Indigenous Relations

Maintaining long-term relationships built on mutual trust and respect with all our diverse stakeholders is fundamental to Crestwood’s core values. We recognize that our success is directly tied to gaining acceptance and support from surrounding communities, many of whom, in North Dakota, are members of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara (MHA) Nation. The MHA Nation, also known as the Three Affiliated Tribes, is located on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation (FBIR), North Dakota. The MHA Nation is our largest landowner across Crestwood’s entire asset base. As the owners of the land and neighbors to our operations, we recognize the critical importance of proactively meeting with, listening to and learning from the MHA Nation and its members.

Our Approach

Proactive, frequent engagement and collaboration with the MHA Nation provides Crestwood with the opportunity to better understand the vision and aspirations of the Tribal community. Our Indigenous Relations Policy, published in early 2021, formally states Crestwood’s commitment to the MHA Nation community and focuses specifically on: 

Meaningful Engagement

Our engagement with the MHA Nation endeavors to be transparent, collaborative and focused on open, two-way communication. An MHA Nation member himself, our Tribal Relations Manager, Fred Everett, interacts frequently with MHA Nation leadership to discuss Crestwood’s operating plans, understand potential impacts, identify concerns and engage in a cooperative partnership. 

With in-person meetings and events again limited in 2021 due to the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, our engagement efforts required a different approach. However, we did not waver in our commitments to maintain trust, respect and collaboration regarding key business strategies and priorities. 

Collaborating with MHA Nation Chairman Mark Fox

During our materiality refresh process in the fourth quarter of 2021, we engaged MHA Nation Chairman, Mark N. Fox, to provide further insights into our collaborative relationship and his thoughts on our approach to advancing sustainability in the midstream sector. Over the years, Chairman Fox has seen incredible improvement in processes, collaboration and knowledge sharing during the ongoing energy development in North Dakota and on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. 

Respect for the Land

Crestwood’s commitment for respecting cultural lands is outlined in our Indigenous Relations Policy and further echoed in our Biodiversity Position Statement. Over the years we have cultivated our relationships with the MHA Nation and hold a deep appreciation and respect of the traditional significance of its ancestral lands and their steadfast commitment to environmental conservation for generations to come. As part of our project planning and reclamation efforts, we engage with Tribal members who pass on traditional knowledge and values from the MHA Nation to not only minimize impacts on the land but also enhance habitats and landscapes, where possible. 

In 2021, Crestwood was honored to be featured in the Wildlife Habitat Council’s white paper, “Fostering Corporate-Community Relations Through Meaningful Engagement." The article focused on our collaboration with MHA Nation allowing for pipeline reclamation efforts focused on species with cultural significance.  

For more information on our reclamation initiatives, please read the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Protection page. 

Local Education, Employment and Business Opportunities

From students to locally owned suppliers to becoming employees, Crestwood works diligently with MHA Nation members to identify education, training, internship, employment, procurement and business development opportunities for building capacity and growing skillsets with the local existing and future workforce. 

For more information about our approach to working with Indigenous suppliers, please see the Supply Chain page. 

Social Investment

Our support for the MHA Nation extends beyond education and workforce development. Crestwood provides both monetary and in-kind support to programs and organizations in alignment with MHA Nation community initiatives. Although the number and frequency of events has been limited during the pandemic, since 2017, Crestwood has donated $2.9 million to various organizations supporting the FBIR. Additionally, Crestwood employees volunteered 137 hours supporting MHA Nation activities in 2021.

Since 2017, Crestwood has donated $2.9 million to various organizations supporting the FBIR. Additionally, Crestwood employees volunteered 137 hours supporting MHA Nation activities in 2021

Looking Ahead

We are excited to further our existing culture of open and transparent dialogue with the MHA Nation. In 2022, Crestwood is committed to: 

• Build upon the strong foundation to become an industry-leader in Indigenous engagement and social investment within the Williston Basin
• Build upon Crestwood’s existing Indigenous Relations Policy updating key components while striving to meet Indigenous community needs as aligned with our business strategy
• Expand our Indigenous cultural awareness training to include all Arrow employees and supporting corporate team members
• Remain committed to continually building upon the knowledge and respect for Indigenous communities among our employees and contractors through training, cultural engagements and local professional relationships