Farmers and ranchers near St. Anthony,
N.D. admitted on videos to arming themselves in response to their
fear of Native American led camp opposing the Bakken Dakota Access
Pipeline (DAPL).
An
unnamed rancher explained in an interview with Scott Hennen on the
radio show “What’s On Your Mind” that he was rattled when
police cars escorted his children home on the school bus after the
Standing Rock Water Protector camp was formed.
Water
Protectors, a collection of Native Americans led by the Standing Rock
Sioux and their allies, are resisting the construction of the Bakken
DAPL, which would run under the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers and
over the Ogallala Aquifer. The Missouri River is the primary source
of water for the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. Ogallala Aquifer
provides 30 percent of the fresh water used for agricultural
irrigation in the United States.
It
was not until an interaction with the neighbor that he bought a gun.
“I have a neighbor who lives in the pipeline area and he asked if
he needed help, if I would come and help. I said I would.” He
continued, “At that point I didn’t really have anything to go
help him with. So I proceeded to acquire some stuff.”
Even
though he admits he carries a gun with him at all times now, the
unnamed rancher seemed to be taking no joy in the acquisition, “I
am not a hunter. I have never owned a lot of guns.” He explained,
“I do now. Mainly for protection.”
He
admits to having only limited interaction with the protestors, only
being near a protestor when the Water Protector was changing the tire
on their car.
The
unnamed rancher is not the only local carrying a gun in response to
Water Protectors. Jared Ernst, a local farmer has also responded with
guns, "I've been carrying a sidearm on me everywhere I go. I
have a small revolver that I carry, my wife has started carrying, a
bunch of the neighbors have started carrying firearms in their
vehicles. I think there are some that are carrying on them like I am,
you just don't know.”
He
felt a gun was necessary for both he and his wife after Water
Protectors drove through his field and talked to him.
Unnamed
Rancher: https://www.facebook.com/POVnow/videos/1732708696993054/
Jared
Ernst: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOQMTlvsdPg
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