Standing Their Ground

After four hundred years of being pushed around, the native peoples of North America have had enough.

The Dakota Access oil pipeline, which was planned to go through land in North Dakota sacred to the Sioux and cross the Missouri River - and would thus contaminate the Sioux tribe's drinking water if it were to leak after being so routed - has aroused ire and indignation among the Sioux and their Native American allies.  They've occupied the point where the pipeline would cross the river - at Standing Rock - and they have been protesting the pipeline's proposed route.  In the time that has passed since the protests began, authorities have arrested many protesters and have used violent means to get them to disperse - much to the shock and disgust of the American people.  Law enforcement has treated white men who occupy federal land with kid gloves but has brutally tried to suppress Indians claiming what is rightfully theirs.

President Obama's position on this interesting, to put it mildly.  Saying that his administration is "monitoring this closely," the President  has stated that the Army Corps is examining possible ways to re-route the pipeline. 

"We're going to let it play out for several more weeks, and determine whether or not this could be resolved in a way that is properly attentive to the traditions of the First Americans," Obama says.  Let it play out?  Given that the protest site is looking like a war zone, that doesn't look like - no, isn't - a strategy.

In any case, the native peoples of this country - this country that was stolen from them - have made it clear.  They will not be pushed around any more.