Washington, D.C. – Bread for the World today released the following statement on the Standing Rock Tribe’s protest against the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL):
“As an organization grounded in our Christian faith, Bread for the World believes it is important to listen to and support those on the frontlines confronting hunger and poverty. Native American communities across the United States experience hunger at 2 to 3 times the national average. This is true for the Lakota and Dakota people of the Standing Rock Tribe. In 2014, the poverty rate on the reservation was more than 43 percent.
“The Lakota and Dakota people of the Standing Rock Tribe and their supporters are taking a stand to protect the water, sacred and cultural sites, and their land. They are concerned that the pipeline will contaminate the reservation’s water supply, as well as the water supply of millions of people who live downstream. The tribe is also worried that pipeline construction will damage its sacred and cultural sites, including burial grounds.
“Last year global leaders, including the U.S., endorsed the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The global goals commit 193 nations to reach 17 interconnected goals by 2030, including ending hunger and poverty, ensuring access to clean drinking water, and taking action on climate change.
“‘Water is life.’ And any negative impact the pipeline may have on the reservation’s water supply would certainly worsen the already dire conditions of hunger and poverty the tribe already faces.
“Bread for the World prays for a peaceful resolution of this conflict and that all involved are treated with dignity and respect.”
