By Lili Hamlyn | Research Assistant
This month, 3 Generations Executive Director Jane Wells and film director Simon Brook will travel to North Dakota to commence filming for the upcoming feature film, ‘The Dakota Project’.
The MHA Nation (comprised of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara tribes) is situated in the middle of the Bakken Formation, the largest shale oil field in North America. Within the 1 million acre reservation there are 21 fracking rigs, 1400 active oil wells and 1992 potentially exploitable wells. The landscape is littered with oil wells, fracking towers and toxic waste dumps and the entire MHA will inevitably suffer the environmental impact of this oil exploitation. On top of this, the sudden economic influx has brought with it a myriad of social problems including violent crime, drugs and prostitution.
Native American women are feeling the negative effects particularly keenly. The influx of thousands of male workers to the area has led to unprecedented incidents of sexual assault and cases of sex trafficking.
‘The Dakota Project’ will shed light on both the environmental and social degradation caused by the oil industry. Raising awareness is the first step in social change and the film will provide a platform for those who are attempting to make positive steps amid the chaos.
Without your continued support we would be unable to shed light on the ways the fracking boom is affecting this marginalized community. This spring, help us share the voices of those demanding change.
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