Water Over Nickel
By VIVIAN LaMOORE, INAAJIMOWIN EDITOR
On Tuesday, March 14, 2023, during a presentation held in St. Paul, the Mille Lacs Band publicly launched a major initiative aimed at protecting Minnesota’s water, land, people, and cultural traditions from the negative impacts of nickel mining. The Water Over Nickel campaign addresses the complex issues of balancing clean water and green energy needs facing the nation today and brings awareness to the risks associated with the proposed Tamarack Nickel Mine. The Band is asking Minnesota leaders and lawmakers to prioritize clean water over nickel.
The Band was also joined by national and local allies and experts, including Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, Earthjustice, and the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA).
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identifies metal mining, such as the nickel mining process in the proposed Tamarack Mine, as the most toxic industry in America. Talon Metals Corp is a base metals and mining company headquartered in the British Virgin Islands and is in a joint venture with Rio Tinto, an international mining conglomerate headquartered in the United Kingdom and Australia with a track record of environmentally damaging practices. Talon Metals claims that the nickel sourced from its Tamarack mine could be used in electric vehicle batteries, according to their website. Talon Metals' website also claims the mining techniques they will use are “responsible practices at every stage” and “should be carefully controlled.” Yet, they have failed to provide the public with details to support those claims that it will engage in responsible mining practices.
“Nationally and globally, we are facing a clean water crisis caused by drought, pollution, infrastructure decline, and overconsumption,” said Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Commissioner of Natural Resources Kelly Applegate. “Minnesota is blessed with abundant clean water resources, and they are not to be taken for granted. While the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe is concerned about the threat of climate change and determined to find solutions to slow its impact on our environment, in the case of the proposed Tamarack Mine, we are asking our leaders and regulators to prioritize clean water over nickel.”
The proposed mine is located just 1.3 miles from the homes of Band members at Round Lake, and near cultural sites, including Rice Lake and Sandy Lake. The area is rich with manoomin (wild rice), medicinal plants, and cultural resources that are already struggling to survive and adapt to the rapidly changing climate. The environmental impacts of the proposed mine will add yet another stress to the natural environment, Applegate said.
The mine could impact 1837 and 1854 Treaty Rights such as the wetlands, where manoomin grows, and fisheries used by the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and the Fond du Lac Band of Ojibwe.
“We want to make sure we protect that homeland for future generations and all of the shared resources that are there for all of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, other Anishinaabe, and all citizens of Minnesota who share that resource,” said Mille Lacs Band Chief Executive Melanie Benjamin.
Talon announced last October they would be moving the nickel processing plant to North Dakota as a result of a $114 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. But Talon still has not commented how they will address many of the other environmental concerns such as the disruption to the water flow, how the water will be treated, and the potential pollution concerns in addition to the hole in the Earth.
“Transitioning to a green economy is a complex issue and as such will require complex solutions. The idea that a green economy rests solely on nickel mining is a false premise, leveraged by groups who want to generate income at the expense of the planet,” Benjamin said.
Applegate said the Band is honored to have allies like MCEA and Earthjustice join in the Water Over Nickel initiative. The willingness of allies — including organizations like the Midwest Alliance of Sovereign Tribes (MAST) and Minnesota Indian Affairs Council (MIAC), who have signed resolutions voicing concerns about the proposed Tamarack Mine — to join the initiative speaks loudly that protecting clean water is an urgent and shared concern.
“We are the caretakers of a fragile ecosystem that is the heart of our culture,” Benjamin said. “It is not for sale. We are not for sale.”
For more information on the proposed Tamarack Mine, please visit the Mille Lacs Band website at https://millelacsband.com/home/mining-impact and https://www.waterovernickel.com