Black Hills drilling project canceled after backlash from tribes
A mining company in South Dakota canceled a project drilling project in the Black Hills following opposition from Native American tribes and native groups.
In a letter provided Friday by the indigenous advocacy group NDN Collective, Rapid City-based Pete Lien & Sons told the United States Forest Service on Thursday that it was withdrawing its operations plan for a graphite drilling project. The letter stated that it did not intend to submit any other plans for this project.
The groups opposed the project because of its proximity to a sacred site called Pe’Sla, a meadow in the Black Hills where Sioux tribes held ceremonies and prayers throughout the year. The land is also used for buffalo grazing.
The Forest Service and Pete Lien & Sons did not immediately return requests for comment Friday afternoon.
Nine tribes in South Dakota, North Dakota and Nebraska filed a lawsuit against the Forest Service for the project, alleging violations of the National Historic Preservation Act and the National Environmental Protection Act because the permit was granted without an environmental review.
There was also a lawsuit filed by the NDN Collective and environmental groups arguing that the Forest Service should not have exempted the project from environmental review because it did not meet categorical exclusion requirements. In that case, a temporary restraining order filed against Pete Lien & Sons on Monday banned the drilling operation for two weeks.
“Today’s victory is multifaceted and provides a blueprint for future land defense warfare,” NDN Collective said in a statement.
Named for the appearance of rolling hills covered in pine and spruce, the Black Hills are home to attractions like Mount Rushmore and state parks, but have long been blood pressure Between mining interests and tribes who view the area as unoccupied territory.
The 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie established that the Black Hills belonged to the Sioux tribes, but the U.S. government seized the land years after the discovery of gold. The Supreme Court later ordered compensation to be paid to the tribes, but they refused and maintained their rights to the land.
