The halt of the Dakota Access Pipeline has become a celebration. Seen in the eyes of many Native Americans and Water Protectors, a success was celebrated on December 4, 2016 when the the Army Corps of Engineers announced that it would not grant the easement to cross waters for the Dakota Access Pipeline. This was made possible thanks to the brave Natives and all Water Protectors, along with the Obama administration backing them up. However, they announced that they would search for possible alternative routes. If this occurs, they would most likely reroute further North, still facing possibilities of more oil leaks.

In 2013, when Energy Transfer (the company responsible for DAPL) first submitted the plan to construct the pipeline, stating that costs will lower and there would be energy independence, they signed contracts with oil distributors who signed on to purchase oil from that pipeline at 2013 prices. In 2014, the United States Oil Reserves were opened where oil prices plummeted, explaining why gas prices are so low. This plan that would supposedly be great for the American people was created right before the US opened up the oil reserves. By opening up the reserves and the oil field in North Dakota, the United States is known to be the #2 oil producing country in the world, behind Saudi Arabia and in front of China. North Dakota is the #2 oil producing state in the country, behind Texas. What many people fail to realize is the fact that we are ENERGY INDEPENDENT, so any oil that we import is because of trade agreements not because of need. Recall that 90% of the oil we have is slated for export, doing nothing for the US, so it doesn't impact gas prices, heating your home, etc. The situation has changed, but Energy Transfer hasn't exposed that information. The US does not need it. Also, If the pipeline is built and used, for approximately 50-60 years let's say, we aren't turning to green energy, instead we end up relying on fossil fuels; thus continuing to ruin our ecosystem and becoming a part of facilitating global warming.

Since this past summer, Trump has owned shares in Energy Transfer Company as well as shares in several banks funding the project, receiving a high revenue off of this particular project. A spokeswoman from his team stated that he sold these shares long ago, (though we don't know if this is in fact true or not because he prefers to not expose information like his taxes, so why would he?) however he has fully supported the completion of this pipeline as well as wanting to bring back the Keystone Pipeline.

The problem has not magically disappeared. Yes, there is a supposed halt on the construction, however, there have been videos leaked on Facebook pages showing otherwise. There still is a way to help, the most direct being donations to the camp, but people need not forget that this is still an issue. Just because there was a pause in the construction, it doesn't mean it's going to stop, especially now that our new President elect plans to keep this pipeline going, we must be as resilient as ever. Remember that this pipeline would be going through sacred burial grounds and people will probably continue to protest if this does occur, meaning there will be more police surveillance around the camp. Note that a portion of a sacred burial land has already been dug, bodies have been dug up, and this was a section of land that was not even supposed to be touched, but police want the upper hand and to create this fear among Water Protectors. During the protests, specifically in September/October, a helicopter would hover over the camp so close that people wouldn't be able to hear each other because it was so noisy. Drones have been shot down, people have been arrested, people have been pelted by rubber bullets and gas bombs. This is inhumane, we cannot let money beat HUMANITY.

Thank you to a professor of mine for informing me of so many oppressions Natives have dealt with along with the same oppressions many deal with to this day.

As said by a Cree Indian Proverb, “Only when the last tree has been cut down, the last fish been caught, and the last stream poisoned, will we realize we cannot eat money.”