Opponents Sue over Forest Service’s Approval of Drilling Near Lakota Sacred Site in Black Hills

Opponents sue over Forest Service’s approval of drilling near Lakota sacred site in Black Hills

Opponents filed a lawsuit this week challenging the U.S. Forest Service’s approval of a graphite drilling project near Pe’ Sla, a site in the Black Hills of western South Dakota that holds cultural and spiritual significance for Native Americans. The plaintiffs are the Indigenous rights group known as NDN Collective and the Black Hills Clean Water Alliance, both based in Rapid City, and Earthworks in Washington, D.C. The lawsuit challenges the F…

Tribal activists, environmentalists move to block Black Hills graphite exploration project

Opponents of a mineral exploration project in the Black Hills have filed suit against the U.S. Forest Service to block it from going forward.NDN Collective, a Native American rights group, was joined in the lawsuit by Black Hills Clean Water Alliance and Earthworks. The groups object to the project, known as the Rochford Mineral Exploratory Drilling Project, arguing it will take place near a high-altitude meadow sacred to Native Americans – they…