Why the Dakota Access pipeline fight may be a turning point in U.S. environmental politics

In about two weeks' time, Indian-led opposition to the Dakota Access oil pipeline has grown in stature from a somewhat local, perhaps desperate struggle to what may well prove a watershed event in modern American history, marking significant shifts in environmental politics and pipeline policy.

Given the Obama administration’s newfound willingness to give it more federal review, announced last Friday, it seems at least possible that the 1,172-mile pipeline, said by its owners to be 60 percent complete already, may seriously falter and even fail.

It also appears probable that the unity of tribes across the U.S. in support of the Standing Rock Sioux will persist long beyond their ad hoc collaboration of the moment, regularly described as exceeding in size and power the alliance preceding the Battle of the Greasy Grass 140 years ago. (And we know how that one — aka the Battle of the Little Bighorn — turned out.)

https://www.minnpost.com/earth-journal/2016/09/why-dakota-access-pipeline-fight-may-be-turning-point-us-environmental-politic