A Pipeline Project: Navigating through Diverse Perspectives Surrounding the Line 3 Replacement Pipeline

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Democratizing Heritage Creation: How-To and When" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Enbridge’s crude oil Line 3 Replacement Pipeline cuts through 337 miles of Ojibwe Treaty lands in Northern Minnesota and has been in operation since October 2021. It is the most recent instalment of a historic petroleum infrastructure tradition in the state of Minnesota that extends back over seventy years. Oil pipelines do not only enter the purview of archaeological attention due to their capacity to harm buried archaeological material along their route, but also as contemporary archaeological features that have direct implications for the many communities with whom they come in contact. This contemporary infrastructure, like all its historic developments is not only a matter of immediate concern, but also serves as an example of the continued presence of materiality that violates Indigenous sovereignty that likewise requires archaeological attention. In this paper, I discuss the challenges of obtaining narratives and engaging with a variety of stake holding community members, such as Water Protectors, law enforcement agents, and archaeologists. My research demonstrates the importance of including diverse perspectives that each emphasize varying understandings of environmental, material, and social impacts of the Line 3 replacement pipeline and presents a unique and holistic approach currently missing in the archaeological literature.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Democratizing Heritage Creation: How-To and When   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 39735.0