Protesters in downtown Juneau showed their solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux and other tribal nations on Tuesday. The Sioux are protesting construction of the massive Dakota Access pipeline project near the Missouri River and their ancestral lands.
The Standing Rock Sioux Reservation is located in North and South Dakota. The 1,172-mile pipeline would carry crude oil from North Dakota to Illinois.
Larry West participated in the protest near the Juneau offices of U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan. West said there were 30 to 40 people carrying signs, chanting and protesting a variety of issues including corporate influence, environmental issues and indigenous rights.
“The signs say things like, ‘Standing with Standing Rock,’ ‘Water is Life,’ ‘No DAPL,’ ‘Keep it in the ground.’ Those sorts of things,” West said.
In an email, Sullivan spokesman Mike Anderson criticized the Obama administration’s revocation of a key pipeline decision for “political considerations” after permits had been lawfully issued and construction begun. However, Anderson also expressed sympathy.
“On issue after issue, in Alaska, the state, Alaska Natives, and others aren’t meaningfully consulted by the federal government,” Anderson said in the email. “This situation illustrates why Sen. Sullivan believes we need a transparent and efficient process up front to bring project proponents, stakeholders, tribes, and the government together to responsibly build needed infrastructure.”
Murkowski’s office could not be reached for comment.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with comment from Sen. Dan Sullivan’s office.
