Standing Rock Sioux chairman Dave Archambault II has told protestors to go home and enjoy the winter with their families after the permit for the controversial Dakota pipeline was denied.
Archambault was speaking with NPR when he said the protestors had served fulfilled their duty.
“What the protesters did was they helped build awareness,” he said.
“And this awareness has become world-wide. And now their purpose has been served, and it is time now for them to enjoy this winter with their families. The purpose is to serve, and they can go home. And we have to continue to take the lessons that we’ve learned from this experience and apply those lessons at home so we can all live a healthier and happier lives with our families.”
However, President elect Donald Trump has vowed a review of the Obama Administration’s decision to deny a permit for the project.
Jason Miller, a spokesman for the Trump transition team said the pipeline “is something we support construction of, and we will review the situation when we are in the White House to make the appropriate determination at that time”.
Trump’s campaign has pledged to overhaul energy policy to favour oil and natural gas.
He also said he would review the rejection of the TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline.