Enbridge’s Line 5 oil pipeline cuts beneath the Great Lakes, stretching over 600 miles and crossing beneath the Straits of Mackinac. For decades, the pipeline has raised concerns because of its potential to spill oil and contaminate water for millions of Americans. This water is also a source of sustenance, culture and sovereignty for tribal communities.   

Now, Enbridge has a proposal on the table to build a new oil tunnel to replace a section of Line 5. The Canadian oil and gas company says this will address aging infrastructure. An executive order from the Trump administration could expedite the construction of this project.

But advocates argue that the construction of this new oil tunnel and potential leaks from it pose many threats, especially to tribal fishing rights and livelihoods.

Andrea Pierce is a member of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians and the policy director at Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition. She spoke with me on the shores of Mackinac Island ahead of a rally on Thursday protesting the proposed oil tunnel. 

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