Thanks to Sara Jumping Eagle for letting us post the letter that she sent to the Rural Utilities Service: Dear Mr. Dennis Rankin, The December 2013 “Antelope Valley Station to Neset Transmission Project” supplemental draft EIS completely ignores the facts that historical and cultural surveys have not been completed, minimizes and simplifies environmental impacts, and is completely short-sighted in ignoring the agricultural and historical heritage of North Dakota. The supplemental DEIS is a complete conflict of interest in that WAPA, Basin Electric, the entities that have written the SDEIS have of course financial interests in ignoring the negative impacts on the cultural and historical site of the Killdeer Mountain Battlefield, study area, and sacred site. The argument that industrial activities are taking place in Western North Dakota, thus the view shed and heritage of the Killdeer area are to be ignored, is completely biased. Yes, some oil industry is occurring in the specific area of Killdeer Mountain Battlefield study area, yet what areas we have to be preserved we must take care of for our future generations. These areas cannot be priced. The writers of the DEIS and the supplemental DEIS, WAPA and Basin Electric, have not abided by NEPA in providing alternative routes which avoid the National Register of Historical Preservation Area of the Killdeer Mountain Battlefield and study area, an area which is still being studied, an area which is known to contain the remains of Lakota/Dakota people, and will likely contain historical artifacts still undiscovered. The cultural surveys have still not been completed. The state of North Dakota Historical Society has not yet completely studied this area; I would suspect that if there were more bones of soldiers there, the site would have been completely studied years ago. It is disrespectful to our people and legacy to even consider building on, digging into, or covering up our peoples’ graves and bones. Yes, a route south of the Killdeer Mountain Battlefield study area is inconvenient to WAPA and Basin Electric, possibly more costly, less of a straight tangent, and may take slightly more time – yet in the grand picture of our country, our state’s history, and a peoples’ legacy – what is the price put on respect and heritage? Other routes may be more difficult, less of a straight path - yet what road will we travel to preserve the sacred? What is our cultural, historical, environmental heritage worth? PRICELESS. The fact that I even have to say this to Western APA, Basin Electric, North Dakota, and RUS is concerning to me and to the Lakota/Dakota Nations. Yet, in many ways, our state of North Dakota is still young, even immature, when it comes to American Indian-State relationships. We must still fight for our peoples’ bones to be respected. Sad statement. Given that one of the main populations affected by any changes to this site is the Lakota/Dakota people, including the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, there has been significant lack of discourse in obtaining more oral history regarding this area. There are real financial constraints facing our elders in attending public hearings that are a great distance from where they live. Our people face numerous challenges in dealing with governmental and business agencies that at their core, aim to disregard our way of life and to only place meaning in the price tag of worth, the measured written ownership of space. Yet our ways of life, our prayers, and our beliefs must continue – we must pass them onto the next generations for our children to thrive. This is the worth of the place. So when the SDEIS states that there are no populations impacted negatively by Environmental Justice, I will disagree. Our people, a minority in this state, quite often live in poverty, while the very counties in the Bakken make millions for often outside royalty owners who then influence our state’s policies. That right there is environmental injustice. When our places of prayer, and our bones would be run over, dug up, built upon for financial interest and “development”, that is environmental injustice; when our people do not have a voice or that voice is ignored – injustice; when the very changes you propose will cause more industry to come in and pollute our water, air, and land – that is injustice. So I disagree with WAPA and Basin Electric. Our community members drink water that derives from the Missouri; this water is being affected by what happens in Northwestern ND – environmental injustice. Taĥċa Wakutėpi, the place we Lakota people called the place where they killed deer “Killdeer”; is a place of prayer, a sacred place equal in reverence to a church. It is a place where Lakota/Dakota people went to Hanbleciya, to stand on the hill and seek a vision. Taĥċa Wakutėpi is a place where young and old men would go to fast and pray and seek guidance, for one to several days at a time. Killdeer Mountain is also prominent in many of the Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara traditional stories as well. This area is part of their traditional lands. To put a power line through Killdeer Mountain site would be similar to putting power lines through a place of prayer and reverence such as a church or a mosque. The supplemental DEIS argument that because there is some industrial development taking place in the area, thus power lines and the resulting disturbance from building them would thus result in minimal difference, is simplistic – this would be comparable to saying if there is trash thrown in the Grand Canyon, then throwing more trash in the Grand Canyon would thus not make much of a change to the environment and view. There are current changes taking place within the North Dakota state Industrial Commission, within the public sentiment that will result in policy changes to protect these areas from further development. Killdeer Mountain is on a list of “extraordinary places” in North Dakota. This should also serve to show the importance placed on this area to people in the state of ND. There are alternatives that would avoid this area that have not been fully studied and taken into consideration, thus violating NHPA and NEPA. Our state and heritage deserve to have these alternatives of a route that goes south of the Killdeer Mountain Battlefield, study area, and Taĥċa Wakutėpi sacred site presented. I propose that changes to this area, given that it is a sacred site for the Lakota/Dakota, Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara people also infringes on the American Indian Freedom of Religion Act as well. It must be noted as well, that currently there is significant conflicts of interest occurring at multiple levels in our state, the ND State Historical Society and Heritage Center is preparing for the North Dakota 125 year anniversary of statehood. The ND Historical Society itself is in the process of building a new Heritage Center funded by the state at $40million and by private donors for $12 million; these are mainly oil industry donors. There are significant reasons for the Historical society to keep any conflicts with the oil industry to a minimum during this time while they build the Heritage Center. The ND Heritage Foundation honored Mr. Hamm and is likely naming part of the Center for him. Hamm, as the owner of Continental Industries is a significant force in the Bakken oil field and in our state’s politics at this point in time. Relying on the Historical Society solely for information about the Killdeer Mountain study area and site is faulty. The North Dakota State University study of the Killdeer Mountain Battlefield study area should be allowed to be completed. The cultural surveys should be completed as well before any decisions are made about alternate routes for these power lines. In considering alternatives, no statement has been made regarding the amount of flaring occurring in the state of North Dakota; increasing power lines will of course increase the amount of drilling that will take place in this state, and thus will increase the carbon footprint and flaring occurring in our state. As of yet the enforcement of regulations appears minimal, our state is being polluted as we speak. The large mega pad that is being planned in the northwestern part of the state will be a large drain on our water sources, I see no mention of this impact on resources in the supplemental DEIS– this mega pad will be built as a direct result of increased power lines in the state as well. I am concerned for the public health and the environmental health for the people of North Dakota and further downstream of the Missouri River. The flared natural gas that is being burned off and wasted could also be used to power half of this state instead of disturbing our cultural and historical sites to the detriment of this state and country. This would lend more credence to the no-action alternative until further studies are completed, and until a more southern route is determined which does not include the Killdeer Mountain Battlefield study area. Sincerely, Sara Jumping Eagle, MD Oglala Lakota/Mdewakantonwan Dakota Pediatrician
Posted on: Sun, 02 Feb 2014 06:46:49 +0000
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