Indigenous Peoples in North America

https://www.facebook.com/NODAPLGermany/ Meeting of European Support Groups for Indigenous Peoples in North America POSITION PAPER ON “NoDAPL” Against the Dakota Access Pipeline Support of the Water Protectors at Standing Rock, South Dakota, USA Aktionsgruppe Indianer & Menschenrechte (AGIM), München, Germany www.aktionsgruppe.de Arbeitskreis Indianer Nordamerikas (AKIN), Wien, Österreich www.arbeitskreis-indianer.at Comité de Solidarité avec les Indiens des Amériques (CSIA-NITASSINAN), Paris, Frankreich: www.csia-nitassinan.org Internationales Komitee für die Indigenen Amerikas Schweiz, Zürich, Schweiz: www.incomindios.ch MENSCHENRECHTE 3000 e.V. (HUMAN RIGHTS 3000), Freiburg, Germany: www.menschenrechte3000.de Verein zur Unterstützung nordamerikanischer Indianer (ASNAI), Berlin, Germany: www.asnai.de October 2016 The above-mentioned organisations of the Meeting of European Support Groups for Indigenous Peoples in North America express their clear position AGAINST the Construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline threatening the ground and drinking waters of the Missouri River in the unceded treaty territory of the Hunkpapa Lakota and the Great Sioux Nation as well as their neighbours. In particular, we are shocked to see that banks with head offices in our countries are involved, such as BNP Paribas/Société Générale (France); BayernLB/Deutsche Bank (Germany); Credit Suisse/UBS (Switzerland): POSITION PAPER AGAINST THE DAKOTA ACCESS PIPELINE: We are appalled to witness another indigenous nation's Cry For Justice and acknowledge the fact that what started as a Native American outcry to protect water and cultural sites has now grown into a larger activist push to stop another fossil fuel project which is seriously affecting the rights of Indigenous peoples enshrined in the 2007 UNDeclaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Since the 1970s has there never been such a massive peaceful gathering of Indigenous representatives from tribes and nations worldwide – in solidarity with the Lakota Nation of the Standing Rock Reservation in South Dakota, USA, who were not freely informed and consulted prior to the onset of the project; hence, the corresponding right to free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) of the Indigenous Peoples concerned has severely been violated in view of any developments on their territories. At this time, approximately 300 Native Nations and more than 10.000 people have travelled to the Great Plains to set up camp and prevent Energy Transfer Partners from continuing building the pipeline which according to an indigenous prophecy was predicted to appear as a “black giant snake”. Furthermore, we underline that being against the 1887-kilometer (1172-mile) long pipeline is not an act of protest but of protection of ancestral and sacred lands in the defense of their livelihood and against climate change. This is yet another proof that indigenous peoples are caretakers of their lands exactly knowing how to sustainably use the biological diversity without its exploitation to the detriment of the future generations. Equally, we strongly oppose the presence of armed forces, the troops of the US National Guard and private mercenaries bringing back memories of the 71-day siege of nearby Wounded Knee in 1973 and of the Massacre in 1890. Hence, we call the particular attention to the following circumstances: 1. UN-Human Rights Council demands stop of the construction We share the recent statement of the UN-Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Rights, Vicky Tauli-Corpuz, on the occasion of the 33rd session of the HRC, to immediately halt construction of the pipeline and to initiate an Environmental Impact Study. She was joined by David Archambault II, chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, who reported to the HRC and said in a statement. "We will not rest until our lands, people, waters and sacred places are permanently protected from this destructive pipeline." The pipeline would carry roughly half a million barrels of crude oil per day which originates from the ecologically devastating fracking method applied in North Dakota. It traverses four states, crossing the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, before connecting to other pipelines in Illinois that would then carry the oil to Gulf Coast refineries or export terminals. One assessment by environmentalists found the oil's carbon footprint would be equivalent to that of 30 coal-fired power plants. 2. Prevention of violence at any cost and protection of freedom of speech and the press Taking into account of the civil disobedience demonstrations at construction sites in North Dakota and Iowa joined by numerous Indigenous Peoples and a coalition of supporters which are also waging legal battles in federal court we are shocked to see that mercenaries have threatened the peaceful protectors by unleashing attack dogs and that journalists are charged by police forces with “rioting” and felony while covering a violent attack on Native American protectors. Freedom of the press is under massive attack! We also strongly condemn all disproportional and inappropriate attacks of federal, state and/or private armed forces against unarmed and peaceful protectors. 3. Call to US-President Barack Obama Being aware that 17 million people are at risk of losing their clean water, we urge President Obama to conduct a full Environmental Impact Study (EIS) and to deny all permits for the Dakota access Pipeline issued by the US Army Corps of Engineers. The president needs to know that the pipeline also threatens the treaty rights of Native Americans elsewhere along its route, the property of private landowners, the drinking water of millions of Americans and the Earth's climate. More than half of the nation's 567 federally recognized tribes and a number of municipalities, including Los Angeles, Oakland, Seattle and Minneapolis, have passed resolutions or made formal pledges in support of the Standing Rock Nation. Nineteen members of Congress urged a stop to the pipeline in a September 29 letter to President Obama. In conclusion, we see this case as representative for the general struggle of indigenous peoples against resource exploitation on their territories against their will - a long overdue outcry – and call upon all political institutions on our national level as well as on international level to become active and engage in the restoration of the will and rights of the Indigenous Peoples concerned. https://arbeitskreisindianer.files.wordpress.com/2016/11/euromeeting_position-paper_nodapl_311016_banks_1.pdf Meeting of European Support Groups for Indigenous Peoples in North America https://www.facebook.com/NODAPLGermany/ Native American Academy Rebuild the old way Association for the Promotion of Indigenous Peoples in North America non profit organization email sunturtlewoman@nativeamericanacademy.com website www.nativeamericanacademy.com Native American Academy Rebuild the old way Association for the Promotion of Indigenous Peoples in North America non profit organization took the battle on the front lines