As with any society, the protest camps at Standing Rock began with a noble cause-- fighting a pipeline and uniting Indian Nations that had not stood together for one purpose in hundreds of years. But combine time, human nature and a change of season within a microcosm of society that includes good and bad actors, money, envy, and desire for power, and the result is a powder keg. Accountability is a casualty of human nature and internal power struggles. How did a noble society based on prayer and the faith that a Creator was guiding action begin to "implode" upon itself, in the words of Archambault? (Source: January 4 Council Meeting)
Important questions and have been raised by tribal members, donors, and the State of North Dakota. Are monies donated via the Internet reaching the intended recipients? How are donations being applied? Is there an accountability process? Searching for accountability brings to mind Diogenes wandering through ancient streets of Athens with his lamp and searching for one honest man. Diogenes professed that that virtue was a result of action and not a theory. How many theories of social justice and environmental action are professed on the thousands of websites raising money on the backs of the poor of Standing Rock and the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation for a paltry 1,000 or so squatters on Army Corps land while tribal members freeze to death on the reservation?
This is not a new story. Look to Big Green.
A 2009 article by Michael Barker, "When Environmentalists Legitimize Plunder," is a roadmap to how the big green NGO's piggyback on environmental movements and literally plunder the hearts and minds of armchair activists by coaxing them into donating.
Green Inc., a 2008 expose by environmental insider Christine MacDonald, reveals how big name environmental organizations are run by overpaid staff, who solicit contributions from predatory companies. The Facebook page, "ExposingFraudsWannabeesinIndianCountry" has a graphic that ties many of these erstwhile Standing Rock players to BIG GREEN.
Greenpeace is one of the biggest of the Big Greens. Look also to its website pages and find post after post about Standing Rock, the youth of Standing Rock, and breathless blogs, such as "My Time at Standing Rock," or "How Your Generosity Is Helping #NoDAPL Camps Keep Up the Resistance."
"(Greenpeace supporters (like you!) donated thousands of pounds of supplies to keep the movement against the Dakota Access Pipeline strong.)"
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