Halt the Thacker Pass Lithium Mine – Stop the Desecration of Indigenous Lands

How much longer will you allow corporations to pillage Indigenous lands under the guise of “green energy”? The Thacker Pass lithium mine is an affront to human rights, environmental justice, and Indigenous sovereignty—and yet, despite overwhelming opposition from tribal nations and concerned citizens, the govt. continues to rubber-stamp this disgraceful project. Let’s be clear: Thacker Pass is stolen land. The Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribes, among others, have repeatedly condemned this desecration, yet their voices have been ignored. Free, Prior, and Informed Consent is not optional—it is a legal and moral obligation under international law. But the U.S. government, in its typical pattern of colonial extraction and corporate servitude, has yet again steamrolled Indigenous communities for profit. Beyond the blatant violation of Indigenous rights, this mine is an ecological disaster in the making. Pumping 1.7 billion gallons of water annually from an already fragile ecosystem will devastate wildlife, including endangered species like the Lahontan cutthroat trout and the Kings River pyrg. The project will also spew 152,713 tons of carbon dioxide annually, making a mockery of any so-called commitment to sustainability. And let’s talk about the well-documented connection between resource extraction projects and violence against Indigenous women. We have seen this pattern time and time again—transient, overwhelmingly male workforces bring increased rates of sexual violence and trafficking to Indigenous communities. To ignore this reality is to be complicit in the continued genocide of Native peoples. The hypocrisy is staggering. You and your colleagues love to posture about climate justice, yet you remain silent when corporate interests bulldoze Native lands for lithium—so long as it serves the pockets of mining executives and your campaign donors. This is not a climate solution; it is green colonialism, and history will remember those who stood by and let it happen. Enough is enough. I demand that you take immediate action to: 1.Shut down the Thacker Pass lithium mine and revoke its permit before further irreversible damage is done. 2.Enact federal protections that require Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) from Indigenous nations before any resource extraction project can proceed. 3.Launch an investigation into the Bureau of Land Management’s failure to conduct meaningful tribal consultations. 4.Advocate for a just and ethical transition to renewable energy that does not sacrifice Indigenous communities for corporate greed. You were elected to serve all your constituents, not just the industries that fund your campaigns. If you choose to ignore this, you are actively endorsing environmental destruction, Indigenous genocide, and corporate exploitation. You have a duty—either do your job or step aside for someone who will. I expect a response outlining your plan to address this crisis. Silence will be taken as complicity.