Ojibwe men harvesting wild rice, ca. 1925. Photo from Minnesota Historical Society
The White Earth Nation of Minnesota is trying to stop an oil pipeline from crossing its traditional territory. The $2.6 billion Sandpiper crude oil pipeline passes through lands protected by treaties signed in the 1800s. The tribe worries that the project will harm areas used for wild rice gathering. “It’s an iron spike through the heart of the wild rice beds,” Bob Shimek, the executive director of the White Earth Land Recovery Project, told Al Jazeera. “It is an iron spike through the heart of the Anishinaabe and the way of life that wild rice supports. That is what is at stake here.” Over tribal objections, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved a certificate for the project. The agency will now determine whether to issue a permit for the route and has promised to talk to tribes and other interested parties. Get the Story:
Minnesota tribe invokes treaty rights in fight to stop pipeline (Al Jazeera 6/24)
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