Three Affiliated Tribes In North Dakota Holds Energy Conference
Published by gwen May 20th, 2008 in Energy.The Three Affiliated Tribes–the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara on the Fort Berthold reservation are hosting an energy conference today through Thursday. According to this article, the conference aims to provide the Tribes with strategies and infrastructure ideas to help them control energy development on the reservation. I believe the reservation is situated over the Bakken oil formation. With that in mind, this conference seems like a responsible and wise step on the part of the tribal elders.
I would love to see the tribes thumb their noses at the EPA and environmentalist lobby and actually pursue sensible energy development on their lands. It would be nice to show that one can be a steward of the land without bowing down at the altar of radical environmentalism. At the same time, perhaps it would enable the tribes to escape from the dismal state of reliance of the federal government. One caveat: it should be managed by a third party, because so far the tribal governments have shown a propensity for corruption and infighting. If done responsibly, these nations have the potential to turn energy development on its ear.