It’s 12:15pm on Tuesday and the text message from my friend DJ in Marty, South Dakota reads “The state has sent 47 troopers and 2 snipers here.”
For what?!
“The Yankton Sioux tribe is protesting a hog farm development that would harm the land and river.”
Are you kidding me? Last time I visited that reservation, the population read something like 3800. Marty alone has only over 400 people, and about 100 protestors were at the construction site where Long View farms is trying to build.
But it’s true. Two friends of mine, Gary Drapeau and Kip Spotted Eagle, were arrested among others for protecting the traditional territory and standing up for the wellness of the peoples on it.
Peacefully.
They were let go immediately but it was quite symbolic of the utter disrespect of the state for tribal sovereignty and jurisdiction. Never mind the health and well being of everyone else who would be greatly impacted by the waste from this hog farm and their polluted claim on Native land.
Does this story sound all too familiar? Only smaller communities like this aren’t making major news headlines, but it is people like Gary and Kip who are taking a major stand against Corporate America to ensure a better livelihood for the land and people that we really NEED to pay attention to.
Fed up of the continous disregard for the Native community? Let Governor Mike Rounds and the state of South Dakota know you support the Yankton Sioux tribe and to tell Long View Farms to cease all construction on their land.
I support my Inhanktowan brothers and stand in solidarity with them.
STOP DESTROYING MOTHER EARTH!
Digg
Facebook
del.icio.us
five comments
I wanted to show my support. A safe environment is a human right and the rightful people of the land have more than the right to peacefully protest the land’s destruction.
Thank you for writing this. More people need to know about this.
Posted by Lisa
April 18, 2008, 2:23 PM
I support them and the land as well! Thank you for posting about this Jessica!
Posted by Cecelia
April 19, 2008, 4:21 PM
We are with you in Canada brothers, stand stong!
Posted by Ben
April 20, 2008, 5:17 PM
Canada supports the Yankton Sioux, you are doing a good thing, this affects everyone, it's the environment which is everyone's responsibility.
Posted by Andy
April 20, 2008, 6:51 PM
I am a very strong supporter of tribal sovereignty and more so the protection of Indian lands. Thanks to my bro DJ for getting the word out, and especially thanks to all of those protesters for wanting to stand up for their rights! THIS IS OUR LAND!
Posted by Melinda
April 20, 2008, 9:58 PM
Leave a comment
This blog post is older than 90 days old. All comments submitted regarding this post will be automatically held for review by the editors before posting. Your comment will not appear on the site until it has been approved.
Our comment policy
Shameless prides itself on the diversity of opinions expressed by our writers, and we encourage and appreciate different points of view. Our intention at Shameless is to foster community and to maintain a safe and positive blogging environment; we do not consider it our duty to give a voice to anybody with an opinion.
Discussion on this site is moderated. We will delete comments that:
(We get to decide what's discriminatory, hateful, attacking, or inflammatory).
In some cases, we will cap off comments on a discussion when we feel they are spiralling out of control and fostering an unwelcoming space for bloggers and readers. Comments will be closed by the Web Editor, unless the post is by the Web Editor, in which case the Editor in Chief will close them.
If your comments repeatedly make the same point, they may be deleted. This also applies to comments made by multiple members of the same organization.
Your comments should be about the topic of the post, not its writer—although we certainly encourage praise for our writers, if you want to say something nice.