Black Hills drilling project canceled after backlash from tribes
Summary
A South Dakota mining company called Pete Lien & Sons has stopped its plans to drill for graphite in the Black Hills after Native American tribes and local groups opposed the project. The area includes a sacred site important to Sioux tribes, and there were lawsuits claiming the environmental and historical review laws were not properly followed.Key Facts
- Pete Lien & Sons withdrew their drilling plan and will not file a new one for the graphite project.
- The drilling site is near Pe'Sla, a sacred meadow used by Sioux tribes for ceremonies and buffalo grazing.
- Nine tribes from South Dakota, North Dakota, and Nebraska sued the U.S. Forest Service over permit violations.
- The lawsuits said the Forest Service did not conduct required environmental or historical reviews before approving permits.
- A temporary court order stopped the drilling for two weeks during legal proceedings.
- The Black Hills are considered unceded territory by the Sioux and have a history of conflict over land rights.
- The 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie said the Black Hills belonged to the Sioux, but the U.S. government took the land after gold was found.
- The Sioux tribes have not accepted the Supreme Court’s compensation and still seek control of the land.
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