After months of protest, demonstrators in North Dakota are celebrating the US Army Corps of Engineers decision to halt the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline and reroute it away from the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. On 4 December, the federal agency denied the pipeline a final permit, which will effectively require the line to be moved away from the Missouri River reservoir on the Standing Rock Sioux tribe site.
We wholeheartedly support the decision of the administration and commend with the utmost gratitude the courage it took on the part of President Obama, the Army Corps, the Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior to take steps to correct the course of history and to do the right thing, Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Chairman Dave Archambault II said in a statement.
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and all of Indian Country will be forever grateful to the Obama Administration for this historic decision.
We hope that Kelcey Warren, Governor Dalrymple, and the incoming Trump administration respect this decision and understand the complex process that led us to this point. When it comes to infrastructure development in Indian Country and with respect to treaty lands, we must strive to work together to reach decisions that reflect the multifaceted considerations of tribes, he added.
While there is a chance that Donald Trump could over throw Obamas decision to move the pipeline, those who fought against the construction are currently optimistic. A number of celebrities who stood on the lines with Standing Rock protesters also celebrated the news with messages on social media.
Shailene Woodley who was arrested during a protest tweeted in support of the decision. Soooo how many #NoDAPL babies you think are going to be made tonight?! she said on her Twitter account.
