#NoDAPL, The Sioux And America’s Real Story: An Old Sad Tale Retold Ad Infinitum

standing-rock1

The underbelly of America’s story of empire, greed and expansion, at the constant expense of Indians, Mexicans, former Black slaves and poor whites, is the same ol’, same ol’ constant in 2016 as it was at its birth in 1776 or at any point in-between then and now. To put it more succinctly, America’s real story is an ugly tale of the three ‘M’s’: Murder, Mayhem & Misery!

The modern episode of this tale has now begun with President-Elect Donald Trump and those he is selecting for his new cabinet and administration, all of whom are either the original architects or rabid proponents of the Project for a New American Century (PNAC). The PNAC being nothing more than a modern arrogant, ruthless empire-building declaration of American Exceptionalism writ large whose roots can be traced back to the first colonists in 1630 who likened America to Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount and his parable of the City Upon A Hill. The PNAC an evil, odious document that has been the guiding epistle of America’s New World Order ever since 9/11, and continues to unfold not only once again at the expense of Indians, Mexicans, former Black African slaves and poor whites, but also so many other unsuspecting peoples in the Middle East, Western & Eastern Europe and everywhere else. With regard to the current #NODAPL resistance movement being lead by the Sioux people in North Dakota, it remains to be seen how President-Elect Trump and his radical adherents of PNAC will ultimately address #NODAPL. If this were a stage play, it would no doubt be a very dark one!

Enter now, Stage Left, the Standing Rock Sioux, their allies among the seven tribes of the united Sioux Nation, some 200 plus other indigenous tribes and nations, and non-indigenous allies in the environmental world from around the world. Over the past several months, the intense, non-violent, spiritual resistance, initiated by the Standing Rock Sioux against the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline has continued to escalate as more and more allies from around the world continue to rush to their aid.

Meanwhile, America’s mainstream press, and those on Wall Street they take their orders from, have virtually remained all but AWOL OR MIA by their lack of courage to tell the world the real truth that is behind this most fundamental American story.

One appropriate starting point in this story might be to focus on one reason why the Standing Rock Sioux are passionate about stopping the Dakota Access Pipeline is because it continues to plow through hallowed grounds that contain, among many others, the sacred remains of 300 of their ancestors, mostly innocent, defenseless women and children, who were massacred by U.S. Army troops under the command of Brigadier General Alfred Sully in 1863. The white historians and mainstream press of the day ‘white-washed’ the telling of the tale by otherwise referring to this indiscriminate massacre as simply ‘The Battle of Whitestone Hill’, that was simply the “culmination of operations waged against the Sioux”, that benignly continued as “Sully’s Expedition of 1864”. Native peoples have long memories and never forget the real story.

Another possible starting point in this true-blue American tale of empire-building might also be how General Sully and General Pope played their part so well in what those who are on the side the invaders refer to as the ‘Dakota War of 1862’, while those on the other side of the defenders, refer to as the ‘Sioux Uprising of 1862’.

Yet now, in the year 2016, this story takes yet a different twist. The names, faces and events are ever-changing while the story remains the same. Now the ‘Sully’s’, ‘Pope’s’ have been replaced by those inter-changeable ones, like: North Dakota’s Governor Jack Dalyrmple; Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier, and; Energy Transfer Partners CEO Kelcy Warren.

Kelcy Warren, in particular, in the highest tradition of all those other ruthless pioneer American empire-builders who have come before him and continue to line-up beside him, has publically avowed that he intends to push his Dakota Access Pipeline through the territories of the Sioux, come hell or high-water, without diverting a single length of pipeline. His DAPL Construction project, instead of being called another 19th century unquenchable “American Lust for Gold & Natural Resources” might otherwise be called, in the 21st Century, “America’s unquenchable Lust For Fossil Fuels”. In 1862, the event could have been described as the failed defense by courageous Yanktonai, Yankton, Teton, Dakota, Lakota Sioux warriors to defend their sacred homelands against the invading corporations, settlers and military of their day; as well as stop the violent deportation from Minnesota of some 4,000 innocent Sioux men, women, children and elders to horrid prison camps scattered throughout the Dakota Territory’s barren Western reaches. The #NODAPL Stand by the Sioux might now be better described as their last ditch stand to recover what they can from the past 500 nightmarish years of onslaught waged against them by those who only dream of yet another new American century of empire-building greatness at whomever’s expense.

The Sioux, their allies and the rest of the world waits with baited breath for that moment when President-Elect Donald Trump finally takes the reins of America’s destiny in his hands and exercises his new PNAC, Law & Order vision for the future.

Irwin Jerome: Author’s Bio Note: During the 1960’s and early 70’s Irwin lived with the Dakota and Lakota peoples on the Crow Creek Sioux & Oglala Sioux Reservations in South Dakota and later published the book, “The Wild Gentle Ones; A Turtle island Odyssey” (www.turtle-island-odyssey.com) that documents their historical plight and those of other indigenous peoples on Turtle Island.

Support Countercurrents

Countercurrents is answerable only to our readers. Support honest journalism because we have no PLANET B.
Become a Patron at Patreon

Join Our Newsletter

GET COUNTERCURRENTS DAILY NEWSLETTER STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX

Join our WhatsApp and Telegram Channels

Get CounterCurrents updates on our WhatsApp and Telegram Channels

Related Posts

Decolonizing Environmentalism

We are witnessing a historical push toward the dismantling of imperialism, the decentralization of power, and the welcoming of non-White, non-European values into conservation. Whenever you talk about race relations…

Join Our Newsletter


Annual Subscription

Join Countercurrents Annual Fund Raising Campaign and help us

Latest News