Land of the free, home of the brave. However, in the United States it is often mistaken whose land it actually is. The U.S. government is notorious for abusing Native Americans and their land and with a new pipeline, which will disrupt indigenous land, it is clear to see that this abuse has not ended. One political cartoon titled Trash Talk by A.F. Branco argues against the Native Americans while two cartoons titled Standoff at Standing Rock by Wolverton and Dakota Access pipeline and Standing Rock by Steve Sack and one editorial titled Voices from Standing Rock by Kevin Sullivan argue against the U.S. government. Therefore, from four points of view, it can be concluded that the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline should be halted because …show more content…
From then on, outsiders have claimed this land, free to manipulate it, regardless of the turmoil they cause in the process. This is still seen today, especially in the invasion of indigenous land to build the Dakota Access Pipeline. In a cartoon created by Wolverton, titled Standoff at Standing Rock, two men are depicted, one representing big oil companies and the other a Native American, both of which declare “Get off our land!” (Wolverton). This depicts the discrepancy over who the land truly belongs to, however, the oil companies do not have rights over this land. According to Washington Post author Sullivan, this land belongs to the indigenous people and this new pipeline would “run within a half-mile of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation” (Sullivan). With the invasion of a reservation comes disruption of religious practices, burial grounds, destruction of artifacts, and overall the downfall of an already vulnerable society. From the trail of tears to countless broken treaties, Native Americans have been pushed off their land and this pipeline is no exception. These reservations hold more importance than just representing native land, they represent an attempt to treat natives with the respect they deserve after their neglect. So by once again invading their land, the government not only goes back on their word, they show the natives that money is worth more …show more content…
However, one cartoon created by Branco of the Washington Times titled Trash Talk depicts a comparison of Native American camps to the pipeline. The pipeline is shown as clean and straightforward, whereas the Native American camp is shown as dirty and rundown, contaminating their water. Thus, the natives are depicted as hypocritical as they protest the pipe, claiming that it is “Disgusting!”, while they create pollution themselves (Branco). However, this misrepresents the situation, as well as ignores the factors causing natives to set up camp. Had the government respected their agreement with the natives, there would be no reason for natives to set up protest camps. They would still be living off of the land without fear of their water being contaminated because according to Sullivan the pipeline “...threatens the drinking water for thousands of Native Americans” (Sullivan). So, without this pipeline, polluted protest camps would not exist and the pipe itself would not be able to contaminate the water either. With little outside assistance from the government, the natives are self sufficient, but that is affected when the water they are dependent on is contaminated by the government. Additionally, the government does not seem to care because they have the power to keep pushing this group away. This is represented in a cartoon by Sack in which Native Americans stand protesting for
The process of assimilation, as it regards to the Native Americans, into European American society took a dreaded and long nearly 300 years. Initially, when the European’s came to the hopeful and promising land of the “New World”, they had no desire or reason anything but minimal contact with the Indians. However, starting in the 1700s the European colonists population skyrocketed. The need for more resources became evident and the colonists knew they could attain these necessities by creating a relationship of mutual benefit with the Native tribes. The Indians, at first skeptical, however became growingly open to the colonists and the relationship they were looking to attain. Indian furs were traded for colonial goods and military alliances were formed.
The Keystone XL pipeline continues dividing the opinion of the people and being a controversial issue. The precious “black gold”, represents one of the main factors that moves the economy, nationally and globally. This extra-long pipeline will transport oil all the way from Canada to Texas. Some experts and the private oil corporation, who is the one in charge of this project, point to the benefits of this project, for example, will make the USA more independent from foreign oil, will create thousands of jobs and improve the economy. Nevertheless, are experts revealing how the pipeline is an unnecessary risk and will be negative for the environment, dangerous for the population living close to the big pipes, and long-term negative for the
Eilperin, Juliet, and Scott Clement. “The Keystone Pipeline XL Pipeline and Its Politics, Explained.” The Washington Post. N.p., 4 Feb. 2014. Web. 3 Mar. 2014.
By now, many Americans have been made aware of the construction of the Keystone Pipeline XL. It has been seven years since the pipeline was first proposed by the TransCanada Corporation with the intent to “allow crude oil from Canadian oil sands to reach U.S. refineries on the Gulf Coast” (Mantel par. 2 on Chronology timeline). Some Americans are in favor of the construction of the Keystone Pipeline XL and others are strongly opposed to it. On Feb. 17, 2013, thousands of protestors gathered at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. in the hopes that President Barack Obama would reject the construction of the $53 billion oil pipeline (Snyder par. 1). The rally attracted 35,000 people making it the largest climate-change protest in U.S. history,
Native Americans have suffered from one of America’s most profound ironies. The American Indians that held the lands of the Western Hemisphere for thousands of years have fallen victim to some of the worst environmental pollution. The degradation of their surrounding lands has either pushed them out of their homes, made their people sick, or more susceptible to disease. If toxic waste is being strategically placed near homes of Native Americans and other minority groups, then the government industry and military are committing a direct offense against environmental justice. Productions of capitalism and militarism are deteriorating the lands of American Indians and this ultimately is environmental racism.
This being said, many people disagree with the project due to the damaging cons that it brings. The pipeline is being built on sacred land and causes the threat of water contamination in the Standing Rock Sioux reservation for not only those who use it, but those who are miles 8downstream from the reservation as well. Overall, the project could possibly worsen climate change more than what is already happening. Despite all of these potentially devastating cons, the construction of the pipeline was approved for the benefit of the country and its
As stated in Addressing the Oliphant in the Room: Domestic Violence and the safety of American Indian and Alaska Native Children in Indian Country “The National Congress of American Indians declared violence against Native Americans, particularly those living on tribal lands, as the most critical issue faced by Native Americans.” What are the causes of domestic violence on reservations? This is an important issue because domestic violence is a huge issue on reservations and being aware of the causes can play an important role in helping to lower domestic violence rates and give less of a stigma on the stereotypes against Native Americans. Domestic violence includes, physical abuse, sexual abuse as well as psychological abuse, including a combination of all of these. The domestic violence is not limited to only certain tribes, but is common among many tribes all across the United States. Native Americans are known for being alcoholics and living in poverty, but there are many other factors that play into the violence that
Two-hundred years ago, there was a scientific study on the brains of Native Americans called the craniology and phrenology. The Europeans examined only indigenous people’s heads and were forbidden to use any European’s brains. The Europeans did three experiments, such as decapitating the tops of the heads and filling them with sand to see if their brains were smaller than blacks. The Europeans also looked at the bones and said that if the bones were in a certain way (such as natives cheek bones being up higher) the person was thought to be stupid. The last experiment the Europeans did to American Indians was that they had a small devise that they would put on the head and it would slice the brain open. There would be an award for retrieving a male’s brain that was five cents. By retrieving a woman’s brain the price would be three cents, and lastly a child’s brain which would be two cents. This is when the term redskin was invented (Poupart, 2014).
The United States Government was founded on the basis that it would protect the rights and liberties of every American citizen. The Equal Protection Clause, a part of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, provides that “no state shall deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws”. Yet for hundreds of years, the US government and society have distressed the Native American people through broken treaties, removal policies, and attempts of assimilation. From the Trail of Tears in the 1830s to the Termination Policy in 1953, the continued oppression of American Indian communities produced an atmosphere of heightened tension and gave the native peoples a reason to fight back. In 1968, Clyde Bellecourt, Dennis Banks, and Russell Means founded the American Indian Movement to address issues concerning the Native American community and tackle the situation and position of Native Americans in society. Over the next few decades, the movement led to a series of radical protests, which were designed to raise awareness to the American Indians’ issues and to pressure the federal government to act on their behalf. After all of the unfair and unjust policies enacted by the U.S. government and society, all of the American Indian Movement’s actions can be justified as legitimate reactions to the United States’ democratic society that had promised to respect and protect their people and had failed to do so.
Native Americans lived on the land that is now called America, but when white settlers started to take over the land, many lives of Native Americans were lost. Today, many people believe that the things that have been done and are being done right now, is an honor or an insult to the Natives. The choices that were made and being made were an insult to the Native Americans that live and used to live on this land, by being insulted by land policies, boardings schools and modern issues, all in which contain mistreatment of the Natives. The power that the settlers and the people who governed them had, overcame the power of the Natives so the settlers took advantage and changed the Natives way of life to the
A general knowledge of injustice perpetrated against Native Americans is crucial, but in order to prompt serious change, the public needs to be educated about how decisions regarding the pipeline affect everyday life on the reservation. When the pipeline was proposed, it initially traveled through Bismarck, North Dakota, where the residents complained about the potential hazardous effects of the pipeline. Immediately, it was rerouted towards the Standing Rock Sioux reservation, where residents suffer a much lower quality of life than non-reservation counterparts: a 43% poverty rate, 79% unemployment, rampant alcoholism, and some of the highest childhood mortality, suicide, and dropout rates in the country (Lee). Life can be bleak on the reservation,
Originally it was supposed to be built 60 miles north, but was moved in Sioux nation in fear of the pipeline breaking would result in the contamination of the water supply in Bismarck, North Dakota. It is also a spiritual battle for these people that the earth is sacred. It is the first time people from all different tribes come together and fight for one problem that they still exist to protect mother earth. They are the protector and they won't be bought The people at the Oceti Sakowin campsite believe that the DAPL should be stopped because if there is ever a pipeline breakage and if it gets into their fresh water supplies from the rivers on their reservation would cause devastating effects tot their people. They also believe what they are doing will protect the
and Henry David Thoreau’s ideas of how government should not be followed if laws are morally unjust according to religion are reflected in the Dakota Access Pipeline protests at Standing Rock, South Dakota. They are a form of independent action and nonconformity that are quite distinct in their nature because they truly mirror ideas of great transcendentalist thinkers, unlike other protests in this era that seem to be unorganized and without clear purpose. The protests at Standing Rock are over the proposed Dakota Access Pipeline that would have to run through Sioux territory. The nonconformity seen at the Standing Rock protests is due to a feeling of a greater purpose due to religion. As a part of the Sioux religion, the people “[attach] religious and cultural significance to properties with the area” (Bailey). Therefore, any changes to the land around them goes against their morals and their religion, so action must be taken. This applies the principles of Thoreau because people are protesting the naturally unjust government, and the ideas of Martin Luther King Jr. can be seen because people are making their own decisions over whether or not the rule of government is just. Furthermore, it is not just the Sioux who are protesting, but also “religious communities such as the United Methodist Church and the Nation of Islam” (Bailey) This is because people of other religions also recognize the plight of unjust laws and act independently. They also
Contrary to popular belief, discrimination of Native Americans in America still widely exist in the 21st century! So you may ask, why? Well, to answer that one question, I will give you 3 of the countless reasons why this unfortunate group of people are punished so harshly for little good reason. So now, let’s get into it, shall we!
"Waorani Indians March against Oil Drilling." Survival International. N.p., 15 July 2005. Web. 16 Oct. 2013.