In The News: Oceti Sakowin Camp at Standing Rock Shut Down

After nearly a year of protests led by the Standing Rock Sioux Water Protectors, the Oceti Sakowin camp was shut down last Wednesday, and 47 remaining protesters were arrested on Thursday. The authorities have already brought in heavy machinery to remove any left over structures or debris. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and the thousands of protesters who stood in solidarity with the tribe over the past year have sought to halt the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), which is slated to be built through unceded Sioux territory. Donald Trump recently signed an executive order to advance DAPL and the Keystone XL Pipeline. The leaders of the Standing Rock protests have vowed that their resistance is not ending, but will be taken up in the courts.In December, the New School hosted a teach-in in support of the protests against DAPL, moderated by Assistant Professor of Global Studies, Jaskiran Dhillon. The huge turnout for this event both in-person and online via livestream were a testament to The New School’s commitments to social engagement and justice. The university’s support for the Standing Rock Sioux, and solidarity with the resistance movement focused on climate justice, decolonization, and cultural appropriation will not waver. In celebration of Earth Week, the Tishman Center will host Native and Indigenous artists, activists, and thought leaders to take part in a panel discussion on April 17th underscoring the value of traditional ecological knowledge and the necessity of transcending the imposed boundaries of thought, borders, and mediums as we advance socially just approaches to environmental issues.