2 more pipeline protest camps close; just 1 left

Buildings burn at the Oceti Sakowin camp
Buildings burn as a part of a cleansing ceremony at the Oceti Sakowin camp Wednesday morning, Feb. 22, 2017, near Cannon Ball, N.D.
Dan Gunderson | MPR News

Two of the remaining three Dakota Access oil pipeline protest camps in southern North Dakota have shut down.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs recently told the Sacred Stone and Black Hoop camps on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation that they were trespassing on tribal land.

BIA spokeswoman Nedra Darling says people have left the camps, largely without incident. The Cheyenne River Sioux tribe has leased private land nearby for a camp, but it's unclear how many people are there.

Authorities last week cleared out and shut down the main protest camp, which was on federal land just north of the reservation.

That camp had at times housed thousands of people who often clashed with police. There were about 750 arrests in the region since August.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.