Tribal Nations Active in Oil and Gas Exploration; Raises Questions on Pipeline Opposition

Native communities like the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe appear vehemently opposed to any and all oil and gas industry activity near reservation land, but for more than 30 years, tribal communities have benefited from energy development on their lands.

As Standing Rock Fact Checker has discussed, oil and gas production in Native communities is booming.

Below is a map of Native American land (purple) overlaid with various oil and gas wells currently in operation or under construction. As you can see, a number of tribal nations are taking advantage of their energy resources.

Specifically, there are dozens of oil and gas wells in development on reservations in North Dakota and the surrounding states, as well as energy transfer infrastructure similar to the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Additionally, the Navajo Nation Oil and Gas Company, a Native business, clearly expresses the need for oil and gas development in the region.

Protestors near Cannonball, and in Washington, DC, either don’t understand, or chose to ignore, the facts: oil and gas development is both well-established and essential to Native communities.