Dave Archambault

David Archambault II (Lakota: Tokala Ohitika) is the tribal Chairman of the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in North Dakota. A graduate of North Dakota State University, with a master's from the University of Mary, he had education in business and management.

In 2016 and 2017, Archambault has spoken on behalf of the Standing Rock Tribe and allied people's protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline. He has written editorials for The New York Times, and has spoken on Indigenous rights before the United Nations Human Rights Council.

David Archambault was born in Denver, Colorado, and was named after his father. He grew up with his family on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, and attended the Little Wound School in Kyle, South Dakota. Later he attended the Standing Rock Grant School. In addition to his Lakota name and warrior society titles, he is known as "Little Dave." His parents are Betty Archambault and Dave Archambault Sr., also known as Joe Bucking Horse (The Ol’ Bull Legged One).

Archambault is part of a college-educated generation: he attended Standing Rock Community College (now Sitting Bull College), Bismarck State College, and eventually earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from North Dakota State University. He earned a Master’s degree in Management from the University of Mary.

Archambault was elected as Chairman of the Standing Rock Tribal Council on September 25, 2013, defeating Mike Faith and replacing Charles Murphy, who had been chair for many of the previous thirty years (1983-93, 1997-2005, and 2009-2013). He was inaugurated October 9, 2013. The reservation had 8217 residents in 2010.

The Standing Rock reservation has been opposing a major pipeline project that they say would irreparably damage their sole supply of drinking water. The Dakota Access Pipeline was initially proposed to pass under the Missouri river above Bismarck, but was re-routed to run under Lake Ohahe, at Standing Rock, due to concerns over the potential threats to the water supply of Bismarck. Archambault was instrumental in setting up the resistance camps on land adjacent to the Standing Rock reservation, and continues to be a leader in his tribe's legal efforts to stall the project and have the route reconsidered, including having been arrested standing up to construction efforts the tribe says were in violation of treaties. Multiple times Archambault has issued press releases and legal briefs asking the federal government to halt or review the pipeline permits. He has met with politicians and spoken on behalf of the tribe, and all Indigenous people, at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.

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