Friends, We have some terrible news for you. Yesterday we found out that in spite of months of campaigning, the Army Corps of Engineers has ignored our calls to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline. They have granted a construction permit for the project. Our hearts are heavy today. The Dakota Access Pipeline is a direct threat to the health and safety of those living along the pipeline route, yet our tribe was never consulted in talks leading up to the permit. Not only that, but the project relied on an environmental assessment that did not take tribal concerns into consideration at all. This is unacceptable –– for too long, Native Americans have been ignored when it comes to governmental decisions about land and environmental resources. This is our home, and we will defend it with our lives. The Army Corps has the ability to reverse this decision, but we’ll be honest with you: it’s rare that they do. This means that we need to ramp up our efforts even more and increase pressure on them to do the right thing. We’re almost in D.C., where we will deliver your signatures to the White House and ask that President Obama pressure the Army Corps to reverse their decision. Soon we’ll send out information about the event in D.C., so that anyone who is town can join. But before then, we need your to help. Please take a 3 minutes to call the Army Corps of Engineers Regulatory office and demand that they reverse the permit! You can call: (202) 761-5903 and tell them: “My name is [Your Name] and I’m calling to express my deep concern over the Army Corps’ recent decision to grant a construction permit for the Dakota Access Pipeline. The pipeline threatens the health and safety of all those living along its path, particularly the members of the Standing Rock Tribe, whose drinking water will be at risk. We’ve been told that the pipeline will not leak, but the reality is that all pipelines leak. North Dakota saw 300 pipeline leaks within the space of a year alone." "I stand with the Native American youth who are running across the country to stop the pipeline, and I respectfully ask that the Army Corps of Engineers reverse the permit issued for its construction.” Once you’ve called, leave a comment here to let us know how it went! Lastly, we’ve recorded a video message for you from the run. Though we are devastated by this news, we are NOT giving up. Please help us stay strong and stop this awful pipeline. You can watch our video message here: http://bit.ly/2a2D24D Sincerely, Anna and Bobbi Jean