On September 17, 2016, Sapiel was a speaker at a protest in Portland's Congress Square Park against the Dakota Access Pipeline that brought together Penobscot Nation members and climate activists.
The protest was aimed to call on President Barack Obama to reject a $3.8 billion proposed pipeline in South Dakota.
"[5] In January 2017, Sapiel helped to organize a protest in Bangor, Maine, outside of TD Bank demanding they withdraw funding from the Dakota Access Pipeline.
"[6] Sapiel also traveled several times to North Dakota to join the protests, and spoke to the press from Standing Rock in February 2017.
She attended a forum with Orono, Maine, councilors to express the opinion of the Penobscot people in regard to the name change.