Nodaks question Keystone Pipeline ecocide

Representatives from TransCanada met with the North Dakota Public Service Commission to talk about the breach that dumped some 210,000 gallons of crude oil into a South Dakota ecosystem.

North Dakota Public Service Commissioner Julie Fedorchak said PSC members wanted to know why it happened, and to be updated on the clean-up efforts. But Fedorchak said there are still questions about why the spill happened. "It's a new line," Fedorchak said. "New lines like this shouldn't be having those kinds of issues."

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The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe has created a website to raise funding and awareness for the dispossession of treaty land, natural resources and to provide information about the nation's battles against the Dakota Excess and Keystone XL Pipelines.

CRST gained national attention in 2014 when it challenged the federal government and the state of South Dakota over a permit that was granted for the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. In protest of the pipeline, outraged tribal members established the Pte Ospaye Spiritual Camp in Bridger. There are numerous photos of the direct-action events at the Oceti Sakowin camp on the website. The website features maps of treaty lands and current reservation boundaries. The history of the flooding of the Old Agency by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is also presented on the website.

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China purchases most of America's exported oil.

Another reason western South Dakota is desirable to big oil is the contracts to obtain mineral rights on reservation land is less complicated for oil companies because they have only one agency, the BIA, to deal with for tribal owned lands. Standing Rock tribal government has already made moves to consolidate land under its control with the buy-back programs. With that control, the tribe can sign leases with oil companies and the tribal members have little say. There is a difference between the percentage of mineral royalties paid to Native Americans and those paid to non-native land owners, according to documents obtained from an individual working in the oil industry.

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While East River, South Dakota has been destroyed by industrial agriculture West River remains mostly intact.