Most people have heard of the Standing Rock protest that has been going on in North Dakota but many people do not know the whole story.
The pipeline is a $2.5 billion project that Energy Transfer Partners is taking on. The pipeline will stretch 1,172 miles and will move about half a million barrels of oil every day. Not only are environmentalists worried about it breaking or leaking, but local tribes are irritated because it will cut off their water supply and will be built on sacred land.
The banks that have signed on to finance the project have been receiving letters from the environmentalist groups asking them to think about what they are financing. They believe that we need to stop building fossil fuels and start funding for cleaner forms of energy.
One aspect of the protest many are not aware of is that some natives do not find the pipeline an issue but rather see the protest as an issue. Most do not know that many of the Standing Rock Sioux would rather have the protesters leave. One member named Robert Fool Bear has said,“The protesters have become an annoyance for his community.” The people of Cannon Ball have to go through checkpoints to get to and from town. A CNN article paraphrases Fool Bear saying, “People of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe could have attended hearings to make their concerns known, they didn’t care.” The article continues to say that the crowds of protesters are out of control.
Another man about ten miles west from where the protesters are located admits that he is in agreement with the pipeline. He states that it would mean less traffic on the highways and on the railroad tracks. Another man in Cannon Ball agrees by stating that the pipeline does not matter. The man is paraphrased stating that “if it breaks, he’d just work around it,” then continues to say, “I can move north of the break and get my water over there.”
On the other hand, thirty miles away in Fort Yates, people have different viewpoints on the protests. One man named Roger Valandra goes to join the protests once a week. He states that he is a Vietnam veteran and the fact that he feels “suppressed” by that nation is offensive. He doesn’t understand why there are police from other states and counties he has never heard of. Others have stated that the police started using force. They claim that they have used tear gas, rubber bullets, concussion grenades and cannons. However, the CNN article states that they could not confirm these claims.
There are many views about the pipeline in North Dakota and about the protests. There are many more issues at hand than just the pipeline itself.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/29/us/dakota-pipeline-standing-rock-sioux/ http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/08/business/energy-environment/environmentalists-blast-bankers-behind-dakota-pipeline.html