A rare win in Indian country: how tribes drove out a mining company in one week
Summary
In South Dakota, a group of Native American tribes and organizers stopped a mining company from drilling on sacred land called Pe’ Sla in less than a week. This rare success showed how strong community action can protect important places from mining that threatens the environment and Native culture.Key Facts
- Pe’ Sla is a sacred prairie in the Black Hills of South Dakota important to the Great Sioux Nation.
- Pete Lien & Sons, a local mining company, was approved by the US Forest Service to drill for graphite on Pe’ Sla without an environmental review.
- Graphite is a mineral used in electric car batteries, making it important for green energy.
- Native groups organized quickly and united to stop the drilling after it began.
- Tribal leaders say mining on sacred land often causes pollution and harms their traditions.
- Similar threats exist elsewhere, like Oak Flat in Arizona and Minnesota’s Boundary Waters.
- More than 75% of key minerals for clean energy are located near Native American reservations.
- The community’s victory at Pe’ Sla is seen as a rare example of Indigenous power stopping mining projects.
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