Overview

LaDonna Brave Bull Allard was a historian of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe who established Sacred Stone Camp on her land in April 2016; creating the first protest encampment opposing the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). The camp grew into the largest gathering of Native American tribes in modern history; with representatives from over 300 tribes and thousands of supporters joining the resistance. Allard initiated the protest because the pipeline's path crossed sacred burial sites and threatened the tribe's water supply from the Missouri River. The movement she started drew global attention to indigenous water rights; treaty violations; and the environmental justice movement. The response to the protest included militarized police actions: water cannons used on protesters in freezing temperatures; rubber bullets; tear gas; concussion grenades; and surveillance by private security firms including TigerSwan; which used counter-terrorism tactics against peaceful water protectors. Despite the resistance; the pipeline was completed and began operating in June 2017 after the Trump administration expedited its approval. Allard continued her activism for indigenous rights until her death in 2021. Her granddaughter was named among those injured during the Backwater Bridge confrontation.

Key Affiliations

Controversies & Concerns

Related Investigations (1)

Known Associates & Connections

Sources & Documentation

1 documented sources from official records, investigations, and reports