Standing Rock in the Swamp: Oil, the Environment, and the United Houma Nation's Struggle for Federal Recognition

Abstract

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s battle against the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) has sparked an unprecedented interest in American Indian rights. Part of the public’s fascination with the battle at Standing Rock lies in the Sioux’s well-documented history of fighting injustices against their land and people. Standing Rock is a continuation of Sioux resistance. This battle is not the result of the Sioux’s military might; rather, it is possible because of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s status as a federally recognized tribe. Federal recognition gives the tribe rights to protect its land, water, and air.