Flags sway in the air on the North Dakota highway and the drive into the Sacred Stone Camp. Each flag represents the 280 Native American tribes, where thousands have arrived to ensure that their voices of disapproval are heard over the construction of an oil pipeline in North Dakota.

About the Dakota Access Pipeline

The Dakota Access Pipeline Project is approximately 1,172-mile, 30-inch diameter pipeline that will connect the Bakken and Three Forks production areas in North Dakota to Patoka, Illinois. The pipeline will enable domestically produced crude oil from North Dakota to reach major refining markets.

About the Protectors

Native American tribes and environmental groups oppose the oil pipeline for a variety of reasons. The opposition stems from concerns of environmental damage, potential leaks from the pipeline, and damaging of sacred sites.

The pipeline would travel under a dammed section of the Missouri River, called Lake Oahe, that borders the reservation. The pipeline causes major concern because any leaks from the pipeline would damage the Standing Rock Sioux’s water supply. The construction of the pipeline will also damage sacred sites and ancestral lands.

In an interview with the New York Times, chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux, whose reservation sits just south of the pipeline’s route, David Archambault II stated, "“We say ‘mni wiconi’: Water is life.” The strong demonstrations and unity of the Native American tribes show how important the water supply is for themselves and for the future generations. It is the the community's sole source of clean drinking water.

About the Supporters of the Pipeline/ Pipeline Status

Energy Transfer Partners, the company in charge of the construction of the pipeline, has stated that the pipeline will help ensure the domestic energy supply and stable jobs. The company claims that the oil pipeline is safer than transporting crude by rail or truck.

Additionally, support for the pipeline stems from the argument that the pipeline will decrease U.S. reliance to foreign oil.

In a recent NPR

story, Jeff Brady reported that Kelcy Warren, CEO of the company that's building the pipeline, stated it will finish the project even as the company's removal of some of its equipment from the construction site.

The company released a memo to its employees in which it stated that the project is 60 percent complete, $1.6 billion has been spent on the pipeline so far, and that they're committed to finishing the project.