You remember several months ago seeing your Facebook newsfeed
filled with people who were “checking-in” at Standing Rock. For those of you who aren’t familiar with what
has been happening, people were “checking-in” to show support for the
large-scale protest that has been protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline
(DAPL). The pipeline will transport
470,000 – 570,000 barrels of crude oil from North Dakota to Illinois, traveling
through South Dakota and Iowa along the way.
Supporters, including President Trump, say the pipeline will not
only transport large amounts of oil, but it will do so much more efficiently
and safer than transport by tricks or trains.
Trump has cleared the way for the pipeline to be built, which was halted
under President Obama. It underscores the new
administration’s intent to spur infrastructure development and support the
fossil fuel industry.
Opponents of the pipeline, which include environmental activists
and the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, say a spill would contaminate the Tribe’s
main source of drinking water which is located downstream. Their fears are not unfounded, as the
original route for the pipeline was rejected because it passed by Bismarck, the
North Dakota capitol, and government officials feared a spill could contaminate
their drinking water. Additionally, the
pipeline crosses through areas of cultural importance including sacred burial
grounds and spiritual places of the Sioux Tribe, some of which have already
been destroyed by the construction. Hundreds of protesters have been arrested,
pepper sprayed, hit with rubber bullets, and attacked by police dogs.
This week, we will discuss the concept of “eminent domain,” in
which the government can take your property, if they pay you for it and use for
the public good. So my question to you
this week is, “Do you think pipeline is a good idea? Do protesters have a right to interfere with
the pipeline project? Does the Sioux
Tribe have a right to maintain their sacred lands?” You must answer all questions for full
credit. Answers are due no later than Wednesday,
March 8th, 2017.
P.S. March 8th
is also International Women’s Day –and the theme this year is “Be Bold For
Change.” I encourage you to help forge a better world - a more inclusive, gender
equal world!
I don't think the pipeline is a good idea due to the huge environmental risk and because of the building of fossil fuel infrastructure. If protesters didn't oppose the pipeline the devastation to the environment could match that of the shell and BP pipeline in the Gulf of Mexico. The Sioux Tribe should constitutionally have the right to defend their lands due to the first amendment protecting the religious activities. If the amendment can protect lawful practices, why cant they protect sacred and holy grounds from the religions that have come before America?
ReplyDelete-Matt
Well, peaceful protest is legal, and from what I've heard, the protesters are fairly peaceful. I believe they have a right to protest this pipeline, especially since it will contaminate a water supply for these people. But they don't care. The government has never cared about Native Americans, and if you look back at how our nation was actually colonized, you'll see. Native Americans have been raped, beaten, killed, and have had their land and property taken from them. I don't understand why they are still being lied to and given horrible treatment by the government. I don't know why they hate them so much. Trump can say all he wants about immigrants, but the only people who are true immigrants are Native Americans. I don't understand the hate towards them. Native American culture is interesting. They are very peaceful people, unless provoked. They have a right to protect their land. They protest peacefully, yet government troops come in and shoot them with rubber bullets and attack them with police dogs. This whole situation just makes me sick and part of the reason why I chose alternative fuel. The pipeline is not a good idea, and if we started looking for alternative fuel instead of oil, we could prevent oil pipelines and oil spills.
ReplyDeleteThis is my first time hearing about this pipeline so I do not know much about it. Based on your summary of it, however, I do not think that the pipeline would be a good idea. Contamination of drinking water is not ideal, as it could very well harms a great number of inhabitants of the area. I also think that it is disrespectful to the Sioux tribe if the places it would have to go through interfere with places of cultural importance. They most definitely have the right to maintain their sacred grounds. Assuming that these grounds have been there long before this idea even came into play, the government does not have the right to destroy their property, especially if we've already got an effective way of transporting oil.
ReplyDeleteLastly, I do think that protesters have the right to interfere with the project. Isn't that a constitutional right? If the citizens do not agree with the government or what they are doing, they have the right to overthrow or get rid of them? I could be wrong but overall I most definitely think that they have the right to oppose the pipeline if they have legitimate concerns.
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ReplyDeleteIm not really familiar with the pipelines that's going on, I just hear about it from here and there but this what I think. I don't think its a good idea, the pipelines will make climate change worse by pumping hundreds of thousands of gallons into a shale oil market daily. Its very disrespectful to the Sioux tribe because their people have been there for generations and that's their culture. They were the first ones to be in America, there was a large amount of population of them but now its decreasing. Its messed up hearing that the troops had to shoot the Native Americans with rubber bullets just because they were trying to protect their sacred land. They have the rights to protest and protect their sacred ground, id do the same if I was in their shoes.
ReplyDeleteThis is Kaeli V
ReplyDeleteI think the pipeline is a bad idea. We've already done enough being invaders of Native American lands, putting a pipeline in their sacred ground isn't going to do any good; it invades their property and gives them no say in the project. They have a right to protest against the pipeline. From all the posts I've seen about Standing Rock, I can say without a doubt that they have a right protest; they care so much about their home that they should be able to say something about the pipeline. I say the Sioux Tribe does have a right to maintain their home, they've been peaceful all this time and no one should be pushing them away from their land.
While the pipeline is good for our country's economic growth, I don't believe going over the lands of people is appropriate in any sense. Knowing someone who is fighting for the deconstruction of the pipeline, I been watching his journey and standing up against it. It is a lot more serious than what most people are lead to believe. My friend has been protesting the whole entire thing and I support him. There has already been a leak as well, contaminating some of the water around the area.
ReplyDeleteIf there was a zero percent risk factor that the pipe would cause harm to the environment than i would say it is a good idea. However that is highly unlikely. Pipes eventually begin to break down, can suffer from weather damage; even underground, and can break. As Murphy's Law says: If anything can go wrong, it will. Regarding the protesters I do believe they have the right to protest against something they do not believe in. It is our rights as citizens to speak out on matters like this. I also believe that the Sioux Tribe has a right to their land. We wouldn't tear down a national land mark or a state park for projects like these and we wouldn't risk the drinking water of a rich american for said projects either, so why should we take such risk and defile their sacred lands.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the pipeline is a good idea in the sense of economical extravagance, but a bad idea in the sense of a possible environmental catastrophe. I think protestors have a right to interfere until it gets to the point of violence. The Sioux Tribe has a right to maintain their sacred land. Native American reserves are a sensitive subject for debate, but I think they have every right to preserve their land.
ReplyDeleteWhile the pipeline sounds like a good idea economically, perhaps the government and oil industries should look into more ways to get what they want without harming a tribe's land, in addition to funding more efforts to prevent oil spillage. They may have looked into more options already, but trying to force a tribe out of their sacred land is highly unethical, this is essentially how wars can start. As for protesters, peaceful protests can be helpful but I also happened upon an image online where many protesters (who I assume were not native to the land) left a lot of garbage to be dealt with during their time protesting. So, it could be possible that it's a lose-lose situation, unfortunately. Trump may essentially have his way, and the people living in the way of the pipeline can either keep protesting, or deal with moving.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with the idea of the pipeline. Being Native American, I understand the trouble and pain Native American tribes have been through and are still going through. The Sioux Tribe has the right to protest. Native Americans have been killed and tortured for their land, they deserve to try and stop the pipeline project. Native Americans do not have tons of sacred land left, so why ruin the little bit of land they do have. The government should not force the Sioux Tribe off of their land. The land is rightfully theirs and they deserve to have a pipeless land.
ReplyDeleteI do not think pipeline is a good idea. I think protesters should not have a right to interfere with the pipeline project physically. I think the Sioux Tribe should have a right to maintain their sacred lands, but at the same time this is a modern era.
ReplyDeleteI think the pipeline is a dumb idea that the government didn't even bother talking about with the Sioux tribe. Though this isn't the first time the government has screwed over the Native population, this is one of the most prominent examples of the government not caring about Native Americans. The Sioux tribe has a right to not have a pipe thrown into the middle of their land.
ReplyDeleteI think the pipeline is somewhat of a good idea and also a bad idea it's a good idea because it's going to help the transportation involving trains and other stuff calling less work for us to do but the same time it seemed like it would mess up the tribe water source causing it to contaminate. And I don't think that we should try to take over their land because they were there first that if they want to share their land with us and we will be happy to take it but if they don't want their land to be taken we shouldn't try to force it take it and want to come to the protesters interrupting with the pipeline project I think yes they have the right to do whatever they want they want to protest and protest is called freedom of speech if they feel that the pipeline is a bad idea for the people and yes let them do so.
ReplyDeleteI think the pipeline is somewhat of a good idea and also a bad idea it's a good idea because it's going to help the transportation involving trains and other stuff calling less work for us to do but the same time it seemed like it would mess up the tribe water source causing it to contaminate. And I don't think that we should try to take over their land because they were there first that if they want to share their land with us and we will be happy to take it but if they don't want their land to be taken we shouldn't try to force it take it and want to come to the protesters interrupting with the pipeline project I think yes they have the right to do whatever they want they want to protest and protest is called freedom of speech if they feel that the pipeline is a bad idea for the people and yes let them do so.
ReplyDeleteNo I don't think its a good idea it could potentially damage the environment and it has been stopped before by one President why revive it. They have a right yes. It would go against their freedom of speech if we stopped them. Of course they tribe has the right. Its their land and if some government project could harm it why wouldn't they be upset.
ReplyDeleteI dont like the pipeline idea because they are putting it on on land that they gave back to the natives and now taking it away again. pipelines often leak and it is going to be bad for the land and the waters on that land. the future generations of kids will have to deal with that.
ReplyDeleteThe pipeline is not an awful idea, the placement is just awful. I think we need independence from the middle eastern stranglehold on oil, but i do not think we should force this tribe off of their land. We have put Native Americans through way too much already and to continue these ways truly upsets me. The protesters have every right to interfere with this process in hopes of securing these sacred lands for this tribe.
ReplyDelete