#NoDAPL From the Front Lines "We are NOT victims, We are Powerful" 3rd Edition

Photo provided exclusively By: The Factual Dragnet

Written By: ~X~ of TFD

#NoDAPL From the Front Lines "We are NOT victims, We are Powerful" 3rd Edition

Today there was a press conference by the Indigenous Environmental Network with Chairman Dave Archambault and panel in response to Army Core Engineers Eviction notice. 

The conference started with a greeting in their native tongue followed by Thomas Lopez, a Jr. member of  the International Indigenous Youth Council. The very first thing that he started to discuss was the promises that now leaving President Barak Obama made to the Youth Council on his visit back in 2014.  If your are not familiar with that promise let us remind you:

On December 3rd, 2014 President Obama made remarks  at the Tribal Nations Conference at the Capitol Hilton in Washington D.C.

Lets look into some of the statements and promises President Obama made in his remarks:

..."I also want to thank the members of Congress who are here today. I want to thank Sally Jewell, our outstanding Secretary of Interior. (Applause.) Sally is also the Chair of the White House Council on Native American Affairs. And I’m proud to have Native Americans serving with dedication and skill in my administration, including somebody I love -- Jodi Gillette of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. (Applause.) Everybody here knows Jodi, my Special Assistant for Native American Affairs -- as well as Raina Thiele -- (applause) -- who is Denaina and Yup’ik, and works in the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs."

"So I just got off the phone with my Attorney General, Eric Holder. He will have more specific comments about the case in New York. But I want everybody to know here, as well as everybody who may be viewing my remarks here today, we are not going to let up until we see a strengthening of the trust and a strengthening of the accountability that exists between our communities and our law enforcement."

"Together, we’ve strengthened your sovereignty -- giving more power to tribal courts and police, restoring hundreds of thousands of acres of tribal trust lands. 

"but I’ve been able to keep a promise to all of you that I would learn and I would listen, and I’d treat you with the respect that you deserve."

"And I made another promise that I’d visit Indian Country as President. And this June, I kept that promise. I know that the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is here."

"And so it was arranged for me to meet with some of these young people. Michelle and I, before the powwow, sat down with a group of Lakota young adults. There was no press, no teachers, no parents -- it was just us. And folks were invited to say whatever was on their minds. And these young people could not have been more poised and they could not have been more thoughtful. And they talked about their families, and their friends, and their dreams for the future. But they also talked about the pain in their hearts, and the obstacles they had had to overcome, and the problems they had seen with loved ones who had been brought down by drugs or alcohol or violence or poverty."

"We want to give those young people and young Native Americans like them the support they deserve. We have to invest in them, and believe in them, and love them. And if we do, there’s no question of the great things they can achieve -- not just for their own families, but for their nation and for the United States. (Applause.)"

"I brought Sally in, and I brought Arne Duncan in, and I brought whoever else was involved in youth and education and opportunity and job training, and I said, you will find new avenues of opportunity for our Native youth. You will make sure that this happens on my watch."

I'm sure you get the point now. So no Main Stream Media and so called "fact checkers" this is a promise, another promise, Obama didn't fulfill. This is why I personally laugh at the meme floating around of how "classy" the Obama's are & scandeous "free" Admin. psst. Carrying on...

Mr Lopez went even further to talk upon Obama's Thanksgiving Day speech, stating how he has, "remained silent" in what is going on there to the people of Standing Rock. On how the President has not fulfilled those very things he promised to the people and their land. He goes on more and ask directly to the POTUS, " Would you stand silent if this was happening to your children...." "...Would you be silent and stand and do nothing?" 

Aaron of the Scared Stone Camp gave a powerful insight of exactly what the youth and future generation was going through and how she over came her personal struggles and hardships. She is a beacon of exactly what all the people at the camp are trying to preserve and keep. She went deep into how the youth of the tribes are committing suicide at very high rates. 

These are some fast facts to support this for your information and research via Aspeninstitute.org

• Suicide rates are more than double, and Native teens experience the highest rate of suicide of any population group in the United States.

• Violence, including intentional injuries, homicide and suicide account for 75% of deaths for AI/AN youth age 12-20.

•         Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death – and 2.5 times the national rate–for AI/AN youth in the 15-24 age group.

Dallas Goldtooth of the Indigenous Environmental Network spoke on exactly the cruelty and games people are rising against them with the tires of one of the representatives not being able to make it due to their tires being slashed in the middle of last night before the press conference. "This just shows what people are doing to us..." stated Goldtooth. "We will continue to stand strong" Goldtooth reassures the press there gathered. "...we are NOT here for hate, we are here for peace and mother earth."

Nick of Indigenous People's Power Project (Ip3) spoke candidly and very clearly, " We have trained 3,000 in Non Violent Direct Action."

"We are unarmed, we have been met with violence & aggression from the security forces here" He request people, "Stay peaceful and in prayer..."

He further adds:  

"We want the Morton Sheriffs Department and Army Corp of Engineers to stop lying to everyone and take a sense of accountability for the violent actions taken against are people...." (par-phrased)

The Ip3 representative emphasizes and stresses the point of, "There is no alcohol or weapons on the grounds whatsoever"
Nick goes on to state, 

"We are NOT victims, we are powerful!"

That very statement in itself has a load of power to it. People lets, keep in mind common sense, the Native Americans have lived through so many different forms of abuse from the US Government since its birth. As much as America likes to ignore that fact that is the fact. Period. The very fact that we have to classify the Natives of this land is just mind blowing to me. These people ARE strong. They have been through this once before and the representative of the Ip3 relays that perfectly.    
 
Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Chairman Dave Archambaultas spoke at this very historical news conference. If you are not familiar with the Tribal Chairman, he was arrested back on Friday August 12th, 2016 at the Dakota Pipeline for protesting just to be released later that evening along with Dana Yellow a Tribal Council Member.

The Chief make mention of the supposed "intentions" summed up inside the shameful document, " The letter states that this is for public safety..." He adds, " they claim this is for the public safety of all". "we are asking Obama stands on his word he gave to us..."

 

A point in the conference that spark my attention was the specific references to stand Executive Orders out of the white House that stand today. Here are the two Executive Orders:

Executive Order 13647 Signed By Obama in 2013 'Establishing The White House Council on Native American Affairs"

&

Executive Order 13007 Indian Sacred Sites (1996) which states:

Executive Order 13007 Indian Sacred Sites (1996). Designed to protect and preserve Indian religious practices, this EO directs each federal agency that manages federal lands to “(1) accommodate access to and ceremonial use of Indian sacred sites by Indian religious practitioners and (2) avoid adversely affecting the physical integrity of such sacred sites.” This EO also directs each federal agency to report to the President on “procedures implemented or proposed to facilitate with appropriate Indian tribes and religious leaders.”  Several EM sites and facilities are located on Tribal aboriginal and treaty lands.  Staff at these facilities work with the Tribes to allow Tribal members safe access to DOE sites for Tribal cultural/religious purposes.

"Slay the Black Snake!" was said by the panel which resulted in those in attendance to cheer in joy and hope to end the oppression. If you are not familiar with how Native Americans look at the "Black Snakes" here is a tale to better explain it courtesy of Firstpeople.us.

Question was taken after the initial speakers of the press conference spoke. But, before that there was a update of who is there currently. 748 Tribal Nations from 22 cities nationwide. Also on their way is approximately 1,800 Vets to help the people and tribes of Standing Rock against the violence they have been receiving.

Editors Note: Apologies if I did not get the names of some of the speakers absolutely correct for I was witnessing it live and some of the audio was not the greatest . We do encourage any corrections on this article or any others to be submitted to RWOATGTipz@gmail.com and we will make the necessary corrections for we value true journalism, reporting and moral responsibility to the public. Here is the live feed link from the conference to witness what was said in this historical conference.  

Link
-Video on the ground coverage was done By: Kevin Gilbertt also follow his Twitter

@Mrhappychap

 We at The Real World Order/ANTRN/ANT & The Factual Dragnet STAND in solidarity with all of the tribes, volunteers and people of the land of Standing Rock! We stand for the Truth and Justice for ALL. Period. ~X~

Establ

e