AOC: ‘Ruthless’ Oil Industry Correlates with ‘Abductions and Murders of Indigenous Women’

During a March 3 hearing about “The Neglected Epidemic of Missing BIPOC Women and Girls,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) claimed that “ruthless” fossil fuel extraction sites have a “correlation” with the abductions and murders of indigenous women.

“Today, I want to discuss part of this crisis that is all too often overlooked, but whose evidence shows that there’s a very meaningful connection here: the correlation between fossil fuel extraction sites and abductions and murders of indigenous women across the United States,” AOC said.

“Why is it that oil, gas and fossil fuel extraction sites have such a high correlation of violence and abduction against Native women?” she asked the witnesses.

“We know that when these man camps or temporary establishments are created, that there is an increase in violence and particularly sexual violence against our Native women,” claimed Angel Charley, executive director of the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women.

Man camps.

“Wow,” AOC responded. “Am I right to understand that companies building these oil pipelines are often ruthless in their resistance against protesters and sometimes even encouraging violence against them?”

“That is correct,” Charley responded.

The “evidence” AOC used appeared to be the kidnappings and murders in whole states that have oil pipeline projects.“The ACLU of North Dakota also reported that 411 missing murdered, and indigenous people were kidnapped or murdered in states affiliated with pipeline projects, and that 10% of these cases occurred in counties where the Keystone Pipeline alone is proposed to be built,” she said.

So if Native American women are kidnapped and murdered in a state that happens to have oil industry projects or even proposed projects, it is because oil companies are trying to intimidate their opponents into silence? That won’t hold up in court, but AOC’s goal is likely just to demonize the fossil fuel industry that she and her fellow Democrats want to close down.