Issue and Opponent: Enbridge Inc., an energy transport company, was building the Line 3 Replacement Project scheduled to overrun sacred tribal lands along its 1,031-mile route.
Dilemma Action: Indigenous activists Gitz Crazyboy and Tito Ybarra posed as the “Indigenous Pipeline Council” (IPC) and claimed they were constructing an indigenous pipeline that would run through Duluth, MN. They began demonstratively disrupting Duluth, beginning with “sacred remains relocations” at Duluth cemeteries (one clumsy team kept dropping a casket as horrified churchgoers looked on), construction surveys at Duluth’s most elite country clubs, brochures and door hangers distributed widely, and several public outreach events, including a catered announcement to business and political leaders at the swanky Moorish Room in downtown Duluth. The IPC’s route through cemeteries, golf clubs, and backyards mirrored the ways that Indigenous communities across the continent are affected by development.
Outcomes: The pranks received considerable news coverage. The residents of Duluth were not able to ignore the extent of damage caused by the proposed pipeline, even though the actions did not stop the pipeline.