Thanks for taking an interest and reading Civil Beat. Just thought I'd respond real quick while I have an internet connection. The piece you link to is a op-ed that was submitted to newspapers around the country. For the full backstory on the opinion piece as well as an analysis of the claims made by the author, I suggest you read the Snopes.com breakdown. Here's an excerpt: 

"Although the 'Standing Rock' editorial purports to provide a balanced look at the ongoing dispute over DAPL, it lacks substantiation for almost all of its claims. Without specific references to the purported circumstances described, ensuring that the narrative is factually accurate remains incredibly difficult."

http://www.snopes.com/2016/11/28/what-those-dakota-access-pipeline-protesters-dont-tell-you/