Drilling has begun at our sacred site Pe' Sla, setting a dangerous precedent for Indigenous lands across the country. It must be stopped.
Drilling has begun within the 2-mile buffer zone of Pe' Sla, a sacred Indigenous site in South Dakota's Black Hills, despite federal protections. The activity, permitted by the U.S. Forest Service for graphite exploration, is seen as a threat to religious freedom, environmental integrity, and Indigenous land rights. Legal action has been taken to halt the project, which could set a precedent for future exploitation of protected lands.
- ▪Drilling operations have started within the 2-mile buffer zone of Pe' Sla, a sacred site for the Oceti Sakowin in South Dakota.
- ▪The U.S. Forest Service issued a permit for exploratory drilling, prompting a lawsuit by NDN Collective and allied groups over violations of environmental and cultural protection laws.
- ▪The proposed project by Pete Lien & Sons includes up to 18 drill pads, each reaching depths of 1,000 feet, within the Rapid Creek watershed, a critical water source for local communities.
- ▪The drilling poses environmental risks including contamination of water sources and disruption of fragile ecosystems, despite claims of containment measures.
- ▪Legal challenges cite threats to religious freedom and the potential for irreversible damage to culturally and ecologically significant lands.
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Planet Earth Drilling has begun at our sacred site Pe' Sla, setting a dangerous precedent for Indigenous lands across the country. It must be stopped. Drilling in the 2-mile buffer zone of Pe' Sla, in the He Sapa (Black Hills) of South Dakota, shows even sacred lands protected by the U.S. government are not safe from the threat of destruction — and it should ring alarm bells everywhere. By Dr. Valeriah Big Eagle published 28 April 2026 in Opinion When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Drilling has started in the 2-mile buffer zone around Pe' Sla, a sacred Indigenous site in South Dakota.
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