Fund for Dakota Access pipeline protesters reaches $1 million


A fund set up to support people protesting the Dakota Access oil pipeline in North Dakota has surpassed $1 million in donations.
The original goal was to raise $5,000, and the money will help cover legal costs, food, and supplies, and could allow the protesters camped near the Missouri and Cannonball rivers to stay there even longer. They are demonstrating against the $3.8 billion pipeline, which is supposed to go nearly 1,200 miles across North Dakota, South Dakota, and Iowa before ending in Illinois. The pipeline will cross the Missouri River, and the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and supporters worry it could pollute drinking water sources on the reservation and harm cultural artifacts on sacred land. Energy Transfer Partners, the Texas-based company building the pipeline, says it is safe.
After losing in lower courts, the tribe has taken its case to federal appellate court, fighting the pipeline's permitting process. The Standing Rock Sioux did not ask for donations, but sent letters to other tribes, asking for letters of support or formal resolutions, tribal chairman Dave Archambault told The Associated Press. Some tribes began to send money, and the Standing Rock Sioux accepted it to pay for legal fees and waste-management services. "I know the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is not alone," Archambault said. "We have overwhelming support." The Standing Rock Sioux will also assist other tribes "in their fight against corporations," he added.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
What is 'career catfishing' and why are Gen Z doing it?
Under The Radar Successful job applicants are increasingly disappearing before their first day
-
The countries around the world without jury trials
The Explainer Legal systems in much of continental Europe and Asia do not rely on randomly selected members of the public
-
How did the Wagner Group recruit young British men for arson attack?
Today's Big Question Russian operatives have been using encrypted messaging apps to groom saboteurs across Europe
-
Dollar faces historic slump as stocks hit new high
Speed Read While stocks have recovered post-Trump tariffs, the dollar has weakened more than 10% this year
-
Economists fear US inflation data less reliable
speed read The Labor Department is collecting less data for its consumer price index due to staffing shortages
-
Crypto firm Coinbase hacked, faces SEC scrutiny
Speed Read The Securities and Exchange Commission has also been investigating whether Coinbase misstated its user numbers in past disclosures
-
Starbucks baristas strike over dress code
speed read The new uniform 'puts the burden on baristas' to buy new clothes, said a Starbucks Workers United union delegate
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirement
speed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement
-
Trump calls Amazon's Bezos over tariff display
Speed Read The president was not happy with reports that Amazon would list the added cost from tariffs alongside product prices
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loom
Speed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off