Pipelines Vs The People . The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe

Justin Worland reports in TIME, since 2010, 3,300 incidents of leaks and ruptures have been reported on oil pipelines and even the smallest spill could damage the tribes water supply. This can be very controversial, but with over 10,000 Native Americans living on the Standing Rock Reservation, many lives may be affected. In fact, the pipeline would travel directly under the Missouri River which is the tribes primary drinking water source. Also, Native Americans received specific rights they have obtained since 1898. The Lakota tribe signed the Fort Laramie Treaty in 1898 that protects hunting, fishing and water rights in the surrounding area(Ward). As a result of signing this treaty, officials cannot threaten their water by installing a pipeline. Furthermore, the 1972 Clean Water Act declares it is unlawful to discharge any pollutant from an identifiable source into bodies of water without a permit(Brodwin). The problem found within the pipeline is that is causes potential harm to drinking water. Therefore, the significance of Native Americans relying on this drinking water overpowers the installation of the Dakota Access

The North Dakota Access Pipeline will span from the Bakken, North Dakota to southern Illinois. The Standing Rock Sioux reservation opposes the pipeline because they believe that it goes through sacred land. The Sioux tribe also opposes the pipeline because it will cross the Missouri River twice, which is the reservations main water source. They believe that the pipeline may contaminate the Missouri River, but the pipeline company claims that the pipeline is the safest method to transfer the oil. I believe that this is a tough topic to form an opinion on, but I will hopefully explain my stance on this issue throughout this essay.

The area known as the Standing Rock Indian Reservation located in North Dakota and along the Missouri River, has been targeted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and other governmental entities, to construct a 1,172-mile-long pipe, right through the area’s clean water and ancient burial grounds. The United States Government is in favor of the project for its economic benefit, while the Indian American tribes of Standing Rock are against the project due to the harmful implications that this pipe brings to their wellbeing and their heritage. With the news that this pipe was originally headed towards Bismarck North Dakota, (90% white population) and then re-routed towards Native lands, the question can be brought up: why was the pipe rerouted?

This controversy is between the Standing Rock Sioux Indian tribe and Energy Transfer Partners. Energy Transfer Partners has been building a pipeline that will transfer oil from North Dakota Bakken region through South Dakota and Iowa into Illinois. This oil pipeline will be part of the 2.5 million oil and gas pipelines the run all over the United States. This pipeline is 1,134 miles long and costing around 3.8 billion, while traveling underground through 50 counties in 4 states. The working progress has stopped due to the Sioux Indian tribe protesting against the the finishing of this pipeline.

running from North Dakota to Illinois. The proposed pipeline will run directly through the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe's land, threatening the water source

Oil is one resource America relies heavily on. Oil has a negative impact on the environment and has long lasting affects. The Dakota Access Pipeline is a major controversial topic in the news. The Dakota Access Pipeline is being used to transport oil from North Dakota to Illinois. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is located where the pipeline will be passing through. The pipeline disrupts the lives of the Native Americans who live there. I believe that the Dakota Access Pipeline should not be built because of the affects on the environment and goes against the rights of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Greider and Garkovich’s Landscapes: The Social Construction of Nature and the Environment discusses how the environment we live in is apart of our landscape. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe sees their landscape as sacred and a place they need to protect.

Protect the native’s land and the planet! The Dakota Pipeline project is not going to be as beneficial as it’s made out to be. “It’s a 3.7 billion dollar project that would cross four states. The results could be an economic boon that makes the country more self-sufficient or an environmental disaster that destroys sacred Native American sites” (Yan). Construction of the Dakota pipeline does not only violate the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851, but implementing this pipeline will release more pollution, risk contamination of the water supply, and provide temporary jobs.

The Dakota Access Pipeline is a pipeline that moves crude oil from the west side of North Dakota to the border of Illinois and Canada. There is a lot of controversy around it because it runs right past The Great Sioux Reservation. The Reservation has had many problems with the US Government throughout the years. Many people are protesting the construction of it, much to their prevail, Obama’s administration delayed its construction.

the pipeline is close to a river. The river is the only source of water that the Standing Rock Sioux

The construction of this pipeline has raised a lot of controversy regarding its necessity, but also in the potential impact on the environment. On the list of controversies, it is facing the established route for the pipeline because it runs half-mile near of the Standing Rock Sioux reservation, crossing beneath the Missouri River. The concern is the huge impact this would cause if the pipeline breaks near to the river spilling the crude oil into the river contaminating the drinking water. The other concern is that as this pipe passes very close to the Indian reservation, it also disturbs sacred land. In addition to all this, there is the controversy of the use of eminent domain by the government, to get the land for the construction of the pipeline.

In an act of racism and climate change has caused an uproar from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. The Sioux Tribe is suing to stop crews from burrowing beneath the Missouri river which is upstream from that Sioux Tribes land. According to the history of Standing Rock, “History” from www.standingrock.org, they explain “The Standing Rock Sioux Reservation was originally established as part of the Great Sioux Reservation. Article 2 of the Treaty of Fort Laramie of April 29, 1868 described the boundaries of the Great Sioux Reservation” (“History”). So many celebrities, like Leonard DiCaprio, are supporting the Sioux Tribe because the Tribe are seen as climate heroes for defending their land. Research from NBC NEWS, “Dakota Access Pipeline: What’s Behind the Protests?” by Daniel A Medina, he states “Members of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe see the pipeline as both an environmental and cultural threat to their homeland. They say an oil spill would permanently contaminate the reservation 's water supply and that construction of the pipeline would destroy sacred sites where many of their ancestors are buried.

Unfortunately the risk of Native American land being contaminated and their loss of control of their reservation has resumed. The Trump Administration and other executives have signed actions to resume the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Native americans have resumed the protesting of the pipeline and sadly there water sources are still at risk at being contaminated. Native american leaders are planning to resist these actions passed by the trump administration, specifically the one authorizing the completion of the Dakota Access Pipeline. This project has been delayed since December and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers renounced the permit to lay the final piece of pipeline under Lake Oahe, which is the sacred water source to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. The pipeline is very close to being completed and now the issue is that if the pipe is not fully finished it can break and really contaminate water sources. Kaufman and Miller state that, “The fossil fuel industry is a dead and dying economy. Green energy is the new great America. Trump and his Cabinet are trying to build an infrastructure for pipelines so our country will remain dependent on fossil fuels.” People are continuously attempting to prevent further environmental hazards from pipelines that leak into major rivers and endanger the drinking water of communities. Overall, the pipeline is going to be built and the fights against clean water, the fights against big oil and climate change, and the fight for land control in the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is still

Native Americans are being disrespected, harmed, and their homeland is being taken from them. Am I talking about events taken place centuries ago? No, because these unfortunate circumstances yet again are occurring right here, now, in the present. This horrid affair has a name: The Dakota Access Pipeline. This Pipeline is an oil transporting pipeline, which is funded by the U.S Army Corps of Engineers, who have devised a plan for the pipeline to run through the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and Illinois. However, unfortunately, this pipeline will run straight through the reservation of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. The Standing Rock Sioux tribe, expressing their distress for the pipeline have said, that the pipeline will be “Destroying our burial sites, prayer sites, and culturally significant artifacts,” Arguments for the pipeline however have tried to counter this claim, trying to emphasize that “The pipeline wouldn 't just be an economic boon, it would also significantly decrease U.S. reliance on foreign oil”, and that the pipeline is estimated to produce “374.3 million gallons of gasoline per day.”, which could help the sinking oil economy. (Yan, 2016) However, despite the economical growth it could achieve, the Dakota Access Pipeline could have damaging environmental effects on the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and the areas surrounding.

The problem is the native Americans need help to stop the pipeline. There is about 200 native Americans camping at the site where the North Dakota access pipeline would cross the Missouri river. The native that are camping there are getting attacked with pepper spray and guard dogs. So the native are are trying to protect their lands from the pipeline. My opinion is the native culture needs help.

The proposed pipeline would run north of Cannon Ball in Sioux County, where 8,000 members of the Standing Rock Sioux live on a reservation. The Standing Rock Sioux oppose the proposed route because of its proximity