Shiprock passes four resolutions on DAPL

SHIPROCK

For Diné who gathered at the Shiprock on Nov. 22, the struggle against the Dakota Access Pipeline in Standing Rock, North Dakota, hits close to home.

Shiprock President Duane “Chili” Yazzie invited community members to talk about their experiences regarding the events, learn about three resolutions passed by the chapter in support of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and their supporters, and watch videos posted on social media about the events unfolding as police clash with water protectors.

The conflict in Standing Rock began in April when tribe members began gathering in camps in opposition to a 1,172-mile-long pipeline slated to go under the Missouri River at Lake Oahe, which the tribe and supporters say would endanger their primary source of drinking water.

The police response led by the Morton County Sheriff’s Office has escalated over time. Most recently, drone footage showed police spraying water on unarmed protesters in reportedly cold weather conditions.

“I think we all know what’s happening up there,” Yazzie said.

He said the events taking place are getting serious and that he expects injuries or possibly death of water protectors.

“Pretty soon, people are going to start getting hurt real bad,” he said.

The main camp houses hundreds of tents and water protectors on Army Corps of Engineer land at the edge of the river off of State Highway 1806. The Corps recently announced that the camp has until Dec. 5 to vacate. The Corps said it will not move to evict the water protectors, but North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple ordered an emergency evacuation of the camp on Monday according to reports from the Associated Press.

Since events began unfolding, corporate media outlets have been covering police and private security actions in and around the camp sparsely. Social media has filled in the gap to an extent. Yazzie showed some videos posted on Facebook to give people an idea of the events unfolding. He encouraged people to support the camps in whatever way they could.

“We can’t just watch this thing from down here,” he said.

For the chapter’s part, they passed four resolutions regarding the situation that Yazzie shared with those gathered at the chapter house.

He displayed a resolution that expressed “unequivocal support in the strongest terms” for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and their allies in their fight against the $3.8 billion project under Energy Transfer Partners, L.P., in Texas. The second resolution called on the North Dakota governor, the Morton County sheriff, the state police and other law enforcement to stop using “violent militarized means” against the water protectors. He showed a resolution that called on Congress to intervene to stop the same tactics used by police. He also presented a resolution to have Navajo Nation leaders in the legislative and executive branches divest from Wells Fargo Bank, which is invested in the pipeline.

“That’s our money. That’s our kids’ money,” he said.

---