Here you can read about it and watch some video from the spot:
Dakota Access Pipeline Protests
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| Source: http://www.narf.org |
What do you think about their struggle? Do you think that company should stop its project or people should stop protesting against it?
Promises, promises.. From the very beginning, as soon as the white man set foot on Indian land, a white man lied and cheated, and when the Indians began to oppose, the white people began to take by force the lands of the Indians. We have a XXI century, if anything has changed? Native Americans are still at the very end as citizens, are still being lied to, robbed, and their opinion does not count, and when they protest, the government treat them armed national guard. USA meddle to other countries, impose their will on other countries, they feel and try to be heroes, create movies in which they always win, and the effect is that they are deprived of dignity, honor and above all humanity. And the worst part is that for their stupidity paying people the least guilty, who are having with their stupidity nothing in common.
ReplyDeleteStruggle never ends ;) also I've read this one some time ago:
Deletehttp://edition.cnn.com/2016/10/29/us/dakota-pipeline-standing-rock-sioux/index.html
It's seems that some of tribesman got more problem with people who came from around the world to fight with oil company rather then pippeline itself.
ReplyDeleteIt is always difficult to reconcile economic development with the local people. In this case, the fact that the Indians are more difficult to reach agreement.
We should also remember that technical progress is still growing and leaking pipelines will become less and less, the more that these are losses for the companies that manage them. I think we should come to an agreement, but the more that it will strike the Indians, who have already lost a lot of decisions by different people in the past, for example. Businessmen who do not count at all with their opinion.
Probably fact that media interested in those protests will let tribesmen to fight more effectively for their homeland.
DeleteDescribed issue isn’t the one and only case of such conflict in the world. Obviously this one gathered international attention due to fact that public opinion may say that native Americans are suffering from white man hand again. But it’s no different than i.e. bypass of Augustów.
ReplyDeleteWe have two sides of conflict. One side is trying to make reasonable, cost-effective decision which makes the other side losing their minds as they interpret it as pure will to destroy the nature. Usually in this kind of cases facts are not that white and black as we wished they were. There are always a lot of people who are not in front of the cameras, not in the center of media attention, but willing to make a good deal out of conflict. And many (if not most) decisions are made based on potential financial hurt / financial gain.
In general I believe that the only solution is to make fair deal between Sioux and DAP. The biggest step forward is to be done by DAP – they have to promise and ensure that potential environmental hurt coming from leaking pipelines is either minor, can be easily mitigated, or they will invest additional money in making environment extra-safe. Otherwise (as polish example shows) protests can last over many years, without any clear outcome…
World is full of conflicts on every level and negotitations help to avoid them. In this case it obviously failed - one side of it wasn't ready to give fair price to the other one and in effect case gone worldwide.. Question is if they will try to renegotiate it or go towards using brutal force - which will escalate this conflict.
DeleteI think that Indians exaggerates this situation. Presidential election time is a good moment for protest. This is popular in media. Minority groups often use media for improve your economical situation.
ReplyDeleteThis people not want resolve this conflict by negotiations process. I hope that designers can modify this pipeline project (in example additional security and togheter determine reaction process for any accident) and all will be happy.
Maybe they exagerate it to achieve more declarations from DAP? That they will maintain pipline and keep it in good condidtion and secure from any accidents dangerous to the environment. I'm not sure if USA government got much to say in case of private property and investment.
DeleteSuch conflicts are nothing new. Here in Poland there are often similar protests. Maybe not with the native inhabitants, but just with residents and environmentalists.
ReplyDeleteMostly both one and the other side replant.
The key to success is to work out an agreement. Sometimes it is enough that the company will pay the appropriate amount, and then it's after the protest... That's how much it's all worth...
So, in most cases there is no need to cancel the project. Just a couple of major or minor changes, a little money and you can continue.
Money makes the world go round :) But I think things go different when there is group of people who believe in something and it's important for them. In such case there is no way to buy them.
DeleteI agree with Claudia. I think that no investment is not worth human suffering. If these people so persistently protesting it means that they have a valid reason. The question is - does anybody talk to these people, listen to their concerns, put in their place? I am convinced that it does not. Do not they have the right to vote? There is always a solution, only you need to want an agreement and there is no agreement without talking. I can not tell whether someone should stop protesting if I do not follow the matter up to date but I hope that anyone ever think about it, and instead of seeing only money can also see another human.
ReplyDeleteWho knows? Maybe they are protesting just to make some noise, as Kamil suggested, and to get more money from it (as Maciek said).
DeleteI think that they will go trough with construction anyway. The company could have been more "supportive" and try to address issues people raised. Kind of like public consultation. I have to agree tho that it is weird that police used force, but then again, theres so much money involved its hardly a suprise.
ReplyDeleteIf they got all the papers right, nothing can stop them :) police will protect their workers and their infrastructure from any attakcs.
DeleteAs Kamil I think Indians wants to use presidential election time. The media in this time are wainting for any subject that can be connected with candidates. We know that company will go trough with construction but Indians can get attention.
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ReplyDeleteIt seems that there were not even proper consultation with representatives of Sioux nation. The current route of pipeline violates their sacred places and is a possible threat to their water resources and, in a result, their health. Actually there is not much to discuss. This investment has to be terminated permanently. Those people were promised that they will have a peaceful place to live in and worship their tradition. What if the spill occures? We're all gonna be sorry for them? Better safe than sorry. I totaly understand and respect those who started the protest.
ReplyDeleteFor me it is another attack on native american's property. Native American culture was very rich, they were honorable people with beautiful tradition - unfortunately it was all destroyed. I'm not suprised that this people are protesting, they have no other options. While the mainstream media are trying to convince their customers that everything in the United States revolves around this year's presidential election, the Great Plains is set drama about the behavior of political sovereignty, economic and ecological indigenous people. This investment violates Standing Rock Sioux tribe right's. unfortunately I think that they have small chances to cancel this investment. This should open everyone's eyes on native american's problem, because this not first and I;m sure that last robbery of their's property.
ReplyDeleteIt's alwasy hard to decide in every ecological subject. There are plenty of small pieces and whole ecosystem is big thing. This should be done with plan and every detail should be verified. There are big companies that don't care about this, they just want to have money. This is only thing what they care about. Even something bad will happend these companies will prefer to pay rather than counteract bad things. We can't trust it so we need to check every aspect and be sure that there will be no potential issues. If not then it should not be posible to do it. Look what is going on in europe, every car company build ecocars now. This change should be done in other countries as well.
ReplyDeleteIn almost every case, environmental problems are discussion. The main problem is, that investors prefer big money, than people and their tradition. Therefore investors are trying to convince people, and try to buy them conscience. I think with a little chance to shift back the investment. On the other hand, Indian culture is much richer and more beautiful than the American culture, maybe this is the reason for the lack of respect and understanding of tradition Standing Rock Sioux tribe.
ReplyDelete