I am honored to have recently interviewed Dorece Sam (Ft. McDermitt Pai-Sho Tribe), her aunt, Elder, Josephine Dick, and son, who goes by the name "Young Warrior." You will hear from all in this podcast, plus, Will Falk, Attorney, Reno Sparks Indian Colony, and Summit Lake Paiute Tribe, litigants.

Excepting Will, all are descendants of Ox Sam, who escaped the massacre of 1865, on horseback, as his people and family perished in an attack by the First Nevada Cavalry.

A similar battle wages today, for many of the same reasons.

From People of Red Mountain:

Call for Solidarity; Indigenous group seeks response from General Motors regarding human rights issues at Thacker Pass.

People of Red Mountain (PRM), is an Indigenous grassroots organization that was formed to protect the sacred site, Peehee Muhu – Thacker Pass. People of Red Mountain has raised significant and urgent concerns regarding human, religious, and Indigenous Peoples rights violations by the proposed mine.

In January of 2023, General Motors provided a $650 million joint Equity Investment and Supply Agreement with Lithium Americas to develop the Thacker Pass lithium mine at Peehee Mu’huh in Nevada.

The SIRGE Coalition and People of Red Mountain prepared a letter to GM highlighting the company’s social policies and requesting a meeting on the human rights implications of this investment.

We sent the letter in early March, but have not received a response. Currently, we are asking organizations and investors that support Paiute, Shoshone, and Bannock human rights to reach out to their contacts at GM, and request that the company respond to the letter.

Click on the link to see the letter that was sent in regards to General Motors’ recent $650 million joint Equity Investment and Supply Agreement with Lithium Americas to develop the Thacker Pass lithium mine at Peehee Muhu in Nevada.

Dorece Sam (Paiute), Josephine Dick (Paiute), Young Warrior, Will Falk, Podcast/Thacker Pass

Thacker Pass: An Archaeological Perspective

Archaeologist, Austin Ringelstein provides a glimpse inside federal processes of permitting large mining projects,

Thacker Pass: An Archaeologist's Perspective with Austin Ringelstein

The Land You Know Has Been Given to You
With Preston Arrow-weed and Faron Owl

Bradley Angel and Robert Lundahl, Producers
Directed by Robert Lundahl

Thank You Greenaction, Ah-Mut-Pipa Foundation
©Copyright 2023, Agence RLA, LLC, Greenaction

www.agence-rla.com
www.greenaction.org

The Land You Know Has Been Given to You

For over 35 years, Bradley has been a local and national leader in the environmental health and justice movement and has helped communities win some of the most significant victories in the history of that movement.

In 1990, Bradley helped bring together grassroots Indigenous leaders in the first Protecting Mother Earth/Toxic Threat to Indian Lands Conference which led to the formation of the Indigenous Environmental Network.

In 2008, Bradley was one of five people from around the world chosen as a recipient of 2008 Lannan Foundation’s Cultural Freedom Award in recognition of his decades of work with hundreds of diverse communities and Native Nations impacted and threatened by pollution and injustice.

In 2014 Bradley was the recipient of the 2014 “Environmental Justice Angel Award” from the East Los Angeles Community Youth Center for his environmental justice work empowering and supporting youth and Latino communities.

Bradley played a lead role in the landmark settlement in 2016 of the Title VI Civil Rights complaint filed by Greenaction and El Pueblo of Kettleman City that successfully challenged racially discriminatory actions by state agencies in environmental decision-making.

What do We  Mean By Environmental Justice? Bradley Angel

Lithium in America tells the not unfamiliar story of industry and government pushing forward huge energy projects with market driven exuberance despite local opposition and failure to consult with tribes. 

The film shines a light on these questionable practices as we interview leaders and members from 5 tribes with respect to 4 major projects in 3 states that are bellweathers of policy today, and which represent a common mindset and set of practices, however misguided.

-Dorece Sam (Pai-Sho)
-Josephine Dick (Pai-Sho)
-Will Falk, Attorney
-Max Wilbert, Author
-Preston Arrow-weed (Quechan)
-Faron Owl (Quechan)
-Luis Olmedo (Comite Civico Del Valle)
-Pat Gonzales Rogers, Yale School of the Environment
-Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland
-Naenlyn Pike (Apache)
-Matthew Leivas, Sr. (Chemehuevi)
-Sean Milanovich (Cahuilla)

Narration by Robert Lundahl
Written and Directed by Robert Lundahl

Produced by Robert Lundahl and Tracker Ginamarie Rangel Quinone (Apache)

With Bradley Angel, Greenaction
and Preston Arrow-weed (Quechan)

According to Popular Mechanics Magazine, 

"This high concentration (of lithium) is found primarily at Thacker Pass in Nevada, and is already a controversial mining location. The area, also known as Peehee Mu'huh, is the homeland of many indigenous tribes and played an important role in its historical clash with U.S. soldiers. An indigenous organization dedicated to protecting the site even called potential mining operations a form of “green colonialism,” and is also engaged in stopping a mining site on the Oregon side of the caldera as well.

Apart from its cultural impact, any mining project in the area could also affect groundwater levels for local farmers and ranchers, not to mention its disruption to local fauna, such as pronghorn antelope, golden eagles, and sage grouse.

Right now, the McDermitt Caldera is a 40 million metric ton lithium conundrum with no clear answer."

Lithium In America

This week on Full Circle we continue to keep our eyes and ears on  Palestine and we also cover local and national stories. On tonight's show, we’ll hear a short interview with one of the protesters that shut down the San Francisco international terminal calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. We’ll also hear from the family of Angelo Quinto as they mark 3 years of achievements since their beloved son and brother was killed by Antioch police. We’ll close out the show with an update on Peehee Mu’huh aka Thacker Pass and the lithium mine that is currently devastating the land of the Paiute and Shoshone people.

Full Circle 03-15-2024 Palestine_Angelo Quinto_Thacker Pass

In Episode 265 of the CounterVortex podcast, Bill Weinberg examines Trump's ultimatum to Ukraine to hand over a large share of its wealth in strategic minerals such as lithium in exchange for continued US military aid—and whether a race with China for control of the lithium and rare earth elements needed for Elon Musk's industrial interests might also be the agenda behind the Trump regime's annexationist designs on Greenland. Trump is meanwhile opening Native American lands in Nevada to lithium expoitation, while Musk's Tesla has sought to grab a share of Bolivia's lithium reserves—now also coveted by China.

Listen on SoundCloud or via Patreon.

https://www.patreon.com/countervortex

Production by Chris Rywalt

We ask listeners to donate just $1 per weekly podcast via Patreon -- or $2 for our new special offer! We now have 68 subscribers. If you appreciate our work, please become Number 69!

CounterVortex Podcast

Ukraine, Greenland & the global struggle for lithium

First Voice Media is building a lasting institution for women, people of color, and under-resourced communities to learn media skills and gain access to radio as a means of empowerment using mass communications and art.

Members of First Voice Media produce, write, host, and engineer Full Circle, a cultural affairs radio magazine which showcases personal views, interviews, feature stories, and live performances from our community. Airing on Friday at 7pm on KPFA 94.1, all content comes from members of First Voice Media and reaches all across northern and central California.

Emmy® Award winning Filmmaker, Producer, and Radio Show Host, Robert Lundahl, broadcasting weekly Primetime on KPFK 90.7 Los Angeles.

Support my work on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/countervortex

New tracks tagged #ThackerPass