Opponents to the Enbridge Line 3 “Replacement” Pipeline gathered in front of the Douglas County Government Center in Superior, Wisconsin on Tuesday, January 5, 2020 to raise awareness about the on-going construction of the pipeline & encourage those able to travel north to the frontlines in support of the indigenous-led resistance taking place on the ground.
“Treaty Rights Tuesday” (Original FB Event Page) was organized by Gitchigumi Scouts – an Indigenous-led grassroots group based in the Twin Ports that patrols & searches for Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women & Relatives (MMIWR). The event was co-hosted by MN350, Northwoods Socialist Collective, Los Brown Berets-Minnesota & Northwoods Worker.
Many of the speakers participating in the open-mic via megaphone stressed the importance of stopping & delaying construction of Line 3 on the ground, as there are active appeals in the courts against nearly all of the State & Federal permits which have have been issued for Line 3. At the current rate of construction, Line 3 could very well be constructed before State & Federal courts actually hear the appeals cases that would decide whether or not it is legal to build the pipeline and at this point, the courts have not ruled that a “Stay Against Construction” be issued.
Paul DeMain, Chairman of the Board of the Directors for Honor the Earth, spoke to how the Army Corps of Engineers did not conduct a separate Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed pipeline project before issuing permits approving the pipeline, which violates the law & is the basis for one of the lawsuits filed in Federal Court by Earth Justice on behalf of Honor the Earth, the White Earth & Red Lake Nations, and Sierra Club. According to DeMain, Enbridge is endeavoring to have the pipeline constructed before a Federal Court is able to overturn these permits which could very well happen under the direction of the incoming Biden administration.
In December of 2016, a Presidential order by the Obama/Biden administration requiring the Corps of Engineers to conduct an EIS on the Dakota Access Pipeline held the project up for months until the incoming Trump Administration gave DAPL the green light.
We published a handful of still images from the Treaty Rights Tuesday gathering in this post.
If you are interested and/or able to support the on-the-ground resistance to Line 3, please explore the Welcome Water Protectors Website (welcomewaterprotectors.com) which provides information on how to head north to Palisade, MN near Line 3’s proposed Mississippi River Crossing in a good way.
Just tuning in? Learn more about the #StopLine3 Initiative.