There is a lot of ambiguity surrounding what is happening in North Dakota right now and, at this point, everyone could use a little clarity. Here are some answers to questions I have heard floating around.
What is DAPL?
The Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), also known as the Bakken Pipeline, is a 1,172 mile underground pipeline that will carry crude oil from North Dakota through South Dakota and Iowa to it's destination in Patoka, Illinois where it will be stored, until it is redistributed again. Patoka is a hub for oil storage and marks the convergence of several pipelines, including a proposed segment of the Keystone Pipeline.
What are the issues?
This pipeline does not only mark an environmental hazard, but a cultural upheaval as well--quite literally. The pipeline's route is set to go through ancient burial grounds and treaty-protected Native American land. The Standing Rock Sioux tribe's water source, along with the water source of 15 million other people, will be compromised by the pipeline because it will run under the Missouri River.
There is also the claim of environmental racism. The pipeline was originally set to run by Bismarck, North Dakota, but the majority white town rejected the plan based on safety precautions. The pipeline was then rerouted to go through Native American lands, a classically oppressed group that has never had the means to fight against government tyranny.
What is happening with the protests?
As of late the protests at Standing Rock have become violent. The protesters have used their bodies nonviolently as means of rebellion by blocking the actual building of the pipeline. No weapons have been carried by the protesters, but extreme militarization of police have caused the protests to result in people being shot by rubber bullets, tear-gassed, and beaten.
In the wake of this development, protests have erupted all over the country. A complete unification of tribes hasn't ever happened in this magnitude. And the rest of the country is following in suit.
What is the status now?
The dialogue surrounding what to do in Standing Rock is in a constant state of evolution and as of right now the progress on the Missouri River section of the pipeline has been halted until after Thanksgiving.
There is no definite future on what will happen with the pipeline, but the protests won't cease until the pipeline has.
What could I even do about it?
The Sioux people are calling on all people to pull their money from banks invested in the pipeline, to call the Army Corps of Engineers to retract land permits, to call the White House everyday to tell Obama it is his moral imperative to shut down the pipeline, and to show solidarity by donating, signing, and showing up.
