Pipeline resistance in the United States: How the Dakota Access Pipeline resistance has affected Indigenous people in their continued resistance against pipelines

Abstract

This thesis is focused on pipeline resistance in the United States, specifically drawing from the Dakota Access Pipeline resistance and the current resistance against Line 3 in Minnesota. Indigenous peoples from all over the globe became engaged in resisting the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) and there were predictions made about the future in terms of how meaningful this resistance was. The resistance also attracted thousands of non-Indigenous people as well, including a lot of climate justice activists and youth movements. It was highlighted in the media as the largest gathering of Indigenous people in more than one hundred years. It was argued by some that DAPL and the world-wide response would lead to changes in the relationship between the First Nations and the state, and this is what this research is assessing. The aim of the project is to address the following research question; How has the Dakota Access pipeline resistance affected Indigenous peoples in their continued resistance against extractive industries? To answer this question, a qualitative case study has been carried out. The conceptual framework that was used to understand the findings has consisted of the concept of Power and Environmental Justice, as well as the concept of Framing. The thesis will discuss what potential changes the Indigenous people are perceiving, and focus on how media represents Indigenous issues, who the society is regarding as valid in terms of having their concerns addressed, and how pipeline resistance has affected communities. The thesis also discusses the growing solidarity between Indigenous peoples as well as other organizations, building strong allies that are continuing to resist project that threatens the water and the environment.