At Standing Rock, It’s Mission Accomplished, if Only for Now

December 05, 2016

Standing Rock has been embroiled in a protest since this past summer. The Standing Rock Sioux tribe has been joined by protestors from elsewhere the last few months as they battled against the Dakota Pipeline. There was concern the pipeline would contaminate water and that it would threaten sacred lands for the tribe. It’s one of several protests this year, but perhaps the most heated. Standing Rock won a major victory this week, with the Army Corps of Engineers denying a permit for the last piece of the pipeline, which would cross under the Missouri River and pass north of the reservation. The company building the pipeline, Energy Transfer Partners, called it a “purely political action” in their response. Donald Trump also just happens to be an investor in Energy Transfer Partners. Which means if their claim is true, the Dakota Pipeline could be built in the next four years. But it’s not being built this winter. And, according to NPR, the chief of the tribe has asked protestors to go home. Our host Shira Lazar has more in the video above. What do you think? Do you stand with Standing Rock? Let us know in the comments or @WhatsTrending on Twitter.