Standing Rock : Greed, Oil and the Lakota's Struggle for Justice

In 2016, the world watched as thousands set up camp within Standing Rock Sioux Reservation to protest the re-routing of the Dakota Access oil pipeline close to the Reservation's northern border. Native Americans were joined by non-tribal environmentalists, including US army veterans, all of them standing in solidarity with the Lakota. Then, in early 2017, the protest was disbanded using brutal force. For those following from afar, it seemed like a shocking response to a peaceful protest. But for the Native Americans at Standing Rock, it was another all-too-familiar episode in a long history of violent mistreatment. From the decline of the East Coast tribes to the dispossession of the native people along the Missouri basin, and from the Battle of Little Bighorn to Wounded Knee, America’s indigenous peoples have been subject to horrendous persecution, land grabs, and the steady erosion of their way of life. Frontline journalist Ekberzade Bikem recounts the epic story of this centuries’ old struggle as told to her by those have lived it: the last guardians of the oral history of the Great Plains, the grandson of chief Sitting Bull's nephew, and many of the other activists who have fought for Native rights for decades—and who pledge to continue the fight in the aftermath of Standing Rock. In 2016, the world looked on as thousands set up camp within Standing Rock Sioux Reservation to protest the re-routing of the Dakota Access oil pipeline close to the Reservation's northern border. People from many Native American tribes were joined by non-tribal environmentalists, including US army veterans, all of them standing in solidarity with the Lakota. Then, in early 2017, the protest was disbanded using brutal force. And that is when the real struggle began. From the decline of the East coast tribes to the dispossession of the native people along the Missouri basin, from the Battle of Little Bighorn to Wounded Knee, America's indigenous peoples have been subject to horrendous persecution, land grabs and the steady erosion of their way of life. Frontline journalist Ekberzade Bikem recounts the epic story of this centuries' old struggle as told to her by the guardians of the oral history of the Great Plains, the grandson of chief Sitting Bull's nephew and many of the other activists pledged to continue the fight in the aftermath of Standing Rock. Ekberzade recounts the tale--through conversations with the key players--of the protest movement within the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation against the re-routing of the Dakota Access Pipeline through reservation lands. She also explores how the movement fits into an epic, centuries-old story of struggle, dispossession and the persecution of America's indigenous peoples, as told to her directly by the guardians of the oral history of the Great Plains. --Adapted from publisher description. About the author......Page 3 Contents......Page 6 Acknowledgements......Page 8 Prologue......Page 10 Before we begin.........Page 18 1. The resistance......Page 28 2. Seventh Generation......Page 62 3. The black snake......Page 116 4. Showdown at Standing Rock......Page 156 Epilogue......Page 194 Author’s Note......Page 202 Notes......Page 206 Bibliography......Page 224 Index......Page 228 Bikem Ekberzade. 'standing Rock: Greed, Oil And The Lakota's Struggle For Justice' Was First Published In 2018 By Zed Books Ltd, .. -- Title Page Verso. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 189-210) And Index. A centuries-spanning story of dispossession and resistance culminating in the events of Standing Rock.