Tribe prepares to keep up pipeline
protest through North Dakota winter
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[November 02, 2016]
By Timothy Mclaughlin
(Reuters) - The head of a Native American
tribe that has led months of demonstrations against the construction of
an oil pipeline in North Dakota said on Tuesday the group would keep up
its protests through the state's bitter winter.
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is weighing asking protesters to move to a
location with heated buildings or upgrading the infrastructure at the
current protest camp on tribal land, tribal chairman David Archambault
II said in a telephone interview.
The effort to ensure the continuation of protests comes after
demonstrators clashed last week with police and as North Dakota
allocated millions more in funds to support law enforcement at the
pipeline.
"We have to make sure we are proactive and find a way to ensure their
(protesters') safety," Archambault said, noting the state's "extreme
temperatures" in winter.
Many are staying in tents of traditional tepees at a camp near the
construction site and would require improved accommodation during
winter, Archambault said.
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"There are a lot of people who are committed to this who will stay
(through the winter)," he added.
Vicki Granado, a spokeswoman for Dakota Access, could not immediately be
reached for comment.
The 1,172-mile (1,885-km) pipeline, being built by a group of companies
led by Energy Transfer Partners LP, would offer the fastest and most
direct route to bring Bakken shale oil from North Dakota to U.S. Gulf
Coast refineries.
The project has faced months of protest from the tribe, as well as
environmental activists, who say it threatens local water supplies and
sacred tribal sites.
Supporters say the pipeline would be safer and more cost-effective than
transporting the oil by road or rail.
Last week, protesters and law enforcement clashed as police swept
demonstrators from a separate camp on private property and more than 140
protesters were arrested.
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![](../images/110216PICS/news_J15.jpg)
A log adorned with colorful decorations remains at a Dakota Access
Pipeline protest encampment as construction work continues on the
pipeline near the town of Cannon Ball, North Dakota, U.S., October
30, 2016. REUTERS/Josh Morgan
![](../images/ads/current/richardson_lda_090916.png)
On Monday, a protester was charged with attempted murder of a law
enforcement officer after authorities said she shot at police during
the incident.
Archambault said the companies building the pipeline had "backed the
tribe into a corner," but he condemned the shooting incident.
"The tribe has maintained that this be a peaceful and prayerful
demonstration," he said.
Law enforcement agencies from eight states, including South Dakota,
Minnesota and Ohio, have assisted the Morton County Sheriff's
Department in handling the protesters, according to a department
spokeswoman.
On Tuesday, North Dakota's Emergency Commission approved an
additional $4 million loan to support law enforcement at the
pipeline.
(Reporting by Timothy Mclaughlin in Chicago; Editing by Sharon
Bernstein and Peter Cooney)
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