Im firmly on the fence on this issue. As a Native American, it is clear that the treatment of Native Americans in the past is unfathomable. However, land was taken from countries all over the world and the land was previously someone else before Native Americans took it from them.
Tell me where I'm wrong here:
The Corps tried for well over a year to get comments from the tribes on the proposed location of the pipeline and got no response. The ARMY COE actually seeks comments from the tribes even though it is not legally required.
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Every other tribe involved managed to respond in a timely manner, they did not join in the lawsuit, they were given a chance to make their voices heard, and their requests were almost universally complied with. No one else seems to have an issue, except this tribe who continually failed to appear at scheduled meetings, they failed to respond to correspondence in anything close to a timely manner (if at all), and when they did respond they responded with ludicrous and unhelpful demands (such as refusing to appear at consultations until a Level III Cultural study was re-done with one of their members present). The DAPL made attempts to proactively avoid sites with historical significance, running cultural surveys and adjusting the path of the pipeline all on their own. They even chose a form of drilling that doesn't require disturbing the surface with trenches and the like (probably because they get to avoid federal jurisdiction that way).
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I understand the pipeline was originally planned for further north, but the core asks for comments and listened when people objected.
This pipeline was built over top of an already existing pipeline and alongside a national gas pipeline. The pipeline is not being built over any portion of Native American land. Additionally, this is a much better method of transporting oil:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/pipelines-vs-trains-which-is-better-for-moving-oil-1.2988407
The Tribes insistence that it will affect their water source appears to be 100% not true. Their water intake is 70 miles south and only 1.6 miles from a rail that already transmits 300,000 barrels per day. The Federal government helped fun the new water intake. m
Of course, big oil companies are going to be the big winners here and the majority of people will side with low income society over "big government." But, this could also be the case of a Tribe making ridiculous requests (after not responding in the planning stages). This could totally just be a money grab.
In the bigger picture, is the pipeline better or worse for the American population? Who is being harmed?
I'm willing to listen and hear points from the other side of the argument. To me, it seems that it is not on Native American land, the tribe had the opportunity to comment and didn't, the water supply will not be affected, and there haven't been any burial grounds.
