One thing that continued throughout history from the Trail of Tears was the attempt at land possession. The Native Americans were very worried that the United States would infringe upon their agreements and takeover their promised lands. According to Perdue and Green, various reasons accounted for Indian complaints, including the states that pushed for the intrusion of Indian lands and the defense against Indian retaliation to protect their homes. Georgia encourages their citizens to invade and inhabit the Native lands. This caused much controversy. These encouragements directly contravened the treaties that promised the rights to the land to the Natives (Perdue 24). One example of Indian-American conflict in Georgia was the infringement …show more content…
As stated by Jack Healy, the Indian Nations are very concerned due to the high statistics of disasters resulting from pipeline issues. Oil leaks from faulty pipelines are common, and sometimes they can cause immense damage to the surrounding areas through spills and pollution. Along with the damage comes the cost to repair the destruction (Healy). These health risks relate to the many illnesses and deaths caused by the Trail of Tears. Many people died on the Trail of Tears, and due to these possible oil spills, many people have the potential to die. Also, the proposed Pipeline will pass right through sacred grounds that are crucial pieces to Native society. According to Rosalyn LaPier, sacred sites are more than just a favorite hot spot. They are associated with religious connections and burial sites for loved ones. In the Native American beliefs, these sacred sites are places of worship and ways to connect to the supernatural world. Therefore, these sights transcend life. Disrupting sacred religious sites is disastrous because, according to the Native Americans, it will cause disturbance to the divine gods. If the gods are angry, that will lead to more harm upon the tribes (LaPier). However, sacred lands are not only important to religion, but also to the mind. Sacred lands are thought of to be ways to connect with nature and purify the mind. It also is thought of to bring knowledge and understanding. Sacred lands are a way for Native Americans to connect with their ancestors and learn about the past. It is thought that these lands allow for less adversity through a lifetime (LaPier). The sight that comes in conflict with the Dakota Access Pipeline is all of these things: a religious site, a burial location, and a place of knowledge. Therefore, the pipeline is breaking multiple Native laws while it is being built