The Standing Rock Sioux tribe has announced that the Sacred Fire of the Seven Councils has been put to sleep. “The movement is in a phase of transition and growth. The encampment brought global attention to our struggle, and now we face the task of carrying that momentum forward…”
The sacred fire of the Seven Councils has been put to sleep.
The sacred fire can be lit in our hearts internally and spirituality forever.
The Horn has been filled with water and love and now the seeds of this water and love are being given to the world…
As we are caretakers of this land we are familiar with the oncoming flooding of the land of Mni S’os’e (Missouri River)…
We ask occupants of the Oc’eti Oyate to evacuate as soon as possible for safety reasons.
The call to leave the camps at Oceti Sakowin – to move the Sacred Fire – came from tribal leaders weeks ago as winter temperatures plummeted. Now the Standing Rock Sioux – the people most familiar with this land – can see the soil erosion resulting from the camps that hosted thousands of supporters, and the prospect of floods coming with the spring thaw. They have begun the hard work of cleaning up the camps. Tribal leaders emphasize that the tribe is “cleaning, not clearing” the camps, and has not asked for law enforcement support.
Without a request from the tribe, BIA Acting Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, Michael Black, has said that the federal government is sending agents to assist in the removal of protestors and to clean up the camps. Local law enforcement agencies continue forcible arrest and removal, with violent tactics recorded and reported in social media.
Now, the Army Corps of Engineers has announced that it will issue the easements necessary to allow for the completion of the Dakota Access Pipeline, the 1200-mile line that will carry crude oil from North Dakota to Illinois, through South Dakota and Iowa. The easement specifically allows construction of the pipeline under Lake Oahe in North Dakota, which is a federally owned lake. Because President Trump has ordered that the project be completed as quickly as possible, there will be no environmental review, as ordered by President Obama in December.
What to do now?
In a public statement issued by the tribe on February 4, tribal leaders framed this phase of the movement:
*“The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and our movement as a whole are in a phase of transition and growth. The encampments brought global attention to our struggle, and now we face the task of carrying that momentum forward as we work to defeat this pipeline and other projects that deny the rights of indigenous people.” *
Follow the leading of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe: “We ask our allies to be grounded in prayer in all that you do.”
Respect the leadership of the tribe as a matter of tribal sovereignty. Tribal leaders point to continued legal challenges; support the necessary legal resources.
Be sure that your own representative and senators know how you see this action, taken in opposition to the tribe whose waters will be most affected by the pipeline. While this particular action is unlikely to be reversed by Congress, it is just one in a long chain of takings from Native people. There will be more; members of Congress need to hear that constituents – non-Indian as well as Indian – care deeply about these issues. Find information here on contacting your representative and senators.
Stay engaged with continuing opportunities in Congress to support Native peoples who seek to protect their rights, their land, their language, their culture, their children, and their future. We lay out these opportunities in the monthly Native American Legislative Update, and in alerts, such as this one, that we send out as needed. Sign up here for the Native American Legislative Update.
