Fact Checking the White House Tribal Nations Conference

At this week’s White House Tribal Nations Conference in Washington DC, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell addressed a crowd of more than one hundred Native American tribal leaders and youth leaders. She referred to the legal challenge by EarthJustice and the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regarding the…

Seven North Dakota Archeologists Find No Evidence of Ancient Burial Grounds

According to a memo circulated last week by State Historical Society of North Dakota Chief Archaeologist Paul Picha, seven archeologists found no burial or culturally significant sites in the Dakota Access Pipeline construction corridor to date. This analysis, first reported by Say Anything blogger Rob Port, aligns with the US Army Corps of Engineers’ two-year…

Administration’s tribal negotiations are for prospective projects, not Dakota Access

Recently, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Justice, and the Department of the Army announced a schedule for tribal consultations regarding consultations with Native American tribes on future infrastructure projects: “Recent events have highlighted the need for a broader review and consultation as to how, prospectively, Federal decision-making on infrastructure projects can better…

House Committee on Natural Resources Democrats hold forum, perpetuate misinformation

On Thursday, the House Committee on Natural Resources’ Democrats held a forum on the Dakota Access Pipeline the ongoing protest by the Standing Rock Sioux and affiliated tribes. Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) hosted the event and invited fellow Congressman Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.) among others. Both lawmakers have been vocal opponents of the project.  The…

Pre-Debate Statement from the MAIN Coalition

As Secretary Clinton and Mr. Trump discuss their visions to support our nation’s economic prosperity, there will be one area that they both can agree: encouraging private infrastructure development.  There is no debate that our nation’s infrastructure needs updating; and there are American companies ready to employ American skilled labor to get the job done…

Sewer Runoff from Standing Rock Casino Potentially Impacting Lake Oahe Drinking Water

Drinking water is a serious concern for Dakota Access protestors—but what if they already have a bigger risk in their own backyard? The map below shows the Prairie Knight Casino & Resort and the tributary system that eventually flows into Lake Oahe. It’s fair to speculate that the casino could currently be discharging their waste…

Despite claims, Dakota Access followed necessary approval steps regarding cultural sites

Recently, a group of archaeologists made news by signing a letter that opposes the Dakota Access Pipeline. The letter claims that, “the cultural resources survey did not involve proper consultation with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and other tribes in the region.” As Standing Rock Fact Checker has previously covered, meaningful consultation was provided to…

Chris Berg Highlights out-of-staters co-opting #NoDAPL protest

As the protest near Cannonball continues, the largely illegal protesting has begun to see predictable results: arrests. Following a particularly heavy weekend of protests, some have started to take a closer look into who exactly is being taken into custody. KX4’s Chris Berg, who has previously called out inaccurate claims from Dakota Access Pipeline opposition,…

MAIN Coalition statement regarding recent D.C. Circuit Court announcement

In response to the recent announcement from the D.C. Circuit Court on the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s request for an emergency injunction, MAIN Coalition spokesman Craig Stevens issued the following statement: We respect the process and appreciate the Court moving as quickly as possible to hear the facts. Judge Boasberg was very clear in his…

Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s New Drinking Water Source Could be Impacted by Crude in Rail Cars

The Dakota Access pipeline doesn’t cross Standing Rock Sioux Tribe reservation land, but a large crude-transporting railroad track does. The map below shows where a railroad crosses both the reservation and Missouri River, carrying the same crude oil near a Tribe water source.   It’s worth noting that this raises significant safety concerns given rail…

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