Who knew a pipeline being built near our state could cause such an uproar?

In the recent weeks, the protests in North Dakota have been in the media’s spotlight. Thousands of protesters have been camping out in Cannon Ball, North Dakota, speaking out against the Dakota Access Pipeline. The pipeline would stretch from North Dakota to Illinois’ oil refineries, changing the way oil is distributed.

The pipeline would run along Lake Oahe, a sacred burial site for the Standing Rock Sioux and a source of water for the nearby community. The $3.7 billion pipeline will run through four states and change how crude oil is distributed.

Why did the protests start?

The U.S Army Corps of Engineers approved the construction in July. Afterward, the Standing Rock Sioux sued the Corps, stating that the pipeline threatens the tribe’s ancestral significance. The Corps, meanwhile, have stated that the pipeline “does not cross into the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s Reservation.”

Clean water has been a growing concern during these protests. The pipeline was meant to travel further north near the city of Bismarck. However, it was redirected to the Standing Rock due to the concern of the pipeline contaminating drinking water.

Who is protesting?

The Standing Rock Sioux have been leading the protests, which have also included environmentalists, activists, celebrities, and everyday people.

Actress Shailene Woodley joined nearby rallies in support of the Standing Rock Sioux. She was arrested after protesting on October 10th for trespassing and rioting on private property. Woodley has pleaded not guilty to the charges of criminal trespassing and appeared in court on October 24th.

“Treaties are broken,” she wrote. “Land is stolen. Dams are built. Reservations are flooded. People are displaced. Yet we fail to notice.”

“Our aquifers and rivers are fed by this river,” Aries Yumul, the assistant principal at North Dakota ‘s Todd County School District, said. “If it were to get contaminated, it would affect all of the tribal nations. The idea of that … it would be a death sentence at this point.”

What actions have been taken?

About 1,000 archaeologists have written a letter to the Obama administration, urging the construction to be halted due to the damaging effects on the ancient burial sites of  the Lakota and the Dakota tribes. President Obama has stated that the U.S Army Corps of Engineers are working on all possible routes of the pipeline that wouldn’t affect Lake Oahe. With most of the pipeline already complete outside North Dakota, it is truly a matter of when, not if.

Meanwhile, the North Dakota portion of the pipeline is near completion and advancing towards the Missouri River. The company has stated that they are awaiting the federal permit to start digging beneath the river. However, if the construction isn’t complete by January 1st, developers’ contracts with shippers will expire.

Law enforcement had to step in and dismantle the makeshift bridge used by protesters. After using tear gas and pepper spray, protesters had retreated back into the main camp.

Investigators have been tracking protesters via social media, more specifically Facebook’s check-in feature to see who is at Standing Rock. Protesters have urged everyone to check-in at Standing Rock to protect those who are at the protests in order to confuse the police. Many have joined the virtual protests.

What’s Next?

Now that all eyes are on Standing Rock, protests have been spreading across the nation.

With protest lasting for months now, the Standing Rock Sioux have succeeded in terms of discussions taking place to find another route. However, there is still work that needs to be done, and protesters plan on continuing their demonstrations as we get closer to winter.

As the future of this pipeline is still being decided, protesters and the developers continue to fight for/against the pipeline’s construction. The last grueling stretch of the construction’s date is still unclear; it could be in a matter of weeks until the final portion has been built.