Story highlights There were rallies in North Dakota and in Oregon

Two arrests but no violent confrontations

(CNN) While plenty of Americans gathered Thursday for a Thanksgiving that meant family and football, hundreds of protesters gathered in several sites to rally against the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Some demonstrators said Thanksgiving was not a day to celebrate.

"To many people Thanksgiving is a holiday for being thankful but, for many natives, especially me being a Mohegan. ... it's really a day of pain for a lot of natives. But we're here to pray," James Smith told CNN affiliate KXMB during a demonstration in Mandan, North Dakota.

Police said about 170 protesters blocked an intersection in the town for several hours before dispersing.

Two people were arrested, one of whom would be charged with felony reckless endangerment, police said.

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