Dear President,

I would like to discuss the problem of the oil pipeline running through a Native American reservation in North Dakota. The promotional material by the company pushing for the pipeline say’s that it will be able to transport domestically produced light sweet crude oil from North Dakota to major refineries in Patoka, Illinois. They say that the pipeline will be cost effective and less environmentally hazardous. is said that it will be able to transport 470,000 gallons of oil a day with a capacity of 570,000 barrels of oil per day or more. That could represent half of Bakken’s current intake of crude oil per day. The company also say’s that it will be completed by the end of 2016, when you will be president.

However, what some websites,newspapers, and news programs don’t mention is how it will run right through the land of farmers. The pipeline will also cut threw a Native American reservation called the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe reservation. Reports say that it will be ran right through the reservation, so the people will lose their homes. That is not justice on them because they live there and they will be evicted from their homes so we can have more oil, a finite source which will be there forever. I don’t think you can just kick people out of their homes and expect them not to get mad. That is their home, where they live and eat and sleep and care for their families.

There have been many complaints from the people, both workers and Native Americans “You think no one is going to help,” said Frank White Bull, 48. “But the people have shown us they’re here to help us. We made our stance, and the Indian Nation heard us. It’s making us whole. It’s making us wanyi oyate — one nation. We’re not alone.” They also say that the pipeline will run right through Missouri River, the main source of water for almost 8,000 people living on that reservation.

The tribe says it also is fighting the pipeline’s path because, even though it does not cross the reservation, it traverses sacred territory taken away from the tribe in a series of treaties that have been forced upon it over the past 150 years. Sacred land where their ancestors have been buried. To take that away from them is like taking away part of their soul.

So, I ask you what are you going to do about this problem? Are you gonna sit back and watch? Or are you going to do something about it? They are after all, American citizens and it is the President’s job to make sure the citizens aren’t complaining over big problems such as this.

Sincerely,

Hunter DeMars

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/showdown-over-oil-pipeline-becomes-a-national-movement-for-native-americans/2016/09/06/ea0cb042-7167-11e6-8533-6b0b0ded0253_story.html

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/09/06/are-environmentalists-using-native-americans-and-does-it-matter.html

http://www.daplpipelinefacts.com/