Western Shoshone Nation Fights to Save Land, Environment from Gold Mining Story-Date: 09:39 a.m. PST Sunday , November 30, 1997 ------------------------------------------------------------ Western Shoshone Nation Fights to Save Land, Environment from Gold Mining By Karen L. Testerman, Indian Country Today, Rapid City, S.D. Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News CRESCENT VALLEY, Nev.--Dec. 1--Mining on tribal land may be the answer for major mining corporations; it seems all they need is a permit from the Bureau of Land Management and an OK from the Department of the Interior. Gold mining companies have found a loophole in their bid to mine for more gold. Third party mining permits from the BLM allows them to go into tribal land bases and drill for gold. The Western Shoshone Nation has taken legal action against the invasion, claiming the cyanide leaching process is depleting the natural water resource in the Great Basin, and permits are being issued without the input or approval of the Nation. The U.S. was the second largest producer of gold in the world, next to South Africa, in 1996. Last year, Nevada produced 70 percent of the gold in the U.S. The average price per ounce in 1996 was $384, which totaled approximately 2.7 billion from Nevada alone. Almost all the gold produced in Nevada comes from Western Shoshone land. There are 14 major mining companies operating within the Western Shoshone Territory which spans from Idaho, most of Nevada, and the southern portion of California. Charles Vargas, San Carlos Apache, said the reason mining corporations are focusing their attention on Indian land is because of its accessibility. "If you look at the bigger picture, you'll see that international mining companies are zeroing in on tribal lands across the U.S.," said Mr. Vargas. "These corporations are basically seeking untapped land. Tribal territories, reservations and trust land are the prime targets." The Western Shoshone Nation had signed the Treaty of Ruby Valley in 1863, with representatives of the U.S. government. The treaty specifically defined the boundaries of the Western Shoshone Nation and did not cede any of the land. The government has not provided any evidence of how it acquired legal title to the lands described in the treaty. The government attempted to award $26 million in compensation to the Western Shoshone for over 24 million acres of Western Shoshone land in 1979. The Western Shoshone rejected the money and explained that the land was never for sale. The government is continuing its efforts to distribute the money and undermine the efforts of the Western Shoshone to maintain their land base. The majority of gold produced in the U.S. comes from the Western Shoshone territory and is leased or sold by the federal government to mining companies for gold exploration and development. The Western Shoshone do not receive royalties, and have no control over the development of these resources. In litigation, the Western Shoshone requested declaratory relief by injunction, and by compensation for trespass, conversion and nuisance by the U.S. government, permitted by the government, to the mining company to invade and destroy Western Shoshone Territory, and their way of life. Oro Nevada Mining Company Inc., a Canadian company, purchased the Dean Ranch, a 48,437-acre ranch in Crescent Valley in 1996. This purchase caused the Western Shoshone to suffer a large set-back in their struggle for land rights. The Canadian company controls a large area of the land surrounding the Dann Ranch, owned by Western Shoshone traditionalists, Carrie and Mary Dann. Elder Carrie Dann said the gold mining is happening at her front door. "I sit up in my bedroom in the morning and the first thing I see through the trees is drill rigs. It's not a pretty sight," said Ms. Dann in an interview with Suky Hutton for on Indian Land. "I look at them as death to my people. Death to my beliefs. The Earth is sacred. The water is sacred. The air is sacred. Gold mining is destroying these things." The Canadian company staked claims within feet of sweat lodges and a prayer pole. Other claims were staked around a hot spring used by the Dann family for bathing and ceremonial purposes. The company insists that it's maintaining a "good neighbor policy" with the Dann family. Yet, it began to initiate its exploration program by staking the claims. The Western Shoshone Defense Project took action when the Canadian company made plans to drill on the top of the hot spring. Letters, faxes and phone calls flooded the local BLM and Oro offices. Oro quickly rescinded its plan to drill in Section 10, the area that includes the hot spring. The Western Shoshone National Council declared Section 10 off limits to mining activity. The Ely Shoshone Tribal Council passed a resolution supporting the declaration, but the Oro mining company resubmitted a plan this year to drill in that area. The BLM says there is nothing they can do to prevent the company from its activities near the spring, claiming that everything the company is doing is legal through the 1872 Mining Act. The defense project says BLM is essentially giving away Western Shoshone lands to any mining company that claims it through the Mining Act. The cultural preservation laws that exist have no clout, except in requiring consultation with American Indians before a site is destroyed. ----- Visit Indian Country Today on the World Wide Web at http://www.indiancountry.com/ ----- (c) 1997, Indian Country Today, Rapid City, S.D. Distributed by Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News. ------------------------------------------------------------