St. Paul, MN – On April 21, Indigenous leaders and water protectors rallied at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers district headquarters in St. Paul to call for an immediate stay on Enbridge Line 5 construction in northern Wisconsin. Canadian oil giant Enbridge announced the start of its 41-mile reroute around the Bad River Reservation in late February, despite ongoing legal challenges. The Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and environmental groups are in litigation with Enbridge and pursuing a stay on construction. 

Enbridge plans to drill, blast, and trench through hundreds of waterways that flow into the Bad River Reservation. Tribal leaders and experts warn that the plan risks irreversible harm to the Band’s internationally recognized wild rice beds and walleye spawning grounds. 

Crow Bellecourt, executive director of Indigenous Protector Movement and enrolled member of the Bad River Chippewa Tribe, spoke during the rally about what’s at stake for his community. Crow is the son of American Indian Movement co-founder Clyde Bellecourt and Bad River Tribal member Peggy Bellecourt and traces his roots to the land impacted by the pipeline.

“We want to protect the land, we want to protect our hunting and fishing rights, and we want to be able to preserve what we have. And not just for us, but for our non-Native allies that live in the area, too, it’s going to affect everybody.”

Crow Bellecourt

Speakers made connections to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and the Gaza genocide. “We demand that the US government honors the treaties here, and the ceasefires abroad. We demand that all US aid to Israel end. No war on Iran, no more blood for oil,” said Annie from the Anti-War Committee.

Mark Tilsen, Oglala Lakota and organizer for Indigenous Environmental Network, spoke about the relationship between the current Line 5 fight and the No DAPL movement.

“Like a lot of people, I became aware of the pipeline issue on Indigenous lands at Standing Rock, during the No DAPL fight… Oglala Lakota people, we look to our Ojibwe, Anishinaabe, our Chippewa relatives, and we want to say, you’re not alone.”

Mark Tilsen

Line 5 is a 73-year-old pipeline that carries up to 23 million gallons of oil each day through the Great Lakes region. In 2019, the Bad River Band sued Enbridge for illegal trespass, citing concerns over the risk of a rupture near Lake Superior.

A federal judge ruled in favor of the Bad River Band in 2023 and ordered the pipeline removed from the reservation by June 2026. However, the same judge placed a stay on the shutdown order in March, allowing Enbridge to continue operating Line 5 on the reservation until it completes the reroute.

Earlier this month, the Bad River Band and environmental groups filed for a stay on Line 5 construction, arguing the reroute will cause irreparable harm. A Bayfield County judge is currently weighing the decision.

Enbridge has removed trees along most of the 41-mile corridor, despite not having all its state permits. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is currently assessing permits for four critical water crossings. Any person may submit written comments by emailing macaulay.haller@wisconsin.gov, by leaving a voice message at (608) 347-0240, or writing to Macaulay Haller, 101 S. Webster St., Madison, WI, 53707-7921 by mail.

Past coverage of Line 5:

Enbridge Ordered to Shutdown Line 5 and Pay Bad River Band $5.1M [July 2023]

Protests Against Line 5 Continue in Wisconsin and the Courtrooms [Oct. 2023]

Anishinaabe Leaders Raise Alarms About Enbridge’s Covert Line 5 Police Deals in Wisconsin [March 2026]

Cover photo contributed by River Akemann. Caption: Two activists carry a Shut Down Line 5 banner across the street in St. Paul during a rally against Line 5 on April 21, 2026.

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