Wadena County prosecutor drops misdemeanor charge against Winona LaDuke

WADENA COUNTY, Minn. -- A prosecutor in Wadena County dismissed the last charge against activist Winona LaDuke, who was arrested in July of 2021 while protesting Enbridge's Line 3 pipeline.

LaDuke and five other women chained themselves together to protest the pipeline, which they say violates an 1855 treaty that guarantees the rights of Native Americans to hunt, fish, and gather wild rice. 

Enbridge says replacing the pipeline with a new one - which is rerouted to mostly avoid reservations - is safer for the environment, long-term.

RELATED: A look at what's happened since Line 3 started operating in northern Minnesota

The six women were arrested, along with an independent photojournalist, and LaDuke spent three days in jail. They were charged with and pleaded not guilty to two counts of gross misdemeanor trespassing and one count of misdemeanor obstruction. 

The charges against the six women were dismissed in October of 2022. LaDuke was scheduled to go on trial in June. 

MORE: Inside Winona LaDuke's fight against Line 3

In the past two weeks, many cases have been dismissed against the activists who protest Line 3, who call themselves Water Protectors. As of the end of April, there were 74 open cases.