Who Will Pay The Price

Who will Pay The Price For Standing Rock?

It’s hard describe what I have seen and been a part of since my first visit to Standing Rock. It has gone from being totally peaceful to total chaos at times. Most of the chaos has been on the part of the militarized police force that seems to be acting more as DAPL militia than protectors of citizen rights. Citizen rights mean civil rights guaranteed to all US citizens. The Native Americans are U.S. citizens accountable to the constitutional laws of the land until the US government wants to take something away from them. In the 1800s when the US government took Paha Sapa (The Black Hills) for the gold buried in the Sacred Mountains there, Custer paid for that breach of treaty. Who will wind up paying for the breach of treaty today at Standing Rock?

The Lakota are only treated as a sovereign nation when the people on the reservations need help. Then the USA government says, “You should take care of your selves”. Just like in the old days though, if the people stand up for themselves the response is extreme and always to the detriment of the Natives. It has happened in the Carolinas, Alabama, New Mexico, Arizona, and even Alaska. Every treaty ever written has been broken with any Native Nation on Turtle Island. Not this time! The world of indigenous people are watching and participating in the defense of the water and indigenous rights to be treated in accordance with the international treaties.

Building the DAPL through this region of the state was permitted because the people and their rights were considered expendable. The permit process was corrupted to allow a “fast tracked” issuance which allowed drilling under the Missouri River just above the reservations drinking water. Instead of doing a complete environmental impact study as required for a project of this magnitude it was approved under a “General Permit” with far less scrutiny of culturally significant burials and other Sacred sites. Once again the rights of the original traditional people and culture were tossed aside for the sheer profit of a chosen few political and industrial wasicus. (Fat takers)

Since I have been here I have been to many of the actions and prayer ceremonies. I can personally attest to the fact that when I was there the people have gone with good intentions of going to sites where they should be welcomed and pray for their ancestors, the land and water needed to survive.

Water is not only needed for the people of Standing Rock but is essential for all life. The smallest of creepy crawlers need it. In this respect we are all certainly related. Here at Standing Rock that hasn’t been the case. Police have been called in from around many locations to act more as a militia created to protect an industrial interest than American citizens rights.

What’s going wrong here has gone wrong before. When will Americans really live up to the words  “One nation under God indivisible, with liberty and justice for ALL?”

The brutal assault on people who have the 1^St. Amendment right to protest against injustice in their homeland is not only a crime against the constitution but an inhumane crime against the original owners of the very land that government and it’s political supporters want to exploit just as Custer did in Paha Sapa.

                     

                                 Who will pay the ultimate price this time America?

Morton Co. Sheriff Kyle

Kirchmeier center