By Autumn White Eyes | Production Assistant
This is a gas flare in an oil well site in North Dakota. 35.5% of the gas released on the Fort Berthold Reservation is flared, which releases 250 toxins and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Since the founding of 3 Generations, we have been dedicated to sharing the stories and bringing light to the tragedies that Native Americans have faced. As a part of our environmental action campaign we will be filming a feature length documentary, The Dakota Project that’s purpose will raise awareness for a small group of tribal members trying to save their land for the future of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara people of North Dakota.
The oil boom that has struck the land of the Three Affiliated Tribes presents a tremendous economic opportunity for Tribal members; however, the landscape has become littered with oil wells, fracking towers, toxic waste dumps, and a network of underground pipes. Will the oil boom save the tribe or will it destroy their future?
After months of preparation by meeting with tribal members and learning some of their stories, this February we traveled to the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota to begin the pre-production stages for The Dakota Project. News crews often come and go, then warp and sensationalize the story of the oil industry on the reservation; however, our focus is on the story of the people who are quietly trying to make a significant change in a challenging environment.
Our latest trip to North Dakota helped us to listen, learn, talk, and build trust with the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara people. We met with Edmund Baker the Environmental Director for the Three Affiliated Tribes, Mark Fox, the Chairman for the Three Affiliated Tribes, and spiritual leaders, who are all working to protect the future of the tribe.
Our next step will be to return to the Fort Berthold Reservation during May 2015 to continue work on filming the stories of those leaders.
Please help us provide a platform for their voices and the millions of other Native Americans who are struggling to bring awareness to climate change.
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