Today professionals in the oil and gas industry often find their business proposals sparking intense debates within Native American tribes. Although tribal governments may welcome the additional revenues and jobs productive wells and pipelines bring, many Native Americans harbor lingering concerns about permanent impacts upon pristine landscapes. Those concerns are only bolstered by environmental groups who seek to partner with Native American groups to halt the development of additional fossil fuel infrastructure.
The Benefits of Domestic Energy Expansion
Many arguments exist in favor of expanding oil and gas development within the United States. Just consider a few of the most popular positions:
- Energy extraction technologies have become cleaner and more effective during recent decades;
- Increasing U.S. oil and gas production will further reduce dependency upon imported energy products;
- The oil and gas sector provides an important economic stimulus to the U.S. economy, furnishing jobs and tax revenue.
- Developing additional new reserves will increase the ability of the United States to respond more effectively to political crises impacting short-term supplies.
- The efficiency of the industry has increased significantly during recent years.
- Developing domestic energy reserves in concert with our stricter environmental regulations has a preferable impact on the environment to importing petroleum from a country with less stringent environmental regulations.
The response of Native American tribes to commercial activities on reservation lands varies significantly on an individual basis, of course. Arguments for expanding energy production in the past have persuaded some Native American decision-makers to welcome oil and gas exploration and development and pipeline extensions, even across reservation lands previously designated as off-limits to commercial ventures.
An Environmentalist Perspective
Native Americans opposed to any oilfield drilling or extraction activities have cited several arguments in support of their positions as well:
- Many tribes maintain a spiritual connection with particular landscapes and their tribal governments face a tribal obligation to protect sacred lands from disruption;
- A single pipeline accident could inflict devastating harm upon indigenous plant and wildlife species, and damage fragile water aquifers;
- Commercial development may alter traditional culture and lifestyles irreparably;
- In some cases, the majority of people in a tribal community may not sustain significant economic benefit from energy development or pipeline projects approved by tribal governments.
- The increasing availability of renewable energy sources today argues against investing more resources in developing untapped fossil fuel and natural gas reserves.
The clash between some Native Americans and the oil and gas industry in often mirrors similar industry conflicts in other settings. Unsuccessful efforts to extend an oil pipeline across Nebraska generated an outpouring of public discussion across that state a few years ago. The proposal drew active opposition from numerous farmers and ranchers concerned about potential aquifer damage. More recently a proposed pipeline project running just north of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota has elicited intense protests from local communities. A close examination of this controversy illuminates the fervor of both proponents and opponents.
The North Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) Controversy
Energy Transfer Partners, the sponsor of the North Dakota Access Pipeline, hopes to build a pipeline capable of transmitting as much as 570,000 barrels per day from the Bakken and Three Forks Oilfields in North Dakota through South Dakota and Iowa to a pipe junction in Illinois. Originally expecting to route the project close to urban Bismarck, the pipeline promoters changed their plans and diverted it to a less populous region near, but not on, the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. In an effort to stop the transport of oil that is seen as a primary driver of climate change, environmentalists have sought to ally themselves with local Native American tribes to block the construction of the pipeline.
Many people have joined Sioux protesters in raising concern that leaking oil will pollute the Missouri River. However, fourteen pipelines already cross under the Missouri River, nine of which carry oil or petroleum products. In fact, the crossing for the Dakota Access pipeline was chosen because a natural gas pipeline and an electric transmission line already exist there. Some Native Americans maintain the burying of the pipe has already disrupted some sacred sites, even though the developers made 141 route changes to the pipeline to avoid disturbing identified sites. Police have faced extensive and sometimes violent public protests from members of the Sioux Nation and environmentalists. These protests have resulted in millions of dollars in damage to construction equipment and law enforcement vehicles.
But for the protesters, victory has its own costs. If the pipeline is ultimately halted and not completed, the oil produced by the Bakken and Three Forks oilfields will continue to be transported to refineries via rail and truck, two transportation methods that are less environmentally safe than a pipeline.
Unique Tribal Economies
The willingness of tribal governments to embrace commercial activities that harness natural resources varies widely. Factors may include the tribe, the governing body, the activity and impacted lands. The Bureau of Indian Affairs (the “BIA”) reported recently that Native American mineral owners received $701 million dollars in revenue during 2012 alone. The BIA even assists tribes in negotiation oil and gas leases. Developing oil and gas wells generates money that tribal governments distribute to families or use for community improvement projects.
Harmonizing Spiritual And Financial Issues
For Native Americans, pipeline expansion issues encompass complexity. Although not uniformly the case, tribal governments frequently recognize special connections of a spiritual nature between their population and certain reservation lands. Yet oil and gas development offers the potential for boosting tribal revenues in some low-income reservation communities. In addition to helping lower local unemployment rates, these projects infuse money into local Native-American owned businesses. Mineral royalties may help diversify some tribal economies. They also sometimes contribute to tribal investment funds securing future economic growth.
Finding harmony between these considerations is not always easy, and can oftentimes lead to disagreements within the tribes. Unfortunately, due to the complex and important community interests involved, there is not a one-size-fits-all answer to this issue. As such, these issues are likely to be relevant for as long as fossil fuels continue to be extracted and used.
