85 First Nations and Tribes Condemn Enbridge's Role in the Violations at Standing Rock and Call on Trudeau to Speak Out

TURTLE ISLAND, Oct. 31, 2016 /CNW/ - An International Treaty Alliance of 85 First Nations and Tribes is calling on Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to make a statement condemning the role that Canadian company Enbridge Inc. (headquartered in Calgary, Alberta) has played in the severe violations of the rights of the Indigenous People and their allies at Standing Rock. The Treaty Alliance Against Tar Sand Expansion, which prohibits the passage of proposed Tar Sands pipelines, trains and tankers, was formally launched on September 22, 2016 with the majority of signatories located in Canada, and including U.S. Tribes such as the Standing Rock Sioux.

Enbridge announced on August 2, 2016 that one of its units, Enbridge Energy Partners L.P., would be investing $1.5 billion in exchange for a 27.6 percent share of the Dakota Access pipeline project, which seeks to transport dirty fracked oil from the Bakken region of North Dakota to Illinois and would pass under the Missouri River, the source of drinking water for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and millions more people.

"It is time for the Prime Minister, who has stated that no relationship is more important to him than the one with Indigenous Peoples, to take a stand in support of the rights of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and allied Nations as they resist the Dakota Access pipeline," said Grand Chief Derek Nepinak of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs. "This historic moment at Standing Rock is a Canadian issue that you must publicly address Mr. Prime Minister: we are talking about a Canadian company committing severe human rights violations and some of its victims are brave water protectors and land defenders from First Nations up North."

The Treaty Alliance is growing and will be announcing more signatures at an upcoming event in Ottawa (Algonquin territory) on November 15, 2016. We will also be announcing the groups that will be signing the Solidarity Accord in support of the Treaty Alliance. You can find a copy of the Solidarity Accord and all of the information on the Treaty at www.treatyalliance.org

For Full release: http://www.treatyalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/TreatyAlliance-PR-Trudeau-StandingRock.pdf

SOURCE Treaty Alliance

Grand Chief Derek Nepinak, Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, Cell: 204-795-2733