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NC Council of Churches

Strength in Unity, Peace through Justice

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NC Council of Churches Stands with Standing Rock

by Susannah Tuttle, Eco-Justice Connection Director

Many of us have been following with great interest the resistance of Native Americans in North Dakota to the Dakota Access Pipeline. For the crime of defending their lands and waters – not to mention the climate of all of us — the camp at Standing Rock has been met with militarized policing in the service of private gain. All over the world – in the forests of Brazil, in the boreal forests of Canada, and here, in the Indian lands of North Dakota – it is only the bravery of indigenous peoples that is holding back the continued development of fossil infrastructure that is literally killing our planet.

There are many ways that we here in North Carolina can help the Water Protectors of Standing Rock. Here are some ways you can help:

Call for the Army Corps of Engineers’ Permit for the Dakota Access Pipeline to be rescinded:

Tell the executives of Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. to stop building the pipeline:

  • Lee Hanse, EVP at (210) 403-6455, Lee.Hanse@energytransfer.com
  • Glenn Emery, VP at (210) 403-6762, Glenn.Emery@energytransfer.com
  • Michael (Cliff) Waters, Lead Analyst at (713) 989-2404, Michael.Walters@energytransfer.com

Start or join events in your area by finding information here.

Read, talk, post, Tweet – get others to join in demanding that Dakota Access Pipeline be stopped, Standing Rock Sioux be heart, and our treaties be honored. #StandWithStandingRock

Also, of course, as people of faith it is important that we support these efforts in our communities as well. We encourage you to raise up the names of the Standing Rock water protectors in your services and in your prayers. We encourage you to dedicate a reading or prayer to the Sioux of Standing Rock. And we encourage you to pray that our leaders will have the wisdom and foresight to stop the police violence against peaceful protestors and to stop the construction of the Dakota Access pipeline.

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About Susannah Tuttle, Eco-Justice Connection Director

Susannah Tuttle joined the staff in August 2011. She received a Masters of Divinity degree with an emphasis on ecological ethics from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA. In 2004 Susannah was hired as UNC Chapel Hill’s first Sustainability Research Associate and went on to co-initiate Trace Collaborative, LLC a consulting firm specializing in the implementation of sustainability within the design and construction industry. Susannah is a founding member of the Southeast Faith Leaders Network (SFLN) and is an active member of the US Climate Action Network. She currently serves on the Executive Board of the Southeast Climate & Energy Network (SCEN) and serves as the director of international community outreach for the US Climate Fair Share collaborative. Susannah's motto is "Rowdy Bliss" and when she's not traveling and exploring new places you can find her hosting gatherings and relaxing at the end of a gravel road where she lives with her husband, Frank - who is a builder, gardener, and musician, and their two beloved dogs.
Learn more about NC Interfaith Power & Light: ncipl.org.