Prairie Band Potawatomi Tribal members (from left) SahBi Potts, Knowee Potts and Keesis Potts are shown above holding signs in protest of the proposed Dakota Access Pipeline during the Mayetta Pioneer Day parade on Saturday, Aug. 10. (Photo by Ali Holcomb)

Potawatomis supporting Standing Rock pipeline protest

 

The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation has pledged its support for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe as it protests the Dakota Access Pipeline, it has been reported.

Throughout the past several weeks, members of the PBPN have collected donations, sent tribal members to North Dakota to stand in protest of the pipeline and have sent an official letter of support to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. The PBPN has also drafted a resolution declaring its opposition to the pipeline.

The crude oil Dakota Access Pipeline currently being constructed is expected to stretch more than 1,100 miles from Illinois to North Dakota and would cross underneath the Missouri River a mile north of the Standing Rock Sioux reservation. The river is the reservation’s primary source of drinking water. 

The pipeline’s developer, Energy Transfer Partners of Texas, says the pipeline is expected to cost $3.8 billion. The company says that moving oil by pipeline is far safer than putting it on trains or trucks and that the pipeline with generate revenue and jobs in North Dakota.

Since 1995, there has been more than 2,000 significant accidents on oil and gas pipelines, causing about $3 billion in property damage, it was reported.

Standing Rock tribal members are concerned that the pipeline could damage their water supply and they have reported its construction has already damaged sacred burial sites, cultural artifacts and ancestral lands.

The protest began in April when a few tribal members from Standing Rock set up camp in a small valley, rallying behind the mantra “Water is life.”

Five months later, representatives from more than 200 Native American tribes have attended and participated in the occupation. Among the rows and rows of flags representing tribal nations, a flag from PBPN is displayed.

At the end of August, Nathan Hale, PBPN Boys & Girls Club director, and Chago Hale, PBPN road and bridge director, were sent to the reservation in North Dakota with a pallet of bottled water and other supplies donated by the community.

“There was a great vibe and sense of community there. It was awesome to see so many different groups of peoples and tribes come together in such a way,” Hale said in an article on the PBPN website.

A second wave of supplies, including bug spray, flashlights, batteries, tents, tarps, blankets and non-perishable food items, were collected through last Wednesday. They were transported by van on Thursday to Standing Rock by Liana Onnen, tribal council chairperson; Zach Pahmahmie, tribal council vice chairperson; and Carrie O’Toole, tribal council member.

“If we, as Indian nations, do not stand with Standing Rock, then we imply that this lack of consultation is acceptable not only for Standing Rock, but for all Indian nations, and it is not,” Onnen is also quoted as saying on the nation’s website. “With the recent revelations that easements were not property obtained by the corps of engineers, it is important to continue to monitor and support their efforts.”

The tribe is also making an undisclosed monetary donation to the Standing Rock tribe for efforts related to the protest.

Additional local collections and events to support the protestors may be held in the future depending on how much longer the protest continues, it was reported.

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe experienced a victory last Friday when the Department of Justice blocked construction on part of the pipeline.

The protest is making national headlines. On Tuesday, Sept. 13, a rally, which drew more than 500 people, was held in front of the White House in Washington D.C. and included remarks by Sen. Bernie Sanders. 

The Holton Recorder

109 W. Fourth St.
Holton, KS 66436
Phone: 785-364-3141
 

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