For Immediate Release

Contact:

Merrill Miller, 202-238-9088 ext. 105, merrillmiller@americanhumanist.org

(Cannon Ball, ND, Dec. 5, 2016)—The American Humanist Association applauds the courage of the water protectors at Standing Rock, North Dakota, for defending indigenous peoples’ rights and climate justice as well as President Barack Obama and the Department of the Army for blocking the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline over Native lands.

“The decision to halt the Dakota Access pipeline construction is a victory for Natives, environmental advocates and the progressive community as a whole,” said Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the American Humanist Association. “Rather than promoting fossil fuel energy that pollutes our water and contributes to the environmental disaster that is climate change, our government should listen to the scientists urging us to invest in sustainable, renewable energy for the good of our planet and our own existence.”

The American Humanist Association will continue to stand in solidarity with the water protectors at Standing Rock as they work to ensure that the future presidential administration will also respect their rights. In November, American Humanist Association staff and volunteers visited the camp there and participated in direct action. The American Humanist Association’s leadership also issued a statement supporting the water protectors and affirming the rights and human dignity of the Natives. The organization’s Appignani Humanist Legal Center also sent a letter in support of Amy Goodman, Democracy Now! journalist who was unjustly arrested while reporting on the events at Standing Rock.

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Founded in 1941 and headquartered in Washington, DC, the American Humanist Association (AHA) works to protect the rights of humanists, atheists, and other nontheistic Americans. The AHA advances the ethical and life-affirming philosophy of humanism, which—without beliefs in any gods or other supernatural forces—encourages individuals to live informed and meaningful lives that aspire to the greater good of humanity.