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Native America Calling
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Native America Calling: Stakes are high in the Line 5 oil pipeline legal fight
Monday, March 23, 2026

Stakes are high in the Line 5 oil pipeline legal fight
Tribes in Michigan oppose the Enbridge Line 5 oil pipeline replacement plan, arguing the environmental risks to their traditional waters far outweigh any benefits.

The proposal to replace the 70-year-old pipeline that currently runs through Michigan and Wisconsin has faced many legal challenges over the years. Now, the U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether the state or federal government should have say over how the project proceeds. [Docket No. 24-783: Enbridge Energy v. Nessel | Tribal Nations Brief | Arguments in Enbridge Energy v. Nessel]

The decision could set a precedent on how much power tribes and states have in regulating fossil fuel development. Tune in to speak with tribal leaders, Native legal scholars, and others about what’s next for the ongoing Line 5 pipeline legal battle.

Enbridge Line 5 Oil Pipeline
A petroleum warning sign at the site of the Enbridge Line 5 oil pipeline that runs through the Straits of Mackinac in Michigan. Photo: Tony Webster

Guests on Native America Calling
Wenona Singel (Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa), associate professor of law at Michigan State University College of Law and associate director of the Indigenous Law and Policy Center

Elizabeth Arbuckle (Bad River), chairwoman of the Bad River Tribe in Wisconsin

Melissa Kay, Tribal Water Institute fellow at the Native American Rights Fund

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