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Indigenous Occupation Halts Graphite Drilling, Tribes Sue Forest Service

5/10/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Indigenous occupation and Judge Camela C. Theeler’s restraining order forced the company to cancel graphite drilling near the sacred Pe’ Sla meadow.
Nine Oceti Sakowin tribes sued the U.S. Forest Service for violations of the National Historical Preservation Act and the National Environmental Protection Act.
NDN Collective said drilling had already been completed at seven of the eighteen authorized sites before the occupation began.

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Story summary

Indigenous occupation and Judge Camela C. Theeler’s restraining order forced the company to cancel graphite drilling near the sacred Pe’ Sla meadow.
Nine Oceti Sakowin tribes sued the U.S. Forest Service for violations of the National Historical Preservation Act and the National Environmental Protection Act.
NDN Collective said drilling had already been completed at seven of the eighteen authorized sites before the occupation began.