First, land; then, buffalo; now oil

Our consciences ought to be enraged by the effort the state is making in relation to oil that belongs to the Three Tribes under Lake Sakakawea. But before getting into the specifics, we need context to grasp the infamy of the proposed action.

The white man came to the Great Plains where he acquired the land by killing and exiling the Native Americans who lived here. Then he took their land–...