[Vision2020] 3/5/12: Lakotas arrested halting Keystone XL pipeline trucks

[Ted Moffett]

http://warriorpublications.wordpress.com/2012/03/06/lakotas-arrested-halting-keystone-xl-pipeline-trucks/
Lakotas arrested halting Keystone XL pipeline trucks

Posted by Brenda Norrell, NarcoNews.com, March 5, 2012
PINE RIDGE, S.D. — Lakotas on Pine Ridge Indian land in South Dakota were
arrested as they blockaded tarsands pipeline trucks from entering their
territory on Monday, March 5.

Lakota human rights activists Alex White Plume, Debra White Plume, Sam Long
Black Cat, Andrew Iron Shell and Terrell Eugene Iron Shell were arrested
late Monday. They were charged with disorderly conduct and taken to the
jail in Kyle, S.D.
An action alert was sent out shortly before the arrests: “Calling all
Lakota men on the Pine Ridge Reservation to come to Wanblee, South Dakota.”

The alert said “Pipeline trucks are being held there at the border by our
Lakota Oyate, Oglala Sioux Tribal Police and State Troopers in an effort to
keep them from entering our territory. Even the state troopers told the
trucks they have to turn around and cannot bring their pipeline or other
materials on toour reservation.”
“Pipeline trucks are refusing to turn around claiming they have corporate
rights that supersede any other law.”
Reports from the scene say that the trucks are being allowed to pass, as
Lakotas are being arrested attempting to halt the trucks from entering
their sovereign territory.”
Lakotas joined Native Americans and First Nations to protest the Keystone
XL pipeline at the White House in September. Debra White Plume was among
those arrested. Lakotas urged the US to halt the plan for the pipeline,
which would cut through Ogallala Aquifer, and endanger land, water and
people from Alberta, Canada to Texas. First Nations in Canada are also
protesting the pipeline and the ongoing devastation from the Alberta
tarsands in Cree territory.
http://narcosphere.narconews.com/notebook/brenda-norrell/2012/03/lakotas-arrested-halting-keystone-xl-pipeline-trucks#.T1VjBWJPyyM.facebook

*Debra White Plume: Oglala Lakota arrested at blockade*

By Debra White Plume, Censored News, March 6, 2012

WANBLEE, S.D. — On Monday, March 5 we were called by a lady from Wanblee
village that was forced to pull completely off the highway as the huge
semi-trucks hauling these enormous pieces of equipment took up the whole
highway.

The two trucks were hauling equipment called “treater vessels” from
Houston, Texas to Alberta Canada. These treater vessels arrived in Texas in
August 2011 from South Korea. The papers the truck drivers gave us say that
the treater vessels each were carrying or weighed 229,155 pounds each. The
individual value of each vessel is $1,259,593.
The truck drivers said they were given their route by their headquarters in
Canada. The route was worked out with the State of South Dakota, according
to the truckers. They said they were told by South Dakota that if they go
on the route they did they could avoid paying South Dakota the fee of
$50,000 per truck, so they came down Highway 44 through Interior, Potato
Creek and Wanblee.

Wanblee is where we set our blockade. Oglala Sioux Tribal Vice President
Tom Poor Bear was with us. He called state government officials in Pierre
and they verified that yes they gave that route to the corporation to cross
Indian lands.

Apparently, the treater vessel is used to separate gas and oil and other
elements. The device is also used to provide intense heat. Our Black Hills
Sioux Nation Treaty Council, along with the Oglala Sioux Tribe, have both
passed legislation against the Keystone XL oil pipeline and have adopted
the Mother Earth Accord which calls for a moratorium on the tar sands oil
mine as destructive to water, Mother Earth, all animals and human beings.
Whatever these treater vessels are and where ever they were going, they are
much too huge, heavy and hazardous to be on our roads.

There were about 75 people at the blockade. Approximately 20 cars parked in
front of the semi-trucks, who were accompanied by about a dozen pickups
with flags displaying wide load warnings, etc. They also had their own
electric trucks were traveling with them in order to push up the power
lines in their path.

The trucks were too enormous to turn around. The tribal police arrested us
as we did not want the trucks to proceed across our land. We were told the
tribal police were going to escort the heavy haul caravan to the
reservation border and direct them to the state highways.

Alex White Plume, Sr. and I, along with Sam Long Black Cat, Andrew Iron
Shell, and Terrell Eugene Iron Shell were all arrested by the tribal
police. We were all handcuffed and charged with disorderly conduct, as the
police said there were no other charges to bring against us. We were taken
to Kyle jail.

We stood our ground for our land, our treaty rights, our human rights to
clean drinking water and our coming generations. We did this in solidarity
with the First Nations people in Canada who are being killed by the tar
sands oil mine, which is so big it can be seen from outer space, it is as
big as the state of Florida.

OST Vice President Tom Poor Bear and Alex White Plume of the Black Hills
Sioux Nation Treaty Council stated they will work together to create
enforceable laws that prevent any future heavy hauls of equipment through
the Pine Ridge Reservation. President John Steele was in Washington, DC and
the tribal council representatives for the Eagle Nest District where
Wanblee is located could not be found.

The oldest person on the blockade was Marie Randall. Renabelle Bad Cob in
her wheelchair was in the blockade as well. People from the village brought
pots of soup, fry bread, cases of water, doughnuts, and coffee. Many stayed
and participated in the blockade.

When the tribal police gave a warning to move off the highway or be
arrested, five of us refused to give an inch. All five of us were arrested.
Tribal attorney Sonny Richards was at the jail in Kyle and he did the paper
work necessary to get us all released.

After we were released from the jail, there was a crowd of people waiting
for us. They offered us soda pop and cigarettes. Several people had bond
money ready to bond us out. They offered us rides home and that was
fortunate because we did not have our cars there.

The truck drivers said they did not know they were crossing a Indian
reservation, and would let their corporate office in Canada know that this
was a route to avoid as there were road blocks set up to stop them.

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Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett
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