How would you feel if someone built a pipeline by your neighborhood that could potentially damage your water and was on sacred/religious grounds? That’s exactly what the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is facing.

Many say the Dakota pipeline isn’t the Natives land so it is okay to build it. But let’s say the pipeline was really being built by your neighborhood. You don’t own the land, but I’m sure you and many of your neighbors would be very upset by this.

The Natives are a part of our country and if something is making them fearful then we should not tolerate it. The continuation of this pipeline on the Standing Rocks religious land violates the American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978. This requires the government to protect American Indians religious grounds and their right of freedom to exercise their traditional religions.

To say there are more important issues happening is true. There’s wars going on, economic issues, and poverty all around us; but there are always going to be more urgent problems. The most important thing to do is to help the people who need it; the Standing Rock Tribe needs it. They need people on their side that will help them fight for justice. Justice they have been fighting for since the Pilgrims came and took their land.

America always strives to make their citizens feel equal and safe. America needs to be striving for the safety and equality of the Standing Rock Tribe.

Now of course the pipeline is a good thing, as it fills a vital need for America’s energy security. That being said, there are better places it could be built. Let’s be honest, nobody wants a pipeline in their backyard.

My plan is to bring more awareness to the effects of the pipeline. By doing so I know it will spark protesters, donors, and people who will continue to spread the truth. This is not impossible to implement. There have been countless times in history where people stood up for a cause and ended up creating change.

We need to be the ones implementing change. We are more powerful than we think. The protesters that have already started fighting back have majorly delayed the process of building the pipeline. With the help of our voices, news spreads and awareness is enacted. The more people opposing the pipeline, the harder it is for the pipeline to be built.