Events in North Dakota continue to remind us of the historical and systemic cycle of violence against Indigenous communities. We support efforts of activists and allies at Standing Rock.
The Dakota Access Pipeline threatens tradition and sacred ground. It threatens the environment and the water supply. It also compromises the safety and autonomy of entire communities.
Pipeline construction and forced resource extraction have previously caused a spike in power-based personal violence – by some estimates, as much as doubling or tripling the number of requests for advocates and service providers, as sexual violence has connections to oppression, domination, power, and control. These are the same tools that have been used against indigenous nations for hundreds of years. Sexual assault, murder, spread of diseases, forced sterilization, forced relocation, and other forms of violence have historically been used in an attempt to destroy indigenous nations.
We all have a right to a life free from oppression. NJCASA strives to dismantle this oppression, both within our organization and without. We want to elevate discussions of accountability and privilege. We want to show solidarity with activists in North Dakota and all indigenous communities affected by oppression. As a part of the movement to end sexual violence, we stand against all intersecting forms of oppression and support activists and allies attempting to create safer communities for us all.
We encourage folks to learn more about this struggle and other ways you can show support:
- The Standing Rock Sioux website provides opportunities to get involved from afar – such as signing petitions, calling representatives, or donating to activists.
- The Sacred Stone Camp website offers a helpful FAQ, detailing ways you can support their activism, fact sheets, and more. You can also follow along with them on Twitter.
- The Standing Rock Syllabus, pulled together by the activists and allies of NYC Stands with Standing Rock, provides more information and historical context.
- The First Nations Women’s Alliance is a coalition serving Tribal domestic and sexual violence programs in the Standing Rock area.
- The National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center works every day to enhance the safety of Native women and children and increase the capacity of Tribal communities to respond to power-based personal violence. Their resource library provides a host of webinars and reports to learn more.
- Amnesty International’s new report explores the connections between resource extraction and violence against Indigenous women.