Dakota Access pipeline continues America’s oldest narrative: Cowboys vs. Indians – WBNews

Despite ongoing prayerful protest by an unprecedented coalition aligned against its completion, drilling has recommenced on the Dakota Access pipeline. Even so, we must not lose hope. So many people, so many groups, continue to join our resistance. It’s only natural that we Lakota lead this struggle. Native nations have been ignored and our people killed in the name of progress for centuries. Nothing surprises us. When the Army Corps of Engineers rerouted the pipeline, we were not surprised the powers that be quickly approved running it through our land and waterways instead. We were not surprised with this week’s ruling against our temporary restraining order. I was not surprised to be arrested and charged with felony counts for peacefully demonstrating. The cruel truth is, when a black person in America attempts to confront injustice, he is all too often arrested — or shot. It is no different for us. We understand the Black Lives Matter movement, and we empathize. This is not a new battle for us, but the pipeline has expanded its scope. Our protest represents the intersection of several powerful ideals: protecting human, civil and indigenous rights; respecting the Constitution; and safeguarding Mother Earth, our sacred relative, whose lineage and wonders we all enjoy the privilege to share.I was born and raised in Standing Rock Nation, the home of Sitting Bull. I drew my first breaths on and around the Missouri River. I hunted and fished this beautiful land, and learned of its sacred sites and the…more detail