Showdown at Standing Rock Is Not Just About the Dakota Access Pipeline

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Showdown at Standing Rock Is Not Just About the Dakota Access Pipeline

 

The Sioux are not alone among indigenous people pushing for the rights and protections they've long been denied

 

By Cayte Bosler • 11/23/16 8:00am

 

What began as a legal battle between the Sioux Tribe and the company building the Dakota Access Pipeline has turned into a movement that suggests something bigger is brewing.

 

Sunday night at Standing Rock in North Dakota, police injured as many as 300 protesters leaving at least one young woman in critical condition, and at least 26 people seeking medical care at nearby hospitals, according to the Standing Rock Medic and Healer Council. The police attack on an estimated 400 people included a barrage of rubber bullets, tear gas, concussion grenades, and pelts of icy water despite the freezing temperatures. At least 16 people were arrested on Monday after continued demonstrations.

 

The Morton County Sheriff Department has taken an unapologetic stance on the use of less-lethal force. In a Facebook post today on the county’s official page, Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier said, “We’re just not going to let people or protestors in large groups come in and threaten officers, that’s not happening.” At local press conferences in recent weeks, Chief and Sheriff spokespersons for the county consistently depict the protesters as “rioters” who throw rocks, set things to fire, dismantle barricades and overall, “threaten control and order.”