UPDATE 12/4/16: Pipeline denied easement by US Army Corps. See more here: http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/12/04/504354503/army-corps-denies-easement-for-dakota-access-pipeline-says-tribal-organization

Click to Find out: How to Help the Water Protectors

Native American tribes and others have been gathering together (at least since the spring of 2016) to oppose the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota which is slated to run through sacred sites, and has the potential to devastate the environment if there is a pipeline breach. “The Water Protectors,” as they have named themselves, have faced water cannons in sub-zero temperatures, rubber bullets, tear gas, attack dogs, and a sundry of other weaponized measures from area police. The Protectors are reportedly unarmed. The fight is ongoing. Here is one twitter feed with some information: https://twitter.com/hashtag/dapl?lang=en

“The pipeline is being built near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation near Cannon Ball, North Dakota. The tribe says the pipeline disturbs sacred sites, infringes on past treaty promises and tribal sovereignty, and is a significant danger to their water supply since it passes underneath the Missouri River — the main source of water for the reservation…The protests began last January after North Dakota approved the pipeline project. Residents of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation immediately petitioned the US Army Corps of Engineers to deny the final permit. In April, residents of the reservation and supporters from other tribes set up camp near the construction site to keep an eye on the pipeline workers who were waiting for approval and preparing to break ground.” http://billmoyers.com/story/need-know-dakota-access-pipeline-protest/

Not only are the Sioux concerned about the potential for a water pollution catastrophe, but they have evidence that the Dakota Access Pipeline ignored sacred archeological sites. “‘This is one of the most significant archeological finds in North Dakota in many years,’ said Tim Mentz, a Standing Rock Sioux member and a longtime Native archeologist in the Great Plains. ‘[Dakota Access Pipeline] consultants would have had to literally walk directly over some of these features. However, reviewing DAPL’s survey work, it appears that they did not independently survey this area but relied on a 1985 survey.'” http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/09/dapl-dakota-sitting-rock-sioux/499178/