{"id":6142,"date":"2017-02-21T08:00:59","date_gmt":"2017-02-21T13:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/?p=6142"},"modified":"2017-02-15T11:42:55","modified_gmt":"2017-02-15T16:42:55","slug":"february-26-2017-mountain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/february-26-2017-mountain\/","title":{"rendered":"February 26, 2017–Down From the Mountain"},"content":{"rendered":"

Herb Wounded Head, Brooking, SD
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Warm-up Question<\/strong><\/p>\n

Were you ever in or have you seen a natural disaster (fire, flood, hurricane, tornado)?\u00a0 Describe the experience.<\/p>\n

Down from the Mountain
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Perhaps you have heard about the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) project and subsequent protests. There\u2019s plenty of controversy surrounding DAPL and plenty of questions surrounding what\u2019s happening in North Dakota near the Standing Rock Reservation. People have come from around the globe to protest or support the project. Many people think that the Native leaders from the Standing Rock had plenty of time to respond to the proposal. Others have said that only certain people had been approached and that the informational meetings were not made widely available to the tribal members.\u00a0 Proponents believe the pipeline is necessary and a safer way to transport oil than additional trucks on the road.<\/p>\n

Arguments against the DAPL include protecting clean water, respecting tribal sovereignty, and even protecting the creation as a whole. But did you know that the very first protest of the DAPL was from a group of High School students? Standing Rock youth launched a petition called\u00a0Rezpect our Water<\/a>, and in mid-July set out on a 500-mile relay run to Washington, DC to deliver a petition of 160,000 signatures. http:\/\/billmoyers.com\/story\/need-know-dakota-access-pipeline-protest\/<\/a><\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t the first time that the Standing Rock and Cheyenne River tribal peoples have had disagreements with the government over land and water rights. In 1944, Congress approved the Pick-Sloan Plan for flood control and navigation of the Missouri River, which cuts through the heart of North and South Dakota. The plan involved the construction of four dams, which impacted twenty-three Native reservations. As a result, one thousand Native families were forcibly displaced. Many Native leaders charged that the project selected Native lands rather than non-Native lands while also ignoring tribal sovereignty, Indian law and treaty rights.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pick%E2%80%93Sloan_Missouri_Basin_Program<\/a><\/p>\n

This is a complex story which began long before the current controversy. Natives have had difficulty dealing with government entities since before the days of colonization in the United States. When we come with much baggage and hard feelings, working together can be impossible. It\u2019s almost as if the two parties have such a scarred relationship that they are unwilling to listen to one another\u2019s needs and wants, let alone be able to work together.<\/p>\n

Discussion Questions<\/strong><\/p>\n