1 00:00:17,242 --> 00:00:25,202 Speaker 1: Pushkin Hi, folks, Amy here, Before we get into this episode, 2 00:00:25,242 --> 00:00:27,002 Speaker 1: I wanted to let you know that you can hear 3 00:00:27,202 --> 00:00:31,162 Speaker 1: all episodes from this mini season of Drilled the propagandist 4 00:00:31,762 --> 00:00:35,282 Speaker 1: ad free right now by signing up for Pushkin Plus. 5 00:00:35,442 --> 00:00:38,721 Speaker 1: We're only able to continue doing our research and reporting 6 00:00:38,882 --> 00:00:41,402 Speaker 1: on these important climate stories with the help of you 7 00:00:41,722 --> 00:00:45,202 Speaker 1: are listeners, and we appreciate your support so much. With 8 00:00:45,282 --> 00:00:48,402 Speaker 1: a Pushkin Plus subscription, you'll also get ad free listening 9 00:00:48,602 --> 00:00:53,522 Speaker 1: for all pushkin shows, plus other series, binges, full audiobooks, 10 00:00:53,562 --> 00:00:56,682 Speaker 1: and more. Find Pushkin Plus on the Drilled show page 11 00:00:56,762 --> 00:01:02,602 Speaker 1: in Apple Podcasts or at pushkin dot fm, slash plus. Okay, 12 00:01:02,682 --> 00:01:08,282 Speaker 1: let's get into it. It's been a decade now since 13 00:01:08,362 --> 00:01:11,482 Speaker 1: members of the Standing Rocks to Tribe launched a historic 14 00:01:11,522 --> 00:01:15,202 Speaker 1: movement to stop construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, but 15 00:01:15,362 --> 00:01:19,202 Speaker 1: somehow details of the pipeline company's efforts to undermine the 16 00:01:19,241 --> 00:01:23,081 Speaker 1: movement are still coming to light. I'm Amy Westervelt and 17 00:01:23,122 --> 00:01:26,521 Speaker 1: this is Drilled. Last year we brought you Slapped from 18 00:01:26,601 --> 00:01:30,321 Speaker 1: reporter Alan Brown, the story of the pipeline company Energy 19 00:01:30,362 --> 00:01:35,282 Speaker 1: Transfers massive lawsuit blaming Green Peace for the Standing Rock movement. 20 00:01:35,722 --> 00:01:38,562 Speaker 1: Energy Transfer won that suit, and the judgment was so 21 00:01:38,801 --> 00:01:41,441 Speaker 1: large it puts the future of green Peace in the 22 00:01:41,601 --> 00:01:46,122 Speaker 1: US at risk. Standing Rock started out as one indigenous 23 00:01:46,202 --> 00:01:50,322 Speaker 1: nation's attempt to protect their drinking water, sacred sites, and 24 00:01:50,442 --> 00:01:54,762 Speaker 1: treaty rights. Then thousands of people showed up to camps 25 00:01:54,882 --> 00:01:57,722 Speaker 1: at the edge of the reservation to support them. But 26 00:01:57,842 --> 00:02:02,082 Speaker 1: for Energy Transfer's brand, the story of Standing Rock was 27 00:02:02,122 --> 00:02:07,041 Speaker 1: as dangerous as any protest, so Energy Transfer's lawsuit wasn't 28 00:02:07,082 --> 00:02:10,282 Speaker 1: just about sticking it to green Peace. The company used 29 00:02:10,322 --> 00:02:13,122 Speaker 1: a big swing legal case to retell the story of 30 00:02:13,162 --> 00:02:17,442 Speaker 1: an indigenous led water protector movement. And that effort didn't 31 00:02:17,442 --> 00:02:20,522 Speaker 1: start in the courtroom, but in an incredibly well documented 32 00:02:20,562 --> 00:02:24,362 Speaker 1: ground campaign. Alien's back to tell you the story of 33 00:02:24,442 --> 00:02:25,762 Speaker 1: that campaign. 34 00:02:33,202 --> 00:02:36,722 Speaker 2: Is this Do Hi, Doug. My name is Ellen Brown. 35 00:02:36,882 --> 00:02:40,362 Speaker 2: I'm a reporter working in a story related to the 36 00:02:40,602 --> 00:02:43,642 Speaker 2: protests back in twenty sixteen and twenty seventeen against the 37 00:02:43,722 --> 00:02:49,762 Speaker 2: Dakota Access Pipeline, And some guys at Rusty's tavern said 38 00:02:49,762 --> 00:02:51,682 Speaker 2: that you would be a good person to talk to. 39 00:02:53,322 --> 00:02:56,562 Speaker 3: Well, I can't believe we were begging in the stores 40 00:02:56,602 --> 00:02:59,762 Speaker 3: and rushies. 41 00:03:00,002 --> 00:03:02,882 Speaker 2: This past spring. Some guys at a bar in Morton County, 42 00:03:02,882 --> 00:03:05,562 Speaker 2: North Dakota told me that if I wanted to understand 43 00:03:05,562 --> 00:03:08,882 Speaker 2: the impact the Standing Rock movement had on nearby communities, 44 00:03:09,402 --> 00:03:12,762 Speaker 2: I should call up the rancher, Doug Hilly. And Doug 45 00:03:12,802 --> 00:03:14,882 Speaker 2: got right to the point, what is the place like 46 00:03:14,922 --> 00:03:15,602 Speaker 2: where you're from? 47 00:03:16,442 --> 00:03:21,282 Speaker 3: Not many people live here, and we had strangers driving around. 48 00:03:21,482 --> 00:03:24,282 Speaker 2: I'll that's Doug lives on a dead end road and 49 00:03:24,362 --> 00:03:28,322 Speaker 2: part of the Dakota Access Pipeline route runs nearby. Unusual 50 00:03:28,362 --> 00:03:29,522 Speaker 2: stuff started to happen. 51 00:03:30,002 --> 00:03:30,922 Speaker 3: There was a. 52 00:03:30,922 --> 00:03:34,322 Speaker 4: Group out of street car, somebody sitting. 53 00:03:34,002 --> 00:03:37,082 Speaker 3: In the back seat with a big cameral and sticking out. 54 00:03:37,722 --> 00:03:39,322 Speaker 3: I asked him what they were doing on the road 55 00:03:39,362 --> 00:03:42,802 Speaker 3: here and they said it's a public road and I said, well, 56 00:03:42,842 --> 00:03:46,962 Speaker 3: we watched drives in this neighborhood and we. 57 00:03:46,922 --> 00:03:49,322 Speaker 4: Want to know the reason that you're here. 58 00:03:49,762 --> 00:03:52,402 Speaker 2: The strangers wouldn't answer many questions, so. 59 00:03:52,722 --> 00:03:53,322 Speaker 4: I went. 60 00:03:54,842 --> 00:03:57,682 Speaker 3: Come back into the yard and picked up a rifle. 61 00:03:58,202 --> 00:04:01,202 Speaker 3: They were taking pictures of the yard in a mailbox 62 00:04:01,282 --> 00:04:06,002 Speaker 3: and everything, and I said I think you should leave, 63 00:04:06,042 --> 00:04:09,122 Speaker 3: and they said, are you going to make us? I 64 00:04:09,162 --> 00:04:10,802 Speaker 3: said no, but my friend here and. 65 00:04:11,242 --> 00:04:14,202 Speaker 4: My rifle will probably helped me and they left. 66 00:04:16,162 --> 00:04:18,801 Speaker 2: Doug told me that they posted images of him online. 67 00:04:19,601 --> 00:04:23,282 Speaker 2: He began hearing other stories from his neighbors. A group 68 00:04:23,322 --> 00:04:26,562 Speaker 2: of protesters blocked a school bus from taking their normal route. 69 00:04:27,202 --> 00:04:29,642 Speaker 2: A grandma and her grandkids hid in the safe room 70 00:04:29,682 --> 00:04:33,442 Speaker 2: for four hours because they were worried about protesters. The 71 00:04:33,522 --> 00:04:35,922 Speaker 2: new traffic made it difficult for Doug and people he 72 00:04:36,002 --> 00:04:39,202 Speaker 2: knew to drive semi trucks loaded with hay down narrow 73 00:04:39,242 --> 00:04:40,082 Speaker 2: country roads. 74 00:04:40,602 --> 00:04:44,202 Speaker 3: I and several other people just out in the habit 75 00:04:44,282 --> 00:04:48,041 Speaker 3: that we carried the weapons for personal protection. 76 00:04:47,682 --> 00:04:50,962 Speaker 2: With us, Doug said, Even a decade later, those wounds 77 00:04:51,002 --> 00:04:51,722 Speaker 2: haven't healed. 78 00:04:52,162 --> 00:04:56,402 Speaker 3: Some of us, myself included, have not been on Standing 79 00:04:56,522 --> 00:04:58,002 Speaker 3: Rock since. 80 00:04:58,562 --> 00:05:00,682 Speaker 2: On my trips to North Dakota, I've spent a lot 81 00:05:00,722 --> 00:05:02,802 Speaker 2: of time trying to figure out what this place was 82 00:05:02,842 --> 00:05:06,002 Speaker 2: all about. I wandered the streets of Bismarck and the 83 00:05:06,002 --> 00:05:08,842 Speaker 2: town across the River Mandan, and drove down the county 84 00:05:08,922 --> 00:05:12,722 Speaker 2: highways that connect the cities with the reserv The roads 85 00:05:12,722 --> 00:05:17,122 Speaker 2: are bordered by grassy, rolling hills and occasionally these dramatic buttes. 86 00:05:17,682 --> 00:05:20,682 Speaker 2: It's really pretty. There are a few tiny towns on 87 00:05:20,722 --> 00:05:23,442 Speaker 2: the way and dirt roads leading to ranches like Dugs. 88 00:05:23,922 --> 00:05:27,682 Speaker 2: When Energy Transfers private security contractors first touched down in 89 00:05:27,722 --> 00:05:31,242 Speaker 2: this area in twenty sixteen, they found a community that 90 00:05:31,322 --> 00:05:34,882 Speaker 2: was already pretty angry and freaked out about the pipeline protests, 91 00:05:35,482 --> 00:05:38,842 Speaker 2: and the company developed a social media campaign aimed at 92 00:05:38,922 --> 00:05:45,962 Speaker 2: hardening those divisions. This all went down at the start 93 00:05:46,002 --> 00:05:49,522 Speaker 2: of an era of social media misinformation that would transform 94 00:05:49,642 --> 00:05:53,802 Speaker 2: American's relationships with each other these days. Versions of the 95 00:05:53,802 --> 00:05:57,642 Speaker 2: Facebook propaganda campaign that hit North Dakota get used around 96 00:05:57,682 --> 00:06:00,802 Speaker 2: the world. But what's different in this case is that 97 00:06:00,882 --> 00:06:05,682 Speaker 2: I got a hold of the receipts through a public 98 00:06:05,722 --> 00:06:09,361 Speaker 2: records request. I obtained over one hundred pages of internal 99 00:06:09,402 --> 00:06:13,882 Speaker 2: email and WhatsApp chat records where Energy Transfers propagandists talk 100 00:06:13,922 --> 00:06:17,282 Speaker 2: about exactly what they were trying to do and why 101 00:06:17,922 --> 00:06:21,361 Speaker 2: I'm Aline Brown for drilled and this is the propagandist. 102 00:06:21,802 --> 00:06:24,802 Speaker 2: The inside story of a narrative war between a pipeline 103 00:06:24,842 --> 00:06:35,762 Speaker 2: company and an environmental movement. Back in twenty sixteen, a 104 00:06:35,802 --> 00:06:39,842 Speaker 2: private Facebook group called Defend Bisman became the place for 105 00:06:39,882 --> 00:06:44,082 Speaker 2: neighbors to exchange their negative experiences with the Standing Rock protests. 106 00:06:44,762 --> 00:06:48,762 Speaker 2: BISMAN stands for Bismarck and Mandan and kay Lecoe was 107 00:06:48,802 --> 00:06:51,322 Speaker 2: the administrator of the group. At that time, she was 108 00:06:51,362 --> 00:06:54,442 Speaker 2: also a spokesperson for a coal industry group. I met 109 00:06:54,442 --> 00:06:56,481 Speaker 2: her at a locally owned coffee shop in Bismarck. 110 00:06:57,162 --> 00:06:59,601 Speaker 4: Stick this in your face a little bit on a rom. 111 00:07:00,962 --> 00:07:03,482 Speaker 5: And my voice projects quite well, so great. 112 00:07:03,642 --> 00:07:07,242 Speaker 2: Yeah, I just wanted to ask you about two things 113 00:07:07,242 --> 00:07:12,522 Speaker 2: about your own biography. One is, you know, just because 114 00:07:12,562 --> 00:07:16,282 Speaker 2: I think people who understand that you work for this 115 00:07:16,482 --> 00:07:20,002 Speaker 2: cool company might be like, well, you know, clearly she 116 00:07:20,202 --> 00:07:21,922 Speaker 2: was doing this out of her like love for the 117 00:07:21,922 --> 00:07:26,522 Speaker 2: fossil fuel industry. The other thing is you do horse 118 00:07:26,602 --> 00:07:27,442 Speaker 2: riding with guns. 119 00:07:28,682 --> 00:07:32,242 Speaker 5: So to your first point, I love coal, I love 120 00:07:32,322 --> 00:07:36,802 Speaker 5: my community. Coal and oil are completely different things. I 121 00:07:36,842 --> 00:07:40,522 Speaker 5: had no stance on the pipeline. There was a void 122 00:07:40,522 --> 00:07:43,042 Speaker 5: that I could help fill with my skill set of 123 00:07:43,762 --> 00:07:52,642 Speaker 5: helping create and shape constructive conversation on a Facebook group. Again, 124 00:07:52,722 --> 00:07:56,082 Speaker 5: I'm about my community and my people, and so yes, 125 00:07:56,242 --> 00:07:59,442 Speaker 5: my favorite pastime what I do in my free time 126 00:07:59,602 --> 00:08:02,202 Speaker 5: is I shoot guns off of horses at high speeds 127 00:08:02,242 --> 00:08:04,482 Speaker 5: and it's just the coolest thing in the world. 128 00:08:05,362 --> 00:08:08,562 Speaker 2: He tells me. The protest did cause some genuine disruptions. 129 00:08:09,002 --> 00:08:12,962 Speaker 5: There was vandalism, There was fences that were cut, there 130 00:08:13,002 --> 00:08:18,882 Speaker 5: were animals that were run around pastures and stuff like that. 131 00:08:18,962 --> 00:08:25,042 Speaker 5: So there were things. There was just enough truth that 132 00:08:25,202 --> 00:08:28,442 Speaker 5: you could really blow it up if you wanted to. 133 00:08:29,962 --> 00:08:33,922 Speaker 2: Facebook Live had launched publicly that same year, and pipeline 134 00:08:33,962 --> 00:08:37,442 Speaker 2: opponents and movement journalists were streaming videos from the frontlines 135 00:08:37,442 --> 00:08:40,802 Speaker 2: of protests where cops were sometimes firing teargas or rubber 136 00:08:40,842 --> 00:08:45,482 Speaker 2: bullets at unarmed demonstrators. It hit different when people could 137 00:08:45,521 --> 00:08:49,562 Speaker 2: watch police violence unfold in real time, and the posts 138 00:08:49,561 --> 00:08:55,961 Speaker 2: were getting reshared by people around the world. But a 139 00:08:56,002 --> 00:08:58,602 Speaker 2: lot of people in Bismarck and Mandan are pretty conservative. 140 00:08:59,202 --> 00:09:02,602 Speaker 2: Many have family or friends who are police officers. When 141 00:09:02,602 --> 00:09:05,922 Speaker 2: they watched that footage, what they noticed was pipeline opponents 142 00:09:05,962 --> 00:09:10,761 Speaker 2: defying police orders, yelling at cops or throwing things. At 143 00:09:10,761 --> 00:09:17,041 Speaker 2: one point, people lit a bridge on fire. Hey and 144 00:09:17,161 --> 00:09:20,002 Speaker 2: other local folks felt like their voices were being drowned 145 00:09:20,041 --> 00:09:23,722 Speaker 2: out online, and some got docksed for taking a position 146 00:09:23,801 --> 00:09:25,242 Speaker 2: against the Standing Rock movement. 147 00:09:25,641 --> 00:09:31,002 Speaker 5: I experienced it was I was dockxed big time too. 148 00:09:31,161 --> 00:09:35,962 Speaker 5: I received the death threats and there was several locations 149 00:09:35,962 --> 00:09:36,761 Speaker 5: that I got followed. 150 00:09:38,002 --> 00:09:40,961 Speaker 2: But then another Facebook page appeared that seemed to be 151 00:09:41,002 --> 00:09:44,921 Speaker 2: aligned with K's group. It was called Nedicines for Progress 152 00:09:45,041 --> 00:09:45,761 Speaker 2: and Justice. 153 00:09:46,322 --> 00:09:49,522 Speaker 5: I remember Nedicins came on the scene and it was 154 00:09:49,561 --> 00:09:50,602 Speaker 5: like boom boom. 155 00:09:50,641 --> 00:09:52,402 Speaker 4: I mean like it was like this bam boum. 156 00:09:52,962 --> 00:09:56,242 Speaker 2: They had a dramatic logo with an N and all 157 00:09:56,322 --> 00:09:59,482 Speaker 2: these videos with titles like four reasons why Standing Rock 158 00:09:59,602 --> 00:10:03,122 Speaker 2: is the worst protest in the last century. It hit 159 00:10:03,122 --> 00:10:05,002 Speaker 2: a nerve for a lot of locals who felt like 160 00:10:05,082 --> 00:10:07,922 Speaker 2: they didn't have media representing their views the way the 161 00:10:07,962 --> 00:10:11,281 Speaker 2: movement had. Who did you think they were at the time? 162 00:10:11,681 --> 00:10:14,722 Speaker 2: Kate told me Nedicines presented itself as a counterweight to 163 00:10:14,801 --> 00:10:16,401 Speaker 2: all that pro movement media. 164 00:10:17,202 --> 00:10:22,322 Speaker 5: They have all of these this is your counter Where 165 00:10:22,161 --> 00:10:23,122 Speaker 5: are your friends? 166 00:10:23,602 --> 00:10:28,201 Speaker 2: Trust us? A couple months earlier, after a video went 167 00:10:28,322 --> 00:10:32,881 Speaker 2: viral of security dogs attacking pipeline opponents, Energy Transfer had 168 00:10:32,962 --> 00:10:38,322 Speaker 2: hired the private security company Tiger Swan. Tiger Swan was 169 00:10:38,362 --> 00:10:40,921 Speaker 2: founded by an ex commander of the Army Special Missions 170 00:10:41,002 --> 00:10:45,282 Speaker 2: Unit Delta Force. Its contractors were mostly veterans. The more 171 00:10:45,322 --> 00:10:48,401 Speaker 2: you understand this company's background, the more it makes sense 172 00:10:48,442 --> 00:10:51,482 Speaker 2: that they would be doing propaganda. Tiger Swan was started 173 00:10:51,561 --> 00:10:53,922 Speaker 2: during this post nine to eleven era, where something called 174 00:10:53,962 --> 00:10:58,161 Speaker 2: counterinsurgency was the reigning military doctrine. One of the things 175 00:10:58,161 --> 00:11:00,921 Speaker 2: that blew my mind about some of these internal documents 176 00:11:00,921 --> 00:11:04,482 Speaker 2: I obtained is that Tiger Swan explicitly called its efforts 177 00:11:04,482 --> 00:11:10,041 Speaker 2: at Standing Rock a counterinsurgency approach. Counterinsurgency doctrine emphasizes that 178 00:11:10,082 --> 00:11:13,801 Speaker 2: convincing local people to take on the military's priorities can 179 00:11:13,842 --> 00:11:17,322 Speaker 2: be as important as armed force. In this case, a 180 00:11:17,322 --> 00:11:19,761 Speaker 2: big part of the battle for hearts and minds was 181 00:11:19,801 --> 00:11:24,002 Speaker 2: being fought on Facebook. The guy Tiger Swan brought on 182 00:11:24,041 --> 00:11:26,841 Speaker 2: to lead that effort didn't serve in the military, though. 183 00:11:27,442 --> 00:11:29,482 Speaker 2: His name is Robert Rice and he's more of a 184 00:11:29,521 --> 00:11:33,682 Speaker 2: tech guy. His big thing is virtual reality, and he 185 00:11:33,801 --> 00:11:39,041 Speaker 2: even attempted to develop a virtual universe called Omniscape. Propaganda 186 00:11:39,122 --> 00:11:42,402 Speaker 2: might also be about changing people's perception of reality, but 187 00:11:42,442 --> 00:11:45,282 Speaker 2: it's not totally clear why he was the guy for 188 00:11:45,322 --> 00:11:50,082 Speaker 2: the job. When Robert Rice joined Tiger Swan's anti protest effort, 189 00:11:50,482 --> 00:11:53,482 Speaker 2: he started searching for a new narrative that could replace 190 00:11:53,482 --> 00:11:57,562 Speaker 2: the story of peaceful indigenous water protectors fighting for the environment. 191 00:11:58,362 --> 00:12:01,881 Speaker 2: I know because I've read his emails. In one of them, 192 00:12:02,002 --> 00:12:04,881 Speaker 2: he asked if security contractors on the ground could take 193 00:12:04,921 --> 00:12:08,242 Speaker 2: pictures of the wastewater drainage system for the tribe's casino. 194 00:12:09,161 --> 00:12:11,722 Speaker 2: The idea was to claim the tribe was one polluting 195 00:12:11,761 --> 00:12:12,082 Speaker 2: the river. 196 00:12:12,842 --> 00:12:15,682 Speaker 6: They all lead directly to the river, so if we 197 00:12:15,681 --> 00:12:18,362 Speaker 6: can show a link or a very close proximity, we 198 00:12:18,401 --> 00:12:21,002 Speaker 6: can take the wind out of the water protector's line. 199 00:12:21,401 --> 00:12:23,362 Speaker 2: That's the voice of an actor we hired to play 200 00:12:23,442 --> 00:12:27,562 Speaker 2: Robert Rice. Robert also wanted photos of any dogs that 201 00:12:27,602 --> 00:12:29,561 Speaker 2: got injured the day of the dog attacks. 202 00:12:29,962 --> 00:12:31,921 Speaker 6: I want to create a few fault lines between all 203 00:12:31,921 --> 00:12:36,362 Speaker 6: the third party activists and the tribes. Highlighting animal abuse 204 00:12:36,521 --> 00:12:39,322 Speaker 6: and attacking dogs will have some effect with a few groups. 205 00:12:39,761 --> 00:12:42,242 Speaker 2: At the same time, he seemed aware that it's not 206 00:12:42,442 --> 00:12:45,321 Speaker 2: actually a great look to go after an indigenous movement. 207 00:12:45,761 --> 00:12:48,321 Speaker 6: We want to be careful of public opinion and sentiment 208 00:12:48,362 --> 00:12:50,602 Speaker 6: towards Native Americans, so we want to focus on the 209 00:12:50,641 --> 00:12:54,242 Speaker 6: issues specifically, or wiggle around to take the side of 210 00:12:54,242 --> 00:12:54,801 Speaker 6: the tribes. 211 00:12:55,161 --> 00:12:57,522 Speaker 2: In other words, he wanted to attack a movement that 212 00:12:57,641 --> 00:13:00,521 Speaker 2: was started by indigenous people and supported by hundreds of 213 00:13:00,561 --> 00:13:05,282 Speaker 2: tribal nations while also avoiding the appearance of antagonizing native people. 214 00:13:05,881 --> 00:13:08,521 Speaker 2: Robert Rice wasn't just off alone in a weird corner 215 00:13:08,521 --> 00:13:11,682 Speaker 2: coming up with this stuff. He was deep in conversation 216 00:13:11,842 --> 00:13:15,322 Speaker 2: with other Tiger Swan contractors, and those guys had a 217 00:13:15,362 --> 00:13:19,761 Speaker 2: lot going on. Tier Swan was flying aerial surveillance drones 218 00:13:19,801 --> 00:13:23,282 Speaker 2: over the camps, listening in on water Protectors radios, and 219 00:13:23,401 --> 00:13:27,401 Speaker 2: even sending Tiger Swan operatives into the anti pipeline camps undercover. 220 00:13:28,322 --> 00:13:32,161 Speaker 2: They weren't just collecting information. In a WhatsApp chat that 221 00:13:32,242 --> 00:13:35,962 Speaker 2: included Tiger Swan's founder as well as Robert Rice, another 222 00:13:36,041 --> 00:13:39,802 Speaker 2: Tiger Swan contractor floated the idea of sabotaging the porta 223 00:13:39,842 --> 00:13:43,682 Speaker 2: potties by somehow removing the anti freeze element so waste 224 00:13:43,722 --> 00:13:47,122 Speaker 2: would freeze. He told Robert that they should make lots 225 00:13:47,161 --> 00:13:49,921 Speaker 2: of noise all the time and maybe pay some kids 226 00:13:49,962 --> 00:13:53,281 Speaker 2: to fly drones over the camp with speakers playing Scandinavian 227 00:13:53,322 --> 00:13:56,522 Speaker 2: death meedal. This is the kind of stuff the US 228 00:13:56,602 --> 00:13:59,082 Speaker 2: government has done when they want to break down groups 229 00:13:59,122 --> 00:14:03,202 Speaker 2: they see as dangerous. In fact, this Tiger Swan contractor 230 00:14:03,401 --> 00:14:08,362 Speaker 2: described his ideas as psychological warfare, and Robert Rice chimed 231 00:14:08,401 --> 00:14:10,842 Speaker 2: into personally. 232 00:14:10,801 --> 00:14:13,482 Speaker 6: I think twenty four hour floodlights are good. I would 233 00:14:13,482 --> 00:14:16,681 Speaker 6: also get some directional jammers to disrupt WiFi, but not sell. 234 00:14:17,362 --> 00:14:19,282 Speaker 6: They may need that for emergency calls, and if they 235 00:14:19,322 --> 00:14:21,762 Speaker 6: want the Internet, let them chew up their data. 236 00:14:22,282 --> 00:14:26,002 Speaker 2: Despite his spicy suggestions, Robert gives off kind of a 237 00:14:26,042 --> 00:14:29,482 Speaker 2: try hard energy. Like when a well known military veteran 238 00:14:29,522 --> 00:14:32,762 Speaker 2: announced he was joining the Standing Rock movement, Robert made 239 00:14:32,802 --> 00:14:35,602 Speaker 2: a point to complain, I mean shit. 240 00:14:35,681 --> 00:14:38,082 Speaker 6: I did four years of JROTC and I feel like 241 00:14:38,122 --> 00:14:40,321 Speaker 6: I got more out of it playing soldier than he did. 242 00:14:40,681 --> 00:14:43,642 Speaker 6: Now he wants to fight against law enforcement. Kind of 243 00:14:43,681 --> 00:14:46,522 Speaker 6: pisses me off. I missed my chance to serve and 244 00:14:46,561 --> 00:14:51,081 Speaker 6: this nutjobs going to shit on things. Sorry, this sort 245 00:14:51,122 --> 00:14:52,482 Speaker 6: of thing really annoys the hell out of me. 246 00:14:53,402 --> 00:14:55,681 Speaker 2: All of this was happening right around the time Donald 247 00:14:55,722 --> 00:14:56,682 Speaker 2: Trump was elected. 248 00:14:57,322 --> 00:15:07,002 Speaker 7: We're going to rescind all the job destroying Obama executive actions, 249 00:15:08,722 --> 00:15:12,202 Speaker 7: including the Climate Action Plan and the Waters of the 250 00:15:12,322 --> 00:15:13,482 Speaker 7: United States Rule. 251 00:15:14,082 --> 00:15:17,802 Speaker 2: Okay, I remember that Trump held investments in both energy 252 00:15:17,842 --> 00:15:21,162 Speaker 2: transfer and Phillip sixty six, another company behind the Code 253 00:15:21,162 --> 00:15:24,882 Speaker 2: Access pipeline. As he was going around yelling about American 254 00:15:25,002 --> 00:15:29,882 Speaker 2: energy dominance. Social media disinformation was flooding the Internet like 255 00:15:30,042 --> 00:15:33,042 Speaker 2: never before, and a lot of it was favorable to him. 256 00:15:33,482 --> 00:15:35,162 Speaker 2: I don't know if it was intentional or not, but 257 00:15:35,242 --> 00:15:38,962 Speaker 2: Tiger Schwan's propaganda team launched the Netizin's Facebook page the 258 00:15:39,042 --> 00:15:42,842 Speaker 2: same day that Trump declared victory. They posted videos featuring 259 00:15:42,882 --> 00:15:46,802 Speaker 2: plaintext over images with the kind of sappy, inspirational music 260 00:15:46,962 --> 00:15:49,282 Speaker 2: you might hear in a video by a yoga influencer 261 00:15:49,882 --> 00:15:55,402 Speaker 2: like this. Its first videos claimed the pipeline post no 262 00:15:55,522 --> 00:15:58,162 Speaker 2: risk to water or sacred sites, and the movement was 263 00:15:58,202 --> 00:16:02,842 Speaker 2: full of paid protesters and criminals. One early video flashed 264 00:16:02,842 --> 00:16:06,242 Speaker 2: a bunch of mugshots of water protectors, which were actually 265 00:16:06,282 --> 00:16:08,722 Speaker 2: sent to Robert by a pr guy for the National 266 00:16:08,762 --> 00:16:13,122 Speaker 2: Sheriff's Association. The video hit their mark. Here's from one 267 00:16:13,122 --> 00:16:15,802 Speaker 2: comment from a couple of weeks after the Nedison's launch. 268 00:16:16,802 --> 00:16:19,202 Speaker 2: Thank you Nediicans for getting the rest of the story 269 00:16:19,242 --> 00:16:23,202 Speaker 2: out there. Exclamation mark, exclamation mark, exclamation mark, exclamation mark. 270 00:16:23,561 --> 00:16:26,441 Speaker 2: North Dakotins are so fed up with being invaded by 271 00:16:26,442 --> 00:16:30,242 Speaker 2: the violent protesters, and Robert Rice started to notice that 272 00:16:30,322 --> 00:16:32,642 Speaker 2: a lot of the traffic was coming from the Bismarck 273 00:16:32,681 --> 00:16:33,642 Speaker 2: and Mandan area. 274 00:16:34,482 --> 00:16:37,602 Speaker 6: Jim, we are pushing various things on Facebook primary and 275 00:16:37,681 --> 00:16:41,802 Speaker 6: website secondary, definitely contributing to some infighting and factions, both 276 00:16:42,242 --> 00:16:45,802 Speaker 6: internal and on the bigger scope. Like anti protesters in Bisman. 277 00:16:46,442 --> 00:16:49,162 Speaker 2: Robert had a cool idea about how they could increase 278 00:16:49,202 --> 00:16:51,242 Speaker 2: traffic further, if we had. 279 00:16:51,042 --> 00:16:54,282 Speaker 6: Some Kardashian or celebrity nudes, we would have a half 280 00:16:54,322 --> 00:16:57,441 Speaker 6: a million followers. Of two seconds just saying. 281 00:16:57,442 --> 00:17:01,961 Speaker 2: He maybe got something even better than celect nudes. I 282 00:17:02,002 --> 00:17:04,162 Speaker 2: don't know if Robert Rice knew it, but his timing 283 00:17:04,242 --> 00:17:08,842 Speaker 2: was pretty good. Not long after Nedison's launched Locals, frustrations 284 00:17:08,842 --> 00:17:15,321 Speaker 2: with the protests came to a head. The morning of Thanksgiving, 285 00:17:15,601 --> 00:17:19,522 Speaker 2: area residents got an emergency alert on their phones indicating 286 00:17:19,561 --> 00:17:28,482 Speaker 2: that protesters had blocked the intersection connecting the two cities. Honestly, 287 00:17:28,762 --> 00:17:31,842 Speaker 2: videos from this protest seemed sort of tame. People set 288 00:17:31,922 --> 00:17:33,762 Speaker 2: up a long table in the middle of the road 289 00:17:33,922 --> 00:17:36,641 Speaker 2: with pumpkins and a banner painted to look bloody that 290 00:17:36,722 --> 00:17:41,082 Speaker 2: said no decode access pipeline. But they were blocking traffic 291 00:17:41,121 --> 00:17:44,121 Speaker 2: on a holiday. And there was one other thing that 292 00:17:44,282 --> 00:17:46,561 Speaker 2: really got to defend Bisman crowd mad. 293 00:17:48,882 --> 00:17:53,042 Speaker 5: That was the day that protesters gathered in, man down 294 00:17:53,282 --> 00:17:57,482 Speaker 5: and placed pigs heads on sticks and made it very 295 00:17:57,522 --> 00:18:00,602 Speaker 5: well known that they were going to be aggressive towards 296 00:18:00,642 --> 00:18:02,081 Speaker 5: our law enforcement officers. 297 00:18:02,321 --> 00:18:05,921 Speaker 2: Images circulated on social media of a demonstrator carrying a 298 00:18:05,962 --> 00:18:10,242 Speaker 2: pig's head mounted on a stick. Residents like Ka took 299 00:18:10,282 --> 00:18:11,922 Speaker 2: that as a threat to police. 300 00:18:12,242 --> 00:18:14,962 Speaker 5: I think that Thanksgiving Day I spent more than six 301 00:18:15,002 --> 00:18:19,881 Speaker 5: hours on the phone with people who were just outraged 302 00:18:19,882 --> 00:18:22,962 Speaker 5: by all of this. And I think our Facebook group 303 00:18:23,601 --> 00:18:27,161 Speaker 5: numbers at request to join jumped threefold. 304 00:18:28,561 --> 00:18:31,202 Speaker 8: Our First Amendment right basically assemble. 305 00:18:32,202 --> 00:18:34,601 Speaker 9: We prop Probably they did not want you here. You 306 00:18:34,601 --> 00:18:50,522 Speaker 9: will leave immediately. First you will go to jail. I'm 307 00:18:50,522 --> 00:18:51,082 Speaker 9: not gonna ask. 308 00:18:53,121 --> 00:18:56,881 Speaker 2: The next day, Black Friday, water protectors marched into Bismarck's 309 00:18:56,962 --> 00:19:00,642 Speaker 2: Kirkwood Mall and formed a prayer circle before being arrested. 310 00:19:01,361 --> 00:19:04,002 Speaker 2: One local right wing blogger claimed it was a war 311 00:19:04,202 --> 00:19:06,121 Speaker 2: on the Bismarck Mandan community. 312 00:19:07,762 --> 00:19:09,961 Speaker 5: The average citizen was like, you know what, Okay, we'll 313 00:19:10,042 --> 00:19:13,282 Speaker 5: tolerate this for a while. Well, now it's the holidays, 314 00:19:14,402 --> 00:19:15,282 Speaker 5: it's getting cold. 315 00:19:16,682 --> 00:19:17,482 Speaker 4: Get the hell up. 316 00:19:18,121 --> 00:19:21,241 Speaker 2: That same day, in a WhatsApp chat, Robert celebrated that 317 00:19:21,282 --> 00:19:23,242 Speaker 2: his page views seemed to be going up. 318 00:19:24,282 --> 00:19:26,641 Speaker 6: We are doing heavy targeting in the North Dakota area, 319 00:19:26,682 --> 00:19:29,442 Speaker 6: mostly to focus on increasing the fracturing and creating doubt. 320 00:19:30,121 --> 00:19:32,121 Speaker 6: At least on the website. The majority of traffic is 321 00:19:32,162 --> 00:19:34,121 Speaker 6: in North Dakota, with Bismarck at the top of the 322 00:19:34,121 --> 00:19:36,642 Speaker 6: list with about twenty five percent of traffic. 323 00:19:41,121 --> 00:19:45,161 Speaker 2: People were already upset and Robert was using nedicines to 324 00:19:45,282 --> 00:19:50,522 Speaker 2: intentionally worsen divisions. The posts and videos kept coming saying 325 00:19:50,522 --> 00:19:53,721 Speaker 2: that outside interest groups had hijacked the movement and there 326 00:19:53,722 --> 00:19:58,522 Speaker 2: were eco terrorists involved. Things started to move beyond just 327 00:19:58,601 --> 00:20:01,762 Speaker 2: the Internet. Kaye was actually in touch with a totally 328 00:20:01,762 --> 00:20:05,042 Speaker 2: different Tiger Swue team member who offered tips about how 329 00:20:05,081 --> 00:20:08,802 Speaker 2: Defend BISMAN members could organize, and she also talked to 330 00:20:08,841 --> 00:20:12,841 Speaker 2: the police on a regular basis. Locals started participating in 331 00:20:12,922 --> 00:20:17,162 Speaker 2: pro police rallies, They held fundraisers for police, They monitored 332 00:20:17,202 --> 00:20:21,002 Speaker 2: water protectors' social media accounts, and they offered assistance to 333 00:20:21,081 --> 00:20:23,042 Speaker 2: business owners that were feeling nervous. 334 00:20:23,522 --> 00:20:27,762 Speaker 5: I do know that there were oftentimes, I would say 335 00:20:27,762 --> 00:20:31,802 Speaker 5: more than a dozen times where somebody would go down 336 00:20:32,042 --> 00:20:35,882 Speaker 5: and sit at a business. I'm not going to throw 337 00:20:35,962 --> 00:20:38,442 Speaker 5: businesses under the bus here, but go down and sit 338 00:20:38,482 --> 00:20:42,921 Speaker 5: at a business and make sure that Agnes gone to 339 00:20:43,002 --> 00:20:45,722 Speaker 5: her car and believing this is a completely fictional character, 340 00:20:45,762 --> 00:20:47,282 Speaker 5: it's just totally North Dakota. 341 00:20:47,882 --> 00:20:50,922 Speaker 2: It's important to note that these polics were talking about 342 00:20:51,081 --> 00:20:56,401 Speaker 2: Morton County, Bismarck, Mandan. They're basically border communities. They're on 343 00:20:56,482 --> 00:20:59,161 Speaker 2: the edge of the Standing Rock Reservation, and they're areas 344 00:20:59,202 --> 00:21:03,042 Speaker 2: that have a long history of racism. Even k acknowledged 345 00:21:03,081 --> 00:21:04,722 Speaker 2: that at. 346 00:21:04,561 --> 00:21:09,962 Speaker 5: The very beginning of the peaceful demonstrations, it really amped 347 00:21:10,081 --> 00:21:12,642 Speaker 5: up that anti Native sentiment. 348 00:21:13,522 --> 00:21:13,882 Speaker 4: She said. 349 00:21:13,882 --> 00:21:16,522 Speaker 2: She made it clear on Facebook that Raci's comments were 350 00:21:16,601 --> 00:21:20,321 Speaker 2: not okay, But for some Indigenous people from Standing Rock, 351 00:21:20,841 --> 00:21:24,402 Speaker 2: the experience of visiting Bismarck started to get worse as 352 00:21:24,442 --> 00:21:28,282 Speaker 2: Tiger Swan poured fuel on the fire online. I talked 353 00:21:28,282 --> 00:21:30,681 Speaker 2: to Valerie Eagleshield about it at a gathering put on 354 00:21:30,762 --> 00:21:33,841 Speaker 2: by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe's Elders Preservation Council at 355 00:21:33,882 --> 00:21:40,681 Speaker 2: the Prairie Night's Casino. Valerie's in her sixties now. She 356 00:21:40,762 --> 00:21:42,882 Speaker 2: spent a lot of time at the camps and helped 357 00:21:42,922 --> 00:21:45,002 Speaker 2: it a school established there for children. 358 00:21:47,162 --> 00:21:51,242 Speaker 8: I was mainly a support person everybody's mom. I supported 359 00:21:51,242 --> 00:21:55,321 Speaker 8: my daughter with the school, My son sang and stood 360 00:21:55,321 --> 00:21:58,282 Speaker 8: at the front lines, and my husband did a lot 361 00:21:58,321 --> 00:21:59,561 Speaker 8: of the UH prayers. 362 00:22:00,202 --> 00:22:03,402 Speaker 2: This was a fight for her community's water. Valerie spent 363 00:22:03,442 --> 00:22:05,802 Speaker 2: her whole life on Standing Rock, but is enrolled with 364 00:22:05,841 --> 00:22:09,402 Speaker 2: the Mandan Hidatsa and a Ricara Nation. Like everybody from 365 00:22:09,402 --> 00:22:12,641 Speaker 2: the reservation. She comes in out of Bismarck regularly for 366 00:22:12,722 --> 00:22:13,961 Speaker 2: Aaron's and other things. 367 00:22:14,762 --> 00:22:18,081 Speaker 8: They're racist people everywhere, but it wasn't that bad. 368 00:22:19,121 --> 00:22:22,361 Speaker 2: Valerie noticed a shift at the same time that misinformation 369 00:22:22,522 --> 00:22:24,482 Speaker 2: began to saturate the area. 370 00:22:24,642 --> 00:22:28,442 Speaker 8: Things got really ugly when people were telling lies about 371 00:22:28,482 --> 00:22:32,561 Speaker 8: the camp the protectors, saying that they were dangerous. 372 00:22:32,922 --> 00:22:34,802 Speaker 2: She mostly noticed it when she went shopping. 373 00:22:35,361 --> 00:22:37,682 Speaker 8: Yeah, I mean we could go into shop in us 374 00:22:37,722 --> 00:22:41,601 Speaker 8: door and be walking around and then you notice somebody, 375 00:22:42,242 --> 00:22:44,642 Speaker 8: you know, kind of around the corners of the corner 376 00:22:44,722 --> 00:22:47,681 Speaker 8: your eye and you're like, oh, they're watching us. You know. 377 00:22:48,121 --> 00:22:49,962 Speaker 2: She felt it at the checkout counter too. 378 00:22:50,402 --> 00:22:53,042 Speaker 8: I mean you'd say thank you, and they would, you know, 379 00:22:53,561 --> 00:23:00,482 Speaker 8: not respond to and throw your stuff across that check 380 00:23:00,561 --> 00:23:04,321 Speaker 8: thing and then counter change out and drop it on 381 00:23:04,361 --> 00:23:06,321 Speaker 8: the counter, like they didn't want to touch you. 382 00:23:07,162 --> 00:23:09,962 Speaker 2: But the scariest part was when she was driving home. 383 00:23:10,202 --> 00:23:12,641 Speaker 8: Yeah, they would come up really fast on you and 384 00:23:12,682 --> 00:23:15,762 Speaker 8: then I'll just follow you. Even if you slowed way down, 385 00:23:15,802 --> 00:23:20,282 Speaker 8: they'd stay behind you. Yeah, and you worried about what 386 00:23:20,882 --> 00:23:23,161 Speaker 8: because there's long stretches of nothing. 387 00:23:23,642 --> 00:23:27,682 Speaker 2: So the swell of anger in the local communities happened 388 00:23:27,841 --> 00:23:31,602 Speaker 2: just as the camp shrunk pretty dramatically. A big North 389 00:23:31,682 --> 00:23:34,561 Speaker 2: Dakota blizzard came through and hundreds of people had to 390 00:23:34,642 --> 00:23:37,722 Speaker 2: leave all of a sudden. Their stuff got buried in 391 00:23:37,762 --> 00:23:41,161 Speaker 2: the snow and was frozen there, and this became one 392 00:23:41,162 --> 00:23:45,561 Speaker 2: of Nettison's biggest stories. The message was the water protectors 393 00:23:45,561 --> 00:23:48,841 Speaker 2: had left behind an environmental mess of their own, and 394 00:23:48,882 --> 00:23:50,881 Speaker 2: then it was going to contaminate the water when the 395 00:23:50,922 --> 00:23:55,362 Speaker 2: spring came and the snow melted. Videos and posts hammered 396 00:23:55,361 --> 00:24:01,442 Speaker 2: on the idea that pipeline opponents were the real environmental threat. Finally, 397 00:24:01,522 --> 00:24:07,641 Speaker 2: at the end of February twenty seventeen, police evicted the camps. 398 00:24:07,321 --> 00:24:15,321 Speaker 2: Those fractures that Robert Rice and Tiger Swan were looking 399 00:24:15,361 --> 00:24:18,721 Speaker 2: for and trying to widen they were ultimately aimed at 400 00:24:18,762 --> 00:24:22,642 Speaker 2: people's relationships with their neighbors, and there was no way 401 00:24:22,762 --> 00:24:25,002 Speaker 2: that was just going to fade away because the camps 402 00:24:25,002 --> 00:24:37,441 Speaker 2: were gone. I wanted to know whether the Mandan and 403 00:24:37,442 --> 00:24:41,361 Speaker 2: Bismarck community were still divided over standing Rock ten years later. 404 00:24:42,081 --> 00:24:44,242 Speaker 2: So when I visited in the spring, I tried talking 405 00:24:44,242 --> 00:24:46,561 Speaker 2: to people at the Kirkwood Mall about the protests. 406 00:24:46,762 --> 00:24:47,442 Speaker 4: I'm going to pass. 407 00:24:48,002 --> 00:24:50,522 Speaker 7: I'll pass, okay, because I won't be saying anything good 408 00:24:50,561 --> 00:24:50,921 Speaker 7: about it. 409 00:24:51,002 --> 00:24:53,962 Speaker 2: Oh okay, I won't either call it North Dakota nice. 410 00:24:54,121 --> 00:24:56,802 Speaker 2: But no one seemed like they wanted to talk. I 411 00:24:56,882 --> 00:24:59,361 Speaker 2: decided to try one of the bars off of Mandan's 412 00:24:59,402 --> 00:25:04,762 Speaker 2: main street. Hi, my name's Elena. 413 00:25:04,802 --> 00:25:08,682 Speaker 10: I'm actually a reporter and I'm in town trying to 414 00:25:08,922 --> 00:25:12,161 Speaker 10: talk to people about the ten year anniversary of the 415 00:25:12,202 --> 00:25:15,122 Speaker 10: construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline and all the protests 416 00:25:15,162 --> 00:25:15,681 Speaker 10: that happened. 417 00:25:17,841 --> 00:25:20,762 Speaker 2: These guys seem like they're still mad and also like 418 00:25:20,841 --> 00:25:23,522 Speaker 2: they were down to talk. They said they were on 419 00:25:23,561 --> 00:25:26,841 Speaker 2: the side of the protests at first, but then that changed. 420 00:25:27,282 --> 00:25:29,722 Speaker 9: So what happened They eco terrafts move in. 421 00:25:30,882 --> 00:25:33,802 Speaker 11: The people from out of state moved in and ruined 422 00:25:33,802 --> 00:25:34,522 Speaker 11: our communities. 423 00:25:36,722 --> 00:25:38,762 Speaker 2: These guys start to run down the list of things 424 00:25:38,802 --> 00:25:41,361 Speaker 2: I've heard from almost everyone around here I talked to 425 00:25:41,402 --> 00:25:45,361 Speaker 2: about the protests, the pig's head, the trash left behind 426 00:25:45,361 --> 00:25:50,601 Speaker 2: after the blizzard, the outside agitators. They say they should 427 00:25:50,601 --> 00:25:51,401 Speaker 2: talk to their friend. 428 00:25:52,642 --> 00:25:54,241 Speaker 11: Oh, I'm I'm worked up. 429 00:25:55,722 --> 00:25:58,722 Speaker 2: He starts talking about how protesters would smash stuff up 430 00:25:58,882 --> 00:26:01,722 Speaker 2: and smile and agree that they were paid to do it. 431 00:26:03,242 --> 00:26:07,882 Speaker 11: Disgusting human beings, disgusting eco terrorists. It's what I call 432 00:26:08,002 --> 00:26:08,402 Speaker 11: all them. 433 00:26:09,282 --> 00:26:11,562 Speaker 9: Yes, was the next time what happens? 434 00:26:12,162 --> 00:26:16,802 Speaker 11: I say, everybody should be got on rooptops and wear 435 00:26:16,841 --> 00:26:20,962 Speaker 11: a mask and be protected and take them out. 436 00:26:21,442 --> 00:26:23,322 Speaker 9: Wow, take them? 437 00:26:24,402 --> 00:26:26,802 Speaker 10: Did you say you had a business that they were 438 00:26:27,042 --> 00:26:28,002 Speaker 10: that people were bothering. 439 00:26:28,402 --> 00:26:31,202 Speaker 11: I'm not going to mention that. Okay, that's fun, because 440 00:26:31,202 --> 00:26:34,002 Speaker 11: I understand that you're on their side. 441 00:26:34,282 --> 00:26:36,161 Speaker 4: Why do you think that because. 442 00:26:35,922 --> 00:26:39,441 Speaker 10: Your eye movement, I mean, I think my eye movement 443 00:26:39,522 --> 00:26:40,802 Speaker 10: might be because you're upset. 444 00:26:40,922 --> 00:26:42,762 Speaker 9: So I'm just sort of responding. 445 00:26:42,361 --> 00:26:45,122 Speaker 2: To it's time for me to go. But here's the thing. 446 00:26:45,962 --> 00:26:49,522 Speaker 2: I didn't just hear that at this one bar. At 447 00:26:49,522 --> 00:26:52,162 Speaker 2: another bar, a different guy told me that they should 448 00:26:52,162 --> 00:26:55,802 Speaker 2: have taken the protesters down with the gatling gun and 449 00:26:55,841 --> 00:26:58,802 Speaker 2: at a breakfast restaurant, yet another guy told me that 450 00:26:58,841 --> 00:27:01,161 Speaker 2: they should have done like they did. It wounded me, 451 00:27:01,922 --> 00:27:05,522 Speaker 2: which I can only assume means wounded me eighteen ninety 452 00:27:06,202 --> 00:27:10,082 Speaker 2: the famous massacre of Lakota men, women, and children by 453 00:27:10,242 --> 00:27:13,561 Speaker 2: US Troop Yes. I asked the first bar guys if 454 00:27:13,561 --> 00:27:17,282 Speaker 2: they remembered the Edison's page, and they didn't, which I 455 00:27:17,321 --> 00:27:20,482 Speaker 2: was starting to find out was sort of common. Even 456 00:27:20,601 --> 00:27:23,282 Speaker 2: people who I knew had engaged heavily with Tiger Swan's 457 00:27:23,321 --> 00:27:27,482 Speaker 2: Facebook content sometimes didn't remember it all these years later. 458 00:27:28,522 --> 00:27:31,401 Speaker 2: So I start to feel a little bit uncertain how 459 00:27:31,442 --> 00:27:33,802 Speaker 2: much of this anger could I even credit to Tiger 460 00:27:33,841 --> 00:27:37,081 Speaker 2: Swan or Facebook. I reached out to James Forrest to 461 00:27:37,121 --> 00:27:40,042 Speaker 2: see if he could help me figure it out. For years, 462 00:27:40,121 --> 00:27:44,162 Speaker 2: he was director of West Point's Terrorism Studies program. Now 463 00:27:44,202 --> 00:27:47,481 Speaker 2: he's a professor at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, and 464 00:27:47,561 --> 00:27:52,002 Speaker 2: he wrote a book called Digital Influence Mercenaries. I told 465 00:27:52,081 --> 00:27:54,682 Speaker 2: him all about the situation that Tiger Swan and Robert 466 00:27:54,762 --> 00:27:58,202 Speaker 2: Rice had walked into. I asked him what a digital 467 00:27:58,242 --> 00:28:00,762 Speaker 2: influence mercenary would do in that scenario. 468 00:28:01,242 --> 00:28:03,522 Speaker 12: Well, for first and foremost, you want to gather information 469 00:28:03,722 --> 00:28:06,561 Speaker 12: about the kind of population that you're trying to influence. 470 00:28:07,561 --> 00:28:10,962 Speaker 12: Are there potential divisions within that population? Are there bio? 471 00:28:11,642 --> 00:28:17,201 Speaker 12: Basically what you're looking for ares seems that you can fracture. 472 00:28:18,722 --> 00:28:22,722 Speaker 2: Robert Rice had used that same term fracture repeatedly in 473 00:28:22,762 --> 00:28:26,042 Speaker 2: his text and emails. One thing that I've sort of 474 00:28:26,042 --> 00:28:29,881 Speaker 2: been grappling with is that the people in this community 475 00:28:30,482 --> 00:28:34,762 Speaker 2: already had really kind of negative feelings about the protests. 476 00:28:35,081 --> 00:28:39,482 Speaker 2: If people already kind of like hated these protests, then 477 00:28:39,522 --> 00:28:42,242 Speaker 2: why would you need propaganda, you know, why would it 478 00:28:42,242 --> 00:28:46,602 Speaker 2: be worth the money amplify that. It turns out, an 479 00:28:46,642 --> 00:28:50,682 Speaker 2: effective Facebook mercenary does best in a scenario where community 480 00:28:50,722 --> 00:28:56,042 Speaker 2: divisions already exist. By identifying people's fears and uncertainties and 481 00:28:56,122 --> 00:28:59,082 Speaker 2: poking at them, you can deepen their convictions. 482 00:28:59,522 --> 00:29:01,681 Speaker 12: So as basically, yes, I thought they were evil, now 483 00:29:01,722 --> 00:29:02,762 Speaker 12: you've confirmed it for me. 484 00:29:03,122 --> 00:29:06,282 Speaker 2: A private Facebook group like Defend Bisman would create an 485 00:29:06,282 --> 00:29:10,362 Speaker 2: even stronger echo chamber for strengthening that And James told 486 00:29:10,362 --> 00:29:14,282 Speaker 2: me that an effect of Facebook campaign can change people's actions. 487 00:29:14,762 --> 00:29:18,322 Speaker 12: You put them in an emotional state where they're a 488 00:29:18,362 --> 00:29:20,922 Speaker 12: lot less likely to be able to make decisions. They're 489 00:29:20,922 --> 00:29:24,842 Speaker 12: a lot less able to do things that you don't 490 00:29:24,882 --> 00:29:27,402 Speaker 12: want them to do, and you can even provoke them 491 00:29:27,402 --> 00:29:28,722 Speaker 12: to do things that you want them to do. 492 00:29:28,962 --> 00:29:32,482 Speaker 2: The other thing that I encountered what I visited this time, 493 00:29:32,682 --> 00:29:35,282 Speaker 2: this is something that I mostly heard from men who 494 00:29:35,842 --> 00:29:38,322 Speaker 2: at times had a beer in their hand, but in 495 00:29:38,402 --> 00:29:41,602 Speaker 2: three cases, different people in different places said to me 496 00:29:42,602 --> 00:29:45,722 Speaker 2: some version of you know, we should have shot them all. 497 00:29:46,082 --> 00:29:49,322 Speaker 2: So I don't know that I can say, oh, these 498 00:29:49,362 --> 00:29:52,681 Speaker 2: Facebook videos are what made people feel that way, but 499 00:29:53,002 --> 00:29:54,402 Speaker 2: that's kind of what I found. 500 00:29:54,842 --> 00:29:59,122 Speaker 12: There's a central concept without study of terrorism about extremism 501 00:29:59,122 --> 00:30:05,082 Speaker 12: and radicalization, and the radicalization process involves increasing hostility towards 502 00:30:05,162 --> 00:30:08,042 Speaker 12: the outgroup from within the in group to the point 503 00:30:08,042 --> 00:30:11,522 Speaker 12: where the in group members start believing that their own 504 00:30:11,562 --> 00:30:15,522 Speaker 12: survival it depends on, in some cases even the elimination 505 00:30:16,162 --> 00:30:19,122 Speaker 12: of the out group. So it's kind of startling to 506 00:30:19,162 --> 00:30:22,402 Speaker 12: hear that that's kind of mirrored in this particular incident 507 00:30:22,442 --> 00:30:25,602 Speaker 12: where violent extremism is like I said, it's a fantasy, 508 00:30:25,642 --> 00:30:30,002 Speaker 12: but it's still something that is kind of a marker 509 00:30:30,042 --> 00:30:30,802 Speaker 12: of the escalation. 510 00:30:35,722 --> 00:30:38,882 Speaker 2: Tiger Swans propaganda story didn't end when the protest camp 511 00:30:38,922 --> 00:30:43,562 Speaker 2: shut down. In fact, Kayla Co, the Bismarck local, communicated 512 00:30:43,602 --> 00:30:47,042 Speaker 2: with Neticins after things died down in North Dakota. She 513 00:30:47,122 --> 00:30:50,242 Speaker 2: got a message from a guy calling himself al Nediicine 514 00:30:50,562 --> 00:30:52,922 Speaker 2: on February twenty seventh to twenty seventeen. 515 00:30:53,522 --> 00:30:57,242 Speaker 5: So the message was hik where we Nedicance for Justice 516 00:30:57,282 --> 00:30:59,441 Speaker 5: and Progress are coming out to Bismarck next week to 517 00:30:59,482 --> 00:31:03,602 Speaker 5: interview people, particularly locals about the not dapple stuff for 518 00:31:03,762 --> 00:31:05,322 Speaker 5: mini documentary we're producing. 519 00:31:06,082 --> 00:31:09,162 Speaker 2: He was looking for help finding local people to interview 520 00:31:09,202 --> 00:31:09,802 Speaker 2: on camera. 521 00:31:10,242 --> 00:31:13,402 Speaker 5: We want to get the rest of the story out 522 00:31:13,442 --> 00:31:16,882 Speaker 5: there and are tired of other folks vice, young Turks, 523 00:31:17,122 --> 00:31:19,442 Speaker 5: unicorn riot, et cetera, controlling. 524 00:31:19,002 --> 00:31:20,242 Speaker 4: The news and false narrative. 525 00:31:21,202 --> 00:31:26,882 Speaker 5: I did give get him connected with six seven people 526 00:31:27,162 --> 00:31:29,762 Speaker 5: in the Bismarck Mountain area. 527 00:31:30,082 --> 00:31:33,122 Speaker 2: Robert Rice and his team did make a documentary featuring 528 00:31:33,202 --> 00:31:35,042 Speaker 2: k and a number of other locals. 529 00:31:38,002 --> 00:31:38,722 Speaker 4: It begins with. 530 00:31:38,722 --> 00:31:42,522 Speaker 2: This dramatic flashing end logo that says I am Netison 531 00:31:42,682 --> 00:31:47,802 Speaker 2: underneath and then cuts to footage from behind a police line. Pipeline. 532 00:31:47,802 --> 00:31:50,562 Speaker 2: Opponents are standing on top of a truck yelling with 533 00:31:50,682 --> 00:31:54,002 Speaker 2: the wooden frame of a TP behind them. The police 534 00:31:54,002 --> 00:31:56,842 Speaker 2: are dragging people from the puta side to the police 535 00:31:56,842 --> 00:32:01,202 Speaker 2: side to arrest them. A couple armored vehicles are parked nearby. 536 00:32:02,082 --> 00:32:03,282 Speaker 12: How did we get to this point? 537 00:32:03,602 --> 00:32:05,962 Speaker 13: Let's take a closer look at how Standing Rock became 538 00:32:06,002 --> 00:32:08,202 Speaker 13: one of the worst protests in American history. 539 00:32:09,322 --> 00:32:13,042 Speaker 2: The title card says the Rack and Fall of Standing Rock. 540 00:32:13,602 --> 00:32:16,642 Speaker 2: Robert Rice appears as a talking head throughout the film, 541 00:32:16,882 --> 00:32:20,161 Speaker 2: and eventually Kay comes on the screen. She's sitting at 542 00:32:20,162 --> 00:32:22,122 Speaker 2: a bar with a few other local people. 543 00:32:23,802 --> 00:32:27,522 Speaker 11: In two days, they came after my job. 544 00:32:27,882 --> 00:32:29,682 Speaker 4: They sent me death threats. 545 00:32:30,002 --> 00:32:33,921 Speaker 5: They hoped that my children would die before my eyes. 546 00:32:34,522 --> 00:32:37,122 Speaker 2: Kay watched the documentary when it came out. I called 547 00:32:37,162 --> 00:32:39,762 Speaker 2: her to ask her more about it. She told me 548 00:32:39,802 --> 00:32:42,322 Speaker 2: it had been cathartic to get together and look back 549 00:32:42,322 --> 00:32:43,762 Speaker 2: at how all this happened. 550 00:32:44,162 --> 00:32:48,202 Speaker 5: It is kind of like a reunion how starts. 551 00:32:48,682 --> 00:32:50,482 Speaker 2: But Kay noticed the same thing I did. 552 00:32:50,762 --> 00:32:54,802 Speaker 5: I do remember when I watched it, it just creaked 553 00:32:55,082 --> 00:32:58,202 Speaker 5: of propaganda. It wasn't what you expect. I've been watching 554 00:32:58,242 --> 00:33:00,482 Speaker 5: a ton of documentaries. 555 00:32:59,722 --> 00:33:01,762 Speaker 4: On Netflix, and it wasn't this. 556 00:33:01,922 --> 00:33:06,002 Speaker 5: Hey, We're going to unfold this story and be as 557 00:33:06,242 --> 00:33:09,922 Speaker 5: transparent and middle of the road as we can, if 558 00:33:09,962 --> 00:33:14,482 Speaker 5: I remember correctly, there was like these elements of just 559 00:33:14,562 --> 00:33:17,162 Speaker 5: straight up propaganda, like like trying to make it worse 560 00:33:17,202 --> 00:33:17,721 Speaker 5: than it was. 561 00:33:18,242 --> 00:33:20,681 Speaker 2: Did you feel any way about like, oh I'm in this, 562 00:33:21,042 --> 00:33:23,242 Speaker 2: like where what was your gut feeling and like kind 563 00:33:23,282 --> 00:33:25,402 Speaker 2: of your emotional reaction kinda. 564 00:33:25,282 --> 00:33:29,562 Speaker 4: Is that neutral? Okay? Whatever? That's just the world that 565 00:33:29,602 --> 00:33:30,482 Speaker 4: we live in now. 566 00:33:31,082 --> 00:33:34,802 Speaker 5: Is that's what's being done, is sensationalizing something to suit 567 00:33:34,842 --> 00:33:35,442 Speaker 5: their own needs. 568 00:33:38,522 --> 00:33:41,362 Speaker 2: There was a question still nagging at me. I asked 569 00:33:41,442 --> 00:33:44,842 Speaker 2: Kay if she kind of knew energy transfer was behind neticenes. 570 00:33:45,562 --> 00:33:46,602 Speaker 4: Absolutely not. 571 00:33:47,082 --> 00:33:54,282 Speaker 14: I always assumed that it was all working towards you know, 572 00:33:54,442 --> 00:33:59,481 Speaker 14: anti protest. For us here, at least speaking for the 573 00:33:59,482 --> 00:34:03,762 Speaker 14: ones that I closely communicated with, it wasn't about the pipeline. 574 00:34:04,322 --> 00:34:07,562 Speaker 4: We didn't care if it went through or not. What 575 00:34:07,602 --> 00:34:08,362 Speaker 4: we cared. 576 00:34:08,122 --> 00:34:15,562 Speaker 5: About was the bullshit that it brought on our community. 577 00:34:15,802 --> 00:34:20,162 Speaker 2: Do you think that these guys were maybe the real 578 00:34:20,482 --> 00:34:24,602 Speaker 2: outside agitators? What do you think of that idea? 579 00:34:24,802 --> 00:34:26,482 Speaker 4: I certainly wouldn't dismiss it. 580 00:34:26,962 --> 00:34:29,681 Speaker 5: I think that there was at least some of us 581 00:34:30,882 --> 00:34:36,161 Speaker 5: felt legitimized that we were right to care about our community, 582 00:34:36,241 --> 00:34:40,482 Speaker 5: that we were right to be against these. 583 00:34:40,362 --> 00:34:46,002 Speaker 4: Outside detractors, and via a weird twist to fade it 584 00:34:46,042 --> 00:34:46,922 Speaker 4: was the outside. 585 00:34:47,562 --> 00:34:50,882 Speaker 5: It was outside influences legitimizing our efforts. 586 00:34:51,842 --> 00:34:55,362 Speaker 2: I sat questions to Energy Transfer, Tiger Swan and Robert 587 00:34:55,402 --> 00:34:58,122 Speaker 2: Rice about all of this, but none of them decided 588 00:34:58,161 --> 00:35:02,802 Speaker 2: to comment. That documentary that Kay was in doesn't actually 589 00:35:02,842 --> 00:35:05,122 Speaker 2: seem like it was made for people in North Dakota, 590 00:35:05,802 --> 00:35:09,002 Speaker 2: because right as they made it, Robert Rice was shifting 591 00:35:09,002 --> 00:35:14,082 Speaker 2: his attention elsewhere. The water protectors had dispersed and some 592 00:35:14,161 --> 00:35:17,482 Speaker 2: of them moved to a handful of tiny encampments established 593 00:35:17,522 --> 00:35:21,402 Speaker 2: throughout the region to promote healing or prepare for future fights. 594 00:35:22,282 --> 00:35:25,522 Speaker 2: Here's the actual Robert Rice describing it in the documentary. 595 00:35:26,642 --> 00:35:29,402 Speaker 13: The camps have been closed. The activists and protesters have 596 00:35:29,482 --> 00:35:32,322 Speaker 13: now left to find other pipelines to create new camps 597 00:35:32,482 --> 00:35:33,721 Speaker 13: and to find new followers. 598 00:35:34,201 --> 00:35:36,201 Speaker 2: One of the camps was in Iowa, and it was 599 00:35:36,201 --> 00:35:39,082 Speaker 2: called Little Creek, and that's where Robert Rice began the 600 00:35:39,122 --> 00:35:43,962 Speaker 2: next phase of his propaganda operation. This time, locals wouldn't 601 00:35:44,002 --> 00:35:46,922 Speaker 2: just be the targets of the propaganda, they would be 602 00:35:47,002 --> 00:35:48,082 Speaker 2: its mouthpieces. 603 00:35:49,442 --> 00:35:52,882 Speaker 13: Is this truly the future of eco terrorism and protesting 604 00:35:52,922 --> 00:35:53,801 Speaker 13: in North America. 605 00:35:59,762 --> 00:36:02,441 Speaker 2: A note to listeners, we hired an actor to read 606 00:36:02,442 --> 00:36:06,042 Speaker 2: for Robert Rice. These were originally emails and text messages 607 00:36:06,161 --> 00:36:08,642 Speaker 2: and we adapted them for voice. If you would like 608 00:36:08,681 --> 00:36:11,682 Speaker 2: to see the primary documents, they are linked in show notes. 609 00:36:13,962 --> 00:36:18,482 Speaker 15: The Propagandist is an original drilled mini series who is reported, 610 00:36:18,642 --> 00:36:22,721 Speaker 15: written and hosted by Allen Brown and produced in collaboration 611 00:36:23,161 --> 00:36:27,202 Speaker 15: with High Country News. Special thanks there to Kate Schimmel 612 00:36:27,362 --> 00:36:29,402 Speaker 15: and Sunny Claudchish Chiligi. 613 00:36:30,042 --> 00:36:32,002 Speaker 2: Our editor is Audrey Quinn. 614 00:36:32,362 --> 00:36:35,761 Speaker 15: The actor playing Robert Rice in this mini series is 615 00:36:35,922 --> 00:36:39,762 Speaker 15: Joel Garland. The actor playing Joel McCullough in this mini 616 00:36:39,802 --> 00:36:44,362 Speaker 15: series is David Riposo. Senior producer and sound designer is 617 00:36:44,442 --> 00:36:49,282 Speaker 15: Martin zaltz Ostwick. Our producer is Sarah Ventry. Our audio 618 00:36:49,322 --> 00:36:54,162 Speaker 15: engineer is Peter Duff. Fact checking by Naomi Barr, music 619 00:36:54,282 --> 00:36:59,442 Speaker 15: by Dear Lady, additional music by Martin saltz Ostwick, Matthew 620 00:36:59,482 --> 00:37:02,362 Speaker 15: Fleming Drew our cover art. The Center for Media and 621 00:37:02,402 --> 00:37:06,762 Speaker 15: Democracy provided support for document review. We are proud members 622 00:37:06,802 --> 00:37:11,002 Speaker 15: of Reporter Shield, who provided legal risk assessment for this series. 623 00:37:11,522 --> 00:37:14,562 Speaker 15: Our first Amendment attorney is James Wheaton of the First 624 00:37:14,602 --> 00:37:19,281 Speaker 15: Amendment Project. Drilled was created by me Amy Westervelt. The 625 00:37:19,322 --> 00:37:23,442 Speaker 15: shows distributed by Pushkin Industries. Huge thanks to the team there, 626 00:37:23,482 --> 00:37:28,362 Speaker 15: including Greta Cohen, Eric Sandler, Grace Ross, Morgan Rattner, Owen Miller, 627 00:37:28,602 --> 00:37:33,842 Speaker 15: Kira Posey, Jordan McMillan, Brian Schreberneck, and Jake Flanagan. You 628 00:37:33,882 --> 00:37:37,281 Speaker 15: can find documents and related stories to this series on 629 00:37:37,322 --> 00:37:40,402 Speaker 15: our website at Drilled dot media, where you can also 630 00:37:40,482 --> 00:37:43,842 Speaker 15: sign up for our weekly newsletter. Thanks for listening and 631 00:37:43,882 --> 00:37:44,881 Speaker 15: we'll see you next time.