction site since the protests began. The arrests have typically been on charges

such as criminal trespassing and engaging in a riot” (Erbentraut, 2016). Actress Shailene Woodley

gained momentum for the movement when she was arrested for her participation in the protests.
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Within those others who have been arrested, many have referred to police holding cells as “dog

kennels” made from chain-link fence (Hawkins, 2016). Although the cells have been “approved

by the North Dakota Department of Corrections, and prisoners have access to bathrooms, meals

and drinking water,” arrested individuals have also noted that officials have been writing numbers

on arms with black marker, which they view to be reminiscent of concentration camps (Hawkins,

2016). Of course, “law enforcement officials said they used restraint throughout . . . and only

advanced on the camp after promising not to make arrests if protesters left on their own accord”

(Hawkins, 2016). What is the use of the first amendment, then, if minorities are consistently

arrested for exercising it?

Many have questioned whether these arrests were unlawful, especially when paired with

brutality. For example,

Approximately 300 Native American and non-native protesters were injured in [a]

10-hour clash with law enforcement [one] evening, according to the Standing Rock

Medic & Healer Council, and 26 were taken to hospitals with severe head and limb

wounds, eye trauma, internal bleeding and hypothermia from being doused with

water in 22-degree weather. (Bassett, 2016)

Once again, it is difficult to condemn one group or the other, as there is no way to understand “who

started it” without being there. Videos released often show individuals peacefully praying before

being attacked or arrested, though that does not mean these videos are accurate representations of

the whole story. In fact, in many instances, people have said acts were committed by police, while

law enforcement says the exact opposite. Unfortunately, as in all protest scenarios, there are “good

eggs” and there are “bad eggs,” on both sides. Regardless, “the show of force prompted Amnesty

International to send a team of observers to monitor how law enforcement is handling the protests.
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A United Nations group is also investigating the tribe’s allegations that law enforcement is using

excessive force and committing other human rights violations” (Erbentraut, 2016). At the very

least, the methods of force have been ill-chosen. More realistically, and quite frankly, dousing

humans with water in subfreezing temperatures is barbaric.

Governor Jack Dalrymple, claiming to fear for the safety of the water protectors due to an

impending snow storm, has “placed an evacuation order on the site [of protest]. Federal officials

said anyone found on the land after December 5 could be charged with trespassing” (Mele, 2016).

Though, for someone who is worried about the warmth of his citizens, allowing his law

enforcement officials to soak protestors with water in the freezing cold reminds us his intentions

are not to keep the protectors safe, but rather to stop the protests and resume pipeline construction.

Noticing continued violation of First Amendment rights, an action group of 2,000 military veterans

formed. Though they “had initially hoped to attract about 500 [they] had to stop sign-ups when

they reached 2,000” (Mele, 2016).

The effort, called Veterans Stand for Standing Rock, is planned as a nonviolent

intervention to defend the demonstrators from what the group calls ‘assault and

intimidation at the hands of the militarized police force.’ The veterans’ plan

coincides with an announcement on Tuesday by law enforcement officials that they

may begin imposing fines to block supplies from entering the main protest camp

after a mandatory evacuation order from the governor. Officials had warned earlier

of a physical blockade, but the governor’s office later backed away from that.

(Mele, 2016)
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The effort will hopefully keep law enforcement from forcing activists into “free-speech zones”

which have led to questions about legality for years, for if you can only protest in a government-

assigned area, what good is your right to protest?

Freedom of the Press. The Dakota Access Pipeline has also drawn attention for freedom

of the press rights violations. Though most cases have been personal narratives by journalists, it

does raise questions which need to be further researched. Journalists have stated they believe they

have been targeted by the local law enforcement since the movement began in April. One

photographer for a news website gave the following statement over Instagram accompanied by a

picture of a rubber bullet:

They'll arrest you, “lose your memory card” in jail processing, and your story’s

gone. Or the quick version, try taking me out with a 40mm sponge round from a

riot gun. A cop who’d rather see me be knocked unconscious than to publish a

story— I'll be honest, it shook me to my core. The only problem for him, it just

validated how important this story really is. (Atack, 2016)

While many remain peaceful, there are always exceptions whenever there is a large gathering of

people for a protest. However, there have been many journalists who have been fired at and

arrested, even if they are not participating in the protests themselves. This leads us to question

whether people are being arrested for unruly behavior, or simply for exercising their right to free

speech.

SUMMING UP THE PROBLEM

The Dakota Access Pipeline, in itself, is not a social problem. Though the way we treat

our earth is unsustainable, the transition to clean energy is also not all-encompassing of the

problem posed by the pipeline. What is, is the utter lack of respect being given to Native American
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citizens. This pipeline has not only already destroyed various sites of religious and cultural

significance, nor does it only potentially threaten the Sioux tribe’s main water source and economic

stability should a leak occur, rather, it is also threatening the Native American value, which should

be shared with all Americans, of preserving the earth. The social problem is in the treatment of

these water protectors as if they lesser than the white citizens of Bismarck who refused the pipeline

because of the threat it posed. It is in the viewing of their culture as insignificant compared to that

of “regular” white Americans, and appropriating it whenever we see fit. Furthermore, the social

problem is in the violation of their rights throughout this protest, including not being involved in

the discussion to re-route the Dakota Access Pipeline, itself.

PUBLIC AND SOCIAL POLICY SOLUTIONS

There are certainly an array of possible solutions, but few would be worth even considering

implementation.

Solution 1: Develop a New Treaty. Most likely the least effective solution would be to

develop a new treaty with the Sioux tribe. This would help Dakota Access in the sense that the

land would no longer be in the territory of the Sioux. Not change much else regarding the issue

would be changed or solved, however. The Sioux and other water protectors would still be willing

to protest, as the pipeline, itself, threatens to ruin the water not only of the Sioux Reservation, but

also millions downstream of the Missouri River. Likewise, it does not reverse the damage done

to the religious and cultural sites, though no solution ever will. Such a solution would also be

difficult to implement, as it would lead to protests of its own, namely the continued oppression of

our native peoples.

Solution 2: Environmental Impact Study. The second proposed solution is better, but

still imperfect. One of the major complaints in this debate is that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
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did not do an in-depth environmental impact study. While this would mean halting the project,

which the Dakota Access company would certainly not like to hear, knowledge could be spread

regarding the damage which could be done to the earth. What they would most likely find is that

while pipelines are safer than oil-by-rail systems, which is Dakota Access, LLC’s primary talking

point, pipelines historically fail and the damage done is often irreversible. This could help the

Sioux, as understanding the impact could lead to the company being forced to make advancements

in their design. However, flaws still exist. Primarily, there can never be any promise that a leak

or burst will not occur, and with so much area being covered by the pipeline, it would likely have

multiple breaking points, therefore being difficult to predict or maintain. Secondarily, there is not

much regulation to ensure the U.S. Army Corps properly does their job. Depending on their level

of investment in the project, they may be influenced to do the job quickly, rather than well. This

is especially true as contracts in association with the pipeline are set to expire if the project is not

completed by the first of January (Erbentraut, 2016), just one month away. Likewise, the protesters

may not be swayed even knowing a study has been done. For, if a study has been done and the

Corps gives the go-ahead anyway, they are clearly ignoring a great deal of scientific evidence and

pipeline history.

Solution 3: Move the Pipeline. Another solution is to move the pipeline to protect the

Sioux reservation. As with any plan, there are problems. On the positive side, if the pipeline is

moved to its original route, it would again run through Bismarck. This is not to say that a pipeline

leak would not devastate this area, but it might influence Dakota Access to hire more qualified

laborers and focus on creating a better, higher-quality design to appease the citizens of Bismarck

who originally denied the pipeline due to the environmental risks. Rerouting the pipeline would

also mean that no further damage would need to be done to religious or cultural sites. However,
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as with the other plans, there is no guarantee that the pipeline would not leak or burst or damage

the surrounding land or the local economy. There are still millions that would be impacted by

damage to the pipeline. Even moving the pipeline, it would still be built under the river. This

solution also does not solve the social impact on the Native Americans. There would be no solution

to the inferior nature of how Native Americans are perceived in our culture, though at the very

least, at least we would no longer be taking their land, just threatening it. There would not be a

solution for cultural appropriation, either. Moving the pipeline, though, may be the solution that

keeps the most people happy. The contractors get to build their pipeline, and not on native soil.

However, the threat to the river would still impact the Sioux, meaning protests would likely

continue in the name of Mother Earth, rather than just the reservation, which this protest has always

truly been about.

THE BEST SOLUTION

Solution 4: Stop Construction. The best solution, however, would be to stop construction

completely. Unfortunately, any action done by the Obama Administration may be overturned

when president-elect Trump enters office, meaning resolution can only come from the U.S. Army

Corps of Engineers agreeing to listen to the voices of the Sioux and other water protectors. Though

this solution would certainly not please developers of the project, it does solve a great deal of the

social problem. First, while it cannot reverse damage already done, no further damage would need

to be done to religious or cultural sites. It, within reason, also removes the threat of further damage

to our planet, and it eliminates the risk of a spill under the Missouri River, which helps eradicate

the danger of economic devastation for the same reason.

Most importantly, it proves that Native Americans will be heard, despite police silencing

and brutality. While there would still be so far to go, the Native American people would be one
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step closer to proving they will not remain as secondary to white people. This will not solve the

problem of cultural appropriation, but it is a step in the right direction. Consider, the term Native

American would represent something many would consider, if they do not already, positive: social

and environmental activism and change. In the face of rights violations, the Sioux and other Native

Americans, including those in our own backyard of Maine, have stood up and said, “Enough!”

The flaw with the plan to cancel the project is that it would result in job loss, and it would

not solve the problem of our dependency of foreign oil. However, those problems, too, are

solvable. Despite conservative beliefs that moving toward clean energy would lead to job loss,

energy efficiency would actually stimulate the economy. Moving toward cleaner energy would

also mean we would have no need for a foreign dependency. In fact,

[One] report, from NextGen Climate America, showed that investment in

efficiency, renewable sources of electricity, and fuel switching — such as moving

from fossil fuel-powered cars to electric vehicles — would add a million jobs by

2030, and roughly 2 million jobs by 2050, while increasing GDP by $290 billion

and improving household income. The researchers looked at scenarios that would

reduce emissions by 80 percent below 1990 levels. (Herzog, 2015)

“The construction industry, in particular, could see a huge bump in jobs . . . because it will take a

lot of people to build the wind farms, install the solar panels, and retrofit the buildings needed to

reduce America’s dependence on fossil fuels” (Herzog). Switching to energy-efficiency will be

no small task, but an investment in alternative energy, is an investment for sustainable futures on

this planet we call home.

WNI WICONI

The history of the Native American culture is fascinating, and one we could all learn from.
MNI WICONI: POLICY SOLUTIONS TO THE THREAT POSED BY THE DAPL 20

In particular, there is one man who spoke great truth about our world:

Grandfather, a Lipan Apache born in the 1870s, was one of the last Native

Americans to grow up free from the ideologies of European Americans. He

believed that his duty was, “To help and nurture creation, not to destroy it.” In

general, Native American culture acknowledges that there are enough resources for

all, as long as one takes only what they need. (Alcorn, 2016)

It is this central belief which the Dakota Access Pipeline is, quite literally, bulldozing. As well as

showing us the earth is simply here for us to destroy, the Dakota Access Pipeline has shown us

Native Americans, and other minorities, not just the Sioux, have been viewed as inferior based on

their perceived race for far too long. It has shown us our “right” to free speech is only free when

it does not interrupt corporate greed or challenge social problems. Should we stand up, we face

rubber bullets, tear gas, and arrests. The #NoDAPL movement has proven we are blinded by white

privilege, for we force the ecological, social, and economic risks we refuse to accept on those of

“lower status.” In October, we “celebrated a national holiday commemorating the conquest of

Christopher Columbus. [But] what does it say about us as a society if we celebrate the genocide

and persecution of ancient civilizations” (Alcorn, 2016) particularly when their oppression is still

very real? Though this movement began as an environmental protest, which is an important issue,

it has also shed light on a much bigger problem of oppression, criminalization, and victimization.

The Sioux say, mni wiconi, meaning “water is life” (Sack, 2016), for “we cannot drink oil”

(Johnson, 2016). Unity is also life. Unity, though, can never come to a culture who always focuses

on what sets us all apart, rather than what holds us all together. Which is earth, and water, for mni

wiconi.
MNI WICONI: POLICY SOLUTIONS TO THE THREAT POSED BY THE DAPL 21

References

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Amato, T. (2016). [Graphic illustration depicting #NODAPL and Native American cultural

appropriation]. Tyler Amato, Society6. Retrieved from https://society6.com/product/no-

dapl105456_stretched-canvas#s6-6229256p16a6v28

AreaConnect. (2016). Bismarck City, North Dakota statistics and demographics (US census

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