Dakota Access Pipeline

Published Post

12/09/2021, 15:55 PM

DAPL (Dakota Access Pipeline): A Wakeup Call for. America and a Time for Serious Reflection

​

DAPL (Dakota Access Pipeline): A Wakeup Call for America and a Time for Serious Reflection

The Dakota Access Pipeline was a pipeline designed to run through North Dakota. According to the Native Americans, it was going to go through sacred tribal land. The protests were really intense. Nobody was anything like it. I think it exploded all this cramped up emotion of repressed Native Americans for hundreds of years when we took their land but even before that. There was a Native American genocide hundreds of years ago. Since then they have been displaced and treated poorly. They have been pushed to the side and kept in reservations. But that also might be where they feel most comfortable and sacred at this point. So when their land was being threatened, it hurt them a lot because they are given so little and asked for nothing.

The protests were publicized globally. There were famous people protesting such as Bernie Sanders. Shailene Woodly, actress from ‘the Fault of our Stars’ was actually arrested because the police claimed she went through boundaries. Many people wouldn’t leave and set up tents there for sleeping even in bad weather. They were committed and not going anywhere. It made national news and had protests around the world.

A lot of people did social media protests. People logged into Standing Rock (the Standing Rock Native American tribe was affected the most) to show their support. It was all over newsfeed on facebook especially among young people. It was considered hip and cool. But some people I know were just doing it because everyone else was doing it. They had no idea of the real reason but it helped raise more awareness nevertheless. That was the point; for people to ask questions.

I think it raised awareness for the environment too.

It was ignored though at the top like when Barack Obama was president. He knew policemen were squirting the public with force and the military was involved. He did nothing for the cause.

Hopefully, this gave Native Americans positive and appropriate recognition. Hopefully we will one day be intergraded with Native Americans in society. I personally want to see Native Americans as doctors, actors, celebrities, scientists and congressmen. They have a lot of natural remedies that can contribute to health and science. I want to see them own restaurants with their own cuisine. We can help them live better as well. Right now they are poor; despite one’s getting rich off of their casinos. It’s sad that really the only integration we have with them is in casinos; their only known business.

I wanted to visit a reservation but I’d have to travel far. I once tried to visit one in New York but it wasn’t a real tribal reservation. It was a place that sold cheap cigarettes. I stuck my head out of the car window and asked a pedestrian where the real tribal reservation was. I think he just wanted money and pointed to random buildings like it was a tour. It was really funny but also really sad. The closest I’ve come to a cultural Native American place or reservation was at the Smithsonian Native American museum near Battery Park. They had exhibits with weapons and displays of manakins with Native American fashion. It was a gorgeous spectacle but too small in my opinion for what Native Americans deserve.

I hope this post raises awareness as well.