The Dakota pipeline is designed to transport as much as 570,000 barrels of crude oil every day from North Dakota to Patoka, Illinois, where it will be further transported around the world. The project is funded by a Texas based company called Energy Transfer Partners. The Standing Rock protests arose in response to the initial approval of the construction of the Dakota pipeline by the Obama administration. The protesters are a mixture of Native Americans, environmentalists, celebrities and the general public, many who have permanently set up camp for many months. This dispute is not exactly recent, with disputes involving the pipeline construction and the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe dating back to 2014. Depending what you read, it is still questionable if the Sioux tribe were fully engaged in discussions prior to pipeline construction.
One of the main arguments used in support for the Dakota pipeline access is that the construction does not take place on any Native American reservation. That may be the case, however the pipeline will cross sacred burial grounds and the Missouri river, which just happens to be the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s current drinking supply. The Sioux Tribe has voiced their concerns during the protests, of a potential risk of an oil leak occurring and contaminating their water supply. Let’s not forget this is just one of the numerous battles Native American Tribes have been involved in throughout history.