USA and Canadian Officials Voice in Opposition to Keystone XL Pipeline

Native News Network Staff in Native Currents. Discussion »

"Mother Earth Accord"

WASHINGTON - Tribal leaders who have signed the "Mother Earth Accord" - including signatories from American Indian tribes and Canadian First Nations - intend to present the accord to the Obama Administration and department agency heads during the week of meetings voicing their concerted opposition of the Keystone XL pipeline.

Several of the tribal leaders were in town for today's White House Tribal Nations Conference.

President Obama, who responded to overwhelming pressure from escalating protests across the country, last month announced he was delaying a final decision until after the 2012 presidential election on whether to issue a permit for the XL tar sands pipeline, which would stretch 1700 miles from Canada to the Texas Gulf coast, and would pass through multiple states including South Dakota crossing a number of tribal land.

This Accord outlines unique concerns of American Indian tribes from the United States and First Nations from Canada over the Keystone XL pipeline, such as lack of meaningful consultation with US tribes, the threat to tribal water supplies, and cultural resources and treaty rights violations; most notably the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868.

The Mother Earth Accord, developed this past September during a at the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Emergency Summit, has been endorsed by Canadian First Nations, US Tribes, private landowners, private citizens, environmental NGO's, Indigenous peoples organizations and political parties including the New Democratic Party of Canada, the official opposition of the federal Canadian Government.

Those in Washington to voice their opposition on Thursday were:

posted December 2, 2011 6:10 am est