Tuesday October 29 , 2019 (Updated 12-20-19)

Mato  Ohitika Analytics LLC called to Testify on behalf of the Yankton Sioux Tribe at the South Dakota Department of Environmental & Natural Resources (DENR) Water Management Board Hearings in Regard to the Keystone XL Pipeline Water Permits. (Pierre, SD October 29-31, 2019.)

Dr. Joseph Robertson has been called to testify as a lay witness on behalf of the Yankton Sioux Tribe as to the public interest and beneficial water use of water in regard to multiple water permits TransCanada has applied for to provide water to the proposed man camps in the South Dakota corridor of the Keystone XL Pipeline.

Dr. Robertson has been working  on a risk assessment to study harm reduction related to Mudered and Missing Indigenous Women (MMIW) on behalf of the Brave Heart Society and the Yankton Sioux Tribe to study police capacity. 

This assessment provides some basic evidence of the lack of police capacity near the Yankton and Rosebud Reseravtions to handle the sudden influx of men coming into these camps.

Mato Ohitika Analytics will be making available to the public the release of the Zuya Winyan Wicayu’onihan (Honoring Warrior Women) Project Brief that describes the nature of this project in the very near future.

Update 1 (10-30-19). Yesterday saw the first winess from the Yankton Sioux Tribe, Kip Spotted Eagle from the Tribal Historic Presevation Office testify as to the cultural signifiance of many sites along the three rivers TransCanada is appyling for water permits: the Cheyenne River, Bad River, and the White River. This was to provide testimony that the approval of these permits are not in the public interest and is not a beneficial use of water.

Article from Keloland Capitol News Bureau:

https://www.keloland.com/news/capitol-news-bureau/yankton-sioux-preservation-officer-testifies-against-kxl-oil-pipeline-taking-s-d-water/

Update 2 (11-4-19)

The hearings over the second and third days were very interesting. There were limited opportunities for giving testimony as to the public interest and beneficial use of water since the full testimony of TransCanada for the three current water permits (i.e. The Cheyenne River, the Bad River, and the White River) have not been completed.

However, due to scheduling conflicts of certain witnesses, the water management board allowed for some testimony to be given out of of order. In particular, Joe Brings Plenty from the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe gave testimony of the non-beneficial use of water as it related to indigenous ceremonies on October 30, 2019. The story can be found here:

https://listen.sdpb.org/post/water-vital-indigenous-ceremonies-tc-says-testimony-not-relevant-permit

The last day of the hearings allowed for the testimony of

State Senator Troy Heinert, an enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, testified as to the potential damage to agriculture and tourism industries should a spill occur. The story can be found here:

https://listen.sdpb.org/post/heinert-says-oil-spill-could-pollute-mni-wiconi-rural-water

Dr. Robertson's testimony has been delayed until the next set of scheduled dates December 17-20, 2019.

Update 3 (12-20-19)

After four days of continued testimony, Dr. Robertson's testimony has been delayed again until January 13-14, 2020.