Treaty defenders protest drilling near Pe’ Sla in Black Hills
Demonstrators gather at sacred site, oppose exploratory graphite drilling within buffer zone
Roughly a dozen Indigenous treaty defenders gathered near Pe’ Sla, a sacred site in the Black Hills, early Thursday to oppose exploratory graphite drilling, according to ICT. Participants held ceremonial activities near two drill pads, while some Lakota youth taped their arms to drilling equipment. Organizers also constructed a prayer altar at the site and said law enforcement had been notified and was en route as of Thursday morning.
Treaty defenders say drilling within the two-mile buffer zone around Pe’ Sla could threaten the Rapid Creek Watershed and disrupt ceremonies. The U.S. Forest Service granted Pete Lien & Sons a permit for exploratory drilling Feb. 27, exempting the project from review under the National Environmental Policy Act. ICT reports that NDN Collective and partner organizations filed a lawsuit April 2 challenging the permit, citing potential impacts to culturally significant lands.
- 1.Amelia Schafer. ICT, .
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