*The following article is an original draft of the December 2016 issue’s staff editorial, which was abridged in the print issue.*

Throughout the history of America, the significant manhandling and degradation of the natives of this country and their cultures have been a stain on our nation. Even a sentence as heavy as that one feels like an understatement. Need we forget the harrowing tale of Chief Joseph, a Nez Perce tribe leader that was taken advantage of by the federal government, stripped away from his land never to see his loved ones or homeland again? The same leader who’s doctor said his cause of death was a “broken heart”.

Unfortunately, the old idiom of history repeating itself rings true in present day. An example is the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline which is an underground-oil-pipeline project in the United States that is headed by Fortune 500 company Energy Transfer Partners. The designed pipeline is to begin in North Dakota and travels in a straight line southeast, ending in Illinois. The problem is that not only does the pipeline require land that would put many farmers and rural people in danger in the event of an oil spill, but it also sees a disturbing trend of America once again taking advantage of Native Americans. The pipeline would cross directly through Lake Oahe, which is the water source for the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation in South Dakota. This path means that, if there were to ever be a spill in the pipeline, the water that the Standing Rock people and their neighbors rely on would be unusable. After hundreds of years of degradation and unfair treatment of Native Americans, this latest event forces one to ponder the question: When is enough going to be enough?

Perhaps this latest transgression will bring enough attention to the issues that face our nation’s native population that something will finally be done; action will finally be taken.

The Dakota Access Pipeline has brought a strong mix of backlash as U.S. citizens look more closely and attentively at the treatment of Native Americans, and respond to the possible environmental problems that the pipeline may bring.  As protest has strengthened, support for the pipeline has plummeted, and for good reason. The pipeline is America at its bleakest; letting Fortune 500 Companies have their way with the nation’s soil with no concern for those who are affected by it is a slap in the face. It represents the greed of the wealthy elite of this country – a group who has caused many people to sour on the federal government. Add in the mistreatment of protesters at the reservation, and you have a disaster of a project on your hands. Make no mistake, the treatment of the protestors was atrocious. From being shot with rubber bullets by a frighteningly militarized police force, to being shot with high-force water from a water cannon in freezing temperatures, law enforcement’s handling of the situation at Standing Rock was downright appalling. After serious outcry from tribal leaders and the general public, it seems that change may come. On December 4th, the Army Corps of Engineers denied the easement of the pipeline through the Standing Rock territory, and the group stated that it would begin to look at alternative routes.

However, that seeming victory comes with a catch. The Army Corps of Engineers under the Obama administration made this statement. There is no guarantee that, when president-elect Donald Trump takes over, the Army Corps of Engineers will be singing the same tune. In fact, Trump has come out to say that he supports the construction of the Pipeline. Keep in mind that Mr. Trump owns stock in the company overseeing the construction, Energy Transfer Partners. Have no fear, the president-elect has insured that his motivations for supporting the pipeline “has nothing to do with his personal investments.” How relieving! Speaking of that company, even though the current administration hopes to block their path to creating the current incarnation of the pipeline, they “fully expect to complete construction of the pipeline without any additional rerouting in and around Lake Oahe.” It cannot be overstated how grave a situation this is turning out to be. By allowing the new administration to mishandle natives, we are no better than our problematic ancestors. In fact, we would be worse. We would shun the history in front of us, fully aware of how our country’s actions in the past have systematically ravaged a whole section of the United States’ population and continue on the destructive path laid out before us. After all the abuse from the hands of our country, Chief Joseph famously surrendered, saying, “I will fight no more forever.” Well, maybe it is time for the rest of America to fight on behalf of those whose hearts are too tired and heavy. We certainly owe them one.