Actress Shailene Woodley 'tells the truth' of her arrest

Shailene Woodley has written an article "telling the truth" about her arrest for protesting against the Dakota oil pipeline.

In a statement published in Time magazine, the 24-year old actress explained the reasons behind the protest which led to her arrest on 10 October.

"I was in North Dakota, standing side by side with Native Americans," she starts by saying.

"You know, those who were here before us."

Woodley and a group of 200 protesters were demonstrating with the Standing Rock Sioux - a Native American tribe resident in North and South Dakota - against the construction of a $3.7bn crude oil pipeline through Native American territory.

They claim it will desecrate their land and damage the environment.

"We wear their heritage, their sacred totems, as decoration and in fashion trends, failing to honour their culture," Woodley wrote, referencing "moccassins, sage and beadwork" inspired by Native American culture.

"You know what I'm talking about, Coachella," she added, linking to a report on festivalgoers wearing culturally offensive outfits.

The company behind the project, Energy Transfer Partners, says the project will improve transport safety and play an "important role in increasing America's energy independence".

Woodley was arrested along with 26 other protesters when they broke into the private site and, according to the police, chained themselves to construction equipment.

The actress star livestreamed the incident on her Facebook page, getting four million views in one day.

Woodley spent one night and jail and pleaded not guilty to charges of criminal trespassing and engaging in a riot.

"It took me, a white non-native woman being arrested … to bring this cause to many people's attention," she wrote on Friday.

"When the Dakota Access Pipeline breaks (and we know that too many pipelines do), millions of people will have crude-oil-contaminated water."

Woodley, who rose to fame as Tris Prior in the first instalment of The Divergent Series, is scheduled to appear in court on 24 October.

If convicted, she could face up to 60 days in jail and a $3,000 fine.