Hearing Calls for Attention from Critics: Biden's Opponents Insist on Being Heard
In the heart of the Midwest, a significant battle is being waged against the Line 3 oil pipeline expansion, led by Canadian energy company Enbridge. The project, slated to cross through the region, faces strong opposition from Indigenous communities, environmental groups, and allies, who are determined to protect their lands, waters, and treaty rights.
The Line 3 pipeline expansion involves more than 200 water crossings, including on the Mississippi River, a vital source of drinking water for approximately 15 million people. This environmental concern, coupled with the threat to treaty-protected hunting, fishing, and gathering rights, has sparked a wave of resistance.
Indigenous activists, such as those from the Yet-to-Be-Named Network, are at the forefront of this movement. Led by Michel, a 70-year-old environmental activist from Boston, the network employs peaceful demonstrations and uses white privilege to support marginalized communities. One of their key hubs is the Water Protector Welcome Center in Aitkin County, Minnesota, where Shanai Matteson, a non-Indigenous organizer, has been living since last summer.
Educational workshops are a significant part of the activities at the Water Protector Welcome Center. These workshops focus on traditional skills and knowledge, including winter housing and food preparation, aiming to preserve and promote Indigenous culture.
The opposition to pipelines like Line 3 is deeply rooted in protecting Indigenous treaty rights and natural resources. Ojibwe and other Indigenous nations have actively protested and legally challenged pipeline projects due to their potential environmental risks and threats to their vitality. The Line 3 pipeline protests in Minnesota have included Indigenous-led grassroots activism, encampments, legal efforts, and public demonstrations aimed at halting construction.
Alec Connon, a coalition coordinator for Stop the Money Pipeline, is helping to organise a defunding campaign against the banks involved in the project. Major banks such as TD Bank, Citibank, Bank of America, and JPMorgan Chase have a $2.2 billion loan with Enbridge that expires at the end of March, potentially leaving room for pressure tactics to influence their decisions. Successful defunding tactics have been used in the past, such as cities like Seattle cutting ties with banks funding controversial pipelines.
The Line 3 pipeline is a replacement project, but it will nearly double the amount of crude oil it transports. This expansion has been met with strong public scrutiny and faces ongoing legal challenges. If the Biden administration cancels the Keystone XL pipeline, as advocated by groups like the Indigenous Environmental Network, it could set a precedent for stopping other pipelines like Line 3 that would harm the environment.
Tania Aubid, a member of the Rice Lake Band of Ojibwe, is on a hunger strike to protest the Line 3 pipeline. The resistance against the pipeline is a testament to the determination of Indigenous communities to protect their lands, waters, and treaty rights, even in the face of adversity.
For those interested in staying updated on this ongoing struggle, following Indigenous activist platforms like Turtle Talk and grassroots coverage by organisations like Unicorn Riot is recommended. Reviewing statements and advocacy by Indigenous groups such as the Little Traverse Band of Odawa and federal court challenges can provide a deeper understanding of the specific treaty and environmental legal frameworks involved.
- Indigenous activists, including those from the Yet-to-Be-Named Network, are employing peaceful demonstrations to oppose the Line 3 oil pipeline expansion, despite strong opposition from Canadian energy company Enbridge.
- Shanai Matteson, a non-Indigenous organizer, has been living at the Water Protector Welcome Center in Aitkin County, Minnesota since last summer, where educational workshops focus on preserving and promoting Indigenous culture.
- One of the key goals of the Line 3 pipeline opponents is to protect Indigenous treaty rights and natural resources, with Ojibwe and other Indigenous nations actively protesting and legally challenging pipeline projects.
- The Line 3 pipeline protests in Minnesota have included Indigenous-led grassroots activism, encampments, legal efforts, and public demonstrations aimed at halting construction.
- Alec Connon, a coalition coordinator for Stop the Money Pipeline, is organizing a defunding campaign against the banks involved in the project, targeting major banks like TD Bank, Citibank, Bank of America, and JPMorgan Chase.
- If successful, the defunding tactics could influence the decisions of banks involved in controversial pipelines, like the Line 3 pipeline, and potentially set a precedent for halting other environmentally harmful pipelines like Keystone XL.
- Tania Aubid, a member of the Rice Lake Band of Ojibwe, is on a hunger strike to protest the Line 3 pipeline, showcasing the determination of Indigenous communities to protect their lands, waters, and treaty rights.
- To stay updated on the ongoing Line 3 pipeline struggle, following Indigenous activist platforms like Turtle Talk and grassroots coverage by organizations like Unicorn Riot is recommended, as is reviewing statements and advocacy by Indigenous groups like the Little Traverse Band of Odawa and federal court challenges to gain a deeper understanding of the specific treaty and environmental legal frameworks involved.
