From: Nicholas Guy

Winona

Trump signed two executive orders that restarts KXL and ends the Army Corps of Engineers’ EIS of the Dakota Pipeline. The Dakota Pipeline will restart shortly. Both pipelines are an act of war against First Nations. Trump claims he will use his “brilliant negotiating skills” to resolve both Keystone and DAPL. I beg to differ on negotiations with U.S., over any agreed-to rights of sovereign nations. Historically First Nations always lose in any negotiations and treaty rights since colonization. How many treaties and negotiated rights has the United States ever honored? None. Remaining treaties exist because the U.S., has found no reason to violate treaty rights unless violating the treaty enriches this country, which is always the case. And now we again see the continued Civil War against First Nations for economic gains. You do not need this oil. KXL and DAPL when completed will export most oil overseas. The promise of “great jobs” from completing both pipelines never substantiated. Jobs are short-term and only provided to a few skilled workers. When pipelines are completed those workers are out of employment. Short-term benefits for those employed in the pipeline industry and virtually no gain for the U.S. economy.

Does “Make America great again” justify continued aggression against First Nations? No. The “benefits” of pipelines go to the one percent. The negative effects mean our children and theirs will suffer from long-term environmental destruction and polluted air to breath. Our children will deal with the stupidity of the Trump administration to restart pipelines and his total disregard for the entire environment. Make America rich again for the one percent.

I am a tribal elder of the Florida Seminole tribes. There are others in this community who represent other tribes. I am asking local media to allow us a voice in your media to present the entire picture of what the Trump administration is doing to First Nations and your country. We are the remnants of First Nations. We have seen this history repeated.

Google The Daily Beast and search, “2017/01/18 National Guard pulls missile launchers away from Standing Rock.” Imagine being involved in constitutional right of First Amendment Free Speech and non-violent protests. You wake up and see a missile launcher aimed at your camp. Intimidating. Like Russian opposition to Democracy. You are told the launch tubes are empty. Why was heavy armament deployed to peaceful demonstrations? The armament was moved, for now.

Go to www.ienearth.org/the-indigenous-environmental-network-responds-to-executive-orders-for-approving-kxl-dapl/. This is history unfolding before your eyes. I will stand in defiance of continued creeping genocide. What follows is from my heart. I quote; Until America begins to build a moral record in her dealings with the Indian people she should not try to fool the rest of the world about her intentions. America has always been a militantly imperialistic world power eagerly grasping for economic control over weaker nations. There has not been a time since the founding of the Republic when the motives of this country were innocent.

From my heart and my words only; many of you have never learned the truth regarding colonization. Nor have you ever learned how each state systematically eliminated First Nations from our lands and your history. You have never learned about concentration camps, ethnic cleansing or the bounties against us. This is U.S. history. Your public education could explain these but we have been denied access into your history since colonization.