Some quick responses to US Army Corps of Engineers halting DAPL construction

art by Chameleon Horse art & design.

Trolling the internet I found a few interesting statements about today’s announcement that the US Army Corps of Engineers has denied the easement to drill under Lake Oahe, a reservoir of the Missouri River.  I took the liberty of collecting a few FB comments, some of which contradict Standing Rock Sioux tribal chair tribal chair Dave Archambault II’s statement that protesters should now go home…

Rax Symelich stated:
“No, the DAPL is not dead. No, we didn’t win. No, no, no. It’s a trick.  The Army Corps of Engineers has declined to grant the easement for Energy Transfer Partners’ drilling under Lake Oahe. This isn’t the same as denying it outright.  “What it means is that they will do a limited Environmental Impact Study before allowing the drilling. The EIS could take months, by which time Trump will be president and they hope all the water protectors leave so they can finish the pipeline quietly with no media attention.”

Pennelys Droz stated:
“DAPL says it will drill anyway — without a permit. Oceti Sakowin water protectors urged to stay in camp. The Army Corps of Engineers denied DAPL Permit! The announcement was made live in the Big Circle at Oceti Sakowin Camp, live on Standing Rock Spirit Resistance Radio. Now from the Camp: DAPL is expected to pay the fines and continue drililng without a permit. At Oceti Sakowin Camp, they urged people not to leave the camp, because DAPL might drill anyway, without a permit. “Stick around and make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Klee Benally, an organizer with Indigenous Action and who was involved for several years in a campaign to stop ski resort in the San Francisco Peaks, stated:

“Celebrate the victories we have, but stay vigilant. The NEPA process is not designed to serve Indigenous interests. We’ve experienced this through the desecration of sacred places such as the San Francisco Peaks. We’ve had Environmental Impact Statements facilitate desecration of sacred places under the Obama administration so just imagine what the Trump administration’s EPA is going to look like. Fascists like him have been trying to gut the NEPA processes for years. To fully stop these pipelines we have to also shut down the systems that generate them. Protect all sacred places, bring the struggle home. Celebrate, pray, organize, and continue to fight back.”