Standing Rock and Indigenous Resistance

Native American Invisibility and Resistance

• Indians are often invisible in the European Western imagination, stereotyped and objectified based on late 1800s perceptions.
• Stories about Native Americans often require them to be seen as perfect victims to gain attention.

The Dakota Access Pipeline Protests (Standing Rock)

• The speaker, Chase Iron Eyes of the Titua Oyate and Ocheti Sakowi (Great Sioux Nation) and lead attorney for the Lakota People's Law Project, recounts his experience at the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) protests.
• The protests began after a community meeting in the Long Soldier District, where it became clear that Energy Transfer Partners (ETP) and CEO Kelsey Warren planned to violate treaty and inherent rights to impose financial extraction at gunpoint.
• The original plan was to place the pipeline north of Bismarck, North Dakota, a predominantly European American area.
• The pipeline threatens the Missouri River, which is a water source for 18 million people.
• The pipeline was built at the lowest possible cost due to capitalist incentives.
• The oil flowing through it could permanently damage the river ecosystem.

Early Protests and Civil Disobedience

• Protesters risked arrest by chaining themselves to the gate where ETP wanted to build a transport road.
• Mounted horsemen and women confronted the opposition, successfully backing up the police union.
• Four women crossed the fence line, leading others into territory not accessed since 1889.
• Eighty people rushed the fence line after the women's act of bravery.
• These women offered their bodies to stop "financial extracted genocide".

Destruction of Sacred Sites and Security Response

• Big Oil, guarded by a private security firm with attack dogs, destroyed sacred sites.
• Heavy equipment was moved over 20 miles to reach these sites.
• Protesters put themselves in harm's way to protect the sites.
• Warriors confronted the security team to drive them and the heavy equipment away after the dog attacks.

Escalation and Brutality

• The camp grew to thousands of people after the dog attacks.
• Security forces defended a bridge, preventing protesters from advancing.
• Unarmed people were maced and pepper-sprayed, causing significant pain.
• Police were seen protecting the pipeline and fossil fuel profits over human beings.
• No one brutalized during this time received justice or compensation.
• Peaceful water protectors were attacked on Backwater Bridge with flashbangs and less-lethal bullets.
• The events at Standing Rock are considered a precursor to the Black Lives Matter movement and a larger revolution.
• Protesters sustained injuries, including bleeding from the eyes and limbs, due to the actions of private mercenaries.
• The National Guard sprayed water protectors with water in freezing temperatures, endangering their lives.

Obama Administration's Decision and Trump's Reversal

• On December 4th, the Obama administration and the Army Corps of Engineers denied the permit to drill under the river.
• Donald Trump's election as president, who had financial ties to ETP and Kelsey Warren, cast doubt on the victory.
• Within 72 hours of being sworn in, President Trump reversed the decision, allowing ETP to dictate energy policy.

Confrontation at Backwater Bridge and Arrest

• On February 1st, 2017, military and law enforcement vehicles mobilized north of Backwater Bridge.
• Officer Stugelmeyer asked Chase Iron Eyes to call off the protesters.
• Chase Iron Eyes responded by emphasizing that there is no single leader who controls all Native Americans and their allies.
• Protesters formed a circle to protect their sacred fire on Last Child's Hill.
• Police forces ascended the hill and arrested protesters.
• Chase Iron Eyes was charged with inciting a riot and criminal trespass, facing a potential six-year prison sentence. The charges were dropped on August 23, 2018.

Reflections and the Broader Implications

• The events at Standing Rock awakened the American people to the injustices experienced by Native Americans.
• Similar tactics (less-lethal bullets, concussion grenades, snatch-and-grab arrests) are now being used against other protest movements (Black Lives Matter, Portland, Minneapolis, Los Angeles).
• The protests are part of a broader movement to end Euro-hetero-patriarchy.
• There's a renewed recognition of the sacredness of land, life, and the universe.
• Standing Rock provided a more informed perspective for navigating our experience on Earth.
• The speaker highlights the importance of recognizing land as sacred, life as sacred, and the universe as sacred. He states that a more informed metaphysics and compassionate approach to life are available, thanks to the events at Standing Rock.