Amnesty International USA: Resumption of Dakota Access Pipeline Construction Violates Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Published February 8, 2017
NEW YORK – Following Tuesday’s announcement that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has granted an easement to allow the Dakota Access Pipeline to be completed, Eric Ferrero of Amnesty International USA made the following statement.
“This is an unlawful and appalling violation of human rights. The United States is obligated under international law to respect the rights of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and all other Indigenous Peoples. To allow this pipeline to go forward without sufficient assessment of how it will impact their land, culture, and access to clean water is a violation of their right and sovereignty of their land.”
Last week AIUSA sent a letter to the acting Secretary of the Army saying that construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline should not resume until the Army’s environmental impact review was completed and the consent of the tribe was sought.
AIUSA previously sent human rights observers to the construction site to monitor policing of protesters, who call themselves water protectors. Today’s announcement opens the door to more protests.
“Police have a duty to protect the rights of free expression and peaceful protest,” said Ferrero. “We urge law enforcement to exercise restraint and to act in a manner that de-escalates tensions instead of inflaming them.”
This statement can be found online at http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/press-releases/amnesty-international-usa-resumption-of-dakota-access-pipeline-construction-violates-rights-of-indig
There are no Indigenous or Native people, this land was discovered through a land bridge from Russia who later became to be known as Indians. Europeans later discovered the same land. Both people discovered it but only one people conquered it……
Let’s face the real facts folk, a majority of the followers of this once glorious protest has turned combative and will face severe consequences. And let’s face it we are darn tired of hearing about it, especially after viewing the filth and usable items literally going down the drain. The Native outsiders that fostered this movement should be held accountable through the court system. They made their thousands on the backs of the Standing Rock’s tribal membership and founded temporary fame and all allowed by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal council as its governance and as a “host” tribe. Just evidences the Rule of Law under its Tribal Constitution that designates the sovereign status of our tribes was also desecrated here on Chief Sitting Bull’s homeland. How pathetic!
So you believe, Russell. But Maybe the 5 different races came from 5 different places. Nobody really knows for sure. Theories and Artifacts abound pointing to the theory that we all came out of Africa. but it certainly doesn’t account for the fact that there are indeed 5 distinctly different races on the planet. How and why? And as far as the term Indigenous goes, it has always referred to the 1st people to settle any given land. And those people are American Indians, all of the various tribes that were here before any others were.