First of all, since not many people are aware of what's been happening, some basic facts about the Standing Rock protest need to be given here. Since the early days of 2016, there has been a protest going on led by Native Americans and their allies. The protest is over the Dakota Access pipeline which is a project that would transport oil from the Bakken oil fields in North Dakota and Montana across the Planes to Illinois. The pipeline would be built by Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners. This is a problem to the protesters due to the fact that this would ruin their lands, damage the water supply they currently have, and ultimately hamper the Standing Rock Sioux tribe- there would really be nothing good in this project for the tribe. The Standing Rock Sioux is a tribe consisting of about 10,000 peoples, who are located in the central parts of North and South Dakota. Not only does this tribe give the previously stated dangers of the pipeline, but many activists say that this pipeline would create man-made climate change. People were even being arrested at this protest, including the "A Fault in Our Stars" star, Shailene Woodley, and according to various news sources- people of the tribe, journalists, and other protesters were also being arrested at the protest sight.

Now for the good news! After months of protesting, the Standing Rock Protesters have finally made a win! However, the head of the tribe has started instructing people to leave the protesting due to the fact that winter is starting to really make it's way, and the temperature is starting to fall. According to http://npr.org, "Last week those protests won a concession from the federal government: The Army Corps of Engineers announced it would deny the permit necessary to build the oil pipeline in that area." This can be found with this link, http://www.npr.org/2016/12/11/505147166/in-their-own-words-the-water-protectors-of-standing-rock.

This is something that desperately needed to be fought, and although I was unable to do so myself, I am grateful that so many people put their own needs aside and went to the needs of not only the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, but to the needs of the earth.