After months of peaceful protests, withstanding militarized police state viciousness, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe members and supporters won a glorious, though perhaps temporary, victory.
On Sunday, the US Army Corp of Engineers announced it “will not grant easement for Dakota Access Pipeline crossing . . . under Lake Oahe in North Dakota . . .”
Army Assistant Secretary for Civil Works Jo-Ellen Darcy based her decision “on a need to explore alternate routes for the (DAPL) crossing,” adding, “Although we have had continuing discussion and exchanges of new information with the Standing Rock Sioux and Dakota Access, it’s clear that there’s more work to do.”
“The best way to complete that work responsibly and expeditiously is to explore alternate routes for the pipeline crossing”—through an environmental assessment with public involvement.
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe chairman Dave Archambault II released a statement, saying in part, “We want to thank everyone who played a role in advocating for this cause”—including Sioux Tribe members, millions of global supporters, thousands coming to Standing Rock, and many others “donat[ing] time, talent, and money to our efforts to stand against this pipeline in the name of protecting our water” and sacred ancestral land.
Separately, he said, “This is something that will go down in history and is a blessing for all indigenous people.”
Given Washington’s deplorable history of saying one thing and doing another, including consistently betraying Native Americans since the republic’s inception, it’s too early to declare victory.
The struggle for justice in Standing Rock and for all abused and exploited Americans continues.
As long as wealth, power and privilege alone is served, ordinary people will be denied their fundamental rights, especially the nation’s most vulnerable.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. His new book as editor and contributor is “Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.” Visit his blog at sjlendman.blogspot.com . Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network. It airs three times weekly: live on Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded archived programs.
