Chuck Cadotte was born in 1951 in a Bismarck, North Dakota hospital. He is an enrolled member of the Standing Sioux Rock tribe, which experienced Treaty violations on the part of the US government as well as forced displacement of its people and the destruction of its natural resources and economic capacity with the construction and flooding of the Oahe Dam. More recently, the tribe fought the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline through the No DAPL Standing Rock movement in order to preserve the integrity of its natural resources. The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner has issued statements, which accused the US Security forces of excessive use of force during this time.