FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, May 8, 2026
Rapid City, SD – Today, NDN Collective was notified that Pete Lien & Sons sent a letter to the United States Forest Service, officially withdrawing their plan of operations for the Rochford Mineral Exploratory Drilling Project (RMEDP) at Pe’ Sla.
This victory follows a week of concentrated action by community and tribal leaders in South Dakota to protect the land. From the land defenders who occupied two active drill pads for a week, to fighting in the courts through multiple lawsuits and a temporary restraining order, today’s win is multi-faceted and offers a blueprint for future land defense fights.
Pe’ Sla is sacred to the Lakota, who have visited the site for thousands of years. It is actively utilized for prayer, ceremony, and cultural activities – and with today’s victory, will be the site for many more ceremonies to come.
“Today’s successful protection of Pe’ Sla, which is the result of courageous land defense by the community, strategic legal action, and collective prayer, marks a great victory for the people and Mother Earth,” said Wizipan Garriott, president of NDN Collective. “We must build on this win to continue the people’s work to secure a bright future for generations to come – in the Black Hills and beyond.”
“This victory reaffirms a critical human truth – that we all have a right to clean drinking water,” said Lilias Jarding, Executive Director of the Black Hills Clean Water Alliance. “Community engagement and action forced an extractive company off our shared land. Today is a reminder that not only do we all have a duty to protect the Black Hills from harmful drilling and mining projects – but that we have the ability to win.” “From the very beginning of this battle, our ancestors were with us – we felt prayers coming to Pe’ Sla from all over Turtle Island,” said Valeriah Big Eagle, Director of He Sapa Initiatives at NDN Collective. “When we ground together in truth and what is right, led by our spiritual leaders and the next generation of warriors, we are unstoppable. This is just the beginning.”
Letter sent from Pete Lien & Sons to the USFS withdrawing their plan of operation for the Rochford Mineral Exploration Project.