Neil Young Visits Standing Rock

Neil Young visited Standing Rock this weekend.

Details are a bit sketchy at this point, but Neil posted to his Facebook page a comment and a video snippet of his visit.

What a nice way for Neil to spend his 71st birthday singing truth to power.

More on Standing Rock protest and "Indian Givers" by Neil Young.

From Neil Young Joins Water Protectors at Standing Rock as Obama Admin Mulls Approving Pipeline by Claire Bernish:

Cannon Ball, ND — Legendary musician and songwriter Neil Young celebrated his 71st birthday on Saturday in the most fitting way possible — by performing for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and other water protectors camped to oppose the Dakota Access Pipeline.

“Got my birthday wish today, my girl took me to #StandWithStandingRock,” Young wrote in a Facebook post, referring to his girlfriend, actress and activist Daryl Hannah. Both posted footage of the informal concert to draw attention to the struggle against the insidious pipeline and continued exploitation of Native Americans and Indigenous peoples.

Rather than setting up a formal stage, Young meandered through the gathered crowds, playing guitar, and singing “Indian Giver” in political solidarity — a welcome sight at the still-growing encampments near the banks of the Missouri River, considering reports suggest a crucial decision by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers could come any day now.

At the center of the dispute sits a permit by the Corps which would grant Energy Transfer Partners the green light to drill under the Lake Oahe reservoir portion of the Missouri. Lake Oahe and the river supply drinking water to the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation and no less than 18 million people downstream.

Under Nationwide Permit 12, the Army Corps permits pipeline construction in a segmented fashion, evaluating environmental impact only in sections which could affect federal waterways, wetlands, and other federal properties. Although critics denounce the Corps’ interpretation for violating the spirit of the law, it nonetheless has allowed Energy Transfer Partners a wide berth to construct over 75 percent of Dakota Access while waiting for permit approval.

Although protests and demonstrations have taken place all along the pipeline’s route, the Standing Rock water protectors and thousands of their allies have drawn the most decisive attention to the contentious project. Indeed, in early September, the struggle against the pipeline came sharply into the national and international spotlight after a shadowy security firm unleashed vicious attack dogs on a crowd of water protectors and journalists whose only offense had been trespassing.

While corporate media has been glaringly absent from both the stand against the pipeline and the larger issue, a string of celebrities have taken up the cause — using star status to give Dakota Access its proper place in the spotlight, without usurping that attention for personal gain.

Besides Young and Hannah, Shailene Woodley, Dave Matthews, and Mark Ruffalo, among others, have visited the camp, the latter bringing a gift of transportable solar-powered generators to supply much needed electricity for cooking, medical tents, and heat — those camped plan to weather a harsher-than-normal North Dakota winter.

Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, and Ruffalo — the cast of the Avengers — have all spoken out in support of the Standing Rock Sioux’ opposition to the pipeline and struggle for clean water.

---

---