Protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline that would carry oil from North Dakota to Illinois, are growing. Demonstrators vandalized construction equipment in North Dakota and Iowa.
Native Americans are some of the loudest opponents.
They held a peaceful protest in downtown Omaha Thursday. While there were clashes between tribal members and Dakota pipeline security last weekend, some of the same protestors were in Omaha.
They say their efforts are peaceful, and it's about protecting tribal lands and water.
Dakota access is building a pipeline from North Dakota to Illinois that would send 470,000 to 570,000 gallons of crude per day. Hundreds of American Indians stopped a construction crew after Sioux tribal remains were in the path of the pipeline. Grace Matich was with the protestors at Standing Rock and Omaha. "It hurts my heart, those are our ancestors,” Matich said.
“That would be just like them going and digging up Westlawn Cemetery. That's history." Matich, of Omaha, says it was hard to come home. "If you go up there, it is very hard to leave,” Matich said.
“There's so much power, so much spirituality. It's so peaceful.”
About 100, mostly native, protestors were in front of the Army Corps of Engineers office downtown, holding signs against the pipeline they say could threaten the Missouri River. Tribal Member Marisa Cummings says Native Americans usually stay away from the media, but she says they have no choice now that they say their lands are threatened by an oil pipeline.
"Now mainstream is seeing it for the first time because it's time for us to expose ourselves and to be vigilant and to be visible," Cummings said.
Cummings confronted an Army Corps employee during the protest, with Quinn Wolf, 5. The meeting was emotional.
"I’m very proud of her because I know that this is our future,” Cummings said. “I know Quinn is going to grow up to be a leader. I know she's going to grow up to use her voice and be a strong woman someday. That's not always easy for us to do living in dual worlds."
I reached out to several media contacts with dakota access and they have not gotten back to me.
The Army Corps of Engineers Omaha office released a statement saying that because the dispute is in litigation, they are referring all inquiries to the department of justice and they respect the right to peacefully protest.
