The North Dakota pipeline protests by the Standing Rock Nation and its supporters is to many Native Americans a historic event, with protesters standing firmly against another episode of government disregarding treaties and running roughshod over cultural and spiritual concerns.

Since April, protesters have been stationed near Bismarck and near the Missouri River. The nearly completed Dakota Access Pipeline is scheduled to cross a river reservoir, although the final Army Corps of Engineers permit hasn’t been issued. The $3.7 billion, 1,172-mile pipeline is to carry oil from western North Dakota oil fields to Illinois, where it would be linked with other pipelines.

The debate is not simple. The land that the pipeline is on is private property, but it’s long been considered an important part of Native American history and culture. Standing Rock members note the land contains burial sites and cultural artifacts and they worry that any future accidents from the pipeline could contaminate drinking water. And American Indians say the pipeline was rerouted away from more affluent areas and instead routed through poorer Native American lands.

But history shows that pipelines are the safest way to transport oil. And the company building the pipeline has gone through the long process of securing permits and the pipeline’s route has been reconfigured many times.

North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple, who is not running for re-election, has been sharply criticized by many for the law enforcement response to protesters. A military-like response has seen police in riot gear facing down protesters, using mace and rubber bullets and arresting more than 400.

Protesters have at times gone too far by trespassing on private property and shutting down a highway. Such actions invariably erode public support and hurt the legitimacy of protesters. But gathering together to protest and to commit civil disobedience also has a long, rich history in this country and must be jealously protected.

State and federal officials need to work for a peaceful solution. President Obama has recently said there should be a way to balance the concerns of the Standing Rock Nation with the need for energy infrastructure. That may require yet another route change for the pipeline’s crossing of the Missouri. What isn’t needed is a heavy-handed law enforcement response toward protesters.

—Mankato Free Press, Nov. 8