Auburn Seminary demands justice for Standing Rock Sioux tribe
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 25, 2016
Contact: Aimee Thunburg, [email protected]
Auburn Seminary demands justice for Standing Rock Sioux tribe
Faith leaders call on the government to affirm Native People’s sovereignty and protect religious liberty
NEW YORK — Today, President Trump signed executive executive orders to move forward with the Dakota Access and Keystone XL oil pipelines. The Standing Rock Sioux tribe and other Native American groups are protesting the pipeline due to environmental concerns and because it would disturb sacred burial and archaeological sites. Auburn Seminary President Rev. Dr. Katharine R. Henderson issued the following statement:
“We are dismayed that one of the new president’s earliest actions was to disregard and disrespect the Standing Rock Sioux tribe’s call for a halt to the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). As a country, we must acknowledge and affirm Native People’s sovereignty and their right to religious liberty to protect the land they consider holy.
“Along with clergy across the United States, Auburn stands with the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, understanding that their liberty is our liberty. We stand in solidarity to stop the DAPL construction and demand that the new administration protect the health — and respect the integrity — of all communities, including the Standing Rock Sioux people and their sacred lands.
“We believe that all people are created equal before God and that our lives and all life are inextricably interwoven. We, therefore, belong to each other and are called to protect the dignity and humanity of all people and the wellbeing of the planet.
And so we call on faith leaders to raise their voices in support of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe. Together, we must work to bridge religious divides, protect religious freedom, build community, pursue justice and heal the world.”
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