Dakota Access Pipeline GoFundMe Aims for $5,000, Raises Over $1 Million

News

 | November 2, 2016 | By Matthew D'Onofrio

Protestors against the North Dakota Access Pipeline have major reinforcement in the form of money to keep on going.

A GoFundMe campaign with an initial goal of $5,000 was established by supporters for basic supplies for protestors months ago yet today has surpassed $1 million in funds raised.

Protestor Ho Waste Wakiya Wicasa started the fundraiser on behalf of Sacred Stone Camp, part of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and one of its founders, LaDonna Brave Bull Allard.

“This is a prayer camp movement to save our sacred land and water and has been entirely supported by the people and the campers,” writes Wakiya Wicasa on the campaign page.

It was created on April 19, meant to raise money to cover costs of basic camping needs like blankets and food for protestors. Yet, as of press time, the page now shows almost $1.35 million raised.

The funds are now going toward bailing protestors out of jail and costs for court as well as heavier and more complicated supplies, like solar panels and firewood for wood stoves, in preparation for winter.

“I got people to take care of,” Brave Bull Allard told CBS News.

Due to now-overwhelming funds, the crowd-sourced money is handled by a bookkeeper and accountant. And, the tribe was accused of soliciting money when it came to covering legal fight costs and putting money toward waste management for protestors.

They didn’t though, tribal chairman Dave Archambault told the Associated Press, declining to say just how much the tribe has received and is holding onto from donations.

“I know the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is not alone,” he said. “We have overwhelming support.”

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe opposes “the construction and operation of the pipeline” because they feel it “threatens the Tribe’s environmental and economic well-being, and would damage and destroy sites of great historic, religious, and cultural significance to the Tribe,” CNN reported.

Dakota Access, that is constructing the pipeline and is a subsidiary of Energy Transfer Crude Oil, says, “it would help the United States become less dependent on importing energy from unstable regions of the world,” according to CNN.