WASHINGTON - Today, North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple issued an executive order to remove water protectors from the Oceti Sakowin camp. The news follows a clarification from the Army Corps of Engineers about its own eviction notice, stating that it has no intention to forcibly remove people from the camp.

In response to the news, Greenpeace spokesperson Lilian Molina said:

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“It is not up to Governor Dalrymple or the Army Corps of Engineers to decide whether an Indigenous sovereign nation can remain on its own lands. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has the right to self-determination in deciding its own destiny. According to the 1851 Treaty of Ft. Laramie, the Oceti Sakowin camp is on treaty land, which means the camp can remain in place. The Governor has overstepped his authority with this executive order.

“It’s not surprising that a Governor who received money from the companies behind the pipeline, and who has himself invested in fossil fuel companies, would be quick in attempts to clear the camp and pave the way for oil profits. Ironically, the same Governor who ignored the use of rubber bullets and water cannons in sub-freezing temperatures against protectors now claims to want to remove them for their wellbeing through the winter. If Governor Dalrymple or the Army Corps of Engineers truly cared about the health and wellbeing of water protectors, they would put an end to the pipeline once and for all.”

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