So things are on hold at Lake Oahe until the powers that be think it through some more -- with no assurances about how they'll feel when it's all said and done. The rest is a voluntary ask being extended to the company.
Let's reflect on that for a moment: A company that recently sicced dogs on Water Protectors, including families, who stepped onto a sacred site to prevent its destruction, is being asked to voluntarily do the right thing.
But the thing is, they probably will. For a moment. Because what's being asked of them isn't an actual reroute. Right now, all that's being asked is that they play their part in a short term political performance aimed at letting the air out of a movement's tires.
Presidential contender Hillary Clinton was beginning to take a bit of heat for her silence on the Standing Rock struggle. Between Jill Stein's participation in a lockdown action, broadening social media support for the cause, and the beginnings of substantial media coverage, #NoDAPL was on the verge of being a real thorn in Clinton's side. And with more than 3,000 Natives gathered in an unprecedented act of collective resistance, an unpredictable and possibly transformational force was menacing a whole lot of powerful agendas.
So what did the federal government do? Probably the smartest thing it could have: It gave us the illusion of victory.
As someone who organizes against state violence, I know the patterns of pacification in times of unrest all too well. When a Black or Brown person is murdered by the police, typically without consequence, and public outrage ensues, one of the pacifications we are offered is that the Department of Justice (DOJ) will investigate the shooting. It's a de-escalation tactic on the part of the state. It helps transition away from moments when rage and despair collide, creating a cooling off period for the public. "Justice" is still possible, we are told. We are asked to be patient as this very serious matter is investigated at the highest level of government, and given all due consideration.
The reality, of course, is that the vast majority of investigations taken up by the DOJ Civil Rights Division end in dismissal -- a batting average that's pretty much inverse to that of other federal investigations. But by the time a case gets tossed at the federal level, it's probably not front page news anymore, and any accumulated organizing momentum behind the issue may have been lost -- because to many people, the mere announcement of a federal investigation means that the system is working. Someone is looking into this, they're assured. Something is being done. Important people have expressed that they care, and thus there is hope.
So how is this similar to what's happening with Standing Rock?
It's the same old con game.
Federal authorities are going to give a very serious matter very serious consideration, and then... we'll see.
The formula couldn't be clearer.
As the joint statement says, "This case has highlighted the need for a serious discussion on whether there should be nationwide reform with respect to considering tribes' views on these types of infrastructure projects."
Discussion.
How many times have marginalized people been offered further discussion when what they needed was substantive action? And how often has the mere promise of conversation born fruit for those in a state of protest?
But this is a great moment for the Democrats. A political landmine has been swept out of Hillary Clinton's path, and Obama will be celebrated as having "stopped a pipeline" when the project has, at best, been paused. After all, an actual pause in construction, outside of the Lake Oahe area, assumes the cooperation of a relentless, violent corporation, that has already proven it's willing to let dogs loose on children to keep its project on track.
But Dakota Access, LLC probably will turn off its machines -- for a (very) little while. They'll wait for the media traction that's been gained to dissipate, and for the #NoDAPL hashtag to get quieter. They'll wait until the political moment is less fraught, and their opposition is less amped. And then they will get back to work -- if we allow it.
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