I have just initialized the interweb mechanisms for collecting twitter data containing #standingrock. In all seriousness, I am very interested to see the dichotomy of supporters of the standing rock sioux vs. supporters of the dakota access pipeline through the lens of social media. Additionally, with the inception of the Trump presidency and his signing of an executive order supporting energy transfer’s proposed pipeline, I think that #standingrock will be very dynamic to watch as the snow melts in South Dakota.
#Standingrock is defineley a hot hash tag right now. As a history major I’ve had the chance to study some of the North Dakota and Sioux tribe conflicts. The new pipe line only adds to the tension for sure. In the early 2000s the University of North Dakota’s mascot was a fighting Sioux the NCAA and the Sioux tribes later outlawed the mascot. There were constant battles between the state and NCAA and Sioux tribe over the name. This is a deep conflict between the government and the Sioux people. And I have a feeling trump will only make the situation worse. I’m really interested to see how often #standingrock is paired with #makeamericagreatagain.