November 7, 2011- An estimated 10,000 people ringed the White House on Sunday, calling on President Obama to reject a proposal to build a pipeline that would carry crude oil from Canada’s tar sands to the Gulf of Mexico. Among them were prominent Native Americans and First Nations people, who urged the president to honor his promise of a “new deal” with Native Peoples and his pledge to take action against global warming.
Cree/Métis Tantoo Cardinal, one of Canada’s most recognized actors, was quoted by the Indigenous Environmental Network saying, ”I was raised in the Fort McMurray area, the heart of these current tar sands projects. We, all of us, are protectors of the land and water. If you were to see with your own eyes the incredible destruction of our ecosystem, I believe you’d understand that blind greed is destroying our land, water, and way of life. This is why President Obama has the moral imperative to say no to the Keystone XL Pipeline.”
To join First Nations and Native American communities in sending messages to President Obama, see the Global Response action alert HERE.
For more information about Sunday’s protest and Indigenous views on the Keystone XL Pipeline project, see:
Indigenous Peoples Issues and Resources
http://ens-newswire.com/ens/nov2011/2011-11-06-01.html
