In North Dakota, tension over the 1,200-mile Dakota Access oil pipeline is escalating. Police and National Guard troops arrested more than 140 protesters near a construction site Thursday.
Law officers ousted the protesters in an operation that involved the use of shotgun beanbag rounds and pepper spray. The protesters had set up camp last weekend on the land owned by the pipeline developer to try to block the project.
Activists have argued that the Standing Rock Sioux tribe was never fully consulted on the project, and that it threatens the reservation’s water supply. The Standing Rock Sioux have been joined in their protests by Indian nations from across the country — including tribes from the Northwest.
88-5’s Ariel Van Cleave spoke with Swinomish Tribal Chairman Brian Cladoosby for his reaction to what’s happening in North Dakota. He also serves as president of the National Congress of American Indians.
