Hillary Clinton finally releases statement on Dakota Access Pipeline
On Thursday, Native American protesters erected a teepee in the lobby of Hillary Clinton’s Brooklyn campaign headquarters in an effort to get our likely next president to take a stand against the Dakota Access Pipeline, which threatens the land, water supply, and sacred burial grounds of the Standing Rock Sioux. (Here’s a video of a young girl tearfully pleading with building staff to accept a letter about the project.) Now Clinton has released a statement on the controversy that contains no stance whatsoever.
In an email to the Indiana Country Today Media Network, Clinton said the protesters have the right to protest and the contractors have the right to ignore them:
“We received a letter today from representatives of the tribes protesting the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. From the beginning of this campaign, Secretary Clinton has been clear that she thinks all voices should be heard and all views considered in federal infrastructure projects. Now, all of the parties involved — including the federal government, the pipeline company and contractors, the state of North Dakota, and the tribes — need to find a path forward that serves the broadest public interest. As that happens, it’s important that on the ground in North Dakota, everyone respects demonstrators’ rights to protest peacefully, and workers’ rights to do their jobs safely.”
Translation: These people are entitled to their little protest, but the second they take any action that might actually achieve their goals, they deserve all the attack dogs and pepper spray the private security forces have in store for them.
Contrast her non-statement with these lines from the 2016 Democratic Party platform, written by Sanders platform committee appointee Deborah Parker:
“We have a profound moral and legal responsibility to the Indian tribes — throughout our history we have failed to live up to that trust.”
“As Democrats, we will constantly seek to ensure that American Indian communities are safe, healthy, educated, innovative, and prosperous.”
“We will restore tribal lands by continuing to streamline the land-into-trust process and recognize the right of all tribes to protect their lands, air, and waters.”
“We will manage for tribal sacred places, and empower tribes to maintain and pass on traditional religious beliefs, languages, and social practices.”
Just for fun, let’s also contrast it with that of Senator Bernie Sanders (which you will note contains an actual stance):
“Like the Keystone XL pipeline, which I opposed since day one, the Dakota Access fracked oil pipeline, will transport some of the dirtiest fuel on the planet. Regardless of the court’s decision, the Dakota Access pipeline must be stopped. As a nation, our job is to break our addiction to fossil fuels, not increase our dependence on oil. I join with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and the many tribal nations fighting this dangerous pipeline.”
Environmentalist Bill McKibben, who called the pipeline “a Flint in the making” in a recent LA Times op-ed, tweeted what a lot of people were thinking:
.@HillaryClinton managed to make a statement about the Dakota Pipeline that literally says nothing. Literally. #NoDAPL pic.twitter.com/v0K3dZzz1V
— Bill McKibben (@billmckibben) October 28, 2016
I get where McKibben’s coming from, but I think her statement speaks volumes. Clinton is committed to preserving the status quo and will fight mightily to do so, as long as she’s able to maintain the optics of caring about the marginalized. At the very least, it seems folks aren’t going to let her get away with the latter.
[Photo: Getty]
