Activists held a rally in Lawrence over the weekend to voice their support for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North Dakota. The tribe and its supporters are protesting to stop the Dakota Access Oil Pipeline. They say the pipeline threatens the tribe's economic well-being and would destroy historic and religious sites. Jeanette Kekahbah says her daughter is a student at Haskell Indian Nations University and she wanted to help raise awareness about the issue.
Numerous Haskell students have traveled to North Dakota to deliver supplies and demonstrate against the pipeline. Protests have been taking place in North Dakota for months. Pipeline proponents say the pipeline is safer than transporting the oil by rail and will help the U.S. achieve energy independence.