More than 20 people came out in Langhorne Borough to hold a vigil in protest of President Donald Trump’s recent executive order expediting construction of the stalled Dakota Access Pipeline and the Keystone XL Pipeline.
“This is about the right to clean water,” said Ruthanne Tickel-Logan, the president and co-founder of Arrows 4 American Indians, a locally based advocacy group for Native Americans.
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According to Tickel-Logan, the demonstrators were gathered at the corner of Pine Street and Maple Avenue for more than just the pipelines, one which travels through disputed land in North Dakota and the other which will span through the Mississippi River valley.
“Whatever happens here is going to set a precedent for how energy projects are going to be handled going forward,” Tickel-Logan said.
The demonstration was part of a new plan put together by the Coalition for Peace Action, Arrows 4 American Indians and The Peace Center to hold bi-weekly vigils at the corner of Pine Street and Maple Avenue.
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“We know we can’t undo the past, but we can insist on he rights of Native Americans going forward,” Tickel-Logan said.
The vigil came about with the intention of educating and raising awareness on the plight of the Native American people. Tickel-Logan also wanted to make it clear that the Native American people aren’t going anywhere.
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Environmental activists were also in attendance Tuesday evening.
“We’re just all concerned about the environmental practices of the new administration,” said Steve Cickay, a former state senate candidate and a concerned citizen, referencing the Trump administration. “We’re all stronger together if we speak with one voice.”
Tickel-Logan echoed Cickay’s worries. “We were all kind of waiting to see what was going to happen, unfortunately, we aren’t surprised.”
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“This is the most powerless people battling the most powerful people,” noted a man who identified himself as Lizzard Man, a board member of Arrows 4 American Indians.
Some of the demonstrators said the pipeline fight isn’t just about the actual pipeline, but is also about standing up to people who have taken advantage of the people of the first nation.
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