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Standing Rock standoff sparks solidarity in Colorado

By Beau Dakota Hawk

Denver, CO – An estimated 1000 people assembled at the Colorado State Capitol on Sept. 8, in solidarity with the indigenous people of Standing Rock against the notorious Dakota Access Pipeline.

Four groups led by Native American organizers converged on the capitol, chanting, “No more oil, keep it in the soil!” and “Water is life!”

“The pipeline will be about a half mile off the reservation, but it is still a treaty territory. They have already dug up on sacred ground, where many of our ancestors are lying. It’s about desecrating sacred ground, and how it’s going to impact our future generations and our earth”, said Molly Ryan-Kills Enemy of the Sicangu Lakota, from St. Francis, South Dakota, on the Rosebud Reservation.

Ryan-Kills Enemy, the principle organizer of the event continued, “When those pipelines break, it will contaminate the water, and it will not be drinkable. We won’t have anything for our children. This isn’t just a Native American issue. It’s an earth issue, a human being issue.”

Ultimately, the message of the rally was one of unity, with many Native American speakers reiterating that the fight against corporate power is a global matter.

#DenverCO #IndigenousPeoples #EnvironmentalJustice #StandingRockNation #DakotaAccessPipeline