President Obama in Oklahoma to Support Part of Keystone XL Pipeline

Indian Protestors On Hand

Levi Rickert, editor-in-chief in Native Challenges.

CUSHING, OKLAHOMA – Bowing to public sentiment about the high price of gasoline across America, President Obama is on a two day, four state, trip that is slated to promote his administration's commitment to American made energy.

President Obama is there to discuss his administration's "commitment to improving and supporting the infrastructure that helps us leverage our domestic resources, while also ensuring these projects are developed in a safe and responsible way," according to White House release.This morning, to the dismay of many American Indians and environmental organizations, President Obama will visit Cushing, Oklahoma to announce he supports the construction of the southern route of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline.

The White House continued "the pipeline will help address the bottleneck of oil that has resulted in large part from increased domestic oil production in the Midwest."

President Obama's announcement will be made at a storage yard holding pipes that will be used for the construction of the pipeline.

A group of American Indians who are part of the Coalition against the Keystone XL Pipeline will protest President Obama during his visit to Cushing. They will be joined by American Indian actor Richard Roy Whitman, Yuchi-Muscogee Creek.

“My understanding is the pipelines will be used to transport oil that is in holding tanks here in Oklahoma. This oil does not contain tar sands. My concern is tar sands oil will be sneaked in from Canada before we know it,” said Whitman this morning.

“That is why I am going to protest this pipeline.”
“President Obama is an adopted member of the Crow Tribe, so his fast-tracking this project that will desecrate known sacred sites and artifacts is a real betrayal and disappointment for his Native relatives everywhere,” said Marty Cobenais of the Indigenous Environmental Network.

“Tar sands is devastating First Nations communities in Canada already and now they want to bring that environmental, health, and social devastation to United States tribes.”

Principal Chief George Thurman of the Sac & Fox Nation in Oklahoma will be an honored guest at the Cushing presidential visit, even though he has publically opposed the Keystone XL pipeline.

“I am looking forward to meeting President Obama,” Principal Chief Thurman stated to the Native News Network.

posted March 22, 2012 10:40 am edt

http://www.nativenewsnetwork.com/pre...-pipeline.html