DAPL Protest Legacy Examined on 10th Anniversary, Impact on Bakken Persists

A decade after the epic Standing Rock resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), the legacy of the protests continues to shape discourse around North Dakota's oil industry and its governance, according to a commentary published today.

The source, an opinion column by LaDuke republished by Bing News, states that the 2016-2017 movement was transformative for participants, who "came for the water, our dignity, and our healing." The column asserts that the protest revealed "the brutality of Tiger Swan, the $38 million in repression and violence against unarmed people," and an understanding of "fossil fuel addiction — and how far North Dakota was willing to go for oil."

For Bakken operators and the state's oil-dependent economy, the commentary highlights a persistent adversarial relationship with some communities. It claims North Dakota’s judicial institutions have "relentlessly pursued Water Protectors, with the vigor of the cavalry of a century before and endangered more water and ecosystems than ever." The piece also draws a direct line from state policies to federal action, stating that the Trump administration adopted many North Dakota policies and that former Gov. Doug Burgum, as Secretary of the Interior, is "systematically dismantling federal land and wildlife protections."

The column notes that the movement's energy has been channeled into local initiatives. It cites David Archambault II, the former Standing Rock Tribal chairman during the protests, who now works at an Indigenous-led nonprofit in Cannon Ball, N.D. Down the road, the SAGE renewable energy initiative, coordinated by a descendant of Sitting Bull, aims to "create economic opportunities and energy independence, protect the environment and invest in our future."

Furthermore, the source states that many returned home to farm after Standing Rock as "a way to heal from war," leading to flourishing Indigenous farming projects. The political impact is also noted, with the column claiming that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez began posting in support of Water Protectors after visiting, and launched her successful campaign for Congress two months after the camps were bulldozed.

The piece frames North Dakota as a "meth lab" in the laboratory of democracy and concludes with a refrain of "Power to the people." The commentary underscores that the lessons of Standing Rock—both of hope and the cost of opposition—remain a potent force for Water Protectors and a point of contention for the state and industry a decade after the pipeline's construction.