How Indigenous Organizers Defeated a Mining Company at Pe’ Sla

Indigenous organizers and environmental groups are celebrating a rare and hard-fought victory after a South Dakota mining company withdrew its plan to drill for graphite near Pe’ Sla, a sacred site in the Black Hills. The withdrawal followed a monthslong coordinated campaign that combined prayer, direct action, and legal pressure—tactics that could offer lessons for future land defense fights, organizers say.

Pete Lien & Sons informed the U.S. Forest Service on May 7 that it was withdrawing its plan of operations for the Rochford Mineral Exploratory Drilling Project and did not intend to submit another drilling plan for the site, according to a letter shared by project opponents. The decision came days after a federal judge on May 4 temporarily halted drilling amid sustained opposition to the project from Native nations and local water protectors.