Katerina Rocker Heppe: Don’t try to silence voices at Standing Rock

There is a growing crisis concerning the Dakota Access Pipeline at Standing Rock, N.D. The pipeline is constructed to transport oil from the Bakken shale area through tribal lands to Illinois.

Native Americans throughout U.S. history have been pushed off their land and killed by government orders. Dakota Access Pipeline protest has gone on for nearly four months because people are fighting for what they believe and are tired of being pushed around; they deserve to have their culture and views valued.

There have been reports of local police officers using tear gas, rubber bullets, and spraying protesters with fire hoses in subfreezing temperatures. Treatment of the protesters seems especially harsh in comparison to the protesters at the Malheur Wildlife Refuge earlier this year. Those white protestors were armed and were actively hostile toward the federal government.

The FBI was in charge of the law enforcement overseeing this occupation and allowed the protesters to illegally occupy a federal building. They were trespassing on a federal facility but FBI agents were very lenient, whereas at Standing Rock the Native Americans have been peacefully protesting but have been met with violence. It’s time for the voices of Native Americans to be heard.

This story was originally published December 2, 2016 at 9:39 AM with the headline "Katerina Rocker Heppe: Don’t try to silence voices at Standing Rock."