The Rosebud Sioux tribe in South Dakota on Monday said a vote by Congress to approve the Keystone XL pipeline would be an "act of war," and would prompt the tribe to seal the reservation's borders if the U.S. government attempts to install sections of the pipeline within its borders, The Guardian reported.
"I pledge my life to stop these people from harming our children and our grandchildren and our way of life and our culture and our religion here," the tribe president, Cyril Scott, told The Guardian on Monday.
Scott told the Lakota Voice news website that he will close the reservation's borders if Congress goes through with the deal. The proposed Keystone XL route cuts through the Rosebud Sioux reservation in South Dakota.
"We are outraged at the lack of intergovernmental cooperation. We are a sovereign nation and we are not being treated as such. We will close our reservation borders to Keystone XL. Authorizing Keystone XL is an act of war against our people," Scott said.
The Rosebud Sioux tribe is a member of the Cowboy Indian Alliance, an coalition of tribal members and ranchers in opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline. Across the U.S. and Canada, opposition to tar sands project has sparked unusual partnerships between ranchers, landowners, tribes, and environmentalists.
The Senate is expected to vote on a bill to approve the pipeline Tuesday afternoon. The bill was passed by the House on Monday.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Zoë is a senior writer at Newsweek. She covers science, the environment, and human health. She has written for a ... Read more
