Congresswoman Gabbard with Standing Rock Sioux Chairman Dave Archambault II (center right) and supportersU.S. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard's (D-HI) Twitter handle is an accurate summation of the unpretentious woman who stood before 400 Veterans and Water Protectors at Sitting Bull College in Fort Yates, North Dakota. Gabbard served two tours of duty in the Middle East, and she continues her service as a Major in the Army National Guard. A compassionate embraceIn a show of solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux, Congresswoman Gabbard is joining thousands of veterans from across the United States who have come to Standing Rock and the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation to protest the building of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). The pipeline, if approved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, would cross under the Missouri River and threaten not only the water supplies of Standing Rock, but also that of the Cheyenne River Sioux to the south. "Veterans for Standing Rock," are assembling at the Standing Rock Reservation from December 4-7 to relieve the water protectors from the harsh winter conditions and the constant emotional pressure and presence of militarized law enforcement.

Source: Huffington Post December 04, 2016 06:07 UTC