| Kathleen,
Each year, Indigenous Peoples' Day represents an opportunity for us to acknowledge the original peoples of the Americas and the painful history of imperialism and oppression. It's also a time for us to draw inspiration from the courage and resilience of Indigenous communities.
As we speak, Big Oil behemoth Energy Transfer is writing the next chapter in American imperialism. They want to erase the leadership and voices of the Indigenous communities who stood up to the disastrous Dakota Access Pipeline. They are suing Greenpeace in the U.S. for 300 million dollars, falsely claiming we orchestrated the historic resistance at Standing Rock.
There's so much to be outraged about in this abusive lawsuit. Energy Transfer wants to criminalize the right to protest and silence us. They want to bankrupt Greenpeace USA after 52 years of advocacy for a green and peaceful future.
But that's not all. Energy Transfer wants to rewrite history, too. They decenter and delegitimize the Indigenous voices who spoke out early and often against the disastrous pipeline.
You deserve the real story of Standing Rock.
Energy Transfer's pipeline was set to carry crude oil from North Dakota's Bakken oil fields to the U.S. Gulf Coast. From the beginning, it was opposed by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. "Whether it's gold from the Black Hills or hydropower from the Missouri or oil pipelines that threaten our ancestral inheritance, the tribes have always paid the price for America's prosperity," said Tribal Chairman Dave Archambault.  Starting in April 2016, tribal members set up prayer encampments near the proposed water crossing, and young Water Protectors organized a 500-mile relay run to deliver a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  In July 2016, Standing Rock filed a lawsuit against the Army Corps to block approval of the pipeline.
Tens of thousands of people including members of 300+ tribal nations joined in solidarity. Huge peaceful protests captured global attention, highlighting the struggle to stop fossil fuel pollution and affirm Indigenous sovereignty.
After the election of Donald Trump and subsequent approval of the pipeline in 2017, Energy Transfer filed a lawsuit that claimed Greenpeace USA — not the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe or Indigenous water protectors — was the true organizer behind the protests. It's not just false. It's offensive to erase the leadership of the Indigenous communities who catalyzed one of the most powerful and memorable protests of modern history.
We are raising awareness about the true story of Standing Rock to force Energy Transfer to drop this abusive lawsuit. And we need your help. You've already signed our open letter. But to force Energy Transfer's hand, we need more people to speak out. Will you share this letter now by posting it on social media to encourage your friends and family to add their names?
Share the link to GreenpeaceOnTrial.org or click one of the social media buttons below: This open letter is so important. It's our best chance to save Greenpeace USA from a lawsuit that could completely bankrupt the organization. It's a critical step to stop Energy Transfer from setting a dangerous precedent that anyone involved in peaceful protest can be liable for huge lawsuits.
And, critically, it's how we correct the falsehoods and rewriting of history that decenters the powerful and inspirational leadership of Indigenous communities in the opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline.
With all that's at stake, I hope you'll share the letter today to help us gather more signatures and apply more pressure to Energy Transfer.
Thank you, as always, for reading. We will never back down from this dangerous threat to our fundamental rights of free speech and peaceful protest. And it's good to know there are so many of you who stand with us in this fight.
In solidarity,
Greenpeace USA |
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