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Black Snake: Standing Rock, the Dakota Access Pipeline, and Environmental Justice
Top of the pile
78
/100
I Index Overall Rating
Readers
88/100Critics
67/100Scholars
Author:
Katherine Wiltenburg Todrys
Publisher:
Bison Books
Date:
June 1, 2021
A human rights lawyer recounts the story of the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline and the resistance to it by Native activists near Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota. The focus here is on four women activists from the Standing Rock and Fort Berthold reservations.
What The Reviewers Say
Although Todrys makes extensive use of sources and documents from both sides of the dispute, there is no doubt that her sympathies lie with the protestors.
... a riveting account.
Kathern Todrys really lays it on the line.
Based on the stories and insights from LaDonna Allard, Jasilyn Charger, Lisa DeVille and Kandi White, Todrys paints a vivid portrait of daily life on the reservations and the protests against the broader backdrop of our nation’s history exploiting Native peoples. My one critique is the missed opportunity to innovate within the nonfiction form. Because Todrys conducted multiple long-form interviews with the four activists, I was hoping we would see more of their own words shine through the book, perhaps with the interview transcripts right alongside her analysis. Still, her book gives a voice to those who have long been silenced or misunderstood as they fight not just for their lands but for the health of everyone who lives in this nation..
