Pipelines and Power: The Dakota Access Pipeline and the Geopolitics of Fossil Fuels
How the Dakota Access Pipeline reveals the colonial logics of the fossil fuel industry and the fight for Indigenous sovereignty in the US
In this article I unpack some of the complex ways the geopolitics of fossil fuels are inseparable from the colonial histories and relations of power that have shaped global energy systems. Since discussions began in 2014, the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) in the US has been highly controversial due to its environmental, social and political issues, becoming a symbol of resistance against environmental injustice and Indigenous dispossession.
The Dakota Access pipeline is a 1,172-mile-long underground pipeline that transports crude oil directly from North Dakota’s Bakken oil fields to an oil terminal in Illinois. Built to facilitate the efficient transport of crude oil and financed by Energy Transfer Partners, the pipeline can carry 750,000 barrels of oil per day, therefore heralded as essential for US energy independence. Its route, crossing under the Missouri River near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, has sparked fierce opposition due to concerns about water contamination, treaty violations and environmental degradation of sacred land. This project embodies the exploitative and unjust power dynamics that define the fossil fuel industry: at the heart of this controversy lies the persisting (neo)colonial systems that prioritise resource extraction over Indigenous sovereignty and environmental justice.
Fossil Fuels and Energy Politics
The DAPL is emblematic of how fossil fuel dependencies shape US geopolitics. Despite a global push to move away from unsustainable energy sources, fossil fuels remain central to America’s energy security and functions to reinforce corporate and state power. The Missouri River region is a key strategic location for oil transport within the US and therefore plays a crucial part in bolstering domestic energy sovereignty. This serves as justification for the project, masking the exploitative dynamics underlying the US government’s approval processes. Despite objections from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Energy Transfer Partners received permits that facilitated the go-ahead. This unequal power dynamic exemplifies how the US state facilitates resource extraction at the expense of marginalised communities, making it imperative to challenge systems of power that prioritise profit over people and planet.
Colonial and Imperial Legacies
Understanding the DAPL requires us to cast a critical eye over the colonial history of land dispossession in the US. For centuries, Indigenous peoples have been forcibly removed from their lands to accommodate settler expansion and economic interests. This pipeline is no exception: the DAPL’s route violates the 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie, which granted the Sioux Nation rights to their ancestral lands. This reflects a broader (neo)colonial framework where land and resources that serve the agendas of the central US government are systematically prioritised over Indigenous rights. The DAPL is part and parcel of the (neo)colonial systems that continue to exploit and undermine the sovereignty of marginalised communities that allows the US government to sustain economic and geopolitical power. The pipeline’s construction, despite widespread protests, symbolises the ongoing marginalisation of Indigenous voices in critical decision-making processes.
Indigenous Sovereignty: Protests and Voices of Resistance
The DAPL conflict is a sobering reminder of the struggles for Indigenous sovereignty in the face of extractive and exploitative fossil fuel industries. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s objections centre around protecting their sacred lands, cultural heritage and environmental resources. Their resistance highlights the broader fight against systemic injustices perpetuated by the fossil fuel industry. Starting as a protest in Standing Rock, the #NoDAPL movement gained global attention, creating a powerful platform for amplifying Indigenous voices. It brought to light the ways the DAPL violates the rights and livelihoods of the Standing Rock Sioux peoples and points to the larger systemic issues at play that shape Indigenous exploitation and marginalisation on a global scale. Despite protests and legal challenges, the DAPL became operational in 2017 – a clear testament to the entrenched power of the fossil fuel industry and the systemic marginalisation of Indigenous communities it rests upon. However it is critical to note that the #NoDAPL has been incredibly successful in igniting a broader conversation about Indigenous rights, environmental (in)justice, and the need for systemic change in energy policies.
Concluding thoughts
The Dakota Access Pipeline exemplifies how colonial logics underpin the geopolitics of fossil fuels. It reveals the exploitative relationships that prioritise resource extraction over the rights and lives of Indigenous communities. This struggle is not an isolated issue; it reflects a global fight against the systems of power that perpetuate exploitation and environmental harm. As climate change intensifies, the fossil fuel industry’s political and economic hegemony of power must be challenged. The fight for a just and sustainable energy future rests upon dismantling these (neo)colonial systems and recognising the sovereignty of Indigenous peoples. Only by addressing these injustices can we envision and implement an equitable path for energy politics and environmental stewardship.