SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
"The world needs to know what is happening to the indigenous peoples of the United States," Standing Rock chairman Archambault said in a statement. (Photo: John Duffy/flickr/cc)
To Protect "Our Nation's Future," Tribal Chairman Takes Fight Against Pipeline to UN
"I am here because oil companies are causing the deliberate destruction of our sacred places and burials," says chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe
Sep 21, 2016
Amid ongoing signs of solidarity with his tribe's fight to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline, Standing Rock Chairman Dave Archambault II has urged the United Nations Human Rights Council to help stop the fossil fuel project in order "to protect the environment, our nation's future, our culture, and our way of life."
He addressed the 47-member body in a two-minute address on Tuesday in which he condemned the destruction of sacred sites the pipeline company has already caused as well as the future environmental and cultural threats the completed "enormous" pipeline would pose, and said and the U.S. government has "failed to protect our sovereign rights."
"I am here because oil companies are causing the deliberate destruction of our sacred places and burials. Dakota Access Pipeline wants to build an oil pipeline under the river that is the source of our nation's drinking water. This pipeline threatens our communities, the rivers, and the earth."
"This company has knowingly destroyed sacred sites and our ancestral graves with bulldozers," he continued. "This company has also used attack dogs to harm individuals who try to protect our water and sacred sites," he said, referring to the incident earlier this month documented by Democracy Now!.
"We call upon the Human Rights Council and all member states to condemn the destruction of our sacred sites and to support our Nation's efforts to ensure that our sovereign rights are respected. We ask that you call upon all parties to stop the construction of Dakota Access Pipeline and to protect the environment, our nation's future, our culture, and our way of life."
The Indian Law Resource Center posted his address to YouTube, which you can see below:
"The world needs to know what is happening to the indigenous peoples of the United States," Archambault said in a statement, adding, "I hope the U.N. will use its influence and international platform to protect the rights of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe."
An Unconstitutional Rampage
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Amid ongoing signs of solidarity with his tribe's fight to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline, Standing Rock Chairman Dave Archambault II has urged the United Nations Human Rights Council to help stop the fossil fuel project in order "to protect the environment, our nation's future, our culture, and our way of life."
He addressed the 47-member body in a two-minute address on Tuesday in which he condemned the destruction of sacred sites the pipeline company has already caused as well as the future environmental and cultural threats the completed "enormous" pipeline would pose, and said and the U.S. government has "failed to protect our sovereign rights."
"I am here because oil companies are causing the deliberate destruction of our sacred places and burials. Dakota Access Pipeline wants to build an oil pipeline under the river that is the source of our nation's drinking water. This pipeline threatens our communities, the rivers, and the earth."
"This company has knowingly destroyed sacred sites and our ancestral graves with bulldozers," he continued. "This company has also used attack dogs to harm individuals who try to protect our water and sacred sites," he said, referring to the incident earlier this month documented by Democracy Now!.
"We call upon the Human Rights Council and all member states to condemn the destruction of our sacred sites and to support our Nation's efforts to ensure that our sovereign rights are respected. We ask that you call upon all parties to stop the construction of Dakota Access Pipeline and to protect the environment, our nation's future, our culture, and our way of life."
The Indian Law Resource Center posted his address to YouTube, which you can see below:
"The world needs to know what is happening to the indigenous peoples of the United States," Archambault said in a statement, adding, "I hope the U.N. will use its influence and international platform to protect the rights of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe."
Amid ongoing signs of solidarity with his tribe's fight to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline, Standing Rock Chairman Dave Archambault II has urged the United Nations Human Rights Council to help stop the fossil fuel project in order "to protect the environment, our nation's future, our culture, and our way of life."
He addressed the 47-member body in a two-minute address on Tuesday in which he condemned the destruction of sacred sites the pipeline company has already caused as well as the future environmental and cultural threats the completed "enormous" pipeline would pose, and said and the U.S. government has "failed to protect our sovereign rights."
"I am here because oil companies are causing the deliberate destruction of our sacred places and burials. Dakota Access Pipeline wants to build an oil pipeline under the river that is the source of our nation's drinking water. This pipeline threatens our communities, the rivers, and the earth."
"This company has knowingly destroyed sacred sites and our ancestral graves with bulldozers," he continued. "This company has also used attack dogs to harm individuals who try to protect our water and sacred sites," he said, referring to the incident earlier this month documented by Democracy Now!.
"We call upon the Human Rights Council and all member states to condemn the destruction of our sacred sites and to support our Nation's efforts to ensure that our sovereign rights are respected. We ask that you call upon all parties to stop the construction of Dakota Access Pipeline and to protect the environment, our nation's future, our culture, and our way of life."
The Indian Law Resource Center posted his address to YouTube, which you can see below:
"The world needs to know what is happening to the indigenous peoples of the United States," Archambault said in a statement, adding, "I hope the U.N. will use its influence and international platform to protect the rights of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.