To: President Barack Obama
Governor Jack Dalrymple
US Army Corps of Engineers
We the undersigned environmental justice, social justice and indigenous organizations stand in solidarity with the Indigenous People and Native Nations peacefully defending sacred cultural resources, land and water from the Dakota Access crude oil pipeline that would carry fracked oil from the Bakken oil fields.
We fully support the thousands of Indigenous Peoples who are taking action to peacefully block construction of the Dakota Access crude oil pipeline in North Dakota that would run under the Missouri River and destroy sacred cultural resources. Families with children, women and elders of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, other Native Nations and allies are armed with banners, song and prayers and are camped along the Missouri and Cannonball rivers. They remain undaunted in their vigilance to protect and defend the sacredness of water, burial and significant cultural sites, and sensitive wildlife habitat in immediate danger from the pipeline being built by Dakota Access LLC/Energy Transfer Partners.
The Army Corp of Engineers, as the federal regulator, gave US government approval of the proposed 1,172 mile long pipeline to cross the Missouri River and other waterways that threatens the Standing Rock Sioux Tribes’ drinking water and cultural resources. The pipeline will violate treaty law, the Clean Water Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.
We therefore call on the State of North Dakota and the United States government to cease all harassment and interference with the protest and ceremonies taking place. We call on you to cancel this dangerous and reckless project immediately.
In solidarity for justice,
Asamblea de Gonzales, Roberta Camacho, Treasurer Gonzales, CA
Bay Area Codepink, Jackie Barshak, Representative San Francisco Bay Area, CA
Bay Area Healthy 880 Communities, Wafaa Aborashed, Executive Director San Leandro, CA
California Communities Against Toxics, Jane Williams, Executive Director Rosamond, CA
California Environmental Justice Coalition, Tom Helme, Coordinator Modesto, CA
Canyon Country Rising Tide, Sarah Stock Moab, UT
California Nurses Association, Deborah Burger, RN., President Oakland CA
California Safe Schools, Robina Suwol, Executive Director Los Angeles, CA
Children for a Safe Environment, Teresa Johnson, Director Phoenix, AZ
Citizens Coalition for a Safe Community, Paul Ferrazzi, Executive Director Culver City, CA
Community Science Institute – CSI, Denny Larson, Executive Director Richmond, CA
Comite Civico del Valle, Luis Olmedo, Executive Director Brawley, CA
Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism, Steve Willett, Treasurer Oakland, CA
Community Food & Justice Coalition, Y. Armando Nieto, Executive Director Oakland, CA
Crockett Rodeo United to Defend the Environment/C.R.U.D.E. Crockett, CA
Del Amo Action Committee, Cynthia Babich, Director Torrance, CA
Desert Protection Society, Donna Charpied, Executive Director Desert Center, CA
East Side Coalition Against Exide Toxic Technologies, Doelorez Mejia, Coordinator Boyle Heights, CA
Food Empowerment Project, lauren Ornelas, Founder/Executive Director Cotati, CA
Freedom Socialist Party, Luma Nichol, Bay Area Organizer San Francisco, CA
Grayson Neighborhood Council, John Mataka, President Westley, CA
Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice, Bradley Angel, Executive Director San Francisco, CA
Gila River Alliance for a Clean Environment, Lori Riddle, Director Bapchule, Arizona/Gila River Indian Community
Huntersview Mothers and Fathers Committee for Health and Environmental Justice, Leaotis Martin, Bayview Hunters Point, San Francisco, CA
Idle No More SF Bay, Pennie Opal Plant, Co-founder San Pablo, CA
IVAN Environmental Justice Task Force, Humberto Lugo, Co-Chair CA
La Union Hace La Fuerza, Guadalupe Rosales, Director Eastern Coachella Valley, CA
Maravilla Historical Society, Amanda Perez, Chair East Los Angeles, CA
Mohave Elders Committee, Colorado River Indian Tribes, David Harper, Chairperson Colorado River Indian Tribes, Parker, AZ
National Nurses United, Deborah Burger, RN., President, Silver Springs, MD
OccupySF Environmental Justice Working Group, Ruthie Sakheim, Coordinator San Francisco, CA
Our Roots Multicultural Center, John Hernandez, Director Brawley, CA
Peninsula Democratic Coalition Climate Team, Judy Plaska, Chairperson Mountain View, CA
Rooted in Resilience, Colin Miller, Co-Director Oakland, CA
RootsAction.org, Norman Solomon, Coordinator
Sunflower Alliance, Janet Scoll Johnson & Steve Nadel, Richmond, CA
The Environmental Justice Coalition for Water, Rev. Amanda Ford, Coalition Coordinator, Sacramento, CA
Tri-Valley CAREs (Communities Against a Radioactive Environment), Marylia Kelley, Executive Director, Livermore, CA
Valley Improvement Projects, Bianca G. Lopez, Chairperson, Modesto, CA
West Berkeley Alliance for Clean Air and Safe Jobs, Janice Schroeder, Core member, Berkeley, CA
West County Toxics Coalition, Dr. Henry Clark, Executive Director, Richmond, CA
350 Bay Area, Richard Gray, San Francisco Bay Area, CA
350 San Francisco Coordinating Committee, San Francisco, CA
California Environmental Justice Coalition 