Violent Raids at Standing Rock a Stark Contrast to Talk of Building Trust

Nov 08, 20160

Wearing jeans, a light blue shirt, a dark sport coat and a colorfully beaded pendant that hung from his neck, Harold Frazier became increasingly agitated as he spoke. The chairman of the Cheyenne River Sioux in north central South Dakota was in Albuquerque to address a panel of 10 representatives of a range of federal agencies, from the Bureau of Indian Affairs to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The previous day he had met with President Obama, who urged him to have faith in the consultation process. Frazier appreciated the advice, but acknowledged in Albuquerque that he did not trust the federal government.

Unable to bridle his passion, he challenged the panel to look to the Standing Rock Sioux tribe in North Dakota. “You have the power to protect those people up there,” he declared, referencing the thousands of water protectors who have gathered to stop the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. “Will you do that?”