- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
CALGARY, Alberta — TC Energy Corporation confirmed on Wednesday, after consultation with its partner, the Government of Alberta. it has terminated the Keystone XL pipeline (KXL).
On his first day in office, on January 20, 2021, President Joe Biden signed an Executive Order revoking the KXL pipeline permit issued by the Trump administration.
Want more Native News? Get the free daily newsletter today.
“The Company will continue to coordinate with regulators, stakeholders and Indigenous groups to meet its environmental and regulatory commitments and ensure a safe termination of and exit from the Project,” TC Energy Corporation said in a press release.
Many American Indian tribes opposed the KXL pipeline since it was first announced over a decade ago. The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) on October 26, 2018 passed a resolution opposing the construction of the KXL pipeline.
“This is great news for the Tribes who have been fighting to protect our people and our lands. The treaties and laws guarantee us protections, and we are committed to see that those laws are upheld," Rosebud Sioux Tribe President Rodney M. Bordeaux said after Wednesday's announcement.
For Faith Spotted Eagle (Yankton Sioux), Elder of Brave Heart Society and Chair of Ihanktonwan Treaty Committee who fought the KXL since it was first proposed, Wednesday was surreal. She told Native News Online that the fight for treaty and environment rights was not about who did what first, it was about coming together inter-generationally and even beyond racial divides.
"After news of the KXL final termination, I went to the Missouri River to give thanks. The same river that heard my anger and tears after brutal state and federal hearings that turned deaf ears to our cultural wisdom and place-based knowledge. She, the land and animals already knew, but the water prayers were also for those who fought with us hard but had left early to the spirit world,” Spotted Eagle told Native News Online.
Spotted Eagle says she remembers those who fought the against the pipeline, but have gone to the spirit world.
“I felt the smiles of Deb White Plume, Rosalie Little Thunder, Tom Poor Bear, Bob Geoff and other Cowboys and Indians and landowners.”
She recalled a Facebook photograph of a group of those who opposed the pipeline at a public utilities commission.
"We were labeled KXL terminators and you know, we lived up to our name," Spotted Eagle said. "Yes we did! We opened doors that are wide open to attack 'the list of 100' things we have yet to do for our home, Grandmother Earth! For now, let’s do that unity dance to the drum and enjoy this red day for the coming generations of all things."
The Indigenous Environmental Network issued a statement late Wednesday afternoon that read:
“After more than 10 years of organizing we have finally defeated an oil giant, Keystone XL is dead! We are dancing in our hearts because of this victory! From Dene territories in Northern Alberta to Indigenous lands along the Gulf of Mexico, we stood hand-in-hand to protect the next seven generations of life, the water and our communities from this dirty tar sands pipeline. And that struggle is vindicated. This is not the end - but merely the beginning of further victories. There are still frontline Indigenous water protectors like Oscar High Elk who face charges for standing against the Keystone XL pipeline.”
More Stories Like This
Oak Ridge Fire On Navajo Nation Grows to 9,846 AcresOak Ridge Fire Burning on Navajo Nation Grows to 6,300 acres
Charles F. “Chuck” Sams III Joins Oregon Law as Inaugural Oregon Tribes Scholar-in-Residence
Interior Department Moves to Expand Oil and Gas Development in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve
Feds Release Final Environmental Impact Statement on Oak Flat Mine
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher
