Some Native American tribes have banned fracking on tribal lands. With vast deposits of oil underneath its borders, Three Affiliated Tribes is at a crossroads. Should the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation in western North Dakota drill for black gold or outlaw oil exploration on its land? Tribal member Marty Young Bear worries about environmental effects. Meanwhile, local leaders rush to form a tribal-owned oil company with the motto “Sovereignty by the Barrel.”
The documentary, directed by Todd Melby, has aired on PBS World Channel (155 stations nationwide), Prairie Public, Alaska Public Media, TPT (Twin Cities PBS), New Mexico PBS, Wyoming PBS, WOSU Ohio, Colorado Public Television, KEDT (South Texas), KVIE (Sacramento, California) and WDSC (Daytona Beach, Florida).
Press coverage:
• MPR News
• South Dakota Public Broadcasting
• Midwest Energy News
• TPT Almanac (begins at 23:15)
Marty Young Bear opposes oil exploration.
Ken Hall is bullish on the boom.
Elsie Ejismekwu moved to North Dakota to get a fresh start.
Jennifer and Lawrence move to North Dakota with their mother, Elsie.
Jason Baker (left) returned home to start an oilfield services company.
Partners:
Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Independent Television Service
North Dakota Humanities Council
Prairie Public
AIR