Topic #3 – The Dakota Access Pipeline

The main ethical issues here are:
1) Should Native Americans have the right to block the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline? (the
pipeline became operational in 2017, by the way).
2) Whose “rights” should come first in this case – the rights of the Native Americans or those of the energy
companies, U.S. government, and the non-Native general public?
What should be in your paper:
1) A discussion of the background history and present situation.
2) A discussion of the problem, looking at it from the perspective of both the Native Americans (a traditionally
oppressed minority) versus the majority population of the U.S. Who has the greater claim in determining
whether the pipeline should go through? Make sure you reference concepts of global ethics, as discussed in
the textbook.
3) Some statement of your feelings on the matter, supported by facts and concepts of global ethics.
Some sources to get you started (I expect you to include sources other than these!):
1) Search “Dakota Access Pipeline” using the fUSIon library catalog: https://www.usi.edu/library . You will find LOTS
of useful information there.
2) https://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2021111900&type=hitlist&num=0
(a general discussion of Native American rights. A portion of the document deals with the Dakota Access
pipeline)