DAPL: Storm Clouds on the Horizon in Indian Country

The conflict between the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Energy Transfer Partners (the company seeking to build the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL)), and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over DAPL catapulted the issue of the impact of energy infrastructure development on American Indian tribes to the forefront of national consciousness. The protests at Sacred Stone Camp near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota drew American Indians from over 280 tribes, and were hailed by activists as the “largest, most diverse tribal action in at least a century, perhaps since Little Bighorn.” While media coverage in the early days of the protest was spotty, as support for the movement grew, it became a regular part of news coverage.