Dear Larry,
As you read this, thousands of Indigenous Peoples are camped along the banks of the Missouri River in North Dakota. They’re fighting to protect their land and water from the construction of the Dakota Access oil and gas pipeline. And it’s up to the President to decide.
These peaceful water protectors have been met with violence from militarized police forces. They’ve put their bodies and lives on the line in the face of pepper spray, rubber bullets, dogs, and arrests.
In January, this will be in Donald Trump’s hands. Donald Trump, who supports the militarization of the police. Donald Trump, who rode a wave of hatred and bigotry to all the way to the White House. Donald Trump, who doesn’t believe in protecting our environment.
So all the more reason President Obama needs to take a stand right now. He could stop the violence. He could stop construction of the pipeline. And if he acts now, we’ll have even more power to fight back when Trump takes over.
The Standing Rock Sioux are asking for your help. Will you join them in the fight for their rights?
The Dakota Access pipeline would carry fracked crude oil 1,168 miles through North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and Illinois. It would cut through communities, wildlife habitat, and the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s ancestral lands – putting their drinking water at risk.
Last week, pipeline construction reached the Missouri River. Energy Transfer Partners, the company behind the pipeline, has said that it plans to start digging under the river in less than two weeks.
The federal government has called on Energy Transfer Partners to slow down. President Obama has suggested rerouting the pipeline. But asking the company to do the right thing isn’t enough. The Obama administration must deny the final permit to construct the pipeline!
Indigenous leaders have asked for solidarity actions across the country in a National Day of Action to push the Administration to do just that. They need you with them!
The Obama administration fast-tracked this project by waiving normal environmental reviews. And it failed to meaningfully consult with Indigenous peoples, violating the Standing Rock Sioux’s treaty rights. But now, it’s starting to signal that it could change course and do the right thing.
The Indigenous peoples’ centuries-long fight for cultural survival is at stake. As we contemplate four years of a Trump Administration, a few things are clear: we have to keep fighting. And we have to show up for each other.
Our country has been stoked by the flames of fear, bigotry, and division. Now, it’s time to come together and support the Standing Rock Sioux in their fight for justice.
Standing with you,Michelle Chan,
Vice president of programs,
Friends of the Earth
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