Abstract
Governance amongst the public, private and NGO sectors does not necessarily result in a collaborative leadership when it comes to the concerns of marginalized population groups. In the case of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), the government (United States), private (oil industry) and NGOs (environmental/social justice) pose differing levels of interests related to the Indigenous Tribes affected by DAPL. In analyzing the case of DAPL, fault lines are apparent between the ability to lead and the duty to protect human and environmental rights, raising legitimate questions about governance, leadership and overall intent. Academic discourse corroborates that the neo-liberal outlook of wealth has overridden the public’s need for a sustainable livelihood. Mapping out the imbalances of power in the fossil-fuel industry can shape the advocacy for co-management between Indigenous peoples and the public/private sectors that result in a more equitable living for all. Using the government paradigm of relations among the public/private/NGO sectors, this paper examines DAPL in relation to government institutional histories, the imposition of the private sector’s capitalistic outlook and the barriers in advancing human and environmental protections.
