The Indigenous people’s connection to water is not one of just necessity, but also a spiritual bond. They are the “caretakers of Mother Earth” and hence have a responsibility to take care of all the gifts given (water, air, and fire). We, people whom are not of Indigenous background, need to understand first the Indigenous people’s connection to water and land to further understand how the effects of the Dakota Pipeline is not just a physical detriment but also a spiritual one.
According to Indigenous beliefs, water is the most sustaining gift given from Mother Earth as it is her life and blood line that runs through the land. Water is respected in the sense that it cleanses not only the people who drink from the water, but cleanses all living things whom have a relationship with water. And it is the land that provides us with our food and water sources. It is this strong innate bond and connection the Indigenous peoples have to the land and the water that the construction of the Dakota Pipeline is not only affecting Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, but it is affecting all Indigenous peoples no matter their location. As in this case location is not a barrier to their connection to one another, rather the damage to the land and the water is what harms their bonds to what is whole.
Much like Canada’s history with our Indigenous peoples, the Indigenous peoples in the United States have a spiritual connection to the water and the land. However, because of the devastating history the government of the United States has with their own Indigenous peoples, their connection to the land and water has been stripped away through ethnocentrism and appropriation of the people. Again, similar to Canada when western settlers came to the United States they began negotiating treaties that involved the transfer of land for “monetary compensation”. However, over time with the growing strength of federal government, the government failed their responsibility to uphold their end of the treaty to protect whatever land is left for the Indigenous peoples.
Emma Battell Lowman of the University of Leicester wrote, “In many ways, American identity is not predicated on opposition to Indigenous peoples, but on the absorption of indignity into an American narrative that extends forwards and backwards in time…”It is, therefore clear that because of the oppressive settlement of the United States as a nation, their era of Enlightenment, has led to the deterioration of the Indigenous people’s culture, language, and heritage.
The construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline is not simply an environmental disaster in the makings; it is also a significant infringement upon Indigenous peoples’ human rights and an active erasure of their cultures and beliefs. Facing a growing list of corporations set to profit significantly off of this treaty violation, it comes as no surprise that deliberations continue to be drawn out. Some of these institutions include Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, amongst others that were revealed in the Hugh MacMillan food and water watch investigation. However, the institution that catalyzed the construction is Dakota Access, LLC – a joint venture with two other branch companies of Energy Transfer Partners. Together Energy Transfer Partners, Sunoco Logistics, Enbridge and Marathon Oil provided the resources to start the project and now have 37% stake in the Dakota Access pipeline.
MacMillan explains that the institutions mentioned above, and more, have provided capital for the construction of this pipeline that they will get a hefty return on in the decades to come. Specifically, the U.S. Bank has provided $175 million in the form of a credit line to the company Energy Transfer Partners. It becomes clear that the DAPL is one facet of a larger issue – the infringement of Indigenous human and land rights for the sake of capitalist expansion. As our international institutions advocate for water accessibility abroad, we actively disregard this domestically. To build the pipeline is to further disrupt the culture, beliefs and livelihood of Indigenous communities, and further marginalize and erase them from the settler state.
By Muriam Fancy
Please note that opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views and values of The Blank Page.
