AUGUSTA, Maine - Demonstrators gathered at the Maine State House Friday to oppose the North Dakota Access Pipeline and show solidarity with the Native American tribes trying to block it.
The demonstration in Maine was part of a series of similar protests across the country as the controversial proposal moves forward.
Katherine Rhoda, of Hiram, participated in the demonstration. "This country was founded on the genocide of Native Americans and I think Native American wisdom holds a key to us finding our way out of the mess we're in," Rhoda said.
Tribes argue that the pipeline project endangers their drinking water source and that it's damaged cultural sites. The project was halted by President Obama in December but revived shortly after Donald Trump became president.
The tribes' court effort to stop the pipeline suffered a blow Wedensday when a federal judge refused to halt construction.