NoDAPL: Social Media, Empowerment, and Civic Participation at Standing Rock

The struggle for environmental and social justice within American Indian communities is one that has been ongoing since the beginning of United States history, but the main catalyst to effect change and to promote and disperse the American Indian narrative has emerged through the power of social media in today's hyperconnected society. This article examines the power of social media to effect change, as well as a hyperconnected society's ability to empower historically disadvantaged groups that have often been misrepresented within traditional media outlets. The historic movement occurring at Standing Rock, North Dakota, and the #NoDAPL protests illustrates the capacity of social media to galvanize individuals to become change-makers as well as create a vast support network within a population that might otherwise remain uninformed or unaware of media misrepresentations. The role of libraries as support systems within communities and the responsibility of libraries to provide unbiased and freely available information within a hyperconnected society are also discussed.