5 Things You Need To Know About The Dakota Access Pipeline Protest
Photo by Dallas Goldtooth
Photo by Dallas Goldtooth
In a victory for Native Americans, activists and protesters, MSNBC reports that the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline will stop.
In a story broken by MSNBC's Cal Perry, the Army Corps of Engineers has told Standing Rock Sioux ChairmanDave Archambault II that it will deny the pipeline route that goes through the Sioux Reservation.
The Army's Assistant Secretary for Civil Works, Jo-Ellen Darcy, released a statement on Sunday evening confirming the news.
"Although we have had continuing discussion and exchanges of new information with the Standing Rock Sioux and Dakota Access, it's clear that there's more work to do," Darcy said. "The best way to complete that work responsibly and expeditiously is to explore alternate routes for the pipeline crossing."
Archambault II released a statement as well.
"We wholeheartedly support the decision of the administration and commend with the utmost gratitude the courage it took on the part of President Obama, the Army Corps, the Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior to take steps to correct the course of history and to do the right thing," Archambault II said.
Perry elaborated during his report on MSNBC.
"This is absolutely a historic moment in the relationship between Native Americans and the United States federal government," Perry said. "The pipeline is not going to run under the Missouri River."
The Dakota Access Pipeline is an underground oil pipeline project that is 1,172 miles long, took $3.7 billion to create, and would transport 470,000 barrels of oil per day across four states.
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe opposed the pipeline, because their federal reservation was too close to the proposed crossing location. Officials for the tribe feared that damage to the pipeline could damage their water supply. The tribe also claimed they were the rightful owners of the land because of an 1851 treaty with the U.S. government.
Thousands of protesters, both Native Americans and non-Native Americans, members and non-members, stayed put on the land, refusing to move and allow construction workers to do the work to prepare the pipeline. Construction was temporarily halted in September.
It appears that now, those protesters' bravery has been rewarded.
