A coalition of ranchers, farmers and native groups have begun arriving in Washington, D.C., for a week-long encampment in protest of the Keystone XL oil pipeline. Members of the Cowboy and Indian Alliance arrived on horseback Tuesday to set up teepees in preparation for the protest, dubbed “Reject and Protect.”

Billy Redwing Tayac: “You sure can’t eat oil. So remember that if you go pro-pipeline. And when it spills and damages crops, lands, etc., where do we go? It’s our obligation to protect the Earth Mother.”

Chas Jewett: “You know, we like to make decisions based upon the seventh generation, and the seventh generation is the future. And we’re responsible. Every decision we make, they feel that. And we just want President Obama to know that, and Secretary Kerry, that this decision will be heard for generations.”

Tom Genung: “We’re here to do the best we can to help the president make the decision that obviously needs to be made about this particular step in the process. And that step happens to be to out and out deny — there’s no reason not to deny — the permit for the TransCanada pipeline.”

The Reject and Protect encampment comes days after the Obama administration delayed its decision on the Keystone XL for the third straight year, this time until after the midterm elections.