Who Stood with Standing Rock?

In 2016, the Standing Rock Sioux bravely resisted the construction of an illegal pipeline across their land. Similarly to Hong Kong, their territory was taken from them without their consent and governed by a string of arbitrary treaties, and were forced to accept new rules which violated the terms of those treaties. Unlike Hong Kong, the Sioux endured a genocide before their land was stolen. And unlike Hong Kong, there was no outrage over Standing Rock.

During the resistance, old women were gassed, sprayed with water in freezing temperatures, beaten, arrested, and imprisoned by police. My friends were gassed while fighting for the sovereign rights of the Sioux. Their clothes ruined, possessions burned, eyes stung by chemicals. This state violence was recorded dozens of times, and sent to media and politicians across the world. And they were answered with silence.

Few Democrats so much as mentioned the suppression. Republicans celebrated it. Across social and corporate media, the indigenous activists were portrayed as hippies at best and savages at worst. Standing Rock never hit the front page of Reddit, never elicited international outrage, and never inspired the outrage of the “freedom-loving” Right.

As the New York Times publishes its concerns over the Chinese military converging on Hong Kong, I can’t help but recall the military-grade armored vehicles which were all but given to North Dakota’s police by the Department of Defense, and used against peaceful protesters. The NYT had no equivalent outrage about this incident of military violence, opting instead to report the view from “both sides” of Standing Rock. It would be shocking to see the Times publish an Op-Ed from the POV of a Chinese footsoldier or Hong Kong Policeman — but that’s exactly what they did during the rebellion at Standing Rock.