Dakota Access Pipeline

Dakota Access Pipeline is a planned infrastructure project that sparked international protests.

In Anishinabek News

• September 2016: The project was designed to transport 570,000 barrels of oil daily across 1,172 miles and 209 rivers, creeks, and tributaries. Construction of the pipeline by Energy Transfer Partners began in 2014 with an estimated cost of $3.8 billion. The project faced opposition from Indigenous groups and allies concerned about the protection of sacred sites and water quality.
• October 2016: The pipeline is planned to cross beneath the Missouri River. Opponents argue the project threatens drinking water and has led to numerous arrests during demonstrations.
• December 2016: The 1,885km pipeline was designed to transport oil from North Dakota to Illinois. Opponents argued the project threatened clean water supplies and infringed upon Indigenous ancestral burial grounds. The protest movement against this project is popularly known as NoDAPL.
• February 2017: The project faced significant opposition from water protectors who feared it would contaminate the drinking water of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. An executive order was signed by U.S. President Trump to advance the project before the completion of an environmental assessment.
• June 2017: A judge found that the Army Corps of Engineers failed to fully consider environmental risks when approving this project. The pipeline was the subject of intense resistance by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and their supporters. Private security guards and police officers were documented clashing with water protectors during the project's construction.
• January 2019: The construction of this pipeline was planned through Standing Rock Reservation, which protesters argued violated the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851. Protesters opposed the project because it threatened the access of the Sioux Nation to clean water. The movement against this pipeline gained international attention through social media and artistic advocacy.