Native American Pipeline Essay

670 Words3 Pages

It is estimated to cost over 3.7 billion (Yan). And the project is already 60 percent complete (Energy Transfer Partners). A pipeline that is said to create 8,000 to 12,000 construction jobs and spawn the birth of safe oil transportation (Yan). As for you and me gas prices will drop significantly and we will witness an economical boom. Why end construction on The Dakota Access Pipeline now? The 3.7 billion that the government has to pay does not compare to price that the Sioux tribe has to bare. The United States has a history of reaping the benefits of indigenous people. The government will do anything to further its economic advancement. If the Dakota Access Pipeline is continued to be built, corporations will once again destroy the sacrality …show more content…

We must take an alternative route to ensure that the indigenous tribes of our country stay sacred. Native people are non materialistic. They are rich in culture and morality. Native Americans use very little energy and are eco friendly. A pipeline would separate the Sioux tribe, potentially damage the casino industry, our source of entertainment and many tribes source of income. The government’s mishaps don’t stop with casinos. The Sioux do not deserve for their water to be contaminated. Originally the government intended for the pipeline to pass through Bismarck, yet the risk of contamination in states capitol lead to relocation through reservations (Sidder). Unlike the BP oil spill that affected many animals, an oil spill of the North Dakota Access Pipeline would affect humans. We are to question are federal laws protecting indigenous land doing their justice? It is hoped that the Native American land will not be deserted like the Chaco Canyon and Cahokia, and that language is not lost. A culture that has benefitted the earliest of settlers in America should not be forgotten. Rather than seeking oil sources in order to make our economy “self sufficient” (Yan), why don’t we search for alternative energy sources in our country that are non invasive. The Missouri River doesn’t have to be subjected to oil spill, instead it could become a source of hydroelectric