Pipeline protest

The native territory in North Dakota has gained attention

With all of the hysteria and excitement surrounding the residential election, one important story that continues to fly under the radar is the construction and subsequent protest of the Dakota Access Pipeline.

If this is the first time you’ve heard of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) protests, here is a synopsis:
The DAPL is a project that began in the spring of this year.

It is a pipeline constructed to transport crude oil from the northwestern portions of North Dakota to southern Illinois.

Energy Transfer Partners (ETP), a natural gas and propane company, has orchestrated the construction and development of the pipeline.

According to the ETP, the pipeline would be greatly beneficial to the economy, as it would decrease American dependence on foreign oil.

Members of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, with the assistance of various activists, have been protesting the construction of the pipeline.

According to the leaders of the tribe, the pipeline will destroy several sacred sites and burial grounds.

Additionally, they state that an oil spill from the pipeline would permanently contaminate the Missouri River, a main source of water for the tribe.

The protesters have made several appeals to both private and governmental bodies to halt the construction of the pipeline until they can arrive at an agreement with the ETP.

Protesters have even taken legal action in their fight against the ETP, but courts have ruled in favor of the pipeline.

Since the Army Corps of Engineers already granted approval to ETP to build the pipeline, the government doesn’t have any real foothold in their battle against the pipeline.

Beyond the facts and claims of the pipeline conflict, there are some interesting points worth considering.

The pipeline is being constructed on privately owned land and does not cross over any portion of the Standing Rock reservation.

Additionally, an oil pipeline already runs through the same territory in North Dakota.

The Northern Border Pipeline runs almost parallel to the DAPL and was built in 1983, according to standingrockfactchecker.org.

Since a pipeline already occupies the proposed site of the DAPL, it diminishes the argument about how much of an impact a new pipeline would really have on the areas in contention.

However, the DAPL has already been rerouted a few times to avoid major cities and populated areas, displaying the ability of the ETP to reroute their pipeline in order to be respectful of any Native American claims.

The conflict essentially boils down to capitalistic freedom versus cultural and environmental responsibility.

When analyzing the arguments of both sides, it is important to gather as many facts as possible regarding the case.

In today’s society, it is easy to fall in line with one side or another due to preconceptions based on historical precedent.

While the facts seem to imply that the Standing Rock Sioux tribe has no real claim to the territory in question, it is important to remember that the U.S. had no real claim to the territory in the 19th century either.

Although the current powers were not responsible for those dealings, they represent a body that was.

This fact must be considered and respected, regardless of the legitimacy of the Native American claim.

Eagen is an opinion writer.