Tribes mount occupation to block North Dakota pipeline
ALONG THE CANNONBALL RIVER, N.D. — Long before Lewis and Clark paddled by, American Indians built homes at the confluence of the Cannonball and Missouri rivers, using the thick earth to guard against brutal winters and hard summer heat.
Yet the protesters say they are creating something very different — new resistance against what they say is a seemingly endless number of pipelines, export terminals and rail lines that would transport fossil fuels across or near tribal reservations, risking pollution to air, water and land.
What began with a handful of natives establishing a prayer camp along the river this spring has now drawn international environmental groups and prompted Hollywood celebrities, including Susan Sarandon and Shailene Woodley, to join them, whether here or in a protest this month in Washington, D.C., or on social media.
Lawyers from Earthjustice are representing the Standing Rock Sioux in a legal effort to stop construction of the pipeline.
On Thursday, nearly three dozen environmental groups wrote to President Obama, who visited the Standing Rock Sioux reservation in 2014 with Michelle Obama, saying the Corps approved the project using a fast-track process, known as permit 12, that was inadequate given its size and the many sensitive areas it would cross.
The Corps of Engineers argued in court in Washington last week that the Standing Rock Sioux and other parties had ample time to express concerns during a review process and that the pipeline was properly approved.