In summary, The Dakota Access Pipeline's purpose is to carry crude oil from the Bakken Oil Fields in North Dakota to an oil reserve in Patoka, Illinois. Although this isn't the first or last oil pipe line of its nature in the United States, it is receiving considerable opposition from environmentalists and indigenous peoples because of its potential for irreparable harm. If the pipeline were to be completed, it will be functioning within a precariously close proximity to the Standing Rock Sioux Nation reservation. If the pipeline were to leak or spill, it would contaminate water sources the Sioux nation uses regularly. Additionally, it would compromise the sanctity of cultural sacred grounds the Sioux Nation has been preserving for generations. The DAPL's construction has been consequently controversial, and it has become a symbol of indigenous peoples' rights and the importance of environmental activism. Recent violent altercations between "water protectors" and police have drawn parallels to the Civil Rights Movement, and protestors ask for support and recognition that their rights are being violated.
TL;DR: The anti-DAPL protests consist of peaceful manifestations that have drawn parallels to the Civil Rights Movement, but recent violent altercations between protestors and the police have overshadowed a cornerstone movement that symbolizes indigenous rights and environmental activism internationally.
(Image courtesy of the New Yorker.)
In addition to protesting peacefully since this past April, the Standing Sioux Nation has been fighting DAPL through the court system on the basis that the pipeline was approved without adequate research on its large scale impact. When the Sioux Nation's plea to halt the pipeline was rejected in September, the federal judge ruled that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers "likely complied" with National Historic Preservation Act. However, "likely complied" isn't reassuring in the least; especially when only a few days earlier Energy Transfer--the company behind the pipeline--bulldozed sacred sites with irreplaceable archaeological valuables. The Sioux, rightly enraged, then took a petition to the U.N. to seek international support for their desecrated lands.
Earlier this month, President Barack Obama issued a statement expressing that the DAPL could be rerouting in consideration of Sioux sacred lands, but he has been uncharacteristically mum on the whole ordeal. Meanwhile in North Dakota, celerities like Shaileene Woodley and Mark Ruffalo have made their way to the protest to offer their support. Woodley was even arrested at one point for criminally trespassing while protesting, but that has done nothing to daunt her efforts. As recently at Thanksgiving Day, she and Jane Fonda served hot meals to protestors to thank them for their efforts against the DAPL.
(Image courtesy of AceShowbiz.com)
Unfortunately for the anti-DAPL movement at Standing Rock, the most people hear about this movement is the violent altercations between water protectors and the federal police. Between rubber bullets, mace, dogs, and water hoses, the police appear to be using excessive force but their perspective dominates the angle most media outlets have adopted: The anti-DAPL protestors are a nuisance. Luckily, the Sioux Nation's deliberate media outreach earlier in the year has managed to attract multiple independent news sources fro social media to accurately document their struggle as they try to reclaim their territorial birth right.
Michael Wood Jr.'s Facebook event is a prime example of how independent media has been an incredibly helpful factor in anti-DAPL protests. In a video released by NowThis, Wood Jr. announces that thousands of military veterans have decided to join him at Standing Rock between December 4th and December 7th to peacefully protest DAPL. In the video he stated, "If the cops there want to be state sanctioned agents to brutally beat non-violent veterans, that have served their country honorably, if they're going to beat us, then that should be the signal to the rest of the world of what our country's going." Nearly 2,100 veterans have signed up for the event, and more than $250,000 has been donated to his efforts.
(Image courtesy of MichaelWoodJr.net)
The holiday season comes complete with Hallmark invitations to be grateful for the family and friends that surround you, but there is no doubt that the anti-DAPL protests will make people pause and reflect in this upcoming month.
