Nov 22, 2016 - Standing Rock Chairman Responds to Police Violence

CANNON BALL, N.D. — Under the cover of darkness, North Dakota law enforcement have leveraged tear gas and water cannons to force Native Americans and allied water protectors to submit to unlawful police tactics in the wake of a standing order by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers to stand down for further environmental review, Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Chair Dave Archambault II charged on Sunday night.

“The easement to build the unsafe Dakota Access Pipeline has not been granted. But under the cover of darkness, North Dakota law enforcement continues to engage in unlawful and dehumanizing tactics to subdue peaceful water protectors with tear gas and water cannons,” Archambault said. “Live video footage on Facebook this Sunday night (Nov. 20) clearly document that North Dakota’s law enforcement and government officials have sanctioned aggressive acts in failed attempts to disperse water protectors who have the right to demonstrate against and report on this failing project. It’s time for President Obama to condemn these tactics and this pipeline.”

Standing Rock’s Tribal Chairman as we prepare to celebrate Native American heritage month – it’s time for Americans to rise up against this country’s historical treatment of Native Americans. “Our culture, our children and our homelands have repeatedly been stolen from us,” Archambault said. “We are deeply saddened that despite the millions of Americans and allies around the world who are standing with us at Standing Rock, a single corporate bully – backed by U.S. government taxpayer dollars through a militarized law enforcement – continue to be sanctioned by aggressive, unlawful acts. President Obama, this cannot be your legacy.”

Archambault charged that the U.S. government is ignoring the facts on both the company’s treacherous record on safety and the local government’s continued civil rights violations.

Posted by by Wakíƞyaƞ Waánataƞ (Matt Remle- Lakota)