The Navajo Nation’s top elected officials are calling on President Obama to intervene in the dispute over the Dakota Access Pipeline.
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North Dakota opposes the pipeline, saying it endangers their water supply. According to a release, Navajo President Russell Begaye and Vice President Jonathan Nez sent Obama a letter after learning about law-enforcement actions the night of November 20th. Sheriff’s deputies and state police reportedly sprayed protesters with water despite below-freezing temperatures and peppered them with rubber bullets. Some two dozen people were hospitalized with hypothermia or bone fractures. President Begaye said the use of military-style force was “uncalled for and excessive.” He wants Obama to permanently halt construction on the pipeline in that area. It’s unclear how the new president may look upon the issue if it is still in dispute when he takes office. According to published reports, Donald Trump holds stock in the Texas company building the pipeline, though only a small amount.
