Dakota Access Pipeline Resources

Many of you may have heard about the protests about the Dakota Access Pipeline is a 1,172 mile-long underground oil pipeline project being built by a Dallas, Texas company called Energy Transfer Partners. The route begins in northwest North Dakota and runs southeast through South Dakota, Iowa, and into southern Illinois. The project was expected to be completed by year end.

The pipeline’s existence is controversial regarding its necessity and the negative effect upon the environment. The Meskwaki Indians in Iowa and the Sioux in the Dakotas have opposed the pipeline.

The Standing Rock Indian Reservation petitioned the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers for an injunction and protests have been ongoing. Some confrontations between groups of protestors and law enforcement officials have recently made the national news.

I am enclosing a Google Docs resource sheet that lists several informational and advocacy sources.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1sjQ0Q2parv5zyOmxyrck38sYhriH8wSMH9j9S7weYVk/edit#gid=0

Perhaps our biggest step is informing ourselves about this topic and the negative environmental aspects of future pipelines. The president-elect has promised to bring back the Keystone XL pipeline project that was rejected last year after intense activism.

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It is also helpful to learn more about the nuances of our U.S. history with native peoples. We have a history of treaties, broken promises, national hurts, but equally important is the power of Native Americans’ souls, with hopes and ideals. As one people, one nation, it behooves us to understand the enormous issues facing one another.

Note: The protestors have placed wish list items on Amazon for anyone interested in contributing to their efforts:  http://a.co/27BRc6P