People in U.S. state of North Dakota are angry because oil company is building giant pipe near their land. oil company wants to build multibillion-dollar oil pipeline under lake near Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. Sioux people are Native Americans who have been on land for thousands of years. Native Americans have been joined by many protestors. They are all trying to stop $3.8 billion pipeline from passing near Sioux land. They say it will dirty their drinking water and make it undrinkable. They also say pipeline will damage sacred Sioux sites. Texas-based company, Energy Transfer Partners, owns 1,885-km pipeline project. It is almost complete.
protestors are calling themselves "water protectors". They have been on site for months trying to block pipeline. They were recently joined by veterans from U.S. military. These are retired soldiers, sailors and members of air force. The veterans have built protestors shelters to keep warm in freezing winter. There has been violence between protestors and police. North Dakota spokesman said some of protestors were "frightening". He said: "It's time for them to go home." However, Coast Guard veteran Ashleigh Jennifer Parker said: "We will be unarmed, completely prepared for peaceful protest. We don't even like word 'protest'. We're there to help water protectors."
