Indigenous advocates say federal efforts to stop mining in the Black Hills fall short
Written by Black Hot Fire Network on March 24, 2023
Indigenous activists praised a recent federal government proposal to ban new mineral exploration in a swath of South Dakota’s Black Hills National Forest for 20 years but said it falls short by still allowing ongoing mining projects.
The U.S. Forest Service put forth a plan Tuesday to prohibit all new mineral exploration near one of the most contested sites in Indian Country, the Pactola Reservoir, the largest in the Black Hills.
For generations, the Black Hills have been a 
