Chris Hemsworth Joins List of Celebrities Protesting Dakota Access Pipeline

Chris Hemsworth has added his name to the growing list of celebrities speaking out against the Dakota Access Pipeline. Shailene Woodley was notably arrested earlier this month while protesting the 1,172-mile crude oil pipeline that will cross four states, passing near the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe reservation, and which opponents — including Susan Sarandon and Mark Ruffalo — say threatens to contaminate the Missouri River. Now Thor himself has taken up the cause.

The Aussie actor, 33, threw his support behind the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and also apologized for being insensitive to Native American concerns in the past, including dressing up in traditional garments for sport.

“Standing with those who are fighting to protect their sacred land and water. #nodapl #waterislife#mniwiconi @taikawaititi I would also like to take this opportunity to raise something that has been bothering me for sometime,” wrote Hemsworth on Instagram. “Last New Year’s Eve I was at a Lone Ranger-themed party where some of us, myself included, wore the traditional dress of First Nations people. I was stupidly unaware of the offense this may have caused and the sensitivity around this issue. I sincerely and unreservedly apologize to all First Nations people for this thoughtless action. I now appreciate that there is a great need for a deeper understanding of the complex and extensive issues facing indigenous communities. I hope that in highlighting my own ignorance, I can help in some small way.”

Ruffalo, 48, who plays the Hulk alongside Hemsworth’s Thor in Marvel’s Avenger series, immediately saw the superheroic impact of Hemsworth’s move. He took to Twitter to write, “Yo, we got a Hulk and a Thor #StandingWithStandingRock! #AvengersReassemble.”

Ruffalo has been part of the movement for months, having provided infrastructure and solar panels for the camp of protesters who call themselves “water protectors,” and frequently shares images from the front lines.

Hemsworth has been in Australia shooting Thor: Ragnarok, so we don’t think we’ll see him at a protest anytime soon, but he’s made it clear he stands with Standing Rock.