You might not have heard about it, due to a near media blackout, but for the last month, hundreds of members of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, along with thousands from other Native American tribes and supporters from around the country, have been staging protests in North Dakota and the nation's capital. The cause of their protest: the Dakota Access Pipeline, also known as the Bakken Pipeline or the DAPL, a $3.8 billion oil pipeline that runs from the Bakken oil fields in North Dakota to refineries in Illinois.
The Proposed Path of the Dakota Access Pipeline.
The builders of the pipeline, the Dallas, Texas based Energy Transfer Partners, claim that constructing the pipeline will make transporting oil to the nation's major refineries safer, cheaper, and easier; create thousands of jobs; and help decrease America's dependence on foreign oil. The growing coalition of Native Americans and environmentalists, however, have some rather large concerns. The pipeline cuts underneath the Missouri River near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation in Morton County, North Dakota. Opponents of the pipeline argue that if there were to be a leak of any kind in the pipeline, even a minor one, it could contaminate the river, leaving the reservation without access to clean water, and possibly polluting water supplies for the millions of people living along the river further downstream. Even worse, the pipeline cuts through a number of sacred sites in Morton County, including burial grounds.
Native Americans From Several Nations Traveled to Support the Standing Rock Sioux
Initially, the protests were limited, consisting only of members of the Standing Rock Sioux. As word spread, however, other Native American tribes and nations from across the nation began flocking to Morton County, determined to make a stand. On the other side of the country, environmental activists, young Native Americans, archaeologists, and celebrities alike began protesting outside a federal courthouse. Among the opponents of the pipeline were actresses Susan Sarandon and Shailene Woodly.
Protesters In Washington D.C., Native and non-Native, Oppose the DAPL
Opposition to the pipeline has spread even higher, with a number of presidential hopefuls voicing their concerns. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has criticized the pipeline since late 2015, and Green Party presidential nominee Dr. Jill Stein has gone so far as to join the protests in Morton County. A warrant is currently out for her arrest after spray painting the word "ILLEGAL" on a bulldozer. In Dr. Stein's words: "The Dakota Access Pipeline is vandalism on steroids." Neither Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton nor Republican nominee Donald Trump have commented, however Mr. Trump's energy adviser, Harold Hamm, is CEO of a company that plans to use the oil transferred through the DAPL.
Green Party Presidential Nominee Dr. Jill Stein Spray Paints a Bulldozer
On Saturday, September 3, the previously peaceful protest turned violent after construction workers bulldozed a centuries old burial site to make way for the pipeline. Several hundred rotesters, on foot, in trucks, and on horseback, rushed onto the construction site, attempting to put a stop to the demolition by force. Private security officials hired by the company fought back, using pepper spray and attack dogs to drive back protesters. By the time local authorities arrived at the scene, four security guards and two dogs were injured, while at least six protesters, including a young child and a pregnant woman, were bitten by the dogs, and more than thirty were pepper sprayed.
Six Protesters, Including a Child and Pregnant Woman, Were Bitten by Attack Dogs
A legal battle of the pipeline is currently underway, with the Standing Rock Sioux and their supporters challenging the decision by the Army Corps of Engineers to grant Energy Transfer the permits to build the pipeline. However, many opponents of the pipeline are not hopeful. As part of their argument, the Standing Rock Sioux submitted documents to the court proving that a number of major archaeological sites lie in the path of the pipeline, but were ignored completely in the company's survey of the area. Less than twenty-four hours after these documents were submitted, a number of these sites were bulldozed by construction crews, damaging them so severely that many of them could be lost forever. On Tuesday, September 6, a federal judge issued an emergency restraining order to stop construction on some of the sites... the key word being some.
Bulldozers Tore Up Miles of Land, Destroying Numerous Sacred Sites and Ignoring the Legal Process
Most of what little media coverage exists focuses solely on the environmental aspect of the opposition, often labeling the Standing Rock Sioux and their supporters simply as "anti-energy protesters," as the Chamber of Commerce did when it decried the protests. But a much larger aspect is the legal issues with the pipeline; in granting the permits without consulting local Sioux authorities, the Army Corps of Engineers and Energy Transfer Partners have violated federal law. Since 1992, any construction project undertaken or approved by any federal agency must be discussed with local Native nations or tribes, in order to make sure that there were no sacred sites or places in the area. It goes without saying that they seem to have forgotten that part before doing irreparable damage to pieces of Native American, American, and human history.
As of the writing of this article, the federal judge overseeing the Standing Rock Sioux tribe's case has ruled that there are no grounds for a federal injunction, and the Governor of North Dakota has mobilized the National Guard. However, the Departments of Justice, the Army, the Interior have ordered in a joint statement that construction on the pipeline in the area will temporarily cease. Construction elsewhere, however, will continue.
