North Dakota pipeline fight gives spark to Native American activism

By Andrew Cullen and Ruthy Munoz CANNON BALL, N.D./WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Native American tribe's efforts to halt construction of a crude oil pipeline in North Dakota have swelled into a movement, drawing international attention and the support of movie stars and social media, and making a major oil company blink. While the tribe's lawyers work to persuade a federal judge to withdraw permits for the pipeline in a ruling expected on Friday, thousands of protesters gathered at campgrounds near Standing Rock Sioux Tribe lands. "This is a new beginning, not just for our tribe, but for all tribes in this country," said Standing Rock Sioux spokesman Ron His Horse is Thunder, one of the leaders hoping for a rebirth of Native American activism beyond the pipeline battle.

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